The GMK (referred to also as GMKtec) NucBox K1 is an ultra-compact mini-PC that houses a sixth-generation, mobile-class Ryzen 6800H processor with RDNA 2 integrated graphics within a small book-sized chassis. Despite stiff competition-some with RDNA 3 graphics-the NucBox K1 offers an appealing combination of solid integrated graphics performance, value, and versatility, making it a compelling option for those seeking a small form factor PC for productivity, 1080p gaming, and home theater work.
GMK sells the K1 in three different versions. We'd usually recommend the bare-bones model that comes without RAM or an SSD and costs $500 (often $350 during sales). But from now until the 4th July, both the 16GB/500GB (usually $590), and 32GB/1TB (usually $660) offer better value at $400 and $450 respectively, direct from GMK. It's worth noting that buying directly from GMK usually means lower prices compared to Amazon.
The GMK NucBox K1 is an upgradeable mini-PC with good value, good low-end gaming performance, and overall strong build quality.
The NucBox K1 has an excellent design. Its guts are housed in an aluminum shell, sandwiched between two removable plastic panels. The K1 is about the size of a thick paperback book, and it measures ?4.4 x 1.7 x 4.84 inches (or 112 x 43 x 130 mm) in size. Compared to other mini-PCs, the K1 isn't as large, although the size difference is trivial.
One of the most innovative selling points of the K1 mini-PC is its unique VESA-mounting mechanism, which allows users to attach the device to a monitor fixed to an arm. This bracket is included with the product and enables the PC to be hung from various positions.
I've reviewed many mini-PCs, but GMK's system is by far the most versatile and ingenious. The mounting bracket doesn't interfere with upgrades, as well.
The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H is by no means a powerhouse. It's designed for laptops. Although in this capacity, it's a good processor with eight cores and 16 threads suitable for multithreaded tasks. Although limited to 45 watts, it's considered a capable processor, particularly because of its Radeon 680M integrated graphics. To unleash the full potential of the 680M, it is recommended to invest in an additional SO-DIMM DDR5 RAM stick, as integrated graphics rely heavily on having two modules. A single RAM stick limits the system to single-channel performance. With RAM and SSD prices beginning to crash in recent months, the bare-bones option might offer better value.
While the K1's entry-level models may not offer dual-channel performance out-the-box, the empty RAM socket means you have a free slot available for future upgrades. Consider buying a cheap $20 8GB SO-DIMM module for gaming performance. The memory already onboard is rated at 4800 MHz, which is the slowest. Otherwise, you can upgrade it later if needed. Alternatively, you can purchase the bare-bones model and add two sticks of 5600 MHz RAM for improved performance.
The K1, as a low-power system, houses a single blower-style cooling fan used in laptops and other portable devices. There's no longer any evidence of heat spreaders on the RAM or SSD, as GMK used on its older models of NucBox. However, the fan can make fairly high noise levels while running at full tilt. The K1's fan produced volume at around 32 dB at maximum loads, making it a fairly quiet system.
However, while playing games the volume reached higher volumes of 35 dB. The temperature maxed out at 86 C, although when throwing other tasks as it, such as managing an offline AI through GPT4All, temperatures reached 88.8 C. Overall, the cooling performance is good, and the noise production is low, making the K1 suitable for HTPC work.
The Solid State Drive (SSD) on the other hand isn't a Kingston-branded OEM component but rather an off-the-shelf 500GB Lexar NM620. In our testing, the SSD performed well. The SSD is a Gen3x4 drive using the NVMe 1.4 protocol. While DRAM is a less important feature on NVMe drives, it's still worth mentioning that this drive lacks a DRAM cache.
After the VESA-bracket system, my second favorite design feature is the toolless pop-top lid. On some of GMK's older mini-PCs, we had to unscrew part of the system to access the RAM slot, Wi-Fi card, and M.2 socket. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi antennas were adhered onto the lid, making removal difficult. The K1's design is fully modular for RAM, Wi-Fi, and SSD components. However, as on all mobile processors of this generation, the CPU uses a soldered-on ball-grid array, meaning it's not upgradeable.
Another good design feature is that GMK added a series of ventilation ducts on the top and bottom lids. I suspect that GMK did this because they had been using heat spreaders on their RAM and SSDs in older models. By improving cooling, it's likely that these heat spreaders were no longer necessary.
The design feels similar to Minisforum's U850, which featured an easily removable upper deck for easy upgrades. And that comparison is high praise, given that Minisforum's systems are at the top of the mini-PCs.
Similar to other GMK models, the BIOS/UEFI settings are completely transparent, though it's worth noting that there's no option to boost the processor's Thermal Design Power (TDP) beyond its base of 45 watts, which is restricted for H-series processors. Although, judging from the size of the fan and heat sink, it's unlikely that the system could handle more than 45 watts anyway. But otherwise, there are far fewer customizable options here, compared to an Intel system.
The K1 includes a decent number of ports, similar to its competitors. For video, it offers two HDMI video-out ports. And unlike on older GMK systems, it finally dispenses with the buggy and poorly conceived USB 3.0 standards. There is one rear-facing USB 3.2 port, a USB 2.0, and an Ethernet RJ45 jack.
In the front, there's a USB 4.0 Type-C connector and two USB 3.2 ports. We would have preferred more USB 3.2 jacks in the back.
The K1's Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 are good for gaming, particularly compared to Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6's lower latency is particularly useful for competitive online games. The higher bandwidth should also aid 4K streaming smoothness.
However, compared to the Minisforum EM680's Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E, the K1 comes up a little short. While there isn't much difference between Bluetooth 5.2 and 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E is remarkably faster than Wi-Fi 6 in and more reliable, provided you have a 6E-compatible router.
For guts, the K1 has a sixth-generation AMD mobile processor: the Ryzen 7 6800H. The 6800H is based on TSMC's 6-nanometer FinFET lithography, making it one generation behind the latest 4-nanometer process node in the Ryzen 7000 series. For graphics, it uses the modern RDNA 2, the same architecture used in the latest generation of console systems. For its processor architecture, it uses Zen 3+ cores.
It's also not a desktop-class processor. The "H" in 6800H refers to its use in gaming laptops. As such, it's designed around a power budget of 45 watts. In comparison, the ultra-mobile variant of the 6800H is the 6800U which consumes between 18 and 28 watts. This is significant because as power increases, so does performance, heat production, and fan noise at heavy CPU and GPU loads. In theory, given a small fan, the 6800H should make a lot of noise.
Unfortunately, despite GMK exposing the full BIOS/UEFI settings, it doesn't have a configurable TDP as the 6800U does. This apparent omission isn't GMK's fault. AMD offers system integrators few configurable BIOS/UEFI settings, compared to Intel.
Although it's a decent gaming system for 1080p, it's a superior platform for streaming 4K HDR content. Much of its superior performance is related to its Wi-Fi 6 card and good processor and graphics system. It doesn't drop frames and rarely experiences tearing or other visual artifacts.
The 6800H streams video without breaking a sweat. Fan noise is minimal at 27 dB. And playback performance doesn't drop much below 60 FPS with a rock-solid frame rate.
Although the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H is designed as a mobile processor for gaming laptops, it can surprisingly handle playing high-end games on minimal graphics settings for 1080p resolutions. Even on such titles as Cyberpunk 2077, frame rates remain consistently playable.
Regrettably, most demanding AAA titles cannot be comfortably played at 1440p or greater resolutions because the frame rates, according to 3DMark, fall below 30 FPS.
In our synthetic bench tests using 3DMark, the K1 performed admirably on most modern titles that use DirectX 12, for a system with integrated graphics. 3DMark rates the graphics (in single-channel mode) at 193, which is far short of a dedicated graphics card. However, this is an adequate score for gaming with integrated graphics. It scores the following on the DirectX 12 Ultimate benchmark:
However, these figures are misleadingly low. After adding an 8GB SO-DIMM module, the performance surged, significantly increasing the synthetic score, reaching 371. Remarkably, the addition of the second stick enabled the system to achieve a frame rate of 30+ FPS even when running demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, as observed during synthetic testing.
Frame rates using the "DirectX 12 Ultra" benchmark improved to the following when in dual-channel mode:
This is, again, because dual-channel memory is a crucial, limiting factor for the performance of integrated graphics. But there's a tradeoff: using a single RAM stick on the K1 has advantages and disadvantages. While it allows users to upgrade for better gaming performance, it also limits the maximum capacity of RAM. Additionally, if users are not aware that they should use two memory sticks, they won't get dual-channel mode. And as the bench-testing proves, single-channel mode absolutely punishes gaming performance on the 6800H.
We believe that the bare-bones model is the ideal choice for many consumers, since DDR5 RAM and SSD costs are decreasing. This is especially true if you already have an M.2 NVMe SSD available. However, the higher-tired model is the better pick if you prefer a competent gaming machine for 1080p without upgrading.
On the downside, while there are 16 threads and 8 processor cores, the 6800H is still a wattage-limited mobile platform. While the 6800H's Zen 3+ technology is a strong architecture, I experienced minor amounts of lag compared to a full desktop processor while jumping between numerous browser tabs and managing different office applications, like Open Office. Even so, the K1 doesn't experience halting or lag while scrolling through densely populated spreadsheets at lightning speeds. Overall, the K1 is an excellent home office and productivity platform.
Careful observers may notice that despite variations in the external casings of different computer models, the number and placement of ports remain consistent across various mini-PC brands. This uniformity stems from the fact that there are only a few motherboard manufacturers, while numerous system integrators assemble computers using these components. Moving further down the supply chain, we encounter companies that specialize in marketing and branding these computers. Consequently, the level of competition increases as we distance ourselves from the manufacturers.
Toward the top of the supply chain, we call these companies Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), or Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs). At the bottom of the chain, we find companies known as Private Label, which primarily focus on providing branding and labeling for White Label products, or products that marketers slap brands on. While most consumers and suppliers prefer purchasing from the upper levels of the chain due to lower prices. But if a Private Label company can offer competitive pricing, reliable customer support, warranties, and firmware updates, the distinction between an OEM and a Private Label company becomes less significant.
Upon reviewing several systems, it appears that GMK could be an OEM, as evidenced by the unique VESA-mounting bracket, their one to two-year warranty policy, and their provision of firmware updates for their systems. Additionally, GMK promptly responds to email inquiries sent to their customer support email. All together, this suggests that while they may not construct their computers entirely from scratch, they actively participate in the creation of components that set them apart from their competitors. Consequently, their distinctive designs give GMK a competitive advantage.
If you're searching for a mini-PC in the sub $500 range, there are many competitors with identical or similar specifications available on Amazon for roughly the same or a similar price. GMK's VESA-mounting system may make the difference after balancing its virtues against its faults. It's a great, versatile system, that's better than its competition, provided the prices are comparable. However, some alternatives, such as the Minisforum palm-sized EM680, or anything with Ryzen 7000-series graphics, might give a potential buyer pause.