GMKtec NucBox G2 and G3 N100 Mini PC

Both ran the same chip: four Gracemont cores at up to 3.4GHz, 6MB of cache, a 6W base power rating and Intel UHD graphics with 24 execution units. So the performance was the same class in either box. The difference was what you could change after buying.

• NucBox G2: 12GB LPDDR5, fixed for life; an M.2 SSD; Wi-Fi 6; a very small case aimed at desks and TVs.
• NucBox G3: 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 in a SO-DIMM slot, an M.2 2280 SSD, two HDMI ports and 2.5GbE networking.

For a desk or living-room PC, the G2's 12GB was plenty and its LPDDR5 ran at 4800MT/s. For a homelab, the G3 was the better buy, because a larger SO-DIMM turned it into a small Proxmox or Docker host.

That split still decides which replacement to choose. If you wanted a G2, you want a small box with enough memory already fitted. If you wanted a G3, you want a SO-DIMM slot and a free path to more storage.

A third screen needs a third output. On the G3 there was none, so a three-monitor desk meant a different box or a USB display adapter that leans on the CPU. The G2's smaller case had even less room for ports, which is why its successors kept the dual-screen layout.

Every N100 shares one display engine, so the limit is the port count on the case, never the chip.

• For 4K at 60Hz, use an HDMI 2.0 cable rated for 18Gbps or better.
• A 4K TV over HDMI will play HDR video that the N100 decodes in hardware.
• Two 4K screens are comfortable for office work; heavy video on both at once is where the chip slows.

If the HDMI count was the reason you searched for GMKtec, the TUREWELL's three HDMI ports are the simplest answer on the N100 today.

The N95 has the same four cores and 3.4GHz boost as the N100, but a 15W base power rating and only 16 graphics execution units against 24. In a mini PC that means similar CPU speed, weaker graphics and a little more heat. The N150 is the 2025 refresh: the same 6W rating, a 3.6GHz boost and higher graphics clocks.

• G3S (N95): fine for office work; the smaller GPU matters for light games and multi-screen video.
• G3 Plus (N150): a modest step up from the G3 in every direction.
• Any N100 box: sits between the two, with the N95's CPU speed and the N150's graphics width.

For a straight replacement, the G3 Plus is the natural upgrade and the G3S is a sidegrade. The N100 vs N95 comparison and the N100 vs N150 comparison put the numbers side by side. Price usually settles it: at the same cost, the N150 box is the better buy.

If you want to stay on the N100 itself, the chip is still in plenty of boxes from other makers, and three of them match the old NucBoxes closely.

The MOREFINE M10 is the G2 stand-in. It carries 12GB of soldered LPDDR5 at 4800MHz, a 512GB NVMe SSD, two HDMI 2.0 ports, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.5GbE. Its M.2 slot takes up to 2TB, and a VESA mount puts it behind a monitor.

The Beelink Mini S12 Pro is the G3 stand-in. It ships with 16GB of DDR4 in a SO-DIMM slot, a 500GB M.2 SSD, two HDMI ports, four 10Gbps USB ports and 2.5GbE, and Beelink covers it for three years.

The PELADN is the budget stand-in, with 16GB DDR4, a 512GB SSD and a USB-C output for a third screen. Its warranty is one year against Beelink's three, which is most of the price gap between them.

1. Wanted a G2 for a TV or a small desk: MOREFINE M10.
2. Wanted a G3 for a homelab: Beelink Mini S12 Pro.
3. Wanted a G3 on the tightest budget: PELADN, or its 8GB version.

All three run the same N100 the NucBoxes did, so software, drivers and setup guides written for the G2 and G3 carry over unchanged. Other makers that dropped or kept the N100 are covered on the N100 brands roundup.

That class runs older and lighter games at low settings and modest resolutions, cloud gaming at full quality, and emulation of many older consoles. Modern AAA games are out of reach on any N100, from GMKtec or anyone else.

• Good fits: indie games, older esports titles at low settings, retro emulation, cloud streaming services.
• Poor fits: recent 3D releases, high refresh rates, anything that lists a discrete GPU as the minimum.
• Memory matters: the GPU borrows system RAM, so 12GB or 16GB helps more than on a desk PC.

The N100 gaming breakdown goes through what plays and what does not. For price, GMKtec's N100 boxes sat at the budget end of the range, and the N100 price bands show where their stand-ins sit now.

If gaming is the main job, an N150 box gains a little from its faster graphics clock, and anything with a Ryzen APU gains a lot. For the office, the TV and the homelab, any of the N100 stand-ins does what the G2 and G3 did.