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The GMK NucBox G9 is an impressively compact computer that's designed for use as a network-attached storage device, thanks to its M.2 2280 slots for PCIe 3.0 x2 storage and dual 2.5 Gb Ethernet ports. When Ian reviewed the mini PC earlier this year he found that it offered decent performance, but that it could get hot under heavy load.
Since then GMK has released an updated model with better ventilation, and according to NASCompares, it does offer better cooling. But since it still has a plastic case without an SSD heat sink, there's only so much that the upgrades can do. There is another mini PC with nearly identical features that does have a metal plate on the bottom that helps keep the SSDs even cooler. The Xyber Hydra is basically the same computer, but with more memory and a better cooling system. It's currently available from the X-Plus store or Xyber Store for $205 and up.
The starting price is for a model with an Intel N150 Twin Lake processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 onboard memory and a 64GB eMMC with Ubuntu 24.04 pre-installed. By comparison, the NucBox G9 has 12GB of RAM and the same 64GB of storage.
You can also pay $20 more to get a version of the Xyber Hydra that comes with with a 512GB M.2 2280 SSD pre-installed.
Open up the case and you'll find that the Hydra has the same motherboard as the G9: it even has GMK-branded fans inside the case.
But the case is a little shorter and features a metal base plate that rests below the four M.2 slots, as well as a thermal pad that sits between the SSDs and the base plate, helping to transfer heat.
Keep in mind that this is still designed as a budget solution rather than a high-performance computer. The Intel N150 processor is a low-cost, low-power chip that only has 9 PCIe 3.0 lanes, which is why the SSDs are each limited to PCIe 3.0 x2 speeds. And NASCompares reports that the base can still get rather warm under load (and takes a long time to dissipate that heat), it runs much cooler than the original NucBox G9 or the updated model.
Both the GMK NucBox G9 and Xyber Hydra also have an Intel AX101 wireless card with support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, and a set of ports that includes:
A model with a higher-performance Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core Alder Lake-N processor and 32GB of RAM is also on the way, with prices expected to start at $310.
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