I tested this mini PC for NAS storage and streaming and here's why I think it's perfect as a home lab

GMKtec NucBox G9: 30-second review

I'm always interested when a company produces a machine that completely breaks the norm, and the NucBox G9 does that more than most. On the one hand, it's a dual boot Mini PC with Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu as standard, and on the other it's the ideal base for a home lab.

The combination of the Intel Twin Lake N150 CPU and Intel Super Core Graphics, it's a little underpowered for anything other than direct office work – but then this level of processing power is reflected in the price.

However, from the outset, there are hints that this mini PC is something different; for instance, on the front, there's a complete lack of ports, and on the side, there are three USB-A ports. By the time you get to the back of the machine, things look a little more normal with dual HDMI and USB-C, all enabling up to three displays and dual LAN. Flip the machine over, and under the flap on the bottom are slots for up to four M.2 SSD drives – and with this, it starts to become apparent what this machine has been designed for.

Essentially, while it offers a bit of everything – dual boot OS, NAS, media server, and so on – this machine excels as a home lab, which is essentially a machine that you can use to test and develop your IT skills. Usually, an old PC will suffice for the job, but here, GMKTec has provided an almost bare-bones machine with the latest gear inside, including eMMC storage which on arrival hosts the Ubuntu installation. This means that however you want to use the machine, you can – need it as a straight Windows machine to serve files to a network? Then, create folder shares and use it as a NAS. If you want a performance boost on folder and file shares, then you can boot into Ubuntu. Then, there's the option to wipe the slate clean and install a dedicated open-source option such as OpenMediaVault. I did try TrueNAS but couldn't install it on the eMMC.

If you're looking for a powerful media server or NAS file storage, then this isn't that, but it will enable a good level of performance at a great price. However, this is one of the best mini PCs for any person or business that needs a machine with the latest technology support that can be used for development and testing.

GMKtec NucBox G9: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From £259 / $259
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Directly from GMKtec or Amazon

The GMKtec NucBox G9 is available directly through the GMKTec website by clicking here. It's available in a variety of configurations. The review sample that I have looked at is the 12GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 64GB eMMC version. This mini PC can also be purchased from many online retailers, including Amazon.

• Value: 5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G9: Specs

GMKtec NucBox G9: Design

Considering the potential of this machine, it's incredibly small and lightweight, measuring 146.6 x 100.25 x 38.75 mm and weighing 320 g before the drives are installed. My review unit arrived with the 1TB M.2 SSD, which increased the weight to 336 g.

The outer part of the machine is minimalistic, reflecting the price point, which is made from a mix of a black plastic top and a matte silver metal main case, overall it has a nice aesthetic. One interesting observation is that, due to the intended use of this machine, there's plenty of venting, with a large fan visible through the grill on top of the machine and again two more fans on the base.

As a Mini PC, it's incredibly small and lightweight, if you are looking for a mobile machine, then the small size and ability to install up to 16TB of storage with four 4TB M.2 SSDs instantly makes this machine very appealing.

Checking over the casing, and unusually, there are no ports on the front – just the green power button. On the side, there are three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, then at the back, there's a USB-C for power, 3.5mm audio, dual Gigabit LAN (supports 2500M/1000M/100M/10M, Intel i226), two HDMI 2.0 enabling 4K@60, and another USB-C that enables DP, PD and data.

Flipping the machine onto its back, there's a removable cover that holds the four M.2 drives. If you buy the pre-installed version of the machine, then one of these slots will be filled with the Windows 11 install, giving you three further slots for storage.

A feature that is becoming increasingly common with Mini PCs is the use of LPDDR5 RAM, which is soldered to the motherboard; this means that, aside from the storage, there's no way to upgrade the other components, so 12GB is all you will ever be able to have installed on the machine – although this is expandable to 16GB with MOQ.

• Design: 5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G9: Features

The feature set of the G9 is quite different from almost all other Mini PCs at this price point and starts with the core of the machine, which is powered by the Intel Twin Lake N150 Quad-Core Quad-Thread, Intel 7 process, Max Turbo 3.6GHz, 6MB cache, TDP 6W, coupled with the Intel Super Core Graphics, up to 1000MHz.

As is becoming increasingly common with high-performance mini PCs, LPDDR5 4800MT/s is onboard, with all variants of the machine offering 12GB, which is expandable to 16GB with MOQ – only possible if bulk ordering the units.

Connection-wise, there are plenty of options with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, which is all standard, as is the dual LAN option and array of USB-A and USB-C ports.

A nice feature for anyone using this machine for development is the ability to connect up to three monitors, with two on the HDMI 2.0 ports and the other on the USB-C port.

The two major features of this machine, however, are the storage – which enables up to 16TB in the four M.2 slots. In my review sample, the Windows 11 install was on one 1TB SSD that was included in the price, and the additional slots were filled with three Lexar 512GB M.2 SSDs. Each of these slots is PCIe 3.0, so it is a slightly slower option for driving compared to the latest technology, but it is still fast. What this means, sticking with the budget approach is that you can buy older M.2 drives that will perform just as well in this box as higher performance M.2s.

Alongside the M.2 options, which you can configure in any way you like – Windows 11 install with mass storage, shared folders, NAS – you also have the 64GB eMMC drive that features the Ubuntu install. A quick press of F7 on booting enables you to select the OS you want. While the machine comes with the two OSs installed, you can obviously wipe the drives and install your own operating system.

• Features: 5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G9: Performance

Running the usual tests on the G9 really highlighted where this machine is placed – if you look at it as a straight Mini PC, then it is at the entry-level, and the performance reflects this with the Windows 11 Pro install. However, this machine is designed differently, and the core uses of this small box are as either a Windows or Ubuntu-connected machine for NAS, streaming or, more likely, as a home lab.

Checking through the benchmarks gives you a good idea of the machine's abilities, and with that M.2 technology supplying the storage – even if it is PCIe 3.0 – it still provides exceptionally quick speeds. Alongside the WEI of 8.0 and PC Mark score of 2782, it shows that all Windows applications run without issue, essentially meaning that you could use this as an office machine. Sure enough typing up this review in Word and checking and updating a few Excel documents was all smooth enough.

Switching to the Ubuntu OS and the lighter-weight operating system meant that the machine performed exceptionally fast and provide a great platform for development.

The Geekbench GPU score of 4348 is relatively low in today's terms, but still, for image manipulation and management, the machine coped with Photoshop and Lightroom, although thumbnail rendering in Bridge was extremely slow.

Booting Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve really pushed the system; however, the machine was able to cope with light CapCut edits for HD footage.

When it came to playing games, again, all was possible as long as you did not want to play the latest releases.

However, standard use really isn't what this machine has been developed for, so looking at the machine in a different light than normal is needed.

Installing three additional M.2 drives instantly boosts the internal storage, and these can then be configured as a soft RAID that is shared on the wired network.

I placed the box next to the router and wired it directly into the network to ensure the fastest connection. I was then able to connect to the shared storage through the network on other machines in the office.

I then set up PLEX so that the machine could be used as a media server, this time switching to the Ubuntu OS for a lighter load on the machine. Again, the performance was good, and it levelled up from using Windows 11 Pro for much the same task.

The flexibility of this machine is huge and essentially gives you decent all-round performance for a variety of different uses. What I really like about the machine is that it comes ready to run, but you can adapt and change the installations to suit your needs. Also, compared with self-built home labs, which are often old PCs, this machine comes set and ready for testing and development, with the dual LAN and multiple monitor support enabling far greater applications for its use.

At the end of the test, the out-of-the-box performance – including the dual OS boot – all comes together to offer a Mini PC with a difference. Its Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu performance is good, enabling general office tasks and development, but it's not so great for creative applications or games. This machine excels for any person or business that needs a highly flexible and adaptive platform for a multitude of uses or just IT training.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

GMKtec NucBox G9: Final verdict

The GMKTec NucBox G9 is an interesting machine that breaks most conventions when it comes to a device at this price point. Firstly, it comes ready to run with dual boot OS – Windows 11 Pro or Ubuntu. Then there's the inclusion of LPDDR5 RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, four M.2 bays, dual LAN and support for up to three 4K monitors. This is all unusual for a Mini PC at this price point – it essentially packs in the features that you would usually see on far larger machines used in business.

All those features enable plenty of options for use, although they rule out the use of this machine for creative work or gaming. While the twin N150 CPU is a significant boost from the single CPU N150, it will still struggle with some of the more intensive applications.

Where this machine excels is in its adaptability. If you need it as an office machine that can quickly flip between Windows and Ubuntu, then it does that with ease, making it a great solution for developers. If you need mass storage on a network and don't have any IT experience, then treat it as a Windows machine – pop in some additional M.2 storage and create a shared folder so that you can access it on the network. Likewise, the same applies if you're on Ubuntu.

If you want to get more advanced, then install a streaming server such as Plex and access the media contents of the drive from any other machine on the network – and the list goes on.

However, where I really feel the strength of this device lies is with the home lab community. Essentially, wipe the drives and install something like TrueNAS CORE or OpenMediaVault and get started with a lightweight NAS system for home or business. While the NucBox G9 might not be the most powerful Mini PC out there – although it can plough through most tasks – it's one of the most versatile PCs for its size and cost presently on the market.

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