GMGMKtec★★★★★
So on a whim since I had a spare SSD…
So on a whim since I had a spare SSD and 16 Gb RAM I decided to buy a GMKtec mini G10 bare bones direct from China. It took around 12 days to get it, mostly the result of cheap freight choices and FedEx Sure post losing the packages for a couple days. When I got it, I was happy that the package had been properly done for the long trip. I had no issues with installing the SSD and RAM. I tried Linux Mint first, and it just felt like the WiFi would severely drop speeds at times which I verified with speed tests. Then to my surprise I tried installing Windows 11 and the main board actually had a Windows key embedded in it for Windows Pro. GMKtec provides drivers but in a Zip package which I always found sort of sketchy. Luckily Windows 11 installed all but a graphics driver for the AMD 3700u APU. What was interesting was that AMD driver would not install providing a notice that the APU was not supported. I have experienced this with other mini PC's as well. I ended up using the GMKtec driver for the GPU which worked. Like with most Mini PC's I have tried from different makers. They all end up running kind of hot under moderate loads. Sometimes this results in thermal throttling but it usually recovers quickly. I only do basic tasks with it, so I find it mostly acceptable for that. As with most of these China made PC's they tend to suffer in reliable support or at least a quick response. Canned replies are typical and not very helpful. If you are somewhat technically proficient the lack of support doesn't factor in. I mostly troubleshoot my own issues and am familiar with addressing most problems myself. Bios and drivers seem to be the biggest red flags with these devices. Drivers not always up to date, Bios updates require more tasks to update. Many times creating a separate bootable drive to update. Then there is the question of trust with these devices. I don't use them for critical use cases, where I might have to rely on security. I think in general they mostly provide a product free of malware or Windows would detect it. I always do a clean install of Windows just for peace of mind. These are good little cheap PC's for a media streamer, or second PC or maybe a Childs first PC. I wouldn't count on it for a primary PC. Update 9/3/26 I gave up on Windows 11 Pro on this little PC. The hardware struggles with Windows 11 and so I installed Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and it works better. Maybe give Windows 11 another try if Microsoft ever makes it more efficient. But this CPU is from 2019 and a mobile CPU at that. Can't expect it to run Windows 11 really well. I also tried Linux Mint on it, and it also performed well.
2026-08-19
STSteam★★★★★
I used Steam for years gaming on a PC…
I used Steam for years gaming on a PC until the hardware got too expensive. I moved to a console for a few years until I felt that was also getting expensive. I tried to move back to Steam when I read that more games supported the Mac OS platform. Having bought a M4 Mac I thought maybe I could game finally on a Mac. But no, while many games say they run on a Mac. Many don't fully support Apple silicon. Instead relying on Rosetta 2 or Crossover to run. In the end I gave up and even though some of this isn't Steam's fault, their lack of properly describing compatibility is their responsibility. I ended up asking for refunds on a few games I tried because they either ran poorly or not at all. Something if I knew was issues up front I never would have wasted time installing the games. I also noticed some games were a more expensive on Steam then downloaded from other sources. I guess that's the side effect of being in an ecosystem that has little competition.
2026-03-30
NFNFL★★★★★
I tried the NFL app on my iPhone and…
I tried the NFL app on my iPhone and was not impressed. Seems like the NFL is just trying to sell me their expensive packages for watching games then providing solid objective articles on team activities and games. NFL.com is not any better just on a PC vs a Smartphone. I get scores on Google search then going to NFL.com. Even the games are filled with bad calls or too frequent marginal infractions. Slows the games down. Why so many one sided games? All these players should be of higher talent so why some teams just seem filled with mediocre players and others dominate.
2025-10-10
BOBosgamepc★★★★★
I bought a E2 Mini PC on Amazon made by…
I bought a E2 Mini PC on Amazon made by Bosgame. My initial thoughts on this product and the company are good. I had a couple questions and received a response within one day. The product itself is a small cube like mini desktop PC. They have become popular because of their price and size. Most come with Windows 11 Pro as mine did but for what I paid I do question the validity of the Windows 11 license although it did activate. The model I bought was cheap and came with a older AMD mobile chip with graphics. Works fine with Windows or Ubuntu Linux. Couple drivers with Windows I had to download from Bosgame site. They downloaded as Zip files which is a little bit sketchy. But have experienced before with other Mini PC brands. I think many of the mini PC's are made in the same factory. Some of the hardware like the SSD and RAM were unfamiliar brands but seem to work OK. The company offers models with more performance and newer hardware and sells mostly through online stores like Amazon or direct purchase from their site. For what I paid $170 I got inexpensive PC with a small form capable of running Windows 11. It runs fairly cool with basic tasks and is fast enough to satisfy most expectation for this price point.
2025-08-22
