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from kbonnel
I have the n100 model and did a reload of w11 pro. Not all of the drivers exist on the w11 iso, including the network I believe. I used a usb nic for the load if i remember correctly. You can download the drivers from the vendor or directly from the manufacturer of the hardware.
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from wordage
I did and license was activated without a problem. Neither did I run the factory install at all to "initialize" it--I just wiped the factory install, did a new install of Win 11 24H2, and when it went online for the first time, Win 11 Pro became activated.
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There are a few drivers missing from a generic Win 11 install that you have to seek out and load manually to have all the hardware fully detected (like Intel 2.5GB NIC, Realtek RTL8522BE wireless NIC, and a couple of ACPI things). I have this documented--I'll try to post the details later. |
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from wordage
Ok, so if you do a fresh install of Win 11 2024H2 (like using an ISO sourced from Microsoft), you will have four unknown items in the Device Manager at the end because the drivers are not included in the ISO. The wired and wireless NICs are two of those devices so, unfortunately, you are left unconnected. But you can download the four necessary drivers from the Microsoft Update Catalog easily. Then just unzip the CABs onto a USB and bring them over to the G3 Plus for updating. Here are the four drivers with their Hardware IDs, and the links for downloading the CABs at the Microsoft Update Catalog website:
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Intel I226-V Ethernet NIC PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_125C&SUBSYS_00008086&REV_04 Code:
https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2024/07/1df2b7e8-c6fc-4b8f-b46e-25cf4d3e4a35_fdc6278f1523a260cc580daec812fb176300c877.cab PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_B852&SUBSYS_B85210EC&REV_00 Code:
https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2025/02/e223d514-d1f0-48f1-9b69-94bcb1738291_b5c8edb4bf731851eb47a58674893093f6cef7b3.cab ACPI\VEN_INTC&DEV_1070 Code:
https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2024/11/6d8f0c59-d577-45ec-a0e0-115901aeef77_23bf78a5b1869d923349d395451a3358539441cd.cab ACPI\VEN_INTC&DEV_1057 Code:
https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/driver/drvs/2024/09/f830e3d7-f3ae-48c9-8e90-f60d2a02d98e_c3b3dc96668204ea78d9b8c98635dcfec2f20e7d.cab |
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from dato
I opted for 16GB MEM+512GB SSD for $30 more, and received mine last night. Reading all the horror stories about spyware/malware on minipcs from China, I determined to re-install Windows 11 Pro on my machine. Here's some key points that you need to be aware of if you decide to take this route:
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Next up: Make a new partition in the SSD to dual-boot Linux. BTW, I did set up the pre-installed Windows 11 Pro without connecting to the network, seeing if I could see the spyware/malware in action. I have to say it looked very clean; I didn't see any suspicious processes or services, or bloatware. I also did the virus scan a couple of times and nothing turned up. If I wasn't killing time while watching Grammys on the side, I probably would have left the pre-installed Windows 11 Pro alone. |
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from wbs3333
Thanks for the good info. As an alternative for the NIC drivers can also be downloaded from Intel here:
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Intel I226-V Ethernet NIC - https://www.intel.com/content/www...-pack.html Intel Graphics Drivers - https://www.intel.com/content/www...ndows.htm For other Intel Drivers - https://www.intel.com/content/www.../home.html Intel Automatic Drivers Assistant - https://www.intel.com/content/www...etect.htm |
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Anyway, if your goal is retro gaming, a Raspberry Pi is smaller and more energy-efficient for these types of tasks, but honestly, once you add in a case, a good power supply (RPi's are picky with respect to power...), and storage, it is probably at the same price or even more than this $130 machine. But if you are interested in more modern gaming or more powerful emulation, this system would be better and give you more flexibility for future upgrades.
Just saying buyers might want to read up.
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Seems worth the upgrade. Some reviews has me worried tho.
Seems worth the upgrade. Some reviews has me worried tho.
Edit: So Sorry! This IS a G3. Apologies.
I use it as a utility/test pc, its an appliance.
Its basically a chromebook in performance, the problem with N100 type cpus is the ecores are cache starved, its slow. That's not even really accurate because chromebooks now come with 2 performance cores + the 4ecores and so feel much snappier. A pcore is about the size of 4 ecores, its significant.
Put it this way, windows update slams it hard, a real desktop shrugs that off.
It does things like playback video fine because of hardware acceleration, but if you depend on the cpu its a slug.
GMKtec Mini PC NucBox G5, Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake N97 (up to 3.6GHz), 12GB RAM 256GB M.2 SSD, Home, Business, Office Mini Computer with Windows 11 Pro, 4K UHD Dual HDIMI, RJ45 Ethernet $137.99
or
GMKtec Mini PC N150, G3 Plus Intel Twin Lake N150 (3.4GHz) Preinstalled Windows 11 Pro, 8GB DDR4 RAM 256GB PCIe M.2 SSD, Desktop Computer 4K Dual HDMI/USB3.2/WiFi 6/BT5.2/2.5G RJ45 $129.99
The only reason to go to a 500 dollar tier is if you want things like gaming or image editing out of it. I wouldn't do either on these. But for basic/mundane computer tasks, these are incredibly capable and I wouldn't let people upsell you out of them.
https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/com...re_i5_4460 [cpu-monkey.com]
The N150 is supposedly a beefed up N100 that performs about 10% faster than its predecessor. There are tons of benchmark comparisons for the N100 as it has been around for much longer. So if you compare the N100 vs. the Intel Core i5-4460 using the same cpu-monkey suite, it is a completely different story. In fact, the N100 surpasses the Intel Core i5-4460 in most of the tests. And it does it with a 6W TDP vs. an 84W TDP, i.e., a 14x difference. And again, the N150 is supposedly about 10% faster than the N100 so the true difference would be greater. See:
https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/com...re_i5_446
The N150 is not a powerhouse by any means, but for basic web surfing, office apps, YouTube, etc., it is perfectly functional! I still actively use two Dell Inspirons from the last few years with Intel Core i7-7500U and Intel Core i3-8145U processors, and both benchmark much lower than an N100, which is 10% slower than the N150 in this GMKtec machine. So if those processors can handle basic workloads without a problem, this is even less of an issue for the N150. See:
https://www.cpubenchmar
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The only reason to go to a 500 dollar tier is if you want things like gaming or image editing out of it. I wouldn't do either on these. But for basic/mundane computer tasks, these are incredibly capable and I wouldn't let people upsell you out of them.
You can use this as a desktop, but its a narrow use case, and if you can do better, you probably should.
The N150 is supposedly a beefed up N100 that performs about 10% faster than its predecessor. There are tons of benchmark comparisons for the N100 as it has been around for much longer. So if you compare the N100 vs. the Intel Core i5-4460 using the same cpu-monkey suite, it is a completely different story. In fact, the N100 surpasses the Intel Core i5-4460 in most of the tests. And it does it with a 6W TDP vs. an 84W TDP, i.e., a 14x difference. And again, the N150 is supposedly about 10% faster than the N100 so the true difference would be greater. See:
https://www.cpu-monkey.com/en/com...re_i5_4460 [cpu-monkey.com]
The N150 is not a powerhouse by any means, but for basic web surfing, office apps, YouTube, etc., it is perfectly functional! I still actively use two Dell Inspirons from the last few years with Intel Core i7-7500U and Intel Core i3-8145U processors, and both benchmark much lower than an N100, which is 10% slower than the N150 in this GMKtec machine. So if those processors can handle basic workloads without a problem, this is even less of an issue for the N150. See:
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/comp...l-i3-8145U [cpubenchmark.net]
I have two ddr5 n100's which I use for various tasks, they do not feel fast. The oldest machines I can compare them to are an i7 4770 and a core2 quad and they feel the same or faster. The cache starvation issue isn't going to show up on benchmarks, its like the 12-14th gen latency issues just worse, when it bogs it bogs.
A 1215u which has the 2 P cores feels as it should. The n100 of course wins on power and size which is why I bought them. It probably doesn't help that these things usually come with a bottom of the barrel boot drive.
Sure one can get by, but I'm just saying its not a miracle, its performance is basically from a decade ago, people are over promising on what it can do.
You can use this as a desktop, but its a narrow use case, and if you can do better, you probably should.
I have two ddr5 n100's which I use for various tasks, they do not feel fast. The oldest machines I can compare them to are an i7 4770 and a core2 quad and they feel the same or faster. The cache starvation issue isn't going to show up on benchmarks, its like the 12-14th gen latency issues just worse, when it bogs it bogs.
A 1215u which has the 2 P cores feels as it should. The n100 of course wins on power and size which is why I bought them. It probably doesn't help that these things usually come with a bottom of the barrel boot drive.
Sure one can get by, but I'm just saying its not a miracle, its performance is basically from a decade ago, people are over promising on what it can do.
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