GMKtec NucBox G6 mini PC review

GMKtec NucBox G6: 30-second review

The AMD Ryzen 3 5425U is the entry offering from the popular Ryzen line-up of CPUs and offers decent processing power, considering the cost. What’s really interesting with this machine is that the majority of components are branded but of the last generation, so you have the CPU that’s a couple of years old, the Radeon GPU, and DDR4 RAM, which are all tried and tested rather than being at the cutting edge of computing technology. But, then, there’s been a focus on hardware and software technology where it counts; for example, it comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro, an ultra-fast SSD and wireless connectivity through Wi-Fi 6E.

The result is a very cheap Mini PC that’s surprisingly powerful. The choice of the AMD Ryzen CPU over the Intel N100, which is popular in machines at this level, enables dual-channel RAM and SSDs to be fitted. In our review, the machine came kitted out with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM, but you have the option to upgrade the internal storage to 4TB and the RAM to 64GB.

Taking a look at the design and aesthetics of the G6, it’s a great looking and feeling machine; it is at the entry-level compared to many of the best mini PCs we’ve tried, so the casing is made from plastic rather than metal, but the matte grey finish gives it a quality feel.

Checking out the port selection, and again, it’s impressive for this level of machine, with a total of five USB ports spread across the front and back. There’s also the choice of HDMI, DP or USB Type-C for the display, which gives you plenty of options and enables you to connect up to three displays running at 4K@60Hz.

The setup is fast and straightforward, with the small size of the machine enabling it to be easily positioned on a desktop. As is standard, there’s a VESA mount in the box if you want. The port layout is also well designed with the two USB Type-A on the back for keyboard and mouse if you’re opting for a wired connection and two more on the front for accessories. There’s also a USB Type-C 10Gbps port on the front, which is a nice touch. While it supports DP, this port doesn’t support a connection to an eGPU, which is a shame.

Checking out the performance and the various applications from Microsoft Office were loaded with documents while connected to a BenQ 4K monitor. What was instantly apparent was that although this is an entry-level machine, when it comes to running standard applications, it doesn’t have an issue. There is a slightly slower load time for apps compared with midrange machines, but it’s far from slow. Through this test, all Microsoft Office apps ran smoothly and opening up the media player, and other media playback applications showed just how powerful this small machine is for day-to-day tasks.

After being impressed by the speed of the machine when handling office applications it was time to play a game or two. Here, the lack of graphics power was instantly apparent; Hogwarts Legacy took a good ten minutes for the initial load. Once in the gameplay, using the standard settings was jittery even with all settings turned down. However, switching to Dirt Rally, Portal 2 and even Tekken 8, with a bit of adjustment for the settings, games were playable.

After mixed gaming results, we switched to looking at the machine for video and image editing using Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve. In both applications, the 512GB SSD was limited, but generally, HD and even 4K video editing were handled well, although render times from DaVinci were rather slow. After running through a few real-world scenarios, it was time to let the benchmarking tools evaluate the machine. Again, the results backed up the real-world experience and impressed for a machine at this price point.

At the end of the review, the G6 impressed all-round. It doesn’t have the fastest or most powerful CPU and GPU, but both are tried and tested. When supported by the solid foundation of the other components, you have a machine that hits the mark when it comes to balancing everything that a standard office machine should be capable of. If you’re in the market for a cheap PC that will enable you to update office documents, browse the internet, watch back media and dabble with some light gaming and video editing then this is a perfectly balanced machine.

GMKtec NucBox G6: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From £135 / $169
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon.com

The GMKtec is available in a variety of configurations, from a barebones version with no RAM, SSD, or OS to a 16GB model with a 1TB SSD and Windows 11 pre-installed. The version of the G6 that we have looked at in this review is the 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. The G6 is widely available, with the configuration that we’ve reviewed costing around the $200 mark. The GMKtec G6 can be purchased directly from GMKtec as well as from online retailers such as Amazon.

GMKtec NucBox G6: Specs

GMKtec NucBox G6: Design

The difference between the design and build of entry-level mini PCs and premium models is rapidly closing. The G6 features a full matte grey casing made completely of plastic, but the quality is excellent. For instance, there’s no flex or flimsiness that you often get with this level of machine. It’s only when you start to delve into the casing that some of the major differences between the design of the G6 and higher-end models become apparent, but even then, the divide isn’t significant.

Checking over the machine, there’s a good amount of venting around the casing, and later in the test, as the machine is put under load, you can hear the internal fan kick in to help keep things cool. The volume of venting is good to see, and as you go into the inner workings, there is a large internal fan that helps draw heat away from the components.

The front of the machine is simply laid out, with two standard USB ports for accessories and, usefully, a USB Type-C 10Gbps port for connecting external drives or monitors. This is a great feature as it enables you to download content extremely quickly and also connect to a wide range of accessories, including control panels and an additional monitor if needed. Alongside these ports is the audio input for a headset and the large power button in the usual GMKtec signature green.

Round the back, the machine is well laid out. The selection of ports is quite limited, with two more USB ports—which is always handy—and an HDMI and DP port alongside two LAN ports. This setup boasts nothing special but offers a solid foundation, especially if you’re working on a wired LAN or need load balancing or redundancy for gaming or video streaming.

The outer design of the G6 is stylish and functional. There’s nothing particularly exciting about the design, but it does what it needs to do and takes up minimal space on the workspace or desktop.

The other notable aspect of the design is the upgradability. Before looking at the inner workings of the machine, it’s worth pointing out that while there is a DP USB Type-C port on the front, it doesn’t support the connection of an eGPU, this port is more for connecting external drives and accessories that need a fast connection. However, there’s still plenty of upgrade potential from the base configuration, with the 16GB of RAM being upgradable to 64GB using two 32GB sticks and the 512GB SSD being upgradable to 4TB using the two M.2 slots to accommodate two 2TB sticks.

To access the components, the top of the machine pulls directly off. With a little force and slowly working around each edge, the top of the machine will lift away. Then, there’s a screw in each corner that needs to be removed before the fan plate can be lifted away, revealing the components within.

GMKtec NucBox G6: Features

There are many mini PCs that pitch powerful processors and GPUs, and while these are generally great machines, the issue is that they pack in far more power than most people actually need. The GMKtec Nucbox G6 has been spec’d out for business, home office, and general use, featuring a set of components that, while not cutting-edge, offer more than you would expect from an entry-level machine but at much the same price.

At the heart of the machine is the AMD Ryzen 5425 CPU, which features 4 cores and 8 threads running at 4.1GHz. This is coupled with Radeon Graphics 1600MHz, which is enough to power three 4K@60Hz monitors connected to the DP, HDMI, and USB Type-C ports. Alongside the processing power, there’s 16GB of DDR4 3200 MT/s RAM, which is upgradable to 32GB per channel with a total of 64GB maximum. Likewise, the machine ships with a 512GB SSD of the M.2 2280 type. An interesting point here is that there are two channels, enabling you to upgrade the internal storage to 2TB per channel, for a maximum of 4TB—impressive for a machine of this scale.

Another balanced feature of the machine is the choice of wireless connection options, including ultra-fast WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. The G6 also comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro and, supports auto power-on, wake-up on LAN, and is fully compatible with Linux and Ubuntu alongside Windows 11 Pro.

GMKtec NucBox G6: Performance

Starting the tests with general use of Windows and opening browsers and apps is relatively quick. The decent single-core scores from GeekBench and PCMark of 4968 and 5013 highlight this performance. Using both Word and Excel with large documents open alongside the Edge browser is all comfortably within the working limits of the PC. The Windows Experience Score of 8.1 further indicates that the specifications of this machine are well-suited for excellent performance with Microsoft Office and many other office-based applications.

Sticking with browser use, logging into a selection of streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix further demonstrated the machine’s performance. The fast transfer rates of the SSD make it ideal for streaming, as the speed and capacity buffer video content well. The Time Spy Graphics score of 922 and Fire Strike Graphics score of 2792, while not great for 3D gaming, are more than enough for smooth playback of both HD and 4K footage. If you’re looking for the best business computer to use as a media server or for workplace presentations, this is an excellent choice.

Switching to creative applications, the machine proves that it’s capable of handling basic image editing and manipulation in Adobe Photoshop. Ok, it might not be the best photo editing computer, but the CPU and SSD provide the necessary storage speed and processing power for tasks such as cropping and colour correction. However, as the complexity of edits and the number of layers increases, the system begins to slow, and after-effects or brush-style tools may result in jittery movement. This machine is surprisingly well-equipped for simple image enhancements in Photoshop or Lightroom.

Pushing the demands further, video editing in DaVinci Resolve showed that the machine could handle simple edits with HD footage without any major issues. As with Photoshop, applying effects caused the system to struggle, but for a machine at this price point, the performance remains excellent. When working with 4K footage, the machine starts to reach its limits. While basic edits can be managed, the system slows considerably when processing larger or more complex projects.

Finally, taking a look at gaming performance, the Fire Strike Graphics score of 2792, Physics score of 11308, and Wild Life score of 5338 reflect its limitations with demanding graphics. Playing Hogwarts Legacy at lower resolutions and reduced settings was just about workable, but Cyberpunk 2077 struggled even with all settings turned down. These two games are known for their high hardware demands, however, lighter titles such as Dirt Rally, Portal 2, and Tekken 8 were perfectly playable at low to mid settings.

While the G6 isn’t designed for heavy gaming or intensive creative workloads, for day-to-day tasks its performance is excellent and even for light creative work and moderate gaming it isn’t bad, especially given its price point.

GMKtec NucBox G5: Final verdict

GMKtec positions the G6 as a machine suitable for business, office, gaming, and home use. After testing, we would definitely recommend this small entry-level machine for all of those purposes. For business and office use, its simple design fits neatly into any workspace without taking up too much room, and its array of connection options makes it easy to integrate with any network or computer system. The inclusion of two LAN ports at the back is a significant advantage, allowing connection to two different networks simultaneously or improving speed, redundancy and reliability. The fact that it supports a 2.5Gbps connection is an impressive feature for a machine at this price.

The G6 is perfectly suited to running Windows and all Office applications. It opens Word and Excel quickly and handles relatively large spreadsheets and documents with ease. Its smooth operation with these applications underscores its primary intended use.

Stepping beyond standard office tasks, the machine performs well for image and video editing. As long as you don’t push it to hard basic photo and some HD and 4K video editing, are perfectly possible. It’s only when you push the system with multi-layer/track projects or complex effects, that it begins to struggle. For occasional 4K video edits, such as footage from an iPhone 15 Pro, the machine handles the footage with relative ease. 

Used for gaming, the G6 struggles with the latest high-demand titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077. However, for less graphically demanding games like Dirt Rally and Portal 2, the performance is smooth and playable.

For general home use, the machine is perfectly suited to handle a bit of everything, making the G6 is an excellent choice.

Overall, the GMKtec G6 offers an excellent balance of performance and price, with the added flexibility of upgrading storage and RAM if and when needed. For the home office, business, or as a general-use PC at home, this machine is a great choice.

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