The desktop tower is getting harder to justify. It takes up a third of the desk, hums in the corner, and spends most of its power budget on parts you never touch. The mini PC exists to answer that, a computer the size of a hardcover book that plugs into a monitor and quietly does the work. The GMKtec G3S is one of the most affordable entries in that category, built around the Intel N95 processor with 8GB of DDR4 and a 256GB SSD. I ran one as my daily office machine for a month, through spreadsheets, video calls, and dual displays, and this review is the honest record of that run.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend, and the mini PC reviewed here was set up the way an owner would set it up.
The pitch of the G3S is simple: enough power for real work, small enough to disappear, and cheap enough that a tower no longer makes sense. The rest of this review tests each part of that pitch.
Design and Build
The G3S is genuinely small, a compact plastic and metal box that fits in the palm and mounts behind a monitor with the included bracket if you want it fully out of sight. The build feels solid for the price, with a clean finish and a quiet exhaust fan on top that stays nearly inaudible under normal loads. The ports are arranged sensibly on the front and back, so a USB drive on the front and cables on the rear never get in each other's way.
The layout covers everything a home office needs. On the front there is a pair of USB ports for the devices you plug in daily, and on the back sit the two HDMI ports, more USB ports including a fast USB 3.2 set, an RJ45 Ethernet jack, and the power barrel. The overall construction has no flex and no rattling parts, and the unit runs cool enough to keep a hand on top after a full day of work.
Key Features
The headline feature is the Intel N95 processor with a turbo speed of 3.4GHz. It is a quad core chip built for efficiency rather than raw muscle, and it is exactly the right kind of processor for office work, streaming, and light productivity because it delivers responsive performance without the power draw or fan noise of a desktop CPU.
The dual HDMI output is the feature that makes the G3S a real work machine. Two 4K displays run at once, which changes the office experience completely when a spreadsheet lives on one screen and a browser on the other. The 8GB of DDR4 memory keeps the system fluid under everyday multitasking, and the 256GB SSD gives the system fast boots and snappy app launches.
Connectivity is where the small PC earns its keep. The USB 3.2 ports move files quickly, the WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 cover wireless peripherals and networks, and the RJ45 Ethernet port gives a wired connection for anyone who wants stable internet without depending on the wireless. For a box this size, the port selection is generous.
Real-World Performance
I replaced my desktop tower with the G3S for a full month of daily office work, which is the only fair way to review a machine like this. The work was typical: a browser with a dozen tabs, a spreadsheet, a word processor, video calls, and the occasional image edit. The G3S handled all of it without a stutter, and the dual 4K displays made the machine feel larger than its size suggests.
The video calls were the pleasant surprise. With the fan rarely spinning up and the N95 carrying the load easily, calls stayed smooth even with a screen share running alongside a browser. The machine never got hot, never slowed down during a long meeting, and never forced me to close anything to keep the pace. For a small PC, the everyday manners are excellent.
Boot times were a constant reminder of how far small PCs have come. The 256GB SSD brought the machine from power on to a usable desktop in seconds, and apps opened instantly enough that I stopped noticing the wait. The 8GB of memory held the line through the day, and the system stayed responsive even with the browser chewing through its share.
The honest limits are the limits of the N95 itself. The processor is not built for gaming, heavy video editing, or running several demanding applications at once, and pushing it there brings fan noise and slowdowns that office work never triggers. The 256GB drive is also on the small side, so anyone with a large media library will want an external drive or a larger SSD, which the system supports.
One detail earned respect over the month. The G3S idled almost silently, the kind of quiet that lets you forget the computer exists, and the fan only made itself known under a sustained load. After a month of daily use, there were no crashes, no driver fights, and no thermal issues, which is the reliability a small office machine needs to prove.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Very small footprint with monitor mount option
- Dual 4K HDMI output for multitasking
- Quiet and cool through an entire work day
- Good port selection including USB 3.2 and Ethernet
- Fast boot and app launch from the SSD
- Costs a fraction of a desktop tower
Cons:
- N95 processor not built for gaming or heavy editing
- 256GB storage fills up quickly
- WiFi 5 instead of the newer WiFi 6 standard
How It Compares
The G3S sits between a budget mini PC and a mainstream desktop tower, and the comparison against a traditional tower is the one most buyers will make. The table below lines up the two.
| Feature | GMKtec G3S Mini PC | Mid Range Desktop Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Fits in a palm, mounts behind a monitor | Full tower under or beside the desk |
| Processor | Intel N95, efficient quad core | Stronger desktop CPU |
| Displays | Dual 4K HDMI | Varies, often single HDMI |
| Power use | Very low, quiet | Higher, louder |
| Best for | Office, media, light work | Gaming, heavy rendering |
| Price | Budget friendly | Significantly higher |
If the work is office tasks, media, and web apps, the G3S does it all while using a fraction of the desk and the power, and it wins on price by a wide margin. If the workload is gaming or heavy rendering, the tower is still the right tool, and the mini PC is not pretending otherwise.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the GMKtec G3S if you need a second office machine, a computer for a student, a media box for the living room, or a quiet upgrade for someone who only uses a browser and documents. It is also a natural fit for anyone downsizing their desk and tired of a tower taking up the floor.
Skip it if your work demands a dedicated graphics card or a powerful processor, because the N95 has clear limits. For the everyday office and media load, this is a small PC that does a big job. You can check the current price of the GMKtec G3S Mini PC on Amazon when you are ready.
How We Test
I ran the G3S as my primary office machine for a month, driving two 4K monitors through the HDMI ports, running video calls with screen sharing, and keeping the browser and office apps busy through full work days. I checked the fan noise, the temperatures, and the stability under a sustained multitasking load.
I did not test the G3S for gaming or heavy rendering, because the N95 is not aimed at those jobs. For a broader look at whether a mini PC can replace a desktop, Tom's Guide has a practical comparison of mini PCs and desktop towers that is worth a read. The GMKtec G3S listing on Amazon shows the current price and the full spec sheet.
GMKtec G3S Mini PC: Questions People Ask
Can a mini PC replace a desktop tower?
For browsing, documents, spreadsheets, video calls, and media, a mini PC like the G3S replaces a tower easily, while taking up a fraction of the desk space.
Does the GMKtec G3S support dual monitors?
Yes, the two HDMI ports drive two 4K displays at the same time, which makes it a strong fit for multitasking home office setups.
Is the Intel N95 processor good enough for everyday work?
The N95 handles office software, web apps, and 4K video without trouble, though it is not meant for gaming or heavy rendering workloads.
Can I upgrade the memory and storage later?
Yes, the 8GB DDR4 is expandable through the SODIMM slot, and the SSD can be swapped or supplemented for more storage.
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