G11 Mini PC AMD Ryzen Embedded R2514 (Beats 4300U/N150)

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.

After purchasing 4 GMKtec Nucboxes (3 of which are G2's), I figured it was time to write a review. For reference, I'm the Director of IT at a local school, so I'm pretty well versed in computers and technology. I have a mesh wifi network at home and up until recently, we'd been using HP ProBook laptops to stream content off the internet onto various large format TVs in the house. We also use the network to backup the large quantity of multimedia (movies, tv shows, anime, etc..) on 8 TB hard drives connected to the computers. We mirror the content using a backup tool. The laptops all had 2.5 GHz i5 processors and 8-16GB of RAM and 802.11g network adapters. Since the release of Windows 11 and the announced EOL (end of life) date of Windows 10, I've been looking for replacement computers. I'd read about Nucboxes in the trades and based on the reviews I saw decided to give the GMKtec G2 a shot. Boy was I surprised. I backup several gigabytes of data daily and with the old computers, this could take an hour or so. With the new computers, running WIFI 6, the backups were literally taking just minutes. To be honest, my home mesh is only WIFI 5 capable, but that is a substantial improvement over the WIFI 3 (802.11g) I had been using. To optimize network transmission speeds, I should upgrade my mesh, but to be honest, I'm so thrilled with the speeds I'm getting, I'm more than satisfied. So as media streaming devices, these are more than fine, but what about a desktop replacement? I set one up for my wife and she couldn't be happier. The N100 processor outperforms her old laptop and coupled with the DDR5 RAM and SSD, it more than fills her needs. We also love the 3 independent displays (2 HDMI and 1 DP) and we've even seen a noticeable drop in our utility bill. Our TV connected computers are typically on 24/7. Because of the fast bootup speeds of these devices, we considered shutting them down when not in use, but because of the low power consumption, we've decided to just leave them on. I've seen some reviews saying that these are okay for some entry level gaming, but that's not really my area of expertise. I will say that as a desktop replacement for office use, these are awesome. I mentioned that I manage IT at a school, right? Well I've been so impressed by these that we're in the process of upgrading our teacher workstation to GMKtec G2's. I also love that these come with Windows 11 Pro, installed. BTW, if you are looking at buying a Raspberry Pi 5 starter kit, I'd reconsider. These are cheaper and more capable. Of course, first verify that whatever you are trying to do is supported in the Windows environment. ProTip: When mounted in the VESA mounting screws behind a monitor, it's a bit of a pain to reach behind the screen to turn the device on. My solution? In the BIOS, you can configure the G2 to turn on when power is detected. If you do this, you can use something like a smart switch to power the box and turn it on with a voice command.

This was my seventh purchase from GMKtec, and I’m thrilled with my new computer! The setup was quick as always, straightforward, and completely hassle-free. It was ready to use in no time and works wonderfully. Once again, I’ve had an excellent experience, and I’m very happy with my purchase.

I have spent the last few days putting this device through tests working on making sure it can actually do the jobs I got it for. So far, this appears to be a really solid choice for a home server network hub / main box for anything that doesn't require mass storage. I have replaced the internal m.2 card with a Transcend 2TB drive: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092W8G8C6?th=1 My system is running ProxMox VE as the base operating system, then I deployed Docker and Docker Compose natively on the host system and used handy ProxMox helper scripts to setup and spin up VM and containerized versions of Opnsense, Adguard, and Home Assistant. Via Docker Compose I deployed Traefik, sabnzbd, Audiobookshelf, Lidarr, Navidrome, VaultWarden, Bookstack, Baikal, DocMost, Joplin, prowlarr, and a WebDAV sync server for RetroArch. Using even "just" an SSD style m.2 to host everything, I'm finding the 12GB of RAM version to be just about perfect as a spot to put those services and then I'm using the rest of the bulk storage for a music collection, audiobook collection, and podcast storage. Audiobookshelf runs nice and responsively with this as a host. I ran my unit through like 8 hours of memtest86, no errors at all (woo!). Then I installed the OS as documented above. Then I felt like it would make sense to run some download tests. Sabnzbd++ running in a container on this system ran (I'm pretty sure) faster than it has for me before on this connection. So this system is outperforming a router while also deliverying Opnsense's enterprise class control and firewall. 69.6 GB - downloaded in 15m 37s, average 76.2 MB/s, unpacked in 28m 50s 90.9 GB - downloaded in 22m 37s, average 68.6 MB/s, unpacked in 20m 49s 91.1 GB - downloaded in 18m 39s, average 84.1 MB/s, unpacked directly 15.2 GB - downloaded in 3m 6s, average 83.5 MB/s, direct unpack Obviously, my MUCH bigger and more electrically inefficient AMD AM4 system would unpack these jobs faster, but these are basically the most difficult jobs I could think of for the sabnzbd++ chain, a couple of untouched full size ISOs where the system has to download and handle 10s of GBs at a time. No hiccups or problems encountered, this tiny guy crunched that data out like a champ. Basically, the Intel N150 really is that good! Downsides & Notes: I didn't touch the WiFi / BlueTooth unit on mine at all and can't speak to its usefulness. Also, with only one m.2 2242 slot and the stated max capacity of 2TB means, unless you slap some USB3-based storage on, this guy will be limited by its data storage in terms of workloads it can do. Overall: I was shocked at how tiny and cute this device is, and the BIOS lets you change the LED ring light at the bottom to a bunch of different colors, so it seriously overdelivered for me in terms of asthetics and build quality. It's priced competitively with a good router, but running Opnsense on real hardware with multiple GB of RAM to throw at the problem, you are going to outperform any router that costs the same price this does. Just add a wireless access point and go :) A dual NIC mini PC as gateway and main home services host is going to be my go-to solution going forward, it's great!

May 2024 I use this mini PC for my home theater use. I have the TVGuardian+ app (search TVG+, not the old set-top box) which does a very good job of taking out all the unnecessary foul language for Netflix, Prime, and several other similar apps (with more coming). The app works through Windows 11 and Chrome browser (only), hence, the need for a mini computer to run it, rather than having a laptop running for TV watching. When using this mini-PC for only this use it starts super fast not being junked up with lots of apps. My wireless USB Logitech trackball plugs into the mini-PC & can just sit on my recliner armrest to do everything after starting up the mini-PC with a Logitech keyboard on my coffee table that only needs to be on for 15 seconds to login. The min-PC easily plugs into my audio amp for 5.1 sound through HDMI, then the audio amp to the TV also through HDMI. I elected to get this model with not only the tiny, faster M.2 form factor, but an NVMe technology rather than the rapidly depreciating SATA in case for some reason TVG+ didn't work out I could use it with a big monitor in the office as a second computer. Well, after 9 months we really love TVG+ and the ability to watch many more shows now that the needlessly tedious foul language is muted and the closed captioning is replaced with nicer words. It has found its home on the TV component shelf. So far, 5 stars. UPDATE: June 2024 I started getting strange behavior: Whenever I moved my trackball to get around on Chrome or any programming app like Netflix, Prime, etc. the TV screen would go black for 1-2 seconds, then reappear. I thought it was a problem with TVG+ (TV Guardian+) and just put up with it. Update late Jan 2026 One of the two HDMI sockets on the GMKtec mini PC failed in strange ways causing Netflix to only partially connect - meaning I got only Netflix's top menu bar and an otherwise black screen. Thinking it must be something other than the GMKtec I began elimination diagnosis. Netflix worked fine on my laptop with HDMI out to my audio amp then to TV. So, I unplugged everything and switched to the other HDMI socket on the GMKtec. Everything went back to normal... with no 1-2 second black screen on every trackball movement... almost, that is. In order to get Netflix to work properly I could no longer just put the GMKtec to sleep like I had been doing since May of 2024 (with complete shutdowns about once a week). I have to now do a full Windows shutdown each time to get it to work. So, clearly something is wrong with the GMKtec and has been all along since June of 2024 when the momentary black screens began to appear. I contacted GMKtec to get their take on it and if they'd be willing to replace the unit since something was wrong with it a month after putting it into service. Nope! It's out of warranty. Never-mind it really began failing only a month into service, So, boo on GMKtecs warranty. AND, BTW, even during the warranty period you would have to ship it back to the manufacturer in guess where? Yep, China. So GMKtec is off my list of reputable, or competent manufacturers. Who would expect to have to replace a PC every year and a half? I went from 5 to 2 stars for unreliability, and then 2 to 1 star for bad repair or replacement policy for having to ship it back to China. Boooooo again. STAY AWAY.

This is the third GMKtec mini PC I bought. I started with a very basic N150 model. I was amazed how a tiny 3.5 x 3.5 inch box could do everything my older PC could do for less than two hundred bucks. Next I bought a GMKtec Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U mini PC. It turned out that this was much more PC than I needed, so I tried the Ryzen Embedded R2514 mini PC. That’s what I am reviewing now. Firstly I just love the tiny footprint of the PC. At 5 x 5 x 2 inches it takes up almost no desk space. I also like that it has a USB-C port that can be used for video (Thunderbolt). I have a small Acer portable monitor that has USB-C ports. I really like the small size of USB-C cables as compared to HDMI cables. If you’re going minimalist, it looks good. As an FYI, the monitor I have is supposed to be able to get its power from the PC video cable, but in my experience the monitor likes the included power supply much better. I have not had any issues at all from the PC so far, not that I expected any issues, since this is my third GMKtec mini PC. I haven’t noticed the fan spooling up more than a tiny bit, and only for a few seconds. I have a short video of the PC playing two different video clips at the same time. You can see the CPU has no issues at all with that load. In the future I may find additional uses for this PC, but for now its main use is running a Theta Edge Node. This is for staking Theta Fuel tokens (crypto) to your own node. The nodes I have, run 24/7. None of the GMKtec mini PCs have had any issue with this. I really wanted to try GTA5 on here, but because I got locked out of the email I used to verify the Rockstar launcher, I can’t report on how that looks. Bottom line: If you want a PC with a tiny footprint that is also very stable, this would be a good mid level choice.

This is a great little computer. Its about as basic as it gets, but that's what I was in the market for. As I age, I've found I barely even use a computer at home for personal stuff at all any more. I have a work laptop that docks to a couple monitors for work from home stuff. I have an extensive steam game library from the old days, but i just don't really have a place in my life for gaming anymore, and i have a Nintendo switch for what little gaming i do. So, I sold my personal laptop and old gaming PC and replaced it with this... Its attached to the back of one of my work monitors, and runs 24/7 as a plex server and network storage computer. I can switch the monitor over to it if i want to, but i will probably just remote into it from my phone for most quick media and file management tasks. It serves up full 4k over wifi no problem. During setup and configuration, it seemed speedy, and responsive enough, and would probably be just fine for a daily use computer for just about everything. It came with Windows 11 pro pre-installed with no bloatware, and setup was super easy. I'm honestly amazed what you can get for so little money, and in a package not much bigger than a deck of cards. I heavily considered getting a "better" mini PC with better graphics, more RAM, etc... but i tried to be honest with myself on my use case, and this is probably better, as it is so efficient for 24/7 mini-server type use. At some point i may try running some basic 3d modeling software of it, as this is about the most demanding thing i can think of that i may still want to do in my personal life, but bottom line, this is a lot of computer for a little money and no space at all. Pretty cool. Note that i was considering using it with my USB-C laptop dock to switch in and out with my work laptop,and the user manual confirmed that the usb-c port is only for power, and its not a thunderbolt port, so that wouldnt work. If you want USB4/thunderbolt, you may need to upgrade a bit more.

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 11 After 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.

Mini pc arrived safety and works fine. I was suspicious of the price because it seems too good for a 16gb ram 1tb ssd mini pc. The mini pc arrived with 8 gb ram and 256 gb ssd, which does fit with expected price for a mini pc with this spec but the advertised 16 gb/1 tb is very misleading.

Excellent. I recommend it.

La entrega es muy tardada y el producto que te llega es distinto al anunciado, llega con un procesador mucho menos potente, menos memoria en ram y Un disco duro de la cuarta parte del ofrecido, cuando estaba revisando las especificaciones después de una instalación muy tardada, el equipo se fue a pantalla azul y no volvió a funcionar.

Was worried about whether this PC could manage what I was looking for and so far it's passed with flying colors. When you think about it our phones are pretty damned good computers and this unit is no exception. If you need something to do heavy graphics or games forget it. I use mine as a Plex server and general Web interface without any problems. The issues with noise that I read on other reviews is simply nonsense. There is some, but it certainly is not distracting in any way. For the price, you can't go wrong.

I purchased the Nucbox G2Plus Intel N150 Mini PC after a great six-month good experience with the GMKtec Mini PC (12th Gen Intel N97) — and I’m happy to say the Nucbox G2Plus has exceeded my expectations. It’s impressively quiet, compact, and fast, making it ideal for a tidy, minimalist desk setup. Despite its small size, it's surprisingly powerful, handling multiple open applications effortlessly. The 512GB local storage is more than enough for my personal needs, and its overall performance is smooth and reliable. One of the things I love most is its portability. I primarily bought it for personal use, but it’s easy to carry around and set up anywhere, as long as I have access to a monitor. It also works seamlessly with my KVM switch, which is a big plus for anyone who uses multiple systems. A thoughtful touch is the spare blue top case — a small detail that adds customization and value. Overall, a fantastic mini PC that delivers great performance in a compact form