Review on 💻 GMK Nuc Box S: Mini PC Windows 10, Intel J4125 2.7GHz, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, HDMI, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 5.1, 2.4G/5G WiFi - Powerful and Compact by Jason Rosekrans

The NucBox is surprisingly functional despite its tiny, palm-sized size. It loads quickly and handles basic home/office applications with ease. Web browsing is usually fast, although complex pages (usually with lots of ads) may take a few seconds to load. This little PC works great as a client for cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and Google Stadia, and can even play 4K video at 60Hz (tip: disable Windows 10's color transparency effects for better performance). Physically, the NucBox offers great looks and a solid build. The entire device gets very hot during use, but I haven't experienced any instability or crashes. The NucBox fan is fairly quiet (laptop-like) but can be seen in a quiet room. It's also worth noting that this PC doesn't support turning on automatically when plugged in, so it's not ideal for embedded applications. With only two USB-A ports, no Ethernet jack, and 1x1 802.11ac WiFi (max 433Mbps), connectivity is limited, but Bluetooth 5.1 is a plus. A USB-C port is present, but can only be used with the included 12V power adapter (no data, video, or USB PD capabilities). This is disappointing, as a full-featured USB-C port could add some much-needed flexibility here. Windows 10 Home comes pre-installed and does not contain any malware (apart from what Microsoft itself promotes). The NucBox hardware is new enough to support the upcoming free upgrade to Windows 11, although a BIOS update may be required to enable the required TPM capabilities. GMK offers tech support via email and they responded quickly when I contacted them about a BIOS update. Overall, the NucBox isn't the fastest or most expandable PC out there, but it offers solid performance for basic computing tasks in a remarkably compact package. . Recommended, but plan to add a USB hub to connect peripherals.