Trending

Giada Launches Mini PC for Pro Gamers

By

In February, we reported that Giada launched a new Haswell-based barebones mini PC called the F300. Although its main focus was on the digital signage market, the spec list showed that it could also serve as the perfect home theater PC: lots of punch with a small footprint. Now the company is back with a new mini-PC that's built for PC gaming: the D2308U.

The D2308U packs an Intel Core i7-4500U Haswell processor (1.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz), Nvidia's GeForce GTX 750 Maxwell GPU with 2 GB of GDDR3 VRAM, and 8 GB (2x 4 GB) of DDR3L-1600 MHz memory. The gaming rig's storage consists of a 1 TB 2.5-inch 5400 RPM hard drive (SATA 2) and an optional mSATA SSD (SATA 3).

In addition, the D2308U provides one DVI-I port and two HDMI 1.4b ports for a triple display setup. The audio is handled by Realtek, which provides headphone and microphone jacks on the front, and a SPDIF combo jack on the back. Realtek also provides the unit's Gigabit Ethernet port, located on the back.

The mini gaming rig has Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, two mini-PCI Express slots, one USB 3.0 port on the front, two USB 3.0 ports on the back, two USB 2.0 ports on the back, and one 4-in-1 card reader. There's also an on-board IR module and an infrared sensor on the front panel, and a "smart" fan keeps everything cool while owners game on care-free.

Finally, the overall dimensions are 9.05 x 2.14 x 6.83 inches, making it a great fit in the living room. This device retails for $1,099, and can be purchased at local outlets like Circuit City, CompUSA, Newegg and TigerDirect.

Based on pricing, Giada's biggest competitor could be Xi3 Corporation's $999 Piston console. This device sports an AMD Trinity processor clocked at 3.2 GHz, Radeon HD 7660G graphics, 8 GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. If you want to add your own memory and hard drive, Gigabyte sells a BRIX gaming barebones PC for around $489.99. This mini-rig includes an Intel Core i5-4570R processor, Iris Pro 5200 graphics, support for 2.5-inch hard drives and two SO-DIMM DDR3L slots for memory.

Follow Kevin Parrish @exfileme. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

18 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Snipergod87 17 July 2014 19:16
    As I was reading this I was thinking ok, this would be reasonable for 500-600 bucks, but it is nowhere near that price.
    Reply
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be 17 July 2014 19:35
    The comment about it's biggest competitor based on pricing seems off. Sure, the pricing might be the same, but an AMD Trinity platform + 7660G is NOT as powerful as an i7-4500U + GTX750.

    Not really a competitor at all, unless price is the only comparison!
    Reply
  • larsoncc 17 July 2014 19:46
    I don't understand the obsession companies have of late - the obsession with power consumption and small form factor overrides common sense or practicality. Here we have an oddly shaped (can't stand on end), pretty plain looking box that destroys the notion of upgrades to shave 3 extra inches off and use a power brick instead of a SFF power supply. It defies logic - loss of features (processor power, no upgrade path, kinda weak-ish graphics), non-premium looks, and odd architecture "selling points" (great, it supports 3 displays - but so can anyone else with that card)... all for a $500 price premium. These companies are making systems like this "because they can" but not because the need is there. I mean really - whose TV cabinet is SO TINY that they can't use a mini-ITX case, but has room on the floor for some massive power brick? WTH is going on in these design departments?
    Reply
  • thechief73 17 July 2014 19:58
    A fool and his money....
    Reply
  • 2Be_or_Not2Be 17 July 2014 20:05
    I don't understand the obsession companies have of late - the obsession with power consumption and small form factor overrides common sense or practicality. Here we have an oddly shaped (can't stand on end), pretty plain looking box that destroys the notion of upgrades to shave 3 extra inches off and use a power brick instead of a SFF power supply. It defies logic - loss of features (processor power, no upgrade path, kinda weak-ish graphics), non-premium looks, and odd architecture "selling points" (great, it supports 3 displays - but so can anyone else with that card)... all for a $500 price premium. These companies are making systems like this "because they can" but not because the need is there. I mean really - whose TV cabinet is SO TINY that they can't use a mini-ITX case, but has room on the floor for some massive power brick? WTH is going on in these design departments?

    You're trading those features for a real decrease in size. Having a very crowded entertainment center already, I appreciate the decrease in size. At a low enough entry point, I don't care about upgrades. So this one could drop a bit in price to be really attractive.

    This could make a decent media center PC as well as a Big-Screen Steam display. You're not really losing much in the processor (that i7 turbos to 3.0GHz), and a mSATA drive will make it really snappy. Even the GTX750 is decent enough for gaming.

    It also functions well as a working desktop where you can game on it as well as using it for work-related purpose. Multiple screens are really useful in the workplace. Finally, that small footprint saves a lot of space on your desktop, in addition to adding a little wow factor when co-workers come into your office.

    Some Intel NUCs are replacing some PCs at my office, so these smaller sizes can definitely find a home.
    Reply
  • mlga91 17 July 2014 21:18
    That cpu is a real overkill, i would prefer to see i3 and i5 configurations for a home theater pc.
    Reply
  • photonboy 17 July 2014 23:22
    Who wrote this TITLE?

    For "pro" gamers? Really? As in professional gamers? On a GTX750?

    Also, the i7 is a dual-core CPU (2C/4T) with a 15W TDP which makes me really nervous considering the i5-4200M is also 2C/4T but has a 37W TDP.

    So what's the deal, does the 3GHz Turbo only work with the 2nd core not running?

    Looks like a lot of compromise to save a little volume on a computer that is unlikely to be moved much. Yes, it's a niche item. but.... why would anyone buy it for that price?
    Reply
  • salgado18 18 July 2014 00:34
    Toms, please use metric system? 95% of the world doesn't know if this thing is small or large, please!
    Reply
  • jasonelmore 18 July 2014 00:55
    Toms, please use metric system? 95% of the world doesn't know if this thing is small or large, please!
    95% of the world know what a foot is, and they also know a foot is 12 inches
    Reply
  • mortsmi7 18 July 2014 03:54
    Toms, please use metric system? 95% of the world doesn't know if this thing is small or large, please!
    An inch is roughly the length of your thumb tip and that is no coincidence.
    Reply