GIGABYTE Metal Gear Plus is the latest computer presented by the Taiwanese manufacturer. Look halfway between the desktop tower and the Mini-PC the best possible balance between performance and size.

Mini-PCs have great advantages and we especially like them for their enormous versatility of installation anywhere. But like everything, it has its disadvantages compared to other segments. Its highly integrated design does not facilitate upgradeability and maintenance, and sometimes complicates cooling and component installation. GIGABYTE Metal Gear Plus aims to be a solution for users who are looking for a compact PC but want another level.

The manufacturer uses a aluminum chassis very attractive visually and in dimensions of 210 x 200 x 58 mm with a total volume of 3 liters, which is larger than a typical Mini-PC and maintains a very compact size for any configuration. Let’s say it is sold both for DIY versions (for users to assemble components) or in ready-to-use configured versions.

The hardware base is the board AORUS B650I ITX Owned by GIGABYTE. This is a complete standard version for the AMD AM5 platform with a choice of three pre-configured versions depending on the processor, APU Ryzen 8000G “Hawk Point” with a TDP of up to 65 watts. GIGABYTE sells

It has two slots for DDR5 memory equipment and PCIe Gen4 SSDs for storage. It has a good number of ports, 2.5 GbE Ethernet LAN, half a dozen USB ports, HDMI and Display Port outputs, as well as support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless standards.

GIGABYTE Metal Gear Plus is sold in three versions depending on the processor and with the following prices:

• Ryzen 7 8700G: 8-core/12-thread CPU, with a working frequency of up to 5.1 GHz and an integrated Radeon 780M graphics card. ($740)
• Ryzen 5 8600G: 6-core/12-thread CPU, with a working frequency of up to 5.0 GHz and an integrated Radeon 760M graphics card. ($601)
• Ryzen 5 8500G: CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads, with a working frequency of up to 5.0 GHz and an integrated Radeon 740M graphics card. ($563)

This compact desktop looks very good In addition to the pre-configured versions, it will also be available in DIY configurations that like a bare bones will allow the user to choose their own components.