Affordable mini PC with Intel power for everyday tasks

GMKtec presents the NucBox M3 Pro, a compact device that focuses on affordability. Using the proven Intel i5 13500H processor, it targets users who need a reliable tool for office work and multimedia. Although the hardware is not the latest, it offers a balanced performance-price ratio, making it an interesting candidate for home offices and streaming content.

Photo: GMKtec

GMKtec has refreshed its offering with the NucBox M3 Pro, which, despite using older components, delivers a solid user experience. The heart of the system is the Intel Core i5 13500H processor from the Raptor Lake-H family. It is a mid-range processor that easily handles everyday tasks, office packages, and high-definition content streaming. The graphics side is handled by the integrated Intel Xe G7 unit, which even allows for less demanding gaming.

An interesting, but budget-oriented decision is to use a motherboard with support for DDR4 memory, instead of the more modern DDR5 standard. Nevertheless, the device allows you to install up to 64 GB of system memory via two SO-DIMM slots with a speed of 3200 MHz, which is more than enough for multitasking. In the field of data storage, the NucBox M3 Pro really shines. It is equipped with two M.2 slots, each of which supports up to 8 TB of space, which means that the total capacity can be an impressive 16 TB.

All this is packed into an extremely compact case with dimensions of 12.85 x 12.7 x 5.1 cm, which allows for easy placement in any workspace. Despite its small size, the set of connectors is not modest. Users are offered: 1x USB Type-C (5 Gbps) with DP support, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and 1x USB 2.0, 1x 2.5G LAN for fast network connections and 1x HDMI 2.0 and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Wireless connectivity is provided by WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. GMKtec has also taken care of efficient cooling, which allows the processor to operate at up to 45 W TDP in performance mode.

The pricing is what will attract the most attention. The basic “barebone” version costs around 304.39 euros (using the discount code M3P15, the price drops even further). The version with 16 GB of system memory and 512 GB of storage is available for around 442.75 euros, while the most powerful configuration with 32 GB of system memory and 1 TB of storage costs around 627.24 euros.