The Gigabyte BRIX BRU9-386H is the first member of the BRIX family to feature an Intel Core Ultra (Series 3) Panther Lake processor. While it lacks the 12-core Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics found in higher-end Panther Lake chips, the mini PC offers a significant advantage in memory capacity. Systems with Intel Core Ultra X chips and higher-performance graphics only support up to 96GB of soldered LPDDR5x memory, but the BRU9-386H with its Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor and 4-core Intel Graphics supports up to 128GB of user-replaceable DDR5 memory.
Gigabyte says the mini PC supports up to 96GB of RAM using two 48GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM sticks, or up to 128GB of DDR5-6400 using two 64GB CSO-SODIMMs. For storage, there are two M.2 2280 slots with one supporting PCIe 5.0 SSDs and another with PCIe 4.0 support. An M.2 2230 slot comes populated with a Realtek RTL8922AE wireless card featuring WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
For Linux users, Intel's Panther Lake platform arrives with solid mainline kernel support. The platform is largely well-supported in Linux 6.18 and later, with Linux 6.18 serving as a long-term support release maintained through December 2027. The BRU9-386H's Intel i226LM 2.5GbE controller uses the in-kernel igc driver, while the RTL8922AE WiFi 7 card is supported by the rtw89 driver in Linux 6.10 and newer, though some users have reported occasional stability issues under heavy WiFi load.
The compact system measures 11.9 x 11.3 x 3.4 cm (4.7 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches) and features an extensive port selection including two USB4 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 2.1 Alt Mode, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (10 Gbps with USB Power Delivery input), three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (10 Gbps), one USB 2.0 Type-A port, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and 2.5 GbE Ethernet (Intel i226LM). The system requires a 28V/5A or 140W USB Type-C power adapter.
Based on the inclusion of Intel's processor number in the name, Gigabyte may introduce additional models with other Intel Panther Lake chips in the future, though it remains to be seen whether they will feature 12-core or 4-core graphics configurations.
