GMKtec NucBox M5 vs GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra
GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra is the more capable pick; GMKtec NucBox M5 is the cheaper one - which wins comes down to the job below.
The verdict
- CPU
- GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra has 1.2x the CPU throughput (22,795 vs 19,000 PassMark).
- Plex
- GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra transcodes more 4K HDR streams (~5 vs ~3).
- Idle power
- GMKtec NucBox M5 idles lower (8W vs 13W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
- RAM ceiling
- GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra takes more RAM (128GB vs 64GB).
Which wins for each job
| Job | GMKtec NucBox M5 | GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~3 streams | ~5 streams win |
| Frigate NVR | add a detector | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 19,000 PassMark | 22,795 PassMark win |
| Firewall / router | 1 NICs | 2 NICs win |
| 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 | GMKtec NucBox M5 | GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $329 | $349 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800U | AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS |
| Cores / threads | 8 | 6 |
| PassMark | 19,000 | 22,795 |
| iGPU | Vega 8 | Radeon 760M (RDNA3) |
| NICs | 1 | 2 |
| NIC model | Realtek RTL8125 | Realtek RTL8125 |
| RAM max (GB) | 64 | 128 |
| M.2 free | 2 | 1 |
| PCIe slot | none | none |
| Idle (W) | 8 | 13 |
| TDP (W) | 25 | 54 |