- NucBox K15 supports up to 24TB SSD with three M.2 slots
- Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU efficiently delivers twelve cores and fourteen threads
- Integrated GPU handles basic graphics workloads, but not extreme gaming demands
In recent years, more powerful mini PCs with desktop-like performance have entered the market, although price often remains a drawback.
The GMKtec NucBox K15 mini PC, with OCuLink support, appears to defy that pattern with a starting price of $360.
This device uses the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U CPU, which offers twelve cores and fourteen threads.
Hybrid CPU architecture and AI acceleration
It uses a hybrid design with 2 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 2 low-power efficiency cores, with a maximum turbo frequency of up to 4.3 GHz and 12 MB of Intel Smart Cache.
The integrated Intel Graphics GPU reaches a maximum dynamic frequency of 1.85 GHz and supports up to 7TOPS for AI workloads.
With the Intel AI Boost NPU, the system delivers up to 21 TOPS of AI performance and supports ray tracing along with multi-format hardware encoding and decoding.
Memory options include 16GB or 32GB of DDR5 RAM, expandable to 96GB, while storage comes pre-installed with 1TB or 2TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD.
The system also offers three internal M.2 PCIe 4.0×4 slots, allowing for up to 24TB of total storage.
The NucBox K15 mini PC supports four simultaneous quad display outputs via HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, USB4 and Type-C ports.
It also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, along with two 2.5G LAN ports for wired connections.
Front and rear I/O include multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, an OCuLink PCIe Gen4×4 slot, an audio jack, and DC input.
The rear-mounted OCuLink interface allows connection to external GPU expansion docks that support NVIDIA RTX 40 and 50 series graphics cards.
This configuration effectively turns the mini PC into a high-performance graphics and gaming workstation.
The mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed and is also compatible with Linux distributions like Ubuntu.
A dual-fan cooling system with copper heat pipes helps maintain thermal performance under heavy loads.
The CPU fan and system fan work together to reduce noise while maintaining efficiency.
The fans use intelligent control and the design includes dust protection to extend component life.
The NucBox K15 is available on GMKTec’s website, with the barebone model starting at $360, while the 32GB RAM variant sells for $480.
The top configurations with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD cost $579.99, while the 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD version is priced at $699.99.
Comparable mini PCs, like the Asus NUC 14 Pro+ with a similar Intel chip, cost more than $500 for the barebone model.
Similarly, the basic version of the Beelink SER9 Pro with a Ryzen 7 H 255 CPU costs around $500.
The K15’s lower price makes it attractive, although power users might find its GPU performance limiting for demanding graphics workloads.
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