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GMKTec EVO T1 Review: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H Mini PC with Arc 140T GraphicsThis review covers the GMKTec EVO T1, a small form factor PC featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor and Arc 140T integrated graphics. It highlights the device's design, upgradability, performance in benchmarks, video editing, and gaming, as well as thermal performance and potential issues.
1. 💻 GMKTec EVO T1: Overview of Features and Included Components
- ✅ The GMKTec Evo T1 features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor (16 cores, up to 5.4 GHz turbo), Arc 140T integrated graphics, and Oculink 2 support for external GPUs (up to 63 Gbits/second).
- ✅ It includes three PCIe 4 slots for additional SSDs, two 2.5 GB LAN ports, and Wi-Fi 6.
- ✅ The reviewed unit has Windows 11 Pro, 1TB of storage, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM (SODIMM, upgradeable).
- ✅ Included in the box: power cable, HDMI cable, VESA mounting bracket, and a 148.2 watt power supply.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| GPU | Intel Arc 140T |
| RAM | 64GB DDR5 SODIMM |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD |
00:00 - 01:27
1. 💻 GMKTec EVO T1: Overview of Features and Included Components
- ✅ The GMKTec Evo T1 features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor (16 cores, up to 5.4 GHz turbo), Arc 140T integrated graphics, and Oculink 2 support for external GPUs (up to 63 Gbits/second).
- ✅ It includes three PCIe 4 slots for additional SSDs, two 2.5 GB LAN ports, and Wi-Fi 6.
- ✅ The reviewed unit has Windows 11 Pro, 1TB of storage, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM (SODIMM, upgradeable).
- ✅ Included in the box: power cable, HDMI cable, VESA mounting bracket, and a 148.2 watt power supply.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H |
| GPU | Intel Arc 140T |
| RAM | 64GB DDR5 SODIMM |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD |
01:28 - 03:32
2. 📏 Design, Ports, and Physical Features of the EVO T1
- ✅ The EVO T1 is described as a small form factor PC, slightly larger than a typical mini PC, with a width comparable to a soda can.
- ✅ The bottom features four removable rubber feet (for accessing internals) and mounting points for the VESA bracket.
- ✅ The rear panel includes a Kensington lock slot, audio jack with mic support, USB4 port (up to 100 watts power delivery, 40 Gbps), Oculink port (63 Gbps), two USB 2 Type-A ports, two 2.5 GB LAN ports, DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.1.
- ✅ Also present are a CMOS reset button, another 3.5mm jack with mic support, a full-spec Type-C port, and Gen 2 USB 3.2 ports (10 Gbps).
- ✅ The top is made of alloy, while the rest is plastic, and it includes a fan mode button for cycling through performance modes.
03:33 - 05:15
3. 🛠️ Internal Access and Upgradability: RAM, SSD, and Wireless Card
- ✅ Accessing the internals involves removing three rubber feet and sliding off the bottom panel to access the system fan for cleaning.
- ✅ Further disassembly requires removing additional screws to access the RAM and SSD slots.
- ✅ The device supports DDR5 SODIMM RAM (the review unit has 64GB from ADATA) and has one pre-installed 1TB PCIe 4 SSD with space for two more.
- ✅ The wireless card is also upgradeable, allowing for potential upgrades to Wi-Fi 7.
- ✅ The BIOS version is stated as 1.05.
05:16 - 06:46
4. ⚙️ BIOS Overview: Unlocked Settings and Power Configuration
- ✅ The BIOS is fully unlocked, allowing users to tweak RAM timings and power limits.
- ✅ The power mode can be adjusted in the BIOS: Balanced (54W) and Performance (70-80W).
- ✅ The system agent configuration allows dedicating up to 32GB of RAM to the integrated graphics.
06:47 - 09:10
5. 📊 Windows, Benchmarks, and Video Playback Performance
- ✅ The unit comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro.
- ✅ The device manager shows Realtek 2.5GB LAN and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H (16 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.4 GHz turbo) and Arc 140T graphics.
- ✅ Cinebench R23 scores: Single core over 3000, multi-core comparable to AMD HX 370 chips.
- ✅ Time Spy score: Over 4000 points, better than 890M. Graphics score nearing 3800 points.
- ✅ Night Raid score: Very good, average for Arc graphics.
- ✅ The PCIe 4.0 SSD speeds are decent but not the fastest.
- ✅ Video decoding (HEVC, VP9) is handled well by the Arc 140T.
09:11 - 10:25
6. ⚠️ USB4 Port Speed Issues
- ⚠️ The reviewer experienced random speed drops with the USB4 ports, with transfer speeds decreasing from 1.4 GB/s to 387 MB/s.
- ⚠️ This issue has occurred on other GMK Tech units as well.
10:26 - 11:45
7. 🎬 4K Video Editing Performance with Adobe Premiere Pro
- ✅ 4K video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro is very good due to powerful integrated graphics and Adobe's optimization.
- ✅ The timeline doesn't drop frames during basic edits.
- ✅ Export times are very quick thanks to Intel's Quick Sync and the Arc 140T graphics.
- ✅ A 1-minute 4K footage export took approximately 22 seconds, with the Arc graphics at 100% usage and the CPU at about 25%.
11:46 - 13:27
8. 🎮 1080p and 4K Gaming Performance
- ✅ The Arc 140T is potent for integrated graphics, allowing for 1080p gaming.
- ✅ The Witcher 3 (latest patch, low settings) runs close to 60 FPS.
- ✅ Cyberpunk 2077 (low preset, 1080p) averages 43.82 FPS.
- ✅ GTA 5 Enhanced Edition (high preset, 4K) averages around 38-40 FPS.
13:28 - 14:49
9. 🌡️ Thermals and Fan Noise Under Load
- ✅ Thermals are very good, with maximum temperatures reaching 82°C during gaming and benchmarks.
- ✅ There was no core throttling, but ring thermal throttling was triggered.
- ✅ The system pulls around 76W, aligning with the stated 70-80W performance mode.
- ✅ Fan noise is reported as quite good under full load.
14:54 - 15:22
10. 🐧 Linux Support
- ⚠️ During brief testing with Linux Mandaro, the Wi-Fi card was not detected, despite being an older card that usually works.
- ✅ The LAN ports were detected.
- ⚠️ Driver workarounds may be needed depending on the Linux distribution.
15:23 - 17:28
11. 🤔 Final Thoughts, Pros, and Cons
- ❌ The reviewer was unable to get an Oculink eGPU setup to work after spending 10 hours troubleshooting.
- ⚠️ The type-C ports have random speed issues.
- ✅ Despite these issues, the GMK Tech Evo T1 is considered a great mini PC due to its integrated graphics performance.
- ✅ It offers good performance for 1080p gaming and can even run 4K on lower settings.
- ✅ The starting price is $899 for the base configuration.