GMKtec G10

The GMKtec G10 pairs an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with 16GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, a 512GB NVMe SSD, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and triple 4K display output for around $200. Windows 11 Pro arrives pre-installed and activated. The machine also ships with its BIOS in a balanced power mode that holds the processor well below its rated power, and several reviewers had to change that setting before the hardware performed the way the spec sheet suggests.

Pros and Cons

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GMKtec G10 Comparison Chart

	GMKtec G10	GMKtec G10	GMKtec G10
Price	List Price: $329.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices... GMKtec store: Check price at GMKtec	List Price: $359.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices... GMKtec store: Check price at GMKtec	List Price: $224.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	16GB/512GB	16GB/1TB	16GB/256GB
Performance Rating	3.3	3.3	3.3
CPU Mark	6,757	6,757	6,757
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro
Processor	Quad-core 2.10 Ghz (max 3.70 Ghz) AMD Ryzen 5 3500U	Quad-core 2.10 Ghz (max 3.70 Ghz) AMD Ryzen 5 3500U	Quad-core 2.10 Ghz (max 3.70 Ghz) AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
GPU	Integrated Radeon RX Vega8 Graphics	Integrated Radeon RX Vega8 Graphics	Integrated Radeon RX Vega8 Graphics
RAM	16 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (DDR4-2400, expandable to 64GB)	16 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (DDR4-2400, expandable to 64GB)	16 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (DDR4-2400, expandable to 64GB)
Internal Storage	512 GB	1 TB	256 GB
Dimensions width x length x thickness	3.86 x 4.06 x 1.65 inches (98.04 x 103.12 x 41.91 mm)	3.86 x 4.06 x 1.65 inches (98.04 x 103.12 x 41.91 mm)	3.86 x 4.06 x 1.65 inches (98.04 x 103.12 x 41.91 mm)
Weight	0.52 lbs (0.24 kg)	0.52 lbs (0.24 kg)	0.52 lbs (0.24 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
Ethernet	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	1 Full-Size HDMI Port	1 Full-Size HDMI Port	1 Full-Size HDMI Port
DisplayPort	1 DisplayPort (DisplayPort 1.4)	1 DisplayPort (DisplayPort 1.4)	1 DisplayPort (DisplayPort 1.4)
VGA	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 2 USB-C 1x USB-C full-featured (DP 1.4 Alt Mode up to 4K 30Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 1 data, PD), 1x USB-C power input only; front USB 3.0 ports are 5Gbps	1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 2 USB-C 1x USB-C full-featured (DP 1.4 Alt Mode up to 4K 30Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 1 data, PD), 1x USB-C power input only; front USB 3.0 ports are 5Gbps	1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 2 USB-C 1x USB-C full-featured (DP 1.4 Alt Mode up to 4K 30Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 1 data, PD), 1x USB-C power input only; front USB 3.0 ports are 5Gbps
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No
OCuLink	No	No	No
Internal SATA Ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports
Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader
Headphone Jack	3.5mm combo jack	3.5mm combo jack	3.5mm combo jack
Fanless	No	No	No
VESA Mount	Yes	Yes	Yes
In the Box	--	--	--
Expandability	Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM (2x SO-DIMM), dual M.2 2280 NVMe slots supporting up to 8TB each	Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM (2x SO-DIMM), dual M.2 2280 NVMe slots supporting up to 8TB each	Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM (2x SO-DIMM), dual M.2 2280 NVMe slots supporting up to 8TB each

See every AMD Ryzen 5 3500U configuration in the chart

Two M.2 Slots, 2.5GbE, and a BIOS That Ships Throttled

The chassis measures 3.86 by 4.06 inches and stands 1.65 inches tall, light enough at just over half a pound to hang off the back of a monitor on the included VESA mount. Plastic top and bottom panels sit between metal sides, which keeps the weight down on a machine that spends its life on a desk. The top panel comes away for access to both SO-DIMM sockets and both M.2 slots, though one of those slots sits under the memory modules, so fitting a second drive can mean pulling a stick of RAM first.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500U brings four cores and eight threads on the Zen+ architecture, fabricated on a 12nm process. This 2019-era chip runs a base clock of 2.1 GHz with boost speeds up to 3.7 GHz, paired with integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics capable of driving three 4K displays simultaneously. In balanced mode the BIOS holds the processor to a 15W TDP, which caps what the silicon can do until you switch to the 35W performance profile. Lon Seidman said that “If you set it to high performance, you get 35 watts. So, you do get much better performance when you select this, but you have to select it because by default, it’s going to be on balance.”

The rear panel hosts one HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, two USB-C ports (one full-featured port with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode at up to 4K 30Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 1 data, and Power Delivery, and one power-only input), a USB 2.0 port, and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet jack for fast local network transfers. The front panel adds two USB 3.0 ports at 5 Gbps along with a 3.5mm combo audio jack for headphones or a headset. WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 handle wireless duties, and there is no WiFi 6 radio in any configuration of this machine.

Reviewer Insights

Easy internal access, with a nudge toward the N150 boxes

The balanced power mode the machine ships in hamstrings the Ryzen processor, Lon Seidman of Lon.TV found while testing Linux compatibility and gaming performance. He liked the expandability and noted that “It is very easy to upgrade, partly because the case is very easy to pull apart.” In 3DMark Time Spy he measured 756 in performance mode and 394 in balanced mode. He still concluded that “if you were in the market for something at around this price point, the Intel-based N150 machine is probably going to be a little better, and that’s what I would still go with.” He saw a use for it as a budget home server if the thermals are kept in check.

Dismal out of the box, decent once the BIOS is changed

Robtech found the out-of-box performance “pretty dismal and worse than Intel’s N series in many ways” and concluded that “The G10 is only worth using in performance mode at all times.” Fan noise was no problem in the default balanced mode, but with the power limit raised the G10 became “one of the loudest budget minis under load”. He called the dual M.2 2280 Gen3 x4 slots “usually unheard of at this price” and named the weak single-core performance and the end of GPU driver updates as the main limits.

4K YouTube needed troubleshooting first

Team Pandory found that out of the box the system “couldn’t even play 4K YouTube videos smoothly” and tried BIOS settings, updated drivers, faster RAM, and better cooling to fix it. Their verdict was that “The G10 is quite difficult to recommend,” since “The mini PC is only worth using in performance mode, and even then, budget Intel mini PCs like the N100 are better equipped for emulation.”

A 4 out of 5 score, with the 2019 CPU as the main drawback

TechRadar rated it 4 out of 5 with the verdict that “at the asking price, this is a terrific little system that can easily be upgraded to handle larger tasks with more memory and storage.” The review listed the dual PCIe 3.0 M.2 slots, 2.5GbE networking, and easy internal access among the pros, and the old CPU technology and the lack of USB 4.0 or Thunderbolt as the cons.

A 65W USB-C adapter and screws under the feet

Laptop Retrospective tested the 16GB/512GB model and listed GMKtec’s pricing at $229 to $329 across the barebone, 16GB/512GB, and 16GB/1TB builds, with frequent sales below that. The box includes a 65W USB-C power adapter with a short cable, an HDMI cable, and the VESA kit. He found the four case screws hidden under the adhesive feet on the bottom, with no opening instructions in the manual.

HDMI 2.1 and 2.5GbE on the rear panel

Ghost Keyboard reviewed the same configuration at a $189 price and listed the rear ports as HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and 2.5GbE Ethernet. He credited the plastic panels with keeping Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signal strength up, since a metal box would act as a Faraday cage.

Customer Reviews

A verified buyer named stan, who replaced an old desktop with it, wrote that “All my apps open fast without any issues” and that “for a small unit, it is very quiet.” G. E., who runs it as a small home server, wrote that “The G10 with a AMD Ryzen 53500U sips power at the default setting,” and several owners mention the unit arrived with Windows 11 preinstalled and an HDMI cable in the box.

JT, who bought the G10 for home-lab work, named its main weakness: “The main drawback is performance. The G10 can feel noticeably slow during Windows updates, software installations, and heavier multitasking.” He still found it “perfectly adequate for lighter office work, remote administration, monitoring, and general home-lab duties.”

Read more owner reviews on Amazon.

A Cheap Upgrade Platform That Asks for BIOS Time

Buyers who want room to grow get the most out of the GMKtec G10. Both M.2 slots and both SO-DIMM sockets are reachable by the owner, the 64GB memory ceiling leaves a long runway for heavier workloads, the Windows 11 Pro license is already activated, and the VESA mount keeps the box out of sight behind a display.

The cost of that flexibility is setup time. You will need to enter the BIOS and switch to performance mode, and you may need to adjust fan curves to balance noise and thermals. The older Ryzen 3500U struggles with 4K video playback compared to newer Intel N-series chips, and the WiFi 5 wireless is a generation behind current radios. Someone who wants to plug a machine in and start working should buy something else.

A home server or a living room PC suits it well, provided the owner is comfortable spending half an hour in a BIOS menu first. For those looking to compare options, Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart lists the alternatives side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions