GMKtec EVO T1 Mini PC review: Arrow Lake power, desktop-class I/O, and serious upgrade headroom for $999
GMKtec has been quietly refining its mini PC lineup for years, and the new EVO T1 shows just how far these tiny systems have come. Built around Intel’s Arrow Lake-H platform, it squeezes a 16‑core Core Ultra 9 285H into a compact chassis and pairs it with fast memory, generous storage options, and connectivity you’d expect from a small workstation rather than a palm-sized PC.
At its heart is Intel’s flagship H‑series mobile chip, the Core Ultra 9 285H. You get 16 total cores (6 Performance, 8 Efficient, and 2 Low‑Power Efficient) and 16 threads, with P‑cores boosting up to 5.4 GHz and E‑cores up to 4.5 GHz. The CPU carries 24 MB of cache, a 45W base power target, and up to 115W Maximum Turbo Power, with a configurable floor around 35W. In short: laptop-class silicon with desktop-like burst performance when cooling allows.
Graphics and AI acceleration are notably more capable than previous Intel mobile parts. The integrated Arc 140T iGPU is based on Alchemist+ with 8 Xe cores clocking up to 2.35 GHz and up to 77 INT8 TOPS. It supports modern graphics APIs, updated ray tracing units, and XMX matrix engines, enabling better performance in ray‑traced titles and stronger support for AI‑assisted upscaling like XeSS and XeSS 2 frame generation. An updated NPU 2.7 adds up to 13 INT8 TOPS for on-device AI tasks, with support for OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX Runtime, and WebNN. The takeaway: for creative apps, video tools, AI workflows, and light gaming with upscaling, the EVO T1’s integrated silicon is far more versatile than earlier generations.
GMKtec complements that with a spec sheet designed for builders and power users. The unit ships with 64 GB of DDR5‑5600 memory from ADATA and a 1 TB Crucial NVMe SSD. Memory can be expanded to 128 GB, and storage is a highlight: three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots support up to 2 TB each for a potential 8 TB total. GMKtec’s official max config is 2 TB, but the platform itself is clearly built for more.
Connectivity is unusually rich for this size. Up front you get:
– 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type‑A
– 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type‑C with Power Delivery, DisplayPort Alt Mode, and data
– 3.5 mm combo audio jack
– Clear CMOS button
– Power button with LED
Around back there’s:
– 1x HDMI 2.1
– 1x DisplayPort 1.4
– 1x OCuLink (PCIe Gen4 x4) for high‑bandwidth external devices such as eGPUs or NVMe enclosures
– 2x USB 2.0 Type‑A
– Dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports
– 3.5 mm combo audio jack
– 2.5 mm DC‑in for the power adapter
A 150W‑class power brick is included, with worldwide 100–240V, 50/60Hz input support. Video outputs plus the front USB‑C make multi‑monitor setups straightforward, and the dual 2.5 GbE ports are ideal for fast NAS access, link aggregation, or network virtualization.
The chassis is one of the more distinctive designs in the mini PC crowd. GMKtec uses a dual‑tone look with a metallic, gold‑tinted front panel and a plastic outer shell over an internal aluminum frame. It’s a bit chunkier than ultra‑compact boxes, and there’s a good reason: a robust cooling system. Airflow is handled by three large vent paths—top, bottom, and below the rear I/O—feeding a dual‑fan layout. A 92 mm RGB‑lit fan sits up top to move plenty of air across hot components, while a second fan helps exhaust heat. There’s also a small top vent dedicated to pulling fresh air over the memory and SSDs. Rubber feet on multiple sides let you place the system vertically or horizontally without wobble.
Power and noise can be tuned in firmware. GMKtec’s BIOS exposes three main profiles:
– Silent: 45W
– Balanced: 54W
– Performance: 80W
There are also welcome enthusiast touches, including memory tuning and graphics adjustments right in the BIOS—rare options at this size and price.
Unboxing is straightforward and complete. Inside the branded box you’ll find the PC in a protective compartment, quick start/warranty documentation, the power adapter and cable, and an HDMI cable so you can get up and running immediately.
Key specs at a glance
– Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H (Arrow Lake‑H), 16 cores (6P + 8E + 2LPE), up to 5.4 GHz, 24 MB cache, 45W base / 115W MTP, configurable down to 35W
– Graphics: Intel Arc 140T (Alchemist+), 8 Xe cores up to 2.35 GHz, updated RT units, XMX engines, up to 77 INT8 TOPS, XeSS/XeSS 2 support
– NPU: Intel NPU 2.7, up to 13 INT8 TOPS, supports OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX Runtime, WebNN
– Memory: 64 GB DDR5‑5600 installed (up to 128 GB supported)
– Storage: 1 TB NVMe included; three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots (up to 8 TB total platform capacity; official max config 2 TB)
– I/O: HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, front USB‑C with PD/DP/Data, 3x front USB‑A 10 Gbps, 2x rear USB‑A 2.0, dual 2.5 GbE, OCuLink (PCIe Gen4 x4), dual audio jacks
– Power and thermals: 150W adapter, triple‑vent path, dual‑fan cooling with 92 mm RGB top fan; BIOS profiles at 45W/54W/80W
– Price: $999 US for 64 GB RAM + 1 TB SSD
– Availability: August 2025
Who the EVO T1 is for
– Creators and power users who want a quiet, compact workstation with lots of I/O and upgrade paths
– Developers and AI tinkerers who can leverage the NPU and XMX for local inference and accelerated pipelines
– Home office users who need multiple displays, fast networking, and snappy responsiveness without a bulky tower
– Casual and indie gamers who can take advantage of XeSS and ray tracing support on the integrated GPU, or add an eGPU over OCuLink later
Why it stands out
– Arrow Lake‑H performance with real cooling headroom, so the chip can stretch its legs
– Desktop‑style expandability in a mini PC: three M.2 slots, up to 128 GB RAM, and OCuLink for high‑bandwidth external devices
– Thoughtful BIOS options, including performance profiles and tunables enthusiasts actually use
– A clean, premium design that looks good on a desk, not just behind a monitor
Bottom line
At $999 with 64 GB of DDR5 and a 1 TB SSD, the GMKtec EVO T1 lands in a sweet spot for anyone who wants big‑machine capability without the big‑machine footprint. The combination of Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H, modern Alchemist+ graphics, on‑chip NPU, and an unusually rich port selection makes this mini PC a versatile pick for productivity, creation, light gaming, and AI‑assisted workflows—now and well into the next few software cycles.GMKtec’s EVO T1 Mini PC is built to punch well above its size. Inside the compact chassis sits Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H paired with the Arc 140T integrated GPU, backed by fast memory and generous storage. Two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots come populated with 2×32 GB DDR5-5600 modules from ADATA at 1.1V, and you get three M.2 NVMe bays for roomy expansion, with one SSD slot featuring a pre-attached heatsink. Total support reaches up to 8 TB, making the EVO T1 unusually flexible for creators, gamers, and AI tinkerers.
Cooling is handled by a large vapor-chamber heatsink with a blower-style fan that exhausts hot air through rear vents. The design uses multiple aluminum fins to wick heat away, and an additional fan setup targets the M.2 area. Under sustained loads, the CPU package can brush the 100 °C mark, yet acoustics stay impressively restrained for a mini PC pushing this much silicon.
CPU performance is where the EVO T1 immediately sets the tone. In 3DMark CPU Profile, Cinebench 2024, Geekbench 6, CPU‑Z, and UL Procyon office workloads, the Core Ultra 9 285H generally leads the pack when configured up to 70W. Blender’s standard Monster, Junkshop, and Classroom scenes echo the same trend with consistently strong render times. A notable exception is WinRAR, where the rival Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 can edge ahead, but overall productivity and multi-threaded throughput favor the EVO T1 in this head-to-head. It’s also worth noting efficiency: the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 shows excellent results at lower power limits around 30W, underscoring AMD’s power-savvy design, but if you give the EVO T1 headroom, Intel pulls in front.
AI acceleration is another highlight. Geekbench AI and UL Procyon AI tests show Intel’s latest hybrid approach—leveraging the NPU and Arc GPU—consistently outpacing comparable Ryzen AI scores. Combined with GMKtec’s local AI suite and up to 64 GB of system memory that can be partially allocated as VRAM, the EVO T1 is ready for on-device workloads, including running local language models up to the 32B class.
On the graphics side, the Arc 140T integrated GPU delivers results that often outstrip expectations. Despite the Radeon 890M’s higher theoretical FLOPS, synthetic tests tip toward Intel in most cases:
– 3DMark Steel Nomad shows a commanding lead for Arc, illustrating strong non-RT raster performance.
– 3DMark Port Royal, a ray tracing-heavy test, has Arc ahead by roughly ten percent.
– 3DMark Time Spy favors Arc by a significant margin, with Night Raid also landing in Intel’s column.
– Fire Strike demonstrates solid DX11 chops, important for many legacy and competitive titles.
– 3DMark Speed Way is the exception, where Radeon 890M narrowly comes out on top, suggesting driver or workload-specific differences.
Real-world gaming at 1080p underscores how capable modern iGPUs have become. Using Medium or High presets with balanced or quality upscaling (XeSS/FSR), titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Forza Horizon 5, F1 24, and Horizon Zero Dawn are very playable, with the two systems trading wins and staying within striking distance of each other. Metro Exodus with ray tracing at 1080p High sits around the 30–40 FPS range on Arc—impressive for an iGPU with RT enabled. The Callisto Protocol lands in the mid‑50s on both platforms when using FSR 2; dialing back resolution or settings can push frame rates higher for smoother play.
Thermals and power behavior are well managed for the class. The EVO T1 can be tuned up to a 70W envelope for maximum benchmark speed, yet day-to-day use remains quiet thanks to the vapor chamber and blower layout. Under stress, temperatures peak high, but the system avoids distracting fan noise and maintains performance without obvious throttling in typical test runs.
Connectivity and expansion are strong differentiators:
– Dual 2.5GbE LAN for fast networking and NAS-heavy workflows
– Four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports up front for easy access
– OCULINK on the rear for high-bandwidth external GPU expansion
– Triple M.2 NVMe slots for generous, flexible storage
– Compact chassis with subtle RGB accents and a layout that’s easy to work in
At a list price of around $999 for the tested configuration, the GMKtec EVO T1 brings together 16 CPU cores, Arc 140T graphics, 64 GB of DDR5-5600, and triple NVMe slots in a design that’s both attractive and effective. In head-to-head testing, it often outperforms the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in CPU, AI, and several GPU‑centric synthetic workloads, while gaming performance at 1080p with upscaling is consistently enjoyable on both platforms.
Bottom line: this is the fastest Arrow Lake‑H mini PC we’ve tested so far. If you want a compact workstation that can jump from productivity to 1080p gaming to on-device AI without breaking a sweat—and you value generous storage, dual 2.5GbE, and the future‑proofing of OCULINK—the EVO T1 should be high on your shortlist. GMKtec is also preparing a flagship EVO X with AMD’s Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 APU, and that upcoming head-to-head will be one to watch for anyone choosing their next small‑form‑factor powerhouse.
