The dream is too have an overpowered gaming PC that can handle absurdly high refresh rates, 4K resolutions, and all the visual settings in every game set to ultra, but that’s not in the cards for everyone. PC parts are skyrocketing in price, but you can still find more humble rigs for reduced prices. If you’re not even looking to game much beyond some lighter-end indie titles, primarily using your computer for responding to emails and browsing the web, then a mini PC might be the right choice for you. GMKtec has its G3S mini PC going for a good 29% off at the moment. Usually, this configuration sells for $350, but the limited-time discount ends up taking the price down by $100. It’s now sitting at just $250.
As one would assume by its name alone, mini PCs are much smaller than most desktop computers. It’s able to fit all the proper components in this tiny of a case because they mainly use high-end laptop components. This is a cost-saving measures as you get the power of a laptop without having to worry about the screens, keyboard, webcams and other features you find on a laptop. If you already have that stuff, then you can get yourself a workable, reliable PC for just a couple hundred bucks. That ain’t bad.
Inside the Tiny Box
The GMKtec G3S mini PC is fitted with a 12th generation Intel Alder Lake N95 processor. It’s equipped with four cores, for threads and can boost to speeds of up to 3.4 GHz. It’s perfectly suitable for routine tasks and office work as well as streaming video content.
Built into the mini PC, we have 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, but both are expandable.
For the outer interface, the GMKtec mini pc has a variety of useful ports. You get three USB 3.2 ports which are capable of data transfer of up to 10 Gbps as well as a standard USB 2.0 port. It houses not one but two HDMI outputs, each capable of displaying at up to 4K resolution at 60Hz. This means you can connect to two screens as once without needing a docking station or other accessory. You also have a 3.5mm port to connect to external speakers or a pair of wireless headphones which is useful for the minority of us who are still angry at Apple for abandoning the AUX port from our phones. Lastly, the Giga LAN RJ45 port is cable of supporting fast internet speed of up to 2.5G.
