GMKtec Mini PC with Preinstalled Windows 11 Pro, G5 Micro Desktop Computer, 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake N97 (up to 3.60GHz) 12GB DDR5 256GB Hard Drive for Business, School, Office Sky Blue

I recently purchased this little computer, alongside some other accessories (monitors, keyboard and mouse, etc.), and let me tell you: as of writing this review, this little guy has blown me away! I was trying to stay within a budget of less than $400 for everything I needed, and this computer caught my attention, as it had decent specs at an affordable price. For further context, I mainly wanted an affordable desktop setup that could do all the web browsing, media consumption, recording videos, and light gaming that I desired. (NOTE: Keep in mind though that you’re not going to be able to run any competitive, demanding AAA title games on here!)As I got my package and held the box containing the computer, I was blown away with how small, light, and compact this thing was! For reference, my GPD Win (1st gen) weighed more than this PC, and my Win only has an Atom processor in it! As for setting up the device, I saw some reviews claiming there’s a bunch of bloatware pre-installed on this device, to which I can confirm that there is absolutely none whatsoever (at least on mine there wasn’t). Setup was absolutely easy and straightforward.As for its performance, this thing may be small, but it is mighty for the price. For gaming, I tested it out with three different versions of Minecraft: Java Edition: latest release, Beta 1.7.3, and Alpha v1.0.7. The latest release at low-mid settings and Beta 1.7.3 max settings run at similar framerates for me, around 60 fps 720p. I know, 720p doesn’t sound very impressive. However, for me, I don’t personally need anything too fancy, and 720p is perfectly fine for me on a 20 inch monitor. Alpha v1.0.7 ran on this almost flawlessly! No issues there whatsoever!For recording purposes, I utilized OBS Studio to test with this, and I screen recorded some gameplay of me playing Minecraft Alpha v1.0.7 with commentary, and with some occasional dips in frames every now and then while I was playing the game, the recording ran smoothly at 720p! (NOTE: I haven’t tested out anything with 1080p, but if I do in the future, I will update this review.) Playing the recording back, it blew me away with this PC’s capabilities in such a small chassis!For media consumption and web browsing purposes, I have had absolutely no issues in this regard. This little computer just eats anything I throw at it. Whether it be a YouTube video, an offline screen recording I’ve made, viewing documents, or even doing more demanding tasks on the browser, like playing browser games or running a 3D tour on Zillow, this little guy can handle any task I throw at it reliably and efficiently!Overall, I’d highly recommend the GMKtec Mini PC N97 to anyone looking for an affordable mini desktop PC! Safe to say, I’m very happy with my purchase and will look to this seller for any future mini computers they have in store!

Bought this to use as an x86 alternative to a Raspberry Pi (mostly for Linux). So far been very impressed...Pros:* Decent value and specs - most Intel N-series computers at this price seem to be hampered by low memory (4Gb), DDR4 instead of DDR5, limited storage (32-64Gb of eMMC), or any combination of the above. With 12Gb ram and a 256Gb SSD (upgradable) it allows the N95 to shine without being hobbled. It's never going to be a power-house, but it's been more than capable when compiling packages, playing videos off the web or doing simple image editing in GIMP.* Nice internal build quality - Looking inside the unit, I was impressed buy the layout. It takes 4 screws to remove the base, allowing easy access to the storage and WiFi/Bluetooth modules should you ever need to upgrade them.* Very quiet - I set the Bios to maximize the performance; even so the fan rarely kicks in and when it does it's surprisingly quiet.* OS support - It's very encouraging to see the default OS is Windows 11 Pro and not Home (or heaven help us, S-Mode). I myself didn't keep Windows for long, but didn't encounter any issues with hardware working in Linux (Arch). If you are keeping Windows, this should be a huge benefit.Cons:* Plastics - There is nothing wrong with the design or build quality, but materials used in the case feel a little chintzy. That said, the internals (which are what really matter) seem very well made and considering the price-point, I would consider this a fair compromise.* Windows updates - Not a GMKTec issue but more of a Microsoft issue, the 24h2 update (along with the other pending updates) made the initial performance sluggish. I've seen Windows updates bring more powerful computers to their knees, so you can't blame the G5, but wanted to mention it for those who encounter the issue after first startup. For me, this was moot since I nuked Windows in favor of Linux shortly afterward anyways....I happened to show the computer to some of my co-workers and they all seemed impressed; some even expressed interest in buying one for themselves (either for the same use-cases as mine, as a kid's PC, something for the living room or otherwise). If you're in the market for an inexpensive but capable little PC I would definitely recommend this.