Beelink ME mini vs GMKtec NucBox M5
GMKtec NucBox M5 is the more capable pick; Beelink ME mini is the cheaper one - which wins comes down to the job below.
The verdict
- CPU
- GMKtec NucBox M5 has 3.5x the CPU throughput (19,000 vs 5,386 PassMark).
- Plex
- Beelink ME mini transcodes more 4K HDR streams (~5 vs ~3).
- Idle power
- Beelink ME mini idles lower (7W vs 8W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- Beelink ME mini has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
- RAM ceiling
- GMKtec NucBox M5 takes more RAM (64GB vs 12GB).
Which wins for each job
| Job | Beelink ME mini | GMKtec NucBox M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~5 streams win | ~3 streams |
| Frigate NVR | ~4 cameras win | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 5,386 PassMark | 19,000 PassMark win |
| Firewall / router | 2 NICs win | 1 NICs |
| Local AI / LLM | no slot | no slot |
Approximate - capacity estimates from curated specs, the same logic as the recommender. Verify against your exact setup. Prices move; check the retailer.
Full specs
| Spec | Beelink ME mini | GMKtec NucBox M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $329 | $329 |
| CPU | Intel N150 | AMD Ryzen 7 5800U |
| Cores / threads | 4 | 8 |
| PassMark | 5,386 | 19,000 |
| iGPU | Intel UHD Graphics (24 EU) | Vega 8 |
| NICs | 2 | 1 |
| NIC model | Intel I226-V | Realtek RTL8125 |
| RAM max (GB) | 12 | 64 |
| M.2 free | 6 | 2 |
| PCIe slot | none | none |
| Idle (W) | 7 | 8 |
| TDP (W) | 6 | 25 |