GMKtec is offering a surprisingly affordable mini PC that won’t break the bank Rahimnoorali11@gmail.com (Rahim Amir) | usagoldmines.com

• GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra pairs an eight-core Ryzen 7 7730U with dual 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6E, and triple-display output while starting at just $330 a pop for a barebones configuration
• The underlying 2023-release CPU is capable, but a rebadge of the 2022-launched Zen 3 Ryzen 7 5825U, which is, in turn, a 2021-launched 5800U with a 100 MHz bump to base and boost clocks
• The price can be reduced to as little as $280 per unit for users buying 5 of the RAM- and SSD-less SKU

GMKtec has put its NucBox M5 Ultra back in the limelight, and the offering is familiar for the Shenzhen mini PC maker’s mid-range lineup.

It comes with an eight-core AMD processor, two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, upgradeable memory and storage, and a price starting just over $300.

The catch for any prospective buyer is that you must bring your own DDR4 laptop RAM and SSD to get it going.

A capable NUC that is hiding its underlying CPU’s age

The M5 Ultra runs the AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, an eight-core, sixteen-thread part clocked from 2.0 GHz to 4.5 GHz with 16 MB of L3 cache, built on TSMC’s 7nm process with a default 15W TDP. Despite the 7000-series badge, it belongs to AMD’s Cezanne lineup via the Barcelo-U refresh announced in January 2022.

The CPU it most closely matches in clock speeds, core configuration, and performance is the Ryzen 7 5825U, which is a slightly higher-clocked version of the January 2021-released Ryzen 7 5800U, which runs 100MHz lower on both base and boost clocks.

This is interesting because prospective buyers might feel they are buying a Zen 4-based CPU thanks to its 7000-series badge but would end up getting a CPU that was first available more than half a decade ago, even if it does hold its own in its price and performance segment.

A well-rounded offering with plenty of expansion under the hood

The M5 Ultra offers two DDR4-3200 SODIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB, and two M.2 2280 slots, allowing for a variety of configurations based on the user’s needs.

It does have its limitations due to the underlying CPU, however: while GMKtec claims each M2 slot can support up to 8 TB, for a nominal 16 TB ceiling, speeds are capped at PCIe 3.0 because the 7730U provides only 16 usable lanes and no Gen 4 support out of the box.

Connectivity is where the unit particularly shines: it comes with two Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE controllers, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, and a 10 Gbps, 100W USB port in addition to two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and two USB 2.0 ports, a very formidable offering for a Nuc-tier PC.

The system, which is powered by a 65W PSU over a Type-C connector, also offers HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort, and USB-C for up to three simultaneous connections for power users looking to run a multi-display setup.

One could argue that pricey RAM and SSD options make sourcing them considerably less appealing and a tall order, but even with that in mind, at today’s prices, the NucBox has plenty of connectivity under the hood, decent power, and a raw customizability that is hard to argue with in 2026.