GMKtec K8 Plus vs Minisforum N5
Minisforum N5 is both faster and cheaper here - the default pick unless you need something specific from the other.
The verdict
- CPU
- Minisforum N5 has 1x the CPU throughput (28,854 vs 28,362 PassMark).
- Idle power
- GMKtec K8 Plus idles lower (14W vs 28W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Local AI
- Minisforum N5 has a PCIe slot for a low-profile GPU - the other needs a DIY build for local LLMs.
Which wins for each job
| Job | GMKtec K8 Plus | Minisforum N5 |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~5 streams | ~5 streams |
| Frigate NVR | add a detector | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 28,362 PassMark | 28,854 PassMark win |
| Firewall / router | 2 NICs | 2 NICs |
| Local AI / LLM | no slot | PCIe GPU slot win |
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 | GMKtec K8 Plus | Minisforum N5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $520 | $510 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS | AMD Ryzen 7 255 |
| Cores / threads | 8 | 8 |
| PassMark | 28,362 | 28,854 |
| iGPU | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) | Radeon Graphics (RDNA2) |
| NICs | 2 | 2 |
| NIC model | Intel I226-V | Marvell AQC113 10GbE plus Realtek 5GbE |
| RAM max (GB) | 96 | 96 |
| M.2 free | 1 | 3 |
| PCIe slot | none | x16 |
| Idle (W) | 14 | 28 |
| TDP (W) | 54 | 65 |