I published hundreds of computer deals — I couldn’t find a better mini PC under $400 this Black Friday
Who needs a big desktop personal computer when these tiny boxes do the job better
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GMKTek NucBox K3 Pro:Was $469.99 Now $398.99 at AmazonSave 15%There’s no mini PC more powerful than the GMKTec K3 Pro at this price. With a 10-core Intel Core i7 CPU, 24GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, it will breeze through most tasks without any slugginess. With Windows 11 Pro powering it and just short of 10 ports, its only weakness is the lack of a powerful GPU.
Head over toAmazonto check theGMKTec NucBox K3 Pro, a fully fledged Windows 11 Pro mini PC with a 12th core Intel Core i7 processor, only for this Black Friday. For all the talks of AMD and Ryzen dominating performance, Intel still is a very potent alternative especially from a value for money alternative.
Ed: Check out ourBlack Friday dealsand ourblack Friday Mini PCdeal page
At just under $399, a 15% saving off the sticker price of $470, the GMKTec NucBox K3 Pro is better than anything I’ve seen at this price point. The Core i7-12650H has 10 cores and 16 threads and is significantly more powerful than whatAMDhas to offer in this price range.
We have reviewed it recentlyand said “On paper, this machine seems reasonable, and it is beautifully engineered. However, the processor was the bottom mobile i7 from the 12th generation, and the price isn’t appropriate for its performance. The K3 Pro is an excellent justification for buying the K2 instead.” That was with a price 50% higher (around $600) though.
When paired with 24GB LPDDR5 memory (dual channel, upgradable up to 64GB) and 1TBSSD, it should easily breeze through all office and business tasks. Clearly this is a workstation-grade product although there’s no discrete graphics card.
Despite its tiny size, thisworkstation PChas plenty of ports: Thunderbolt 4/USB 4.0/DisplayPort, two HDMI, four USB ports and one Gigabit Ethernet port. You should in theory be able to drive up to three4Kdisplays (or even a single8Kmonitor - if you find one).
Elsewhere, there’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 courtesy of an AMD RZ608 chip; note that there’s no card reader although GMKtek bundled a VESA mount, should you want to put it behind a monitor.
Other thanWindows 11Pro, a surprising addition, there’s no bloatware to suck the life out of yourbusiness PC. It’s worth noting that the SSD is a Gen3 one which is a bit of a disappointment but won’t matter to most users as it is still far faster than SATA-based SSDs. The parts are easily accessible thanks to a lid that can be removed with any tools; the chassis has plenty of vents for cooling.
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Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled inwebsite buildersandweb hostingwhen DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.
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