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Minisforum GK50 x86 Mini PC as an Raspberry alternative

·501 words·3 mins
Feature Image: CPU

Minisforum GK50 #

If you are looking for an energy-saving mini-computer and don’t want to go for the Raspberry Pi 4, there are various other options. There are now also usable x86 devices, such as the Minisforum GK50 with an economical Mobile Pentium Silver processor.

Hardware Summary GK50 #

All important interfaces are available.

CPUIntel® Pentium® Silver N5030 Processor , 4 Cores/4 Threads
(4M Cache, up to 3.10 GHz)
TDP: 6 Watt, SDP: 4,8 Watt
More information about the CPU
GPUIntel® UHD Graphics 605
Grafikanschlüsse1x HDMI Port
1x Display Port
SpeicherLPDDR4 8GB (Onboard not expandable)
LAN2x 1000 Mbit/s
WLANIEEE 802.11ac Dual-Band Wi-Fi
BluetoothBT 5.0
USB4* USB 3.0 Ports
StorageM.2 2280 128GB SATA SSD (changeable)
Storage Expansion1x 2.5 inch SATA HDD Slot (SATA 3.0 6.0Gb/s)
1x TF Card Slot (bis zu 128GB)
Operating systemWindows 10 Professional (pre-installed)
DimensionsB 125mm x T 113mm × H 30mm
Weightca. 260g
OthersExternal power supply unit
Completely passively cooled - without fan

Minisforum GK50 Equipment(Source: https://store.minisforum.com/products/minisforum-gk50-mini-pc)

Shipment #

  • GK50 Mini PC
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • External power supply (36W)
  • VESA mounting frame with screws
  • 4 replacement rubber feet
  • 4 screws (for mounting a 2.5" SATA hard drive/SSD)
  • Quick Start Guide

GK50 Shipment
GK50 Shipment

Inner life #

Although the housing of the GK50 can be opened quickly, unfortunately you first have to remove the four rubber feet to access the screws. However, with a little skill, the rubber feet can be reused. And the scope of delivery also includes four replacement feet.

The pre-installed M.2 2280 SSD with 128 GB (or sometimes also with 256 GB commercially available) can be easily replaced. A no-name card is installed (presumably a SSD controller from Phison due to the firmware version “SBFMBB.3”).

In addition to the M.2 SSD, a normal 2.5 inch SATA or SSD hard drive can also be installed.

The RAM is not expandable, it is permanently installed.

BIOS #

Press the F7 key to access the BIOS when booting. The usual settings such as boot sequence, Wake On LAN or security can be set there.

GK50 BIOS Main Settings
GK50 BIOS Main Settings

GK50 BIOS Boot Settings
GK50 BIOS Boot Settings

Operating system #

Windows 10 Professional is pre-installed without any annoying bloatware. It runs very smoothly. But Linux runs even better on the hardware.

Windows 10 - System information
Windows 10 - System informationen

Windows 10 - Device manager (CPU and network devices)
Windows 10 - Device Manager (CPU and network devices)

Heat generation #

The housing gets warm to the touch. Under normal load, the CPU runs at around 60°C.

Linux - sensors
GK50 Linux Sensors

Conclusion #

The small mini PC costs around three times as much as a Raspberry Pi 4 with 8 GB, but is very flexible to use. The GK50 has space for a M2 SSD and a 2.5" SSD (no NVME! - only SATA), has four USB 3.0 ports, 2x GBit LAN, a fast mobile CPU and still has a very low power consumption of approx. 7-10 watts.