GMKtec G3 Ultra: Budget mini PC with Quick Sync and 2.5GbE
One of the cheapest ways into a home server: Quick Sync for Jellyfin or Plex, 2.5GbE on the back, and a second M.2 slot free for more storage. The 16GB of LPDDR4 is soldered and the 512GB drive sits in the SATA slot, so pick it for jobs that fit in 16GB rather than for heavy virtualisation.
Compare with similar hardware
See how GMKtec G3 Ultra stacks up against other Mini PC picks.
| Spec | GMKtec G3 Ultra | Beelink EQi 304 | BOSGAME E6 ECO | Minisforum MS-01 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $310 (opens in a new tab) | $469 (opens in a new tab) | $413 (opens in a new tab) | $449 (opens in a new tab) |
| Running cost | $13/yr at $0.17/kWh | $7/yr at $0.17/kWh | $7/yr at $0.17/kWh | $21/yr at $0.17/kWh |
| Power Draw | ~9W idle (est.) | ~5W idle | ~5W idle (est.) | ~14W idle with one SSD; ~25-29W with several NVMe drives (measured) |
| Warranty | 3 years (1 year replacement, 2 years parts) | 3 years | 1 year | 2 years |
| CPU | Intel Pentium Gold 7505 (2C/4T, up to 3.5GHz) | Intel Core 3 304 (5C, up to 4.3GHz) | Intel Core 3 304 (5C, up to 4.3GHz) | Intel Core i5-12600H (12C/16T, up to 4.5GHz) |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU, up to 1.0GHz) | Intel Graphics, 1 x Xe3 (integrated) | Intel Graphics, 1 x Xe3 (integrated) | Intel Iris Xe (integrated) |
| NPU | – | 15 TOPS (24 TOPS with CPU and GPU) | 15 TOPS (24 TOPS with CPU and GPU) | – |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR4 3200 (soldered) | 16GB LPDDR5 | 12GB LPDDR5X | Barebone; 2 x DDR5-5200 SODIMM, up to 96GB |
| Transcoding | Yes - Intel Quick Sync | Yes – Intel Quick Sync | Yes – Intel Quick Sync | Yes - Intel Iris Xe (Quick Sync) |
| Form factor | Mini PC (VESA mount included) | Mini PC | Mini PC | Mini PC |
| NVMe slots | 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 (free), 1 x M.2 2280 SATA (512GB fitted) | 2 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0), up to 8TB | 1 x M.2 2242 (PCIe 4.0) spare, 512GB installed | 3 x M.2 (1 x 22110/U.2, RAID 0/1) |
| LAN ports | 1 x 2.5GbE | 1 x 10GbE + 1 x 2.5GbE | 2 x Gigabit | 2 x 10GbE SFP+ (Intel X710) + 2 x 2.5GbE |
| USB-A ports | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps), 1 x USB 2.0 | 1 x USB 3.2 (10Gbps), 2 x USB 2.0 | 2 x USB 3.2 (10Gbps), 2 x USB 2.0 | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x USB 2.0 |
| USB-C ports | – | 1 x USB-C (10Gbps) | 1 x USB4 (40Gbps) | 2 x USB4 (40Gbps, 8K video) |
| Thunderbolt | – | 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) | – | – |
| Video output | 2 x HDMI (4K60) | HDMI 4K60 + 2 x Thunderbolt 4, up to 3 displays | HDMI 2.1 + DP 1.4 (8K60), USB-C (4K60), up to 3 displays | HDMI 2.0 + 2 x USB4, up to 3 displays |
| Expansion slot | – | – | – | 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8 electrical) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 | – |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.4 | – |
| Noise | Fan-cooled; no measured dB found | Quiet fan | Quiet fan | 37-38 dB under test (measured) |
| Comes with an OS | No – you install one | No – you install one | No – you install one | No – you install one |
Updated