🖥️ GMKtec K8 Plus vs. GMKtec K10 — Feature Comparison

🖥️ GMKtec K8 Plus vs. GMKtec K10 — Feature Comparison

Feature GMKtec K8 Plus GMKtec K10
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (8 cores / 16 threads, up to 5.1 GHz) Intel Core i9-13900HK (14 cores / 20 threads, up to 5.4 GHz)
GPU AMD Radeon 780M (12 CUs, RDNA 3) Intel Iris Xe (96 EUs)
RAM 64 GB DDR5 5600 MHz (max 96 GB) 64 GB DDR5 5200 MHz (max 96 GB)
Storage 1 TB NVMe SSD (dual M.2 slots, up to 8 TB total) 1 TB NVMe SSD (triple M.2 slots, up to 12 TB total)
Networking Dual 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 Single 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Display Outputs HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, USB4 (supports up to 4 displays) HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C (supports up to 4 displays)
USB Ports USB 3.2, USB 2.0, USB4 USB 3.2, USB 2.0, USB-C
Expansion Ports OCuLink for external GPU COM port for industrial applications
Cooling System Standard cooling Advanced cooling with dual fans
Power Supply External 120 W adapter External 120 W adapter
Dimensions Compact mini PC form factor Slightly larger mini PC form factor
Operating System Windows 11 Pro pre-installed Windows 11 Pro pre-installed
Price (approximate) £509.95 (View) £619.99 (View)

🔍 Summary

•   Performance: The K10’s Intel Core i9-13900HK offers higher core and thread counts, which can benefit multi-threaded applications. However, for tasks like Sage 50, the K8 Plus’s Ryzen 7 8845HS is more than sufficient.
•   Graphics: Both systems use integrated graphics. The K8 Plus’s AMD Radeon 780M generally offers better GPU performance compared to the K10’s Intel Iris Xe.
•   Memory and Storage: Both support up to 96 GB RAM. The K10 offers an additional M.2 slot, allowing for more storage expansion.
•   Networking: The K8 Plus has dual 2.5 GbE ports, which can be advantageous for network redundancy or increased bandwidth. The K10 has a single 2.5 GbE port.
•   Ports and Expansion: The K10 provides more USB ports and includes a COM port for industrial applications. The K8 Plus includes an OCuLink port for external GPU support.
•   Cooling: The K10 features a more advanced cooling system, which can be beneficial under heavy workloads.

✅ Recommendation

For current use case, especially running Sage 50 and considering cost-effectiveness:

•   Stick with the GMKtec K8 Plus: It offers ample performance, better integrated graphics, dual LAN ports, and is more budget-friendly.
•   Consider the GMKtec K10: If we anticipate needing more CPU power for multi-threaded tasks, require additional USB ports, or plan to expand storage significantly.

✅ Sage 50 & Proxmox Suitability — K8 Plus vs K10

Aspect GMKtec K8 Plus GMKtec K10
Proxmox Compatibility ✅ Fully supported (Debian-based host, no driver issues) ✅ Fully supported (same)
CPU Suitability ✅ More than enough for Sage 50 + VM hosting ✅ Powerful, but overkill for Sage 50 alone
Thermal Efficiency ✅ Good for 24/7 headless use with moderate loads ✅ Improved cooling, better for sustained full loads
ECC RAM Support ❌ Not supported ❌ Not supported
VM Performance ✅ Excellent for 2–5 VMs ✅ Excellent, with headroom for more parallel workloads
Integrated GPU Usage ✅ Strong (Radeon 780M; best in class) ⚠️ Moderate (Iris Xe; functional but not tuned for load)
Networking for Sage Clients ✅ Dual 2.5 GbE — ideal for RDP + backup separation ⚠️ Single 2.5 GbE only
Storage Expansion ✅ Dual M.2 — good for VM + ZFS snapshots ✅ Triple M.2 — more flexibility
Best For Balanced Sage 50 server with strong GPU & dual LAN Heavier VM multitasking or industrial apps with COM
Recommendation ✅ Best value and fit for Sage 50 + Proxmox host ❌ Extra power may go unused unless workloads expand

✅ Summary:

•   GMKtec K8 Plus is the better fit for our Sage 50 and Proxmox environment — it balances CPU, GPU, networking, and thermals at a better price.
•   The K10 only makes sense if we’re anticipating CPU-heavy VM loads or want the extra M.2 and USB ports for general-purpose use.

May 25, 2025


Previous post
WAL Why Proxmox Running Proxmox as host (with Windows in a VM) gives major benefits over running Windows directly on the hardware — especially for headless remote
Next post
WAL Exec routers Executive Summary: UniFi Ultra Router vs Starlink Gen 3 Router For Starlink users seeking a reliable home or business network, there are two main