GMKtec NucBox G3S

It suits anyone who wants a small, tidy computer for everyday tasks, with Windows 11 Pro already installed. At 114 x 106 x 44 mm it fits on a crowded desk, and the VESA mount lets it sit behind a monitor or TV. Two HDMI outputs make a two-screen office setup simple. Coding is workable too, within the limits of one memory slot and a 16 GB ceiling.

Skip it if you game, want to run language models locally, or plan to build a homelab or use it as a workstation. Integrated Intel UHD Graphics, a 16 GB memory ceiling and a single gigabit network port hold it back for those jobs.

Everyday use is where it is well suited: an Intel N95 with four cores and four threads, 8 GB of DDR4 and NVMe storage handle ordinary desk work.

Coding is workable. The constraint is memory: there is one memory slot and a 16 GB ceiling, so there is little room to grow.

Gaming is a poor fit. The only graphics is the integrated Intel UHD Graphics, and there is no PCIe card slot to add anything stronger.

A homelab is a poor fit as well, because of gigabit networking and one memory slot. There is a single network port and no SATA bays, so storage means the two M.2 slots.

Local AI is a poor fit. It has 8 GB of DDR4 installed, a 16 GB ceiling and integrated graphics, which leaves little memory for language models.

Workstation work is a poor fit too: there is no discrete graphics, no x8 or x16 card slot, fewer than four memory slots and too little memory.

The NucBox G3S comes in one configuration: the Intel N95 with 8 GB of DDR4, a 256 GB NVMe drive and Windows 11 Pro, sold new and released in 2024. It is a complete system rather than a barebones kit, so it works out of the box. With no choice of build, the question is whether 8 GB and 256 GB are enough for you. For everyday work they are a sound start; for coding, plan on a 16 GB module and perhaps a drive in the second M.2 slot.

Memory is socketed, not soldered, in a single slot, and the maximum is 16 GB. Upgrading therefore means replacing the 8 GB module rather than adding a second one, and 16 GB is as far as it goes. GMKtec does not state the memory speed, so check the installed DDR4 module before ordering a replacement.

Storage has more room. There are two M.2 slots that take 2280 and 2242 drives, so a second drive can sit next to the 256 GB one. GMKtec does not state the PCIe generation or SATA support of either slot, so check what the second slot accepts before buying. There are no SATA bays.

For screens there are two HDMI outputs and no DisplayPort, and the maximum is two displays. GMKtec does not state the HDMI version, so check that it can drive your monitor at the resolution and refresh rate you want. There are no USB-C ports.

Networking is one gigabit Ethernet port, plus Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, although GMKtec does not state whether the wireless module is included. For an external graphics card, there is no OCuLink port, and GMKtec does not state whether there are USB4 or Thunderbolt ports.

The limits are built in: a single memory slot with a 16 GB ceiling, one gigabit network port, no USB-C ports, no DisplayPort, no SATA bays and no PCIe card slot. Graphics are integrated Intel UHD only. GMKtec also does not state the volume, memory speed, memory slot type, ECC support, the PCIe generation of either M.2 slot, M.2 SATA support, the number of USB-A ports, USB4 or Thunderbolt ports, the HDMI version, whether the wireless module is included, an SD card reader, the power supply or the TDP.

When you weigh other mini PCs against the NucBox G3S, start with the memory ceiling and slot count, since this one stops at 16 GB in one slot, and with the network ports, since it has a single gigabit port. Then compare display outputs and expansion: it drives two screens over HDMI, has no PCIe card slot, and offers two M.2 slots for storage.