Verdict — Small, Straightforward And Professional
The NucBox K16 is defined by its processor. While it sports the same excellent chassis as the highly regarded EVO-X1, the older Zen 3+ CPU in the NucBox K16 means the system is designed for users on tighter budgets who may value the physical features or ports of the chassis but don't necessarily need the high performance of a Zen 5 processor. For more basic office, remote, or server related tasks, the NucBox K16 doesn't go overboard with features for a leaner user experience.
That same Zen 3+ processor is also responsible for a lot of drawbacks to the system. The aging CPU shows its limitations when analyzing power consumption as performance-per-watt is nowhere near as high as some of the latest alternatives from Intel including GMK's own NucBox K13. Graphics performance is also slower than average even for an integrated solution.
If the Oculink port is of no value to your workloads, then the similarly priced NucBox K13 can be a much more efficient option than the K16 due to its newer processor and slimmer look. The MSI Cubi NUC is also available with similar performance levels but integrated Thunderbolt 4 port instead of Oculink.
Pros
Cons
Price and Availability
The NucBox K16 is now shipping on Amazon with 32 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD for $900 or $680 if purchased directly from the manufacturer.
The NucBox K16 is the latest mini PC from GMktec catered more towards professionals than the HTPC user due to the integrated Oculink port. Note that while the K16 is technically one of the newer models from GMK, it isn't necessarily better or faster than the K15 or earlier models as the "K" name has no bearing on the type of processor inside.
Only one major configuration is available at the moment with the Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, 32 GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD. Other configurations may double the storage, but the soldered 32 GB memory and older Zen 3+ CPU remain the same.
More GMKtec reviews:
Specifications
Case
The chassis is identical to last year's EVO-X1 which continues to be one of the smallest mini PCs in GMKtec's lineup. Port options have not changed including the all-important Oculink port to help distinguish the model from most competing mini PCs.
Connectivity
Communication
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
Maintenance
Sustainability
The manufacturer does not explicitly list any recycled materials used during production. The packaging is otherwise all paper and plastic save for the outer plastic wrapping.
Accessories And Warranty
The retail box includes an HDMI cable alongside the usual AC adapter and paperwork.
The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies when purchased in the US.
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set the system to Performance mode via BIOS prior to running the benchmarks below. Note that the system ships on Balanced mode by default.
Processor
The Ryzen 7 7735HS may be aging, but raw processor performance is still decent with results that are comparable to the newer Core Ultra 5 125H or roughly 20 to 25 percent faster than the more efficient Core Ultra 7 256V. Note that unlike many newer CPUs, the Ryzen 7 7735HS lacks an integrated NPU necessary for local AI features like Co-Pilot+.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.6: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance rating | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI -2! | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (10283 - 14131, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (1288 - 1570, n=15) | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (3968 - 5502, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (502 - 613, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (1758 - 2355, n=17) | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (206 - 255, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (214 - 351, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (4779 - 5849, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Geekbench 6.6 / Multi-Core | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (7046 - 11035, n=9) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Geekbench 6.6 / Single-Core | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (1949 - 2153, n=9) | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (7151 - 10258, n=15) | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (1327 - 1615, n=15) | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (10.8 - 17.9, n=15) | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (44.3 - 63.9, n=15) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| BMAX B4 Turbo | |
| Minix Elite EU512-AI | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (0.4822 - 0.585, n=15) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| GMK NucBox M3 Ultra | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC 1M | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.6: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx | CPU CheckMate
| Performance rating | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro -1! | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS -1! | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ -1! | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 -1! | |
| GMK NucBox K13 -1! | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG -1! | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (11831 - 17161, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (75370 - 105483, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (2499 - 3494, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (87486 - 108729, n=15) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (11233 - 13097, n=16) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (41400 - 58232, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (44013 - 137629, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (651 - 906, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (1459 - 9094, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (v6.92.6600) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG (v6.92.6600) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (17524 - 30542, n=16) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS (v6.92.6600) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU CheckMate | |
| GMK NucBox K16 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (n=1) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 (v8.20.8100) | |
System Performance
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| Performance rating | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (5722 - 7000, n=8) | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (8648 - 11124, n=8) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (8428 - 12153, n=8) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (5798 - 8726, n=8) | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (1280 - 1736, n=8) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (1336 - 1725, n=8) | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (1273 - 1785, n=8) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (1144 - 1653, n=8) | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (228 - 307, n=7) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (176 - 231, n=8) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, AMD Radeon 680M (580 - 655, n=8) | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 6774 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (30324 - 52012, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (33938 - 51856, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (33175 - 55284, n=16) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (78.2 - 109.8, n=16) | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our test unit ships with a TWSC TSC3AN1T0-F6Q10S instead of the Crucial P3 Plus as found on last year's more expensive EVO-X1 likely to save on costs. Performance is a bit slower with transfer rates reaching 3500 MB/s as shown by our stress test below.
| Drive Performance rating - Percent | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is slower than expected even after updating to the latest drivers as of publishing. 3DMark scores are roughly 30 percent slower than the average PC in our database equipped with the same integrated Radeon 680M GPU. The disappointing performance may be attributed to the slow RAM read, write, and copy results as shown by our AIDA64 benchmark results above.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 7243 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 22765 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4275 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1717 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
| Performance rating - Percent | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS -1! | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| F1 24 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Radeon 680M (42.8 - 72.2, n=5) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Radeon 680M (35.8 - 64.3, n=5) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| GMK NucBox M7 Ultra | |
| Average AMD Radeon 680M (23.7 - 46, n=5) | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Khadas Mind Pro | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ | |
| GMK NucBox K13 | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro | |
| Average AMD Radeon 680M (7.41 - 9.53, n=4) | |
| GMK NucBox K16 | |
| 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset AA:T | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG | |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 88.3 | 82.2 | 29.4 | 13.1 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 101.2 | 82.8 | 59.8 | 52.2 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 41.2 | 22.1 | 15.8 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 42.3 | 34.2 | 30 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 85.7 | 35.5 | 30.4 | 25.3 |
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 24.8 | 20.7 | 16.6 | 16.5 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (2023) | 23.3 | 18.6 | 14.3 | 12.6 |
| F1 24 (2024) | 42.8 | 35.8 | 23.7 | 7.62 |
Emissions
System Noise
The fans are always active no matter the onscreen load. Though not very loud, there is a constant whir even during low loads like web browsing or video streaming. Higher loads like games can bump fan noise up to 50 dB(A) to be louder than most ultrathin laptops.
Noise level
| Idle |
| 30.9 / 31.6 / 31.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 45.3 / 51.7 dB(A) |
![]() | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: | ||
| GMK NucBox K16 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M | GMK NucBox K13 Core Ultra 7 256V, Arc 140V | Beelink SER9 Pro Ryzen 7 H 255, Radeon 780M | Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS R9 7940HS, Radeon 780M | Asus NUC 15 Pro+ Ultra 9 285H, Arc 140T | MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 14% | 15% | 11% | 3% | 3% | |
| off / environment * (dB) | 23.6 | 23.3 1% | 23 3% | 24.7 -5% | 25.3 -7% | 24.8 -5% |
| Idle Minimum * (dB) | 30.9 | 24.5 21% | 29.1 6% | 25.5 17% | 25.4 18% | 28 9% |
| Idle Average * (dB) | 31.6 | 25 21% | 30.1 5% | 25.6 19% | 25.5 19% | 36.1 -14% |
| Idle Maximum * (dB) | 31.6 | 25.1 21% | 31.7 -0% | 25.7 19% | 37.3 -18% | 36.1 -14% |
| Load Average * (dB) | 45.3 | 40.1 11% | 33.7 26% | 43 5% | 44.4 2% | 38.9 14% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (dB) | 49.2 | 44.2 10% | 33.8 31% | 44.9 9% | 46.2 6% | 37 25% |
| Load Maximum * (dB) | 51.7 | 45.1 13% | 35.2 32% | 45 13% | 52.7 -2% | 49.2 5% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * (dB) | 44.9 | 47.7 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Fresh air enters from slits along the top edge of the unit before exiting from the two sides of the unit. In contrast, waste heat exits through the rear on most other mini PC designs. Positioning the NucBox K16 on its side would therefore cover exhaust grilles and potentially impact temperature and performance.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the average of 35.5 °C / 96 F, ranging from 20.6 to 69.5 °C for the class Mini PC.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 36.2 °C / 97 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.2 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 32.2 °C / 90 F.
Stress Test
The CPU would stabilize at 4.1 GHz, 50 W, and 81 C when running Prime95 stress which is actually warmer than what we recorded on the EVO-X1 with the newer and faster Zen 5 CPU. Core temperature would continue to be warmer by a few degrees C when running games as well. The NucBox K13 with the more efficient Core Ultra 7 256V offers both faster gaming performance and a cooler running temperature.
| Average CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | 400 | 34 |
| Prime95 Stress | 4.1 | -- | 81 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 4.2 | 1763 | 75 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Stress | 1.6 | 2200 | 76 |
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Power consumption is where the Zen 3+ system begins to show its age. When gaming, the system consumes almost 70 W or twice as much as the Lunar Lake-powered NucBox K13 even though the latter offers 60 to 90 percent better graphics performance. Similarly, when running Prime95, the NucBox K16 would demand over twice the power for only a mediocre 20 percent increase in processor performance.
We're able to measure a maximum draw of 80 W from the medium-sized (~13.3 x 5.8 x 3.2 cm) 120 W AC adapter.
| Off / Standby | |
| Idle | |
| Load |
|
Key:
min: | |
| GMK NucBox K16 R7 7735HS, Radeon 680M, TWSC TSC3AN1T0-F6Q10S, , x, | GMK NucBox K13 Core Ultra 7 256V, Arc 140V, Huawei eKitStor Xtreme 200e 1 TB, , x, | Beelink SER9 Pro Ryzen 7 H 255, Radeon 780M, Crucial P3 Plus CT1000P3PSSD8, , x, | Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS R9 7940HS, Radeon 780M, Wodposit WPBSN4M8-1TGP, , x, | Asus NUC 15 Pro+ Ultra 9 285H, Arc 140T, Micron 3500 1TB MTFDKBA1T0TGD, , x, | MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG Core Ultra 7 258V, Arc 140V, Phison 1 TB ESR01TBTCCZ-27J, , x, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 50% | -4% | -1% | -7% | 24% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 7.4 | 2.3 69% | 7 5% | 5.6 24% | 3.9 47% | 2.9 61% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 7.7 | 3.6 53% | 7.1 8% | 7.1 8% | 6.1 21% | 5.7 26% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 7.7 | 5.8 25% | 7.5 3% | 8.4 -9% | 8.2 -6% | 10.2 -32% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 52 | 27.3 47% | 62.3 -20% | 57.5 -11% | 56.1 -8% | 38.7 26% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * (Watt) | 68 | 31.6 54% | 80.1 -18% | 67.4 1% | 63.9 6% | 41.1 40% |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 80.1 | 39.6 51% | 82.9 -3% | 92.9 -16% | 160.6 -100% | 60 25% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Cyberpunk / Stress Test
Power Consumption external Monitor
Notebookcheck Rating
The NucBox K16 integrates an older AMD Zen 3+ CPU with a newer chassis design complete with Oculink and dual RJ-45 ports that professionals can appreciate.
GMK NucBox K16
- 04/01/2026 v8
Allen Ngo
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMK NucBox K16 AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 680M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 650 USD | 567 g | 63 mm | x | |
| GMK NucBox K13 Intel Core Ultra 7 256V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 140V ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1000 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 670 USD | 506 g | 36.6 mm | x | |
| Beelink SER9 Pro AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 520 USD | 812 g | 44.7 mm | x | |
| Geekom A7 Max, R9 7940HS AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 749€ | 681 g | 46.9 mm | x | |
| Asus NUC 15 Pro+ Intel Core Ultra 9 285H ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 140T ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 991€ | 690 g | 42 mm | x | |
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG Intel Core Ultra 7 258V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 140V ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1000 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 900 USD | 669 g | 50.1 mm | x |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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