GMKtec Mini PC Intel N150 (Turbo 3.6GHz) 16GB DDR4 1TB PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD, Intel i226-V Desktop Computer 4K Dual HDMI Display/4x USB3.2/WiFi 6/BT5.2/RJ45 Ethernet Nucbox G3 Plus

Basically, I tried to do everything I could to test this unit and see if it stumbled in any way. I have not been able to make it stumble so I am very pleased with this purchase. I love the small size and because of it I may just keep components in several places and just transport the small box as my portable computer. It has plenty of power for the type of work I do, which is normal homeowner type of uses. It has all the ports I could use or anticipate needing. It has a DP Port (Display Port) which is used to string multiple monitors together. I haven’t considered this in the past, but may in the future and it will be nice to have the option with this machine. Some of the USB ports I’m using could be freed up by using Bluetooth components.I would recommend this computer for people looking for an alternative to laptops or towers and the price is right considering what you get. It also appears to me that upgrading to larger RAM and Storage may not be necessary as the cloud appears to be taking over. I upgraded my other mini to larger RAM and a 1 terabit drive. But after using this unit I’m not sure it is necessary. All in all I can’t say anything negative about the unit. I’m very pleased!Keep reading for additional detailed description.This is my second minicomputer from GMKtec. I purchased one about 1 year ago. It worked well but the SSD crashed. The company worked with me, and I was able to replace the SSD, and rebuild the software and it has been working ever since. So, they have been responsive and stand behind their products.I had a need for a second computer so spotted this and decided to give it a chance. The unit came nicely packaged and intact. All the items listed were in the package as advertised. The difference with the minicomputer is that all the peripherals are not included. I have many of the peripherals so it is not an issue for me but be aware that if you don’t you need a monitor (I’m using a small TV I had), a keyboard (I bought a $13 USB one) and a mouse (I already had one).After acquiring the components, you literally just plug the components in and turn it on. The first thing you notice is how fast the screen comes up. Remember when you would turn your computer on then go get some coffee and hope it was up and running? Not so here it is a fast boot up.It went through some introductory screens and askes you some questions. The only one that gave me hesitation was the password one. It turns out this is to log into the computer every time you turn it on. So, make that a simple one to remember. I didn’t but went in to change it later.It comes loaded with Microsoft Windows 11After that I started downloading software and Apps, all the ones that I use. I had no difficulty or problems with any of them. I connected it wirelessly through my home router with no difficulty. It comes with the latest wifi-6. I’m connected with 2.4 GHz channel and get 55 Mbps download and 33.42 Mbps upload. I know this depends on your systems but shows that there is plenty of speed.The minicomputer unit is 1.5 inches high and 3 3/8 inches square (see picture). Plenty of USB ports and if necessary, you can put a USB expander in one port. I used the headphones jack to listen to some music and connected my Bluetooth ear buds also both worked with a hitch and there is no lag or distortion. The package also comes with an angle support so you can hang it on the back of the monitor. This cleans up the area and make the monitor appear to be an all in one.I loaded Microsoft 365, a mechanical drawing program, iTunes and quicken and used them thinking that they may put the unit to a test for speed and any potential problems. There were none and it performed flawlessly.I have some “sleep” issues with the other unit, but this unit goes to sleep and wakes up with no issues even if left for a long period and with the monitor disconnected.Another improvement I noticed was that they have changed the way they screw the cover on. On my previous unit you had to remove the rubber feet to access the screws, and this will eventually cause problems with them coming off. This newer unit has the screws accessible trough the feet. This is much better for those looking to do any upgrading.

I'm honestly quite shocked at the value this thing has packed into it.I originally wanted to just convert this into a Linux-only machine and set up emulation there but I quickly found that there were some issues with display and processing. What I thought was going to be a fairly light load, turned out to be more than it could handle. It was not even running a sega Genesis game well. I also found that there's something with the display/graphics that I couldn't even get dual screens to work in Ubuntu Linux. Nor could I send audio out via HDMI. GMKTec had a build of Ubuntu but when I tried to install it, the computer did not seem to like it. I never was able to get their build of Ubuntu working. I feel like their build could have solved some of the Linux issues. I don't think it was inherently that the machine couldn't handle the graphics processing.So after wiping the machine a few times through trial and error I was able to get both Linux and Windows installed and either selectable during the boot menu. Having reinstalled Windows again I needed to download the drivers from GMKTec's website and run the install script. This was necessarily to ensure that the graphics and sound worked properly. This time attempting to run emulation (on windows) I was been pleasantly surprised. This machine, currently being under $200, has been able to handle a wide variety of retro gaming from original NES to Wii U. The Wii and Wii U emulation has some stuttering during assets loading or busy environments, but when the games are running things are generally smooth and appropriately 30 or 60 fps. Switching to Steam, I was able to run Ori and the will of the wisps, but only after turning down the graphic settings to Low.Running normal day to day web browsing works fine and it has a great amount of storage 1TB. This is a perfect day to day machine for probably 70-80% of users. This is also a perfect solution for travel or hooking up to a TV where the small form factor is preferred over a big tower or laptop. I think for more serious PC gamers this is not going to be enough processing power to run any powerful modern games. For the price, this is also a perfect machine to try out configurations that might break your normal computer, like trying to install multiple OS's and accidentally wiping the machine. For me this is going to be a perfect machine for learning different technologies on where I don't want to clutter my main machine.What's crazy is that a machine like this would have been completely sufficient to do all of my college homework on, though I think a laptop is better for that job (especially taking notes).PC's have come extremely far since the late 90s and early 00s. From that perspective it is mind blowing what this thing can do. From the perspective of today, this is adequate to handle almost any task, but intensive gaming, number crunching, video editing, or 3d rendering this is probably going to fall short. That being said the price to value ratio is still extremely high.