KAMRUI AK1 Plus Review — The $150 Mini PC That Does It All (2026)
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Meta Description: Honest KAMRUI AK1 Plus review after 6 months of daily use. Benchmarks, gaming FPS, Linux compatibility, and real-world performance. Is this budget Mini PC worth it in 2026?
There's a certain expectation when you spend $150 on a computer: "It'll probably be slow. Maybe it can handle email and web browsing. Don't expect too much."
The KAMRUI AK1 Plus (also sold as the Nipogi CK10 in some markets) has been quietly proving that expectation wrong for over a year. I've been running one as my daily home server for six months, and I have thoughts.
Specs at a Glance
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Alder Lake-N N95 (4C/4T, up to 3.4 GHz) |
| RAM | 8GB / 16GB DDR4 (user-upgradeable SODIMM) |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB M.2 SATA SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics (16EU, up to 1.2 GHz) |
| Networking | WiFi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, Gigabit Ethernet |
| Ports | 2x HDMI, 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB-C, 3.5mm audio, microSD |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed) |
| Dimensions | 5.04 x 5.04 x 1.97 inches (128 x 128 x 50 mm) |
| Power | 12V DC, 15W TDP |
| Price | $149.99 - $219.99 (depending on RAM/storage config) |
Design and Build Quality
The AK1 Plus looks like every other Mini PC in the budget segment — a matte black plastic square that disappears behind your monitor. It's not going to win design awards, but it's also not trying to. The VESA mount (included) lets you attach it to the back of a monitor for a truly invisible setup.
The build is solid. No creaks, no flex. The rubber feet grip well. The power button has a satisfying click. For $150, the build quality punches above its weight.
One thing worth noting: access to the internals requires removing four screws, and you're in. RAM and SSD are both user-replaceable. No soldered components. In a world where even $1,000 laptops are soldering RAM to the motherboard, this is refreshing.
Performance Benchmarks
I ran a full suite of benchmarks on the 16GB / 512GB configuration:
| Benchmark | Score | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,210 | Comparable to Intel i5-8250U (2018 ultrabook) |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 3,240 | Better than Intel N100, close to N150 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 2,050 | About desktop i3-7100 level |
| PCMark 10 | 3,180 | Productivity tier |
| CrystalDiskMark Read | 550 MB/s | SATA SSD speed (not NVMe) |
| CrystalDiskMark Write | 500 MB/s | Adequate for daily use |
| 7-Zip Compression | 15,500 MIPS | Good for light compression tasks |
| Idle Power Draw | 7W | Incredible |
| Full Load Power Draw | 22W | Less than a lightbulb |
The N95 is not a slouch. For context, this $150 Mini PC benchmarks close to a $1,000 ultrabook from 2019. Single-core performance is snappy — Windows 11 feels responsive, apps open instantly, and 4K YouTube plays without dropped frames.
Real-World Use Cases
Office Work and Productivity
Word, Excel, 20 Chrome tabs, Slack, Spotify — the AK1 Plus handles it all without breaking a sweat. I wouldn't try editing 8K RAW video on it, but for 99% of office work, you won't feel the difference between this and an $800 desktop.
Verdict: Excellent. For heavier workloads, see the KAMRUI Hyper H1 with Ryzen 7 and DDR5.
Gaming
| Game | Settings | FPS | Playable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft | 1080p, Fast | 60-80 | Yes |
| CS:GO | 720p, Low | 50-70 | Yes |
| Valorant | 720p, Low | 45-60 | Just about |
| GTA V | 720p, Lowest | 25-35 | Barely |
| Rocket League | 720p, Performance | 50-60 | Yes |
| LoL/Dota 2 | 1080p, Medium | 50-70 | Yes |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Don't even try | N/A | No |
It's not a gaming PC, but it's a decent lightweight gaming machine. Older titles, indie games, and esports at reduced settings run fine. GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming work perfectly — and at 7W idle, it's the ideal cloud gaming thin client. For dedicated gaming rigs, see our best Mini PC for gaming guide.
Verdict: Light gaming only, excellent for cloud gaming
Home Theater and Plex
Intel Quick Sync on the N95 handles hardware transcoding. I tested a 4K HEVC to 1080p transcode in Plex and it used about 15% CPU per stream. You can handle 3-4 simultaneous transcodes. Direct Play is unlimited. For a full setup guide, read our best Mini PC for Plex server article.
Verdict: Excellent Plex server
Linux Compatibility
I tested Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 12, and Proxmox 8. Everything works out of the box — WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI audio, all of it. No kernel parameters needed, no driver hunting. This is a first-class Linux citizen. See our Proxmox installation guide to get started.
Verdict: Perfect Linux machine
Home Server (Docker)
7W idle is incredible for a 24/7 home server. I ran 15 Docker containers (Pi-hole, Home Assistant, Nginx Proxy Manager, Plex, *arr stack, Uptime Kuma, Vaultwarden, etc.) and CPU hovered around 20-30%. Memory was the bottleneck at 16GB, not CPU. For a complete build guide, see our Mini PC home server guide.
Verdict: Great Docker host (get the 16GB version)
What I Like
What I Don't Like
Who Should Buy the AK1 Plus?
The Bottom Line
The KAMRUI AK1 Plus is the definition of "good enough" — and I mean that as a compliment. It's a $150 computer that does 90% of what most people need a computer to do, silently, while sipping power.
Six months in, I've had zero crashes, zero hardware issues, and zero regrets. For $150, that's remarkable.
Rating: 4.5/5
*This review is based on a retail-purchased unit. No sponsored content. No affiliate links. Just honest experience after 6 months of daily use.*