ASUS NUC 13 Pro i7 vs GMKtec K8 Plus
GMKtec K8 Plus is both faster and cheaper here - the default pick unless you need something specific from the other.
The verdict
- CPU
- GMKtec K8 Plus has 1.4x the CPU throughput (28,362 vs 21,000 PassMark).
- Plex
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro i7 transcodes more 4K HDR streams (~8 vs ~5).
- Idle power
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro i7 idles lower (9W vs 14W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- GMKtec K8 Plus has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
- RAM ceiling
- GMKtec K8 Plus takes more RAM (96GB vs 64GB).
Which wins for each job
| Job | ASUS NUC 13 Pro i7 | GMKtec K8 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~8 streams win | ~5 streams |
| Frigate NVR | ~6 cameras win | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 21,000 PassMark | 28,362 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 | ASUS NUC 13 Pro i7 | GMKtec K8 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $599 | $520 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1360P | AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS |
| Cores / threads | 12 | 8 |
| PassMark | 21,000 | 28,362 |
| iGPU | Iris Xe | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) |
| NICs | 1 | 2 |
| NIC model | Intel I226-LM | Intel I226-V |
| RAM max (GB) | 64 | 96 |
| M.2 free | 1 | 1 |
| PCIe slot | none | none |
| Idle (W) | 9 | 14 |
| TDP (W) | 28 | 54 |