GMKtec M8 review: The simplicity of function and the things we take for granted

GMKtec M8

MSRP $419.99

Released November 2025

“The GMKtec M8 handled my workday and some after-hours gaming, making a convincing case for keeping a desktop simple.”

Pros

• Smooth performance for writing and browser-based work
• Straightforward setup with Windows 11 Pro installed
• Compact size fits desk and TV setups
• Capable of lighter gaming and retro emulation

Cons

• Integrated graphics limit its gaming ambitions
• TV setup still needs a keyboard and mouse for Windows sign-in
• Buying peripherals separately adds to total cost

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Quick take

I spent a month using the GMKtec M8 and wondering who it was for. I already have a MacBook for work and an Asus TUF A16 for gaming, so introducing a third computer into my life required inventing a vacancy.

First, I gave it my writing work. Then I connected it to my TV to see how it would fare as a small living-room gaming PC. By the end, I had a better idea of who might want one.

Some people want a computer without developing opinions about motherboard compatibility. If there’s already a monitor, keyboard, and mouse waiting on a desk, a little box that handles the work starts to make sense. I wanted to find out how comfortably the M8 could fill that role, and what I could get away with after work.

Specs and pricing

The M8 supplied for this review came with an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H processor, integrated Radeon 660M graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Windows 11 Pro was already installed, so there were no components to buy or assemble before using it. GMKtec lists this configuration at $419.99 at the time of writing.

There’s also an OCuLink port for connecting an external graphics card through a compatible dock. That gives the M8 a potential route beyond its integrated graphics, although the graphics card, dock, and power supply all cost extra. I haven’t tested that setup myself. I can see the appeal of experimenting, even if buying a tiny computer and assembling an external life-support system for its graphics complicates the original idea.

The rest of the shopping list

The $419.99 also leaves the rest of the desk to sort out. I already had a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and USB-C hub waiting for it.

Someone starting from scratch has a different shopping list, potentially including a webcam, microphone, and speakers. For them, a fair comparison with a laptop has to include everything needed to start using it. With peripherals already in place, $419.99 is much closer to the actual cost of getting to work.

Getting it onto my desk

I connected my monitor, keyboard, and mouse through a USB-C hub, then plugged the hub into the M8. I turned it on, connected to Wi-Fi, installed the updates, and started using it. The process left very little material for a dramatic unboxing narrative. Eventually, I had to accept that the computer was ready and the remaining obstacle to getting work done was me.

Using the hub kept the peripherals together, so I didn’t have to reconnect each one individually. That was my preferred arrangement; the M8 didn’t require me to use a hub.

Eventually, I had to accept that the computer was ready and the remaining obstacle to getting work done was me.

The screen I left behind

The adjustment I noticed most was losing a screen. Normally, I work with a laptop and an external monitor, giving me two places to spread everything out. With the M8 connected to that same monitor, I was down to one. Recreating my usual arrangement would mean adding another monitor.

That helped me understand why I might still choose a laptop. Someone who keeps theirs closed and connected to a monitor might have little use for its built-in screen and keyboard. I use that second screen every day, even when the laptop never leaves the desk. Switching to a smaller computer meant giving up something useful in my particular setup.

Living with it as a work computer

Most of my work happens across browser tabs. Google Docs, multiple Sheets, research pages, the CMS, Microsoft Teams, and YouTube all feature in some combination. Individually, none of these sounds particularly demanding. Together, they constitute a small administrative state whose principal export is another document.

The M8 handled that workload smoothly. During the month I used it, I didn’t encounter a recurring performance problem worth complaining about. I could get on with writing and the assortment of other activities that somehow surround writing.

I realize that sounds like modest praise. But when I’m working, I spend enough time thinking about the sentence on the screen. I’d prefer the machine displaying it to remain outside the discussion. The M8 generally let me forget about the box and concentrate on what I was doing.

I wasn’t spending my days rendering 3D scenes or editing large video projects, so my browser-heavy routine doesn’t tell me how the M8 would handle those jobs. I’d be comfortable recommending it for work similar to mine. For those heavier tasks, I’d want to see tests in the applications involved.

When one computer was the whole wish list

I grew up sharing an old laptop with my whole family. Its hinges were broken, and we reformatted it multiple times because we somehow kept infecting it with all sorts of viruses. There were several of us using one machine, and apparently an expanding population of other things using it too.

The broke teenager I was would have loved a computer like the M8. Something that could handle schoolwork, get online, and run some games would have been plenty to get excited about. I doubt I would have spent much time wondering whether it was interesting enough.

Now I have separate computers for work and gaming. Buying something I need for either has become a decision I can make without thinking twice. Younger me had been sharing one with his entire family. Remembering that made my initial confusion about the M8’s appeal feel a little embarrassing.

I remember when a computer that did those things would have been the whole wish list.

I’d also been overlooking how little the M8 asked of me. Someone else had already chosen compatible components and assembled them, leaving me with a functioning computer and whatever I wanted to do on it.

There’s a pleasure in that simplicity that I’d started taking for granted. The M8 let me write, get things done, and play games afterward. Its usefulness didn’t require an elaborate explanation, even if I seemed determined to produce one.

None of this makes $419.99 affordable for everyone, particularly with a monitor and peripherals still to buy. But it changes how I think about the uneventful month I spent with it. I remember when a computer that did those things would have been the whole wish list.

A little box for the living room

After using the M8 for work, I connected it to my TV, plugged in a wired Xbox controller, and opened Steam Big Picture. I wanted to see whether this little box could give my Steam library a comfortable home on the TV.

Hades and Hades II ran without problems in my sessions. I also played retro games through emulators, although I haven’t tested enough systems to make a broad emulation recommendation. I liked being able to sit down with a controller and play on the same computer I’d been using for spreadsheets.

Paralives was the heaviest game I tried. It felt awkward on the M8, but it also felt awkward on my Asus TUF A16 gaming laptop. The experience didn’t feel dramatically different to me, though I wasn’t comparing matched settings or recording frame rates. That’s an impression from playing, rather than evidence that the two machines perform equally.

Still a PC on the couch

The main inconvenience was Windows sign-in. I still needed a keyboard and mouse to get into Windows and launch Steam before settling into Big Picture with the controller. It added a little housekeeping before I could play, but once I was in, I could settle onto the couch.

I wouldn’t choose the M8 expecting it to run every demanding new release. For the Hades games, the retro titles I tried, and the kind of lighter gaming I had in mind, I enjoyed using it. The TV experiment gave it another useful job with hardware I already had.

Benchmarks

I ran Geekbench 6.7.1 with Windows set to the Balanced power plan, then compared my M8’s results with public submissions for the GEEKOM A6 and two Intel N100 mini PCs.

Comparison scores are individual public submissions from different configurations and benchmark versions, rather than a controlled comparison of machines I tested.

The M8 landed between these reference points. Its multi-core score was roughly 2.5 times that of the N100-powered AZW MINI S, while the GEEKOM A6 scored 42% higher than the M8. The single-core gap to the A6 was much smaller at about 7%.

The graphics results followed that order. The M8 comfortably exceeded the N100-powered PCG02’s OpenCL score, but the A6 scored 78% higher than the M8. That measures GPU compute performance, so it doesn’t translate directly into gaming frame rates.

Who should buy the GMKtec M8?

The clearest buyer I can picture is someone with a desk already set up, a workload like mine, and no desire to assemble a PC. At the listed $419.99 for my configuration, the M8 deserves consideration for that job.

I’d consider it for a freelancer doing similar browser-based work, provided they don’t need to take the computer to meetings or work elsewhere. A parent could also put it on a shared household desk or use it for a child’s schoolwork. I’m less convinced by a blanket recommendation for students. Someone who needs a computer in class won’t get much comfort from knowing the M8 is easy to carry if they also need to find a screen.

Someone who needs a computer in class won’t get much comfort from knowing the M8 is easy to carry if they also need to find a screen.

My usual laptops still cover work and gaming, so the M8 will probably become an experimental device. I haven’t settled on its next assignment, and the OCuLink port leaves another possibility to explore. That’s where it fits into my life now, though I’ve come to appreciate why someone else might make it their main computer.

I started this review wondering who would want this little computer. Eventually, I remembered someone I knew quite well. Younger me would have had work to do and games he wanted to play. Once the M8 was connected and running, I doubt he would have needed much more of an explanation.

Why not try

GEEKOM A6

A logical alternative for someone who wants a compact Windows desktop with more room to grow. Its Ryzen 7 6800H, Radeon 680M graphics, and 32GB RAM configuration deserve a look if the M8 feels a little modest. The public results in my benchmark table also put it ahead in multi-core and GPU compute performance, although I haven’t tested it myself.

Apple Mac mini

Worth considering if the small desktop appeals but Windows isn’t essential. For someone already comfortable with macOS, it offers a familiar home for writing, spreadsheets, and everyday work. I’d check compatibility with the specific games and applications involved before treating it as a replacement for a Windows PC.

Beelink Mini S12 Pro

An Intel N100 option to price against the M8 if the job is mainly documents, browsing, and streaming. I’d consider it if the savings were substantial and gaming barely figured into the decision. The N100 results above suggest the performance trade-off, though they come from other machines rather than this particular Beelink.

How I tested

I used a new M8 supplied for review for about a month. My unit had a Ryzen 5 PRO 6650H, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro. At my desk, I connected a monitor, keyboard, and mouse through a USB-C hub and used Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, YouTube, and a CMS alongside multiple browser tabs.

I also connected it to a TV and used Steam Big Picture with a wired Xbox controller. Games included Hades, Hades II, Paralives, and retro titles through emulators. Gaming observations describe my experience rather than measured frame rates.

I ran Geekbench 6.7.1 CPU and OpenCL tests with Windows set to the Balanced power plan. Scores for the other mini PCs come from individual public Geekbench submissions, with versions listed in the benchmark table.

Frequently asked questions

Is the GMKtec M8 good for everyday work?

It handled my month of writing, spreadsheets, research, Microsoft Teams, and CMS work smoothly. That makes it a reasonable option for a similar browser-heavy routine. I didn’t test demanding video-editing or 3D-rendering workloads.

Can the GMKtec M8 run games?

Hades, Hades II, and the retro games I tried were enjoyable on my review unit. Paralives felt less comfortable, and I wouldn’t buy the M8 expecting it to handle every demanding new release. I didn’t record frame rates, so these are observations from playing rather than measured gaming results.

Does the GMKtec M8 come with Windows?

My review configuration came with Windows 11 Pro installed, along with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. I didn’t need to assemble the computer or install an operating system before setting it up.

Can the GMKtec M8 use an external graphics card?

It has an OCuLink port for connecting an external GPU through a compatible dock. The graphics card, dock, and power supply add to the overall cost. I haven’t tested an external GPU with the M8.

Can the GMKtec M8 replace a laptop?

For work at a fixed desk, it could replace a laptop if a separate screen, keyboard, and mouse are already available. It doesn’t provide the self-contained setup of a laptop. In my case, switching also meant losing the laptop screen I normally used alongside my external monitor.