- NucBox K15 supports up to 24TB SSD with three M.2 slots
- Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU delivers twelve cores and fourteen threads efficiently
- Integrated GPU handles basic graphics workloads, but not extreme gaming demands
In recent years, more powerful mini PCs with desktop-class performance have entered the market, although pricing often remains a drawback.
The GMKtec NucBox K15 mini PC, with OCuLink support, appears to challenge that pattern with a $360 starting price.
This device uses the Intel Core Ultra 5 125U CPU, which offers twelve cores and fourteen threads.
Hybrid CPU architecture and AI acceleration
It uses a hybrid design with 2 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 2 low-power efficiency cores, with a maximum turbo frequency of up to 4.3GHz and 12MB of Intel Smart Cache.
The integrated Intel Graphics GPU reaches a maximum dynamic frequency of 1.85GHz and supports up to 7TOPS for AI workloads.
With the Intel AI Boost NPU, the system delivers up to 21TOPS of AI performance and supports ray tracing along with multi-format hardware encoding and decoding.
Memory options include 16GB or 32GB of DDR5 RAM, expandable to 96GB, while storage comes pre-installed with 1TB or 2TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD.
The system also offers three internal M.2 PCIe 4.0×4 slots, allowing up to 24TB of total storage.
The NucBox K15 mini PC supports four simultaneous quad display outputs through HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, USB4, and Type-C ports.
It also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, along with dual 2.5G LAN ports for wired connections.
Front and rear I/O include multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, an OCuLink PCIe Gen4×4 slot, an audio jack, and DC input.
The rear-mounted OCuLink interface allows connection to external GPU expansion docks that support NVIDIA RTX 40- and 50-series graphics cards.
This setup effectively turns the mini PC into a high-performance gaming and graphics workstation.
The mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, and it also supports Linux distributions such as Ubuntu.
A dual-fan cooling system with copper heat pipes helps maintain thermal performance under heavy load.
The CPU fan and system fan work together to reduce noise while maintaining efficiency.
The fans use smart control, and the design includes dust protection to extend component lifespan.
The NucBox K15 is available on GMKTec’s website, with the barebone model starting at $360, while the 32GB RAM variant sells for $480.
Higher configurations with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD cost $579.99, while the 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD version is priced at $699.99.
Comparable mini PCs such as the Asus NUC 14 Pro+ with a similar Intel chip cost above $500 for the barebone model.
Likewise, the barebone version of the Beelink SER9 Pro with a Ryzen 7 H 255 CPU costs about $500.
The K15’s lower price makes it appealing, although power users could find its GPU performance limiting for demanding graphics workloads.
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