Being able to get roughly another 20% from the system using performance mode is also a bonus.
Perfect choice for a firewall.
A barebones option is available for those who want to provide an OS, memory, and storage.
There is one killer feature that should interest IT professionals, and thats the dual 2.5GbE LAN ports.
That makes the M5 Plus an ideal candidate for a custom firewall with a suitable Linux distro in place.
Overall, this is a low-cost system with plenty of positives and relatively few weaknesses.
It should be noted thatAmazonmatches GMKtec’s direct selling prices in most regions.
It might be used elsewhere, but its a design that this brand is happy to repurpose.
Fan noise on this system was barely noticeable when in balanced performance mode.
More on that later.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5825U in this Mini PC is one from the Ceznne Zen 3 generation.
In many circumstances, selecting performance has a marginal impact on the overall speed of the system.
I didn’t test for silent mode, because in a balanced setting, the machine is effectively silent.
Therefore, for the performance it delivers, the M5 Plus is of substantially better value.
The GMKtec NucBox M5 Plus is an inexpensive solution to a myriad of problems with relatively few vices.
Should you buy a GMKtec NucBox M5 Plus?
You wont get USB 4.0 or Thunderbolt ports anywhere else at this price point.
NUCs with more modern chips and the ability to connect external GPU are the way to go.
Also Consider
GMKtec M5A Ryzen 7 5700U NUC by GMKtec.
The M5 features dual M.2 and 2.5GbE LAN ports and comes with 32GB of memory in dual-channel mode.
However, it has fewer USB ports.
This is extra cheap, but the performance of the Intel N100 processor is limited.
Check out ourGMKtec M5review
Geekom A5
The Geekom A5 is another cheap NUC using the same Ryzen 7 5825U.
A system that is almost identical to the M5 Plus and at a similar price.
Check out ourGeekom A5review
For bigger alternatives for professionals, we’ve also reviewed all thebest business computers.
