What's inside
The Pentium Gold 7505 is a Tiger Lake processor made on Intel's 10 nm SuperFin process, with two cores, four threads, 4 MB of cache and a boost clock of up to 3.5 GHz. Intel's own specification page confirms those figures. It also lists the chip's launch as Q4 2020 and its marketing status as "Discontinued". The same page shows integrated Intel UHD Graphics with 48 execution units, plus Quick Sync Video and DirectX 12.1 support.
GMKtec's product page adds device-level details:
- Power modes: Quiet at 8 W, Balanced at 10 W and Performance at 15 W, with one fan and one copper heat pipe. Intel lists 15 W as the chip's configurable TDP-up value, so the 8 W and 10 W settings are GMKtec's own choices.
- Memory: 16 GB of LPDDR4-3200 soldered to the board. GMKtec calls it non-replaceable and non-upgradable, with 16 GB as the maximum.
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB options are listed. The US storefront variant selector shows 256 GB and 512 GB. There are two M.2 2280 slots, one for drives up to 8 TB and one for drives up to 1 TB.
- Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and Gigabit Ethernet.
- Ports: two HDMI 2.0 outputs, each rated for 4K at 60 Hz, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one USB-A 2.0 port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. There is no USB-C.
- Size and weight: 114 × 106 × 44 mm and about 280 g.
- Software: Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled.
Price
Notebookcheck says the NucBox G3 Ultra is listed on GMKtec's US storefront at about $270 with 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. The page I could review showed $269.99, next to a crossed-out $369.99. Treat that as a dated listing price, not a standing one. The crossed-out figure is GMKtec's own reference price and isn't independent evidence of a discount.
Where the details disagree
The listings don't fully agree with each other, and a buyer should check them.
- Slot types. Notebookcheck says one M.2 slot takes PCIe Gen4 NVMe and the other takes SATA. GMKtec's page lists two M.2 2280 slots with different capacity limits but doesn't name the interface for each. An Amazon France listing describes one M.2 2280 PCIe x4 slot (up to 8 TB) and one M.2 2242 SATA slot (up to 1 TB). So the second slot's length and interface may differ between listings. Confirm before buying a drive. Intel's page rates this CPU's PCIe at Gen 3, so a "Gen4" claim for the NVMe slot deserves skepticism until GMKtec confirms it.
- Memory. The same French listing mentions SO-DIMM expansion slots and dual-channel 2 × 8 GB configurations. GMKtec's own page says the memory is soldered and fixed. Go with the manufacturer's statement.
- Networking. One Amazon US listing mentions 2.5GbE. GMKtec's page lists Gigabit Ethernet with a Realtek RTL8111H controller. Again, the manufacturer's page is the better reference.
- Not so new. Amazon listings for a "G3 Ultra" with this CPU appear in several regions, and one UK listing was indexed some time ago. That suggests "new" and "quietly expanded" may describe the US storefront listing rather than the first appearance of the model. I couldn't establish an original launch date.
Marketing claims versus evidence
GMKtec's Amazon listings make comparative claims, including up to 30% faster single-core performance than a Ryzen 5 3500U and 2.4 times the GPU performance of the N100 and N150's 24-EU graphics. Those are seller claims. I found no independent benchmarks backing them. The 2.4x figure also looks like simple arithmetic on execution-unit counts (48 versus 24), which doesn't measure real performance. One listing says the machine "Beats N100/N150". Notebookcheck takes the opposite view and calls the machine a questionable proposition against newer Intel N-series and AMD Ryzen alternatives.
Notebookcheck also says users shouldn't expect it to run anything made after 2020. Neither Intel's page nor GMKtec's supports that as a hard limit, and a launch year isn't a software-support cutoff. Intel's page does list AVX2 and virtualization features. The sourced facts don't settle how it performs under load, how loud the fan is, or how the three power modes behave. No benchmarks or sustained-power measurements were available.
Who should weigh this up
- Light office and signage use. Two HDMI outputs, wired Ethernet, a VESA bracket in the box and a small chassis are real strengths. Whether the CPU is fast enough for your workload is untested here.
- Anyone who needs USB-C. There isn't any. That rules out USB-C docks, displays and peripherals without adapters.
- Anyone who wants to grow RAM later. You can't, so choose the configuration carefully.
- Windows 11 Pro buyers. The preinstalled license is a convenience. Even so, the usual first steps apply: update Windows, install the latest drivers, and check that both HDMI outputs work at the resolution you expect.
Bottom line
The G3 Ultra is a small, low-cost Windows 11 Pro mini PC built on a discontinued 2020 dual-core chip. It has useful ports and expandable storage, but it has fixed memory, no USB-C, and no independent performance data yet. The seller's comparisons with newer low-power chips are unverified. Before buying, compare it with current N-series mini PCs at a similar price, and confirm the M.2 slot details with GMKtec.