Your thorough reviews of this kind of hardware are very much appreciated. It's rare to see such detailed reviews of smaller Chinese products like these. Keep up the great work!😊
Thanks for the great follow-up! Personally I'd stick with the original Sata SSD, as I think the real world performance gain isn't worth the price of a new NVME SSD in this case.
My 2TB Inland SSD works just fine. Uses 2 3.0 PCI lanes, gets similar performance to what you found. I put the SSD that came with the computer directly into an enclosure before I booted the G5 and scanned it. No viruses. I pretty much match your results.
@@htwingnut BE200 from Intel is a WiFi / Bluetooth network card that is WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. It works fine in the Gmktec G5 and you can get the drivers from Intel's website.
I just ordered the G5 because it was on a deal. Specially came here for the storage options, but pleased to see that its not an "ngff" old slot, but nvme. I might just drill a hole on the side so i can stick a 2280 gen3 ssd in it, which is certainly much more cost-efficient than the 2242.
After watching your 2 videos on this mini PC i bit the bullet and bought one and i am very pleased with the performance. I was a little worried about spy/malware so i ran a Norton power eraser (rootkit) full scan and a microsoft MRT full scan both showed no problems, is there anything else that i should do to put my mind at ease. Regarding the usb problem i just use my computer for emails, streaming and general web browsing nothing to heavy but i have connected a few different external drives, printers etc to all the usb ports without any problems so maybe gmktech have fixed the problem. Keep up the good work.
The fear about malware for many users I believe comes from the fact that AceMagic mini PC's had some malware in their OS distro. It was simple to detect and remove. But left a bad impression and paranoia, for good reason. I feel this device is safe. Best thing you can do is a clean Windows install if nothing else.
That underpowered USB port is a shame as otherwise it's not too bad. I suspect that the N97 will become the new darling, becoming more popular than the N100, resulting in more boxes coming out.
I have a question for you. I tried to clone the m.2 sata drive to m.2 nvme drive and it won't boot. Windows says it cannot find a path to valid boot media. I contacted GMKTEC and they told me this model is SATA compatible only. Obviously, you proved this young in this video. I also sent them a photo of the MB labeled PCIE/SATA under where the ssd goes, but they did not reply again. So, is my only option to do a clean install of Windows11 onto the NVME drive, or is there a way to rewrite the pertinent boot records on the cloned nvme ssd? Thanks again for this video.
Regarding the nvme drive power problem over the USB port… I remember you mentioning in the Part-1 video of this G5 that there was an option to limit power consumption to 8W and that you seemed interested to adopt it, wanting to keep the CPU under 77 deg C. So I was wondering if perhaps that could’ve caused the power over USB problem for the drive? (in case you enabled it and forgot to remove it before testing this)
Yes, you are correct. The USB port should be able to provide 4.5W at a minimum (5v @ 900mA). While an SSD can draw more than that at maximum load, most SSD's these days run under 5W. Regardless, it works with a powered USB adapter, so most definitely a power issue. I haven't had this issue with any other devices I've used with USB drives.
in the type C power adapter cable is there only 2 cables? positive and negative cable? I'm asking because let's say if the original Power Adapter became faulty, I can just buy a normal power adapter and join the original type c cable and normal power adapter together by cutting off half the original cable- as a replacement.
I would not recommend cutting and splicing. You can find alternate power adapters for relatively cheap. I also found this 100W brick PSU here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHB1DF5Z
@@allenperera6158 Absolutely. USB C is USB C. They all have the same pinouts. That's the beauty of USB. Unlike barrel connectors that can be + or - on inside or outside and different voltages. I have that inline 100W brick myself and works fine.
Another reviewer's video had a commenter who notes that an Apple 87W USB-C Power Adapter (for MacBook Pro) works perfectly for a G5. They are $15 new on Amazon right now. The brick will adjust the wattage automagically.
Hello. I plan to run this device headless. I will access it from time to time via teamviewer. My question is, how does it handle power failure? Will to restore to a powered on state? Secondly is there a way to disable the power button?
Thanks for the in-depth review. My usb3.0 WD mypassport 4tb HDD doesn't require external power when plugged to my Pi5. Will it work with the G5? Does the G5 supply the same level or more of power to USB ports? Maybe using a 65w usbc brick would supply enough to the usb ports? what do you think?
I believe I have a portable hard drive somewhere, and will try it out. But I don't think it's an issue with the power supply, it's how much power the USB port has been spec'd to provide. That's a GMKTec design consideration. Chances are they spec'd it to the minimum 5v x 0.9A for 4.5W. While technically OK, some HDD's and SSD's will draw up to 6 or 7 W at peak and most USB ports can easily support that. That being said, I did plug in a 12V 5A 60W power supply and it still didn't matter.
@@htwingnut thanks, let me know your findings, of course with the standard 30W power supply :). About the power supply, sorry, can you elaborate what you meant that it didn't matter?
@@user-wf9wq9kq6u Sure. By "it didn't matter" means that I tried it with the USB SSD that was disconnecting and it still disconnected. Connecting it to a powered USB hub and it worked fine.
i've got a machine with the N-305 in it, and have been pretty impressed so far! got a question about some odd behavior though. when i was testing it on a game it seems to downclock the GPU. the N-305 is supposed to go up to 1.25Ghz but it likes to sit around the mid 900s.. i checked thermals and that is not it. do you know of a utility that would help trouble shoot the issue? curious if it's power constraints..
Same issue with this little device. It is supposed to go to 1200 MHz but never exceeds 1000MHz. Same with CPU clocks. It's supposed to boost to 3.6Hz but never exceeds 2.9GHz. I realize it's very specific circumstances where it will reach those clocks. A bit disingenuous of Intel IMHO.
@@htwingnut i did a test by restricting CPU usage to 85% and noticed the GPU would then actually get up to 1200 Mhz. So it does seem like it's a power limitation. That's unfortunate because it's leaving a good amount of performance on the table..
@@FroggyTWrite Thanks for testing. I may try that as well. I guess it depends on the need, maybe a lower CPU clock with higher GPU would be beneficial depending on what you're trying to achieve. Gaming it may make sense.
LPDDR5 soldered on. The CPU only supports Single Channel RAM. But DDR5 RAM has two independent 32-bit addressable subchannels so internally is more or less functionally like dual channel. For this CPU it is more than adequate.
this specific model only two HDMI ports, so only 2. But they can each handle 4k/60. The N97 and N100 can support up to three 4k monitors though. This model seems to support 3 video outputs: 2x HDMI, 1x DVI www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCDPDBX6
Your thorough reviews of this kind of hardware are very much appreciated. It's rare to see such detailed reviews of smaller Chinese products like these.
Keep up the great work!😊
Wow, that was a solid 2 part review of this unit. Clean, clear, concise. I find it hard to believe you are only at 4.59K sub's. I'm in, subbed.
Thanks for the sub and compliment. It is much appreciated.
Thanks for the great follow-up! Personally I'd stick with the original Sata SSD, as I think the real world performance gain isn't worth the price of a new NVME SSD in this case.
I got a random 256GB NVME 2242 SSD for only $25 and it is working fine with GMKTec Nucbox G5.
Thank you for doing a follow up video on the G5. As always, your time and efforts are greatly appreciated.
Nice tip about the oobe command to bypass online setup. One of my many gripes about win11 haha.
cheers
Wow! What an extensive survey with both video’s, very professional.
Awesome follow-up video! I am ordering this little G5 box now.
My 2TB Inland SSD works just fine. Uses 2 3.0 PCI lanes, gets similar performance to what you found.
I put the SSD that came with the computer directly into an enclosure before I booted the G5 and scanned it. No viruses.
I pretty much match your results.
Thanks for the feedback!
@@htwingnut BE200 from Intel is a WiFi / Bluetooth network card that is WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. It works fine in the Gmktec G5 and you can get the drivers from Intel's website.
I just ordered the G5 because it was on a deal.
Specially came here for the storage options, but pleased to see that its not an "ngff" old slot, but nvme.
I might just drill a hole on the side so i can stick a 2280 gen3 ssd in it, which is certainly much more cost-efficient than the 2242.
After watching your 2 videos on this mini PC i bit the bullet and bought one and i am very pleased with the performance. I was a little worried about spy/malware so i ran a Norton power eraser (rootkit) full scan and a microsoft MRT full scan both showed no problems, is there anything else that i should do to put my mind at ease. Regarding the usb problem i just use my computer for emails, streaming and general web browsing nothing to heavy but i have connected a few different external drives, printers etc to all the usb ports without any problems so maybe gmktech have fixed the problem. Keep up the good work.
The fear about malware for many users I believe comes from the fact that AceMagic mini PC's had some malware in their OS distro. It was simple to detect and remove. But left a bad impression and paranoia, for good reason. I feel this device is safe. Best thing you can do is a clean Windows install if nothing else.
Excellent video! Thanks for doing this!
That underpowered USB port is a shame as otherwise it's not too bad. I suspect that the N97 will become the new darling, becoming more popular than the N100, resulting in more boxes coming out.
I have a question for you. I tried to clone the m.2 sata drive to m.2 nvme drive and it won't boot. Windows says it cannot find a path to valid boot media. I contacted GMKTEC and they told me this model is SATA compatible only. Obviously, you proved this young in this video. I also sent them a photo of the MB labeled PCIE/SATA under where the ssd goes, but they did not reply again. So, is my only option to do a clean install of Windows11 onto the NVME drive, or is there a way to rewrite the pertinent boot records on the cloned nvme ssd? Thanks again for this video.
Regarding the nvme drive power problem over the USB port… I remember you mentioning in the Part-1 video of this G5 that there was an option to limit power consumption to 8W and that you seemed interested to adopt it, wanting to keep the CPU under 77 deg C. So I was wondering if perhaps that could’ve caused the power over USB problem for the drive? (in case you enabled it and forgot to remove it before testing this)
can we fit the NVME SSD diagonally into device if we use PCI-E extender?
the nvme has a higher power draw than what the USB port can supply
Yes, you are correct. The USB port should be able to provide 4.5W at a minimum (5v @ 900mA). While an SSD can draw more than that at maximum load, most SSD's these days run under 5W. Regardless, it works with a powered USB adapter, so most definitely a power issue. I haven't had this issue with any other devices I've used with USB drives.
hi, can i just plug a normal 100W USB C GaN pd charger from choetec into this that i use for my phone and laptop?
in the type C power adapter cable is there only 2 cables? positive and negative cable? I'm asking because let's say if the original Power Adapter became faulty, I can just buy a normal power adapter and join the original type c cable and normal power adapter together by cutting off half the original cable- as a replacement.
I would not recommend cutting and splicing. You can find alternate power adapters for relatively cheap. I also found this 100W brick PSU here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHB1DF5Z
@@htwingnut are you sure the pin outs are compatible?
@@allenperera6158 Absolutely. USB C is USB C. They all have the same pinouts. That's the beauty of USB. Unlike barrel connectors that can be + or - on inside or outside and different voltages. I have that inline 100W brick myself and works fine.
@@htwingnut thanks!
Another reviewer's video had a commenter who notes that an Apple 87W USB-C Power Adapter (for MacBook Pro) works perfectly for a G5. They are $15 new on Amazon right now. The brick will adjust the wattage automagically.
Hello. I plan to run this device headless. I will access it from time to time via teamviewer. My question is, how does it handle power failure? Will to restore to a powered on state? Secondly is there a way to disable the power button?
Can you post the powered USB hub that you used? Many thanks!
Thanks for the in-depth review.
My usb3.0 WD mypassport 4tb HDD doesn't require external power when plugged to my Pi5.
Will it work with the G5? Does the G5 supply the same level or more of power to USB ports?
Maybe using a 65w usbc brick would supply enough to the usb ports?
what do you think?
I believe I have a portable hard drive somewhere, and will try it out. But I don't think it's an issue with the power supply, it's how much power the USB port has been spec'd to provide. That's a GMKTec design consideration.
Chances are they spec'd it to the minimum 5v x 0.9A for 4.5W. While technically OK, some HDD's and SSD's will draw up to 6 or 7 W at peak and most USB ports can easily support that.
That being said, I did plug in a 12V 5A 60W power supply and it still didn't matter.
@@htwingnut thanks, let me know your findings, of course with the standard 30W power supply :). About the power supply, sorry, can you elaborate what you meant that it didn't matter?
@@user-wf9wq9kq6u Sure. By "it didn't matter" means that I tried it with the USB SSD that was disconnecting and it still disconnected. Connecting it to a powered USB hub and it worked fine.
i've got a machine with the N-305 in it, and have been pretty impressed so far! got a question about some odd behavior though. when i was testing it on a game it seems to downclock the GPU. the N-305 is supposed to go up to 1.25Ghz but it likes to sit around the mid 900s.. i checked thermals and that is not it. do you know of a utility that would help trouble shoot the issue? curious if it's power constraints..
Same issue with this little device. It is supposed to go to 1200 MHz but never exceeds 1000MHz. Same with CPU clocks. It's supposed to boost to 3.6Hz but never exceeds 2.9GHz. I realize it's very specific circumstances where it will reach those clocks. A bit disingenuous of Intel IMHO.
@@htwingnut i did a test by restricting CPU usage to 85% and noticed the GPU would then actually get up to 1200 Mhz. So it does seem like it's a power limitation. That's unfortunate because it's leaving a good amount of performance on the table..
@@FroggyTWrite Thanks for testing. I may try that as well. I guess it depends on the need, maybe a lower CPU clock with higher GPU would be beneficial depending on what you're trying to achieve. Gaming it may make sense.
Can this PC be powered via USB port on a monitor?
Probably not. Most USB ports run at 5V unless it's a PD (power delivery) USB port. This mini PC requires 12V and up to 3A power draw.
@@htwingnut wow, thanks for the quick reply. 🙏🏽
Hi! does it have LPDDR5 or normal DDR5? I guess they're single channel?
LPDDR5 soldered on. The CPU only supports Single Channel RAM. But DDR5 RAM has two independent 32-bit addressable subchannels so internally is more or less functionally like dual channel. For this CPU it is more than adequate.
They list 2TB as MAX storage size, anyone tried larger?
Can these devices (the N100 as well) actually manage up to 3 monitors at 4k ?
(Maybe looking to get one of these for a trading rig with 2-3 monitors)
this specific model only two HDMI ports, so only 2. But they can each handle 4k/60. The N97 and N100 can support up to three 4k monitors though. This model seems to support 3 video outputs: 2x HDMI, 1x DVI www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCDPDBX6