ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC vs GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

both judged against mini PCs at a similar price

The GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC scores 7.0/10 overall, ahead of the ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC at 5.4/10.

The GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC leads on CPU performance, upgradeability, networking and efficiency and noise.

They score the same on ports and expansion and build and support.

The biggest difference is networking, where the GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC scores 8/10 to the ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC's 4/10.

ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC

5.4/10verdict: skip

The ACEMAGIC K1 suits buyers who want an inexpensive mini PC with eight threads and room to upgrade memory and storage. It fits light server duties, a desk PC or a media box where multitasking matters more than power draw. It is a weaker choice for anyone who needs a silent, low-power or faster-networked machine.

Typically about £219.98 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC

7.0/10verdict: wait for deal

The NucBox M5 Ultra suits homelabbers who want an 8-core Ryzen 7 in a small box with two 2.5GbE ports. It also suits buyers who plan to add RAM and storage over time. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs quiet running, fast external ports or high-settings gaming.

Typically about £289.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC	GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC
CPU performance	25%	6/10	8/10
Upgradeability	20%	8/10	9/10
Networking	20%	4/10	8/10
Efficiency and noise	15%	3/10	4/10
Ports and expansion	10%	5/10	5/10
Build and support	10%	5/10	5/10
Overall		5.4/10	7.0/10

Specifications

Spec	ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC	GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC
CPU	AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544, 4 cores/8 threads, Zen+ architecture, 3.35 GHz base, up to 3.7 GHz turbo, Radeon Vega 8 graphics	AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 8 cores / 16 threads, base 2.0GHz, boost up to 4.5GHz, 4MB L2 / 16MB L3 cache
Memory	8GB DDR4-3200 in the base configuration, SO-DIMM slots	2 x SO-DIMM slots, DDR4 3200 MT/s, dual-channel, 16GB or 32GB pre-installed depending on configuration
Storage	256GB M.2 NVMe SSD in the base configuration	PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD, 512GB pre-installed in the 16GB configuration; 1TB in the 32GB configuration
Networking	Wired GbE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2	Dual 2.5G Ethernet (2 x RJ45, Realtek RTL8125); Wi-Fi 6E (RZ616, up to 2.4Gbps); Bluetooth 5.2
Maximum memory	32GB DDR4-3200 per the manufacturer	64GB (2 x 32GB)
Storage slots	Two M.2 slots	2 x M.2 slots; slot 1 supports SATA and PCIe, slot 2 supports PCIe only; max 8TB per slot, 16TB total
Ports	HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with DP Alt Mode, USB 3.2 Type-C	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (front), 2 x USB 2.0 (rear), 1 x USB-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 with DP/PD (front), 1 x HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), 1 x DisplayPort (up to 8K@60Hz), 3.5mm audio jack, DC power input, 2 x 2.5G Ethernet
Power draw	28W TDP (maker listing figure)	Manufacturer TDP modes: Silent 10W, Balanced 15W, Performance 35W (peak 35W); DC 19V / 3.42A adapter

Strengths and weaknesses

ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC

+ Eight threads from a 4-core Ryzen Embedded chip
+ SO-DIMM slots, 32GB ceiling and two M.2 slots
+ Three ways to connect a display
− Fan-cooled, with owners reporting higher idle power
− Wired GbE and Wi-Fi 5 only
− Ageing Zen+ hardware

Skip it if:

Buyers who want a fanless or near-silent always-on machine
Anyone who needs faster than gigabit wired networking
Buyers who want USB4, OCuLink or the newest CPU architecture

Read the full ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC review ›

GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC

+ Dual 2.5GbE suits Proxmox and NAS use
+ Two SO-DIMM slots, 64GB maximum
+ Two M.2 slots, 16TB total
− Owners report fan noise in Performance mode
− 85–90°C reported under sustained load
− No USB4, Thunderbolt or OCuLink

Skip it if:

Buyers who need a quiet machine running at full load
Anyone wanting USB4, Thunderbolt or OCuLink for fast external devices
Gamers who want high-settings AAA titles

Read the full GMKtec NucBox M5 Ultra AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U Mini PC review ›

More comparisons

Compare all mini PCs · Best mini PCs