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GMKtec NucBox M8: 30-second review
The GMKtec M8 is an interesting mini PC. First and foremost, it is ultra-compact, so if you’re stuck for space, then it will neatly fit on or by any desk, whatever the size. Of course, it comes with the VESA mount compatibility, so if you do want to mount it behind your monitor or on a specialist mount, then that’s perfectly possible, although there’s no VESA mount included; it is an optional extra.
There are a few other interesting adaptations for this compact machine. The first is that it offers huge upgrade potential for internal storage, with dual PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD slots. Just 512 GB is installed in our review sample, but it has the potential to upgrade to two 8 TB modules. While these PCIe slots are not the latest interface, they will support PCIe 4.0, enabling those 8 TB sticks and giving a grand total of 16 TB in one small machine.
While the storage capacity is huge, the RAM is fixed at 16 GB of LPDDR5 soldered onto the motherboard. This means you can’t upgrade the RAM beyond what’s shipped, but it also ensures it’s ultra-fast.
Initially, the lack of a decent eGPU might seem a bit of a failing, but then with USB4 ports alongside HDMI and DP 1.4, it means you can connect up to three monitors, two up to 8K and one 4K, which is extremely unusual, and only possible due to that advanced AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 6650H processor. As this machine also offers an OCuLink connection, if you do want to crank up the power for 3D applications or gaming, there is a port to connect directly into a far more powerful eGPU.
Ultimately, this compact mini PC is designed for the office and, for that use, has huge potential, especially considering the fact that it has a decent amount of support for upgrading the internal capacity of the base model. Without upgrading the SSD, it’s easy enough to connect ultra-fast external portable SSDs via the USB4 ports. Then there’s a good volume of USB ports for accessories and dual 2.5G LAN for network and NAS connection.
At first glance, this PC might seem a little lacking when it comes to pure performance, but in terms of workflow, it performs exceptionally well. So if you’re not looking for the best mini PC for multimedia editing, gaming or 3D content creation, and just need it for straight office work, this small machine punches above its weight.
GMKtec NucBox M8: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? From £329 / $329
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon
The small size is matched by a relatively small price of $329 for the 16GB version with a 512 GB SSD that I looked at in this review. It’s something of a bargain and a great starting point for anybody looking for a decent mini PC for their home office or workplace. Alongside the base unit reviewed, there’s also a 1TB storage option.
Both versions of the GMKtec NucBox M8 mini PC can be purchased directly from GMKtec by clicking here – it has a range of plugs for the US, Asia, and Europe, and free worldwide shipping.
It’s also available from online retailers such as Amazon.com (a 512GB model and a 1TB model) and Amazon.co.uk (again with a 512GB configuration and one with 1TB SSD). All other specs are the same.
GMKtec NucBox M8: Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H
Graphics: AMD Radeon 660M (integrated, RDNA 2)
RAM: Up to 32 GB LPDDR5
Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD, (2x8TB in dual slots Max)
Front Ports: 2×USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps), OCuLink (PCIe Gen4 ×4), USB4, DP1.4 (4K@60Hz), 3.5mm Audio Jack, Power button, Reset button.
Rear Ports: USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps), USB 2.0 (480Mbps), HDMI 2.0 (8K@60Hz), DisplayPort 1.4 (8K@60Hz), 2x RJ45 LAN (2.5Gbps), DC IN (5.5/2.5mm), Security lock hole
Cooling: Dual-fan active cooling with copper heat-pipe
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Dimensions: 127 × 127 × 48.2 mm
GMKtec NucBox M8: Design
The design of GMKtec NucBox M8 really stands out and follows a bit of a design theme that’s emerged in the GMKtec NucBox range over the last few months. Essentially, a folded sheet of metal covers the mini PC, leaving a decent-sized air gap between the main body of the PC and the top and bottom, enabling plenty of airflow through these small machines.
From the models I’ve looked at in the range, the design not only stands out, but also effectively helps with cooling. A boosted copper heat pipe design for the dual-fan cooling system really seems to do its job.
The main focus of the design is its compact size; it’s far smaller than many of the mini PCs that I’ve looked at this year. However, despite the small size, it doesn’t cut back on CPU power, though it has reduced the level of GPU.
When it comes to size and weight, it measures 127 × 127 × 48.2 mm and weighs 490 g for the bare bones machine and 1.7 kg for the machine, power adapter, cables and storage. This weight is for the main machine, which is exceptionally easy to mount. It is VESA mountable, although there isn’t a mount included in the box, so this is an optional extra.
Looking over the body, there are plenty of connection options. At the back, there are two USB Type-A ports: one USB 3.2 offering 10 Gbps and one USB 2.0, which is fine for connecting a wired mouse or keyboard. Next to these are the first two display options with HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4. Then there are two 2.5G LAN ports for networking, a DC power input, and a security lock slot.
On the front, things get more interesting with two USB 3.2 (again 10 Gbps), a 3.5mm audio jack, and the standard power button. In addition, there’s a CMOS reset button, useful if you’re doing development work and need to reset the machine. There is also a fast USB 4.0 and OCuLink port to enable you to connect to an eGPU.
Surprisingly for a machine this size, GMKtec states that it is possible to connect up to three displays: two 8K through the HDMI and DP and one 4K through the USB4.
Opening up the mini PC, you can see the two large fans inside. While the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, there are two SSD slots enabling you to upgrade the relatively small 512 GB option in the review sample to two 8 TB memory modules, taking you up to a grand total of 16 TB.
Otherwise, when it comes to upgrade options, you’re really limited to plugging in external devices such as an eGPU or external hard drives.
GMKtec NucBox M8: Features
This mini PC is clearly aimed at the office environment, where a powerful CPU is required for updating Microsoft Office or Google documents. It packs in a surprising number of features.
At its heart is the AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 6650H CPU with six cores and 12 threads, paired with a relatively low-powered AMD Radeon 660M GPU. This is more than enough for all Windows operations, but may be a little limited if you’re thinking about 3D modelling or gaming.
One of the surprise features of this machine is that, whilst it ships with only 512 GB of PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD storage, it is possible to upgrade it to two memory modules, each up to 8 TB, giving a maximum of 16 TB of internal storage. This is huge and extremely unusual for any mini PC. Although the slots are PCIe 3.0, the machine will support the more common PCIe 4.0 memory modules.
Once the internal storage capacity is fully upgraded, the RAM is not, with 16 GB of LPDDR5 6400 MT/s onboard.
When it comes to cooling, there’s a dual-fan system with large fans on the top and bottom, and plenty of venting at the top, bottom, and sides of the machine. This is needed, especially if you upgrade to 16 TB of internal capacity.
Another surprise for a machine this small is the fact that it can support three displays through the HDMI, USB4 and DP ports. While the 660M AMD Radeon processor is enough for general use, if you want to push the graphics further, there’s the OCuLink PCIe Gen 4×4 port, which allows you to connect a far more powerful eGPU, vastly improving the graphics potential.
When it comes to connectivity options, there are plenty of physical ports around the small body, and alongside those are Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connections.
It’s good to see that this machine also offers a USB4 port, giving plenty of expansion options not just for displays but also for ultra-fast connections to external drives, with transfer rates up to 40 Gbps. It also enables power delivery up to 100 W.
One of the other features I really like about this mini PC—especially if you’re considering using it in some sort of portable setup, such as a van, is that the small machine has a peak CPU pull of just 40 W. This makes it extremely efficient and a great option if you are relying on a power source such as the Jackery 1000.
The machine ships with Windows 11 Pro; however, the configuration is also perfectly suited to Linux or Ubuntu if you want to use an alternative operating system.
GMKtec NucBox M8: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 3558.02 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 2553.8 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 7828
Geekbench CPU Single: 1938
Geekbench GPU: 14,435
PCMark Overall: 5662
Cinebench CPU Multi: 9463
Cinebench CPU Single: 1469
Fire Strike Overall: 4514
Fire Strike Graphics: 4869
Fire Strike Physics: 19,364
Fire Strike Combined: 1674
Time Spy Overall: 1718
Time Spy Graphics: 1527
Time Spy CPU: 5945
Wild Life Overall: 9427
Steel Nomad Overall: 243
Windows Experience Overall: 8.2
Getting started with the M8 is straightforward, with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. It’s just a matter of running through the final setup steps, signing into your Microsoft and Google accounts, and installing your preferred software.
Starting with Microsoft productivity apps and standard multimedia playback: loading up Microsoft Word to write this review, the application loaded quickly, and spelling and grammar checks processed without issue. Likewise, loading up Microsoft Excel to input and analyse the test results and compare them with past reviews via Copilot was also relatively quick, only slightly delayed by the speed of the office internet connection.
Creating a PowerPoint presentation for a photography lecture and loading in images and text proved that PowerPoint, even with a 56-slide presentation, was well within the machine’s capabilities. Laying out images, adjusting text, and adding transitions were all handled comfortably. The GPU, while not overly powerful, was more than capable of managing standard Microsoft applications.
Moving to internet browsing and Google productivity apps via the browser again showed how fast the machine was. Wi-Fi 6E connectivity proved fast, reliable, and stable.
By the end of the productivity test, the Windows Experience score of 8.2 and PCMark score of 5662 demonstrated that the machine is well-suited to office life.
GMKtec also promotes this as a great machine for light multimedia playback. Watching streaming services and catching up with TechRadar news, video playback in the browser ran smoothly as you’d expect from a modern machine.
I wanted to use the machine alongside CapCut to create a short multimedia edit. Here, the machine started to show the limits of its graphics capabilities. Edits of iPhone 15 Pro video footage using standard settings ran fine, templates could be applied with relative ease, along with edits and audio additions. However, it was noticeably more sluggish than most other mini PCs I’ve reviewed. That said, it was able to handle the footage without too many issues. If you’re mainly filming on a phone, it’s a great solution. But if you’re using ProRes or mirrorless cameras like the Sony A7 IV, you’ll start to encounter limitations.
Using Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, the machine was able to handle reasonably complex edits and batch processes. In Lightroom, thumbnail rendering was slower than with other machines, but surprisingly, the 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM coped better than expected, closer to what I’d expect from a 32GB model.
I pushed further with Premiere Pro. Here, the machine’s limits became clear. It was fine for editing HD footage from the iPhone 15 Pro, but it struggled with 4K projects over five minutes in length. The GPU held back the CPU’s full potential, this is where the OCuLink connection and an external eGPU would really make a difference.
Gaming performance showed the same story. Games were playable, but I had to lower settings in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Hogwarts Legacy. Both showed some stuttering during movement due to limited graphics processing power. Again, the OCuLink connection could help here.
By the end of testing, it was clear this is a very powerful office PC, perfectly tuned for productivity. But when it comes to content creation or gaming, the limitations of the integrated GPU start to show.
GMKtec NucBox M8: Final verdict
I’m really surprised by just how powerful the GMKtec NucBox M8 is. It’s fast and capable for all Microsoft applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. For day-to-day use, browsing the internet and multimedia playback, it’s equally well suited.
It also offers plenty of connectivity options, not just physically through the four USB Type-A ports, but through the ability to connect up to at least two 8K monitors and a single 4K monitor, giving you a triple-monitor array. Obviously, three 4K monitors are probably a better option, and it’s impressive that a machine of this size can cope with that.
For light multimedia editing, it’s also well-equipped, able to handle mobile phone video editing in CapCut without issue. The video editing potential only really starts to struggle when working with footage from mirrorless cameras in Premiere Pro, where the lack of a powerful GPU limits speed.
Out of the box, this small mini PC is a great option for anyone looking for a reasonably priced, powerful office machine with plenty of upgrade potential, especially with the ability to fit in two 8 TB drives for a massive internal storage boost. It’s also impressive that it includes dual 2.5G LAN ports for fast network and NAS connections. And the graphics boost available via the OCuLink PCIe Gen 4×4 port is a valuable option, though it does mean investing in an external eGPU.
By the end of the test, I have to say I’m impressed with this small machine and its potential. If you’re looking for a machine that’s great for general office use, editing Word and Excel documents, creating PowerPoint presentations, and a small amount of multimedia production, this is a great option. However, if you’re looking for something for gaming, there are better options available, even with the OCuLink add-on.
Should I buy the GMKtec NucBox M8?
|
Value |
Great value for money if you’re looking for a powerful office-centric machine |
4.5 |
|
Design |
I love the small, compact footprint and the ability to mount it out of the way |
4.5 |
|
Features |
A great set of features for an office-based machine, with potential graphics boost via OCuLink |
4 |
|
Performance |
Good office performance for all applications, but limited by the integrated graphics |
4 |
|
Overall |
As a small mini PC, this is a great option for offices with limited space and no need for high graphics ability |
4 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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