Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsiTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
In Ryo Tanaka’s September 26, 2026 benchmark, boxr 0.1.44 recorded a 134 ms warm-run median, compared with 217 ms for Podman 4.9.3. That is about 38% lower in this test—but it is not a general speed ranking: the measurements came from one restricted VM, one already-pulled Alpine image, and the trivial command true. Both engines ran as root, and only boxr used its rootless mode, so this was not a matched rootless comparison.
What the startup benchmark measured
Tanaka timed the full command-line invocation to start and exit a cached Alpine container running true. The reported image bytes were the same, with an identical config digest beginning sha256:320994c3. The commands were:
boxr run --rootless --rm --network none library/alpine:latest truepodman run --rm --network none docker.io/library/alpine:latest true
The image had already been pulled. Thus, these figures cover command invocation and container start/exit overhead under the stated conditions—not image download, network setup, application readiness, or long-running throughput. Tanaka ran five cold measurements followed by 20 warm measurements per engine, alternating engines between iterations. He reports no failed runs among 50 and no removed outliers. The results are his reported measurements, not an independently validated benchmark.
Reported results
The warm-run distribution below contains 20 observations per engine in Tanaka’s single-VM test. The p95 values are reproduced as reported.
#1 Best Overall
- 【AMD Ryzen 4300U True 4-Core CPU: Outperforms N95 & i3-10110U】KAMRUI P2 Mini PC is equipped with true 4-core AMD Ryzen 4300U processor built on advanced 7nm Zen2 architecture，This means you get consistent, unthrottled performance for hours on end, whether you’re running multiple browser tabs, streaming 4K content, or managing virtual machines. Compare that to Intel N95 (4 efficiency cores that throttle under load) or Intel i3-10110U (only 2 cores total), and the difference is night and day: The KAMRUI P2 AMD Ryzen 4300U (28W) is 40% faster than the Intel i3-10110U and 25% faster than the Intel N95 in multi-core tasks, ensuring smooth, lag-free performance even during heavy workloads.
- 【Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics: 2.5X Stronger for Tri 4K】The KAMRUI P2 AMD 4300U Mini PC have unlocked the full potential of the built-in AMD Radeon Vega 5 graphics with 28W power delivery, making it 2.5 times stronger than the Intel UHD graphics found in the N95 and i3-10110U. This means you can enjoy Tri 4K@60Hz displays without a single stutter, perfect for productivity setups, home theaters, or even light photo/video editing and casual gaming. While the Intel N95/i3-10110U struggle to run a single 4K display without lag, The KAMRUI AMD 4300U Mini PC handles Tri 4K effortlessly, turning your workspace into a high-efficiency hub or your living room into a premium entertainment center.
- 【Large Storage Capacity, Easy Expansion】KAMRUI Pinova P2 mini computers is equipped with 16GB LPDDR4 for faster multitasking and smooth application switching. 512GB M.2 SSD ensures fast startup, fast file transfers and plenty of storage space,eliminating slow loading times and ensuring fast responsiveness. the two storage slots (1x M.2 2280 SATA/NVMe PCIe3.0 slot, 1x M.2 2280 SATA slot) can be combined to provide up to 4TB of total storage(Not included). This gives you enough space for all your projects, media and data.
- 【4K Triple Display】KAMRUI Pinova P2 4300U mini desktop computers is equipped with HDMI2.0 ×1 +DP1.4 ×1+USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C ×1 interfaces for faster transmission, Triple 4K@60Hz Display, KAMRUI P2 mini computer is ideal for visual home entertainment, home office, conference rooms, etc. USB3.2 Gen2 Type-A port ×2 with a transfer speed of up to 10 Gbps (21 times faster than USB 2.0) for efficient data transfer. Ideal for seamless multitasking between spreadsheets, browsers and presentations, or for an immersive entertainment experience.
- 【USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C 10Gbps, Versatile connectivity】KAMRUI P2 mini desktop pc fast and versatile connectivity! The USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C port offers a data transfer rate of 10Gbps and simultaneously supports DisplayPort 1.4 video output. The P2 AMD Ryzen 4300U Mini PC is complemented by Gigabit LAN, WiFi and Bluetooth, so nothing stands in the way of a productive working environment.
| Warm-run statistic | boxr 0.1.44 | Podman 4.9.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Median | 134 ms | 217 ms |
| Mean | 150 ms | 225 ms |
| Minimum | 107 ms | 181 ms |
| Maximum | 262 ms | 310 ms |
| p95, as reported | 207 ms | 288 ms |
For the five cold runs, with the image still already pulled, Tanaka reports medians of 128 ms for boxr and 212 ms for Podman. These are not first-pull times or tests with a cleared image cache.
Why the comparison is not a rootless-versus-rootless result
The VM itself was a restricted user-namespaced container, and Tanaka says he could not create a normal unprivileged-user setup. Both engine processes therefore ran as root. Boxr ran with --rootless; Podman ran rootful without a container user namespace. The difference in medians does not establish how these engines compare when both run as a regular unprivileged user.
Rank #2
- 【Great power in a small computer】Get fast performance from the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU (2.1GHz-3.7GHz, 4 Cores 8 Threads) inside this mini pc, TDP 15W up to 25W. It's perfect for all your home office and business use, like daily computing, web browsing, and smooth media streaming. This small desktop computer handles everyday tasks easily and quietly.
- 【Work on many things at once with lots of storage】This mini PC comes with 16GB of fast DDR4 RAM (expandable up to 32GB), allowing you to smoothly run multiple programs, dozens of browser tabs, and large files all at once. It also features a spacious 512GB NVMe SSD that provides ample storage and delivers dramatically faster boot-ups, app launches, and file transfers compared to a traditional hard drive.
- 【See everything clearly on one or two 4K screens】Connect one or two monitors for more space to work or play. Dual HDMI ports on this mini pc support super sharp 4K Ultra HD video. It's great for doubling your work area for business or watching movies in high definition.
- 【Fast modern connections in a tiny box】Enjoy a better and more stable internet connection with the latest WiFi 6. Use Bluetooth 5.3 to connect wireless headphones, keyboards, and mice without wires. This small pc is very compact to save desk space and has extra USB ports (USB 2.0×2, USB 3.0×2, Type-c 2.0×1, Type-c 3.2 full featured×1, HDMI×2) for your printer, webcam, or other computer accessories.
- 【Reliable Warranty and Support】We provides 1 year warranty for each Mini computers. So you don't need to worry about any product problems. If you have any questions about the product, please contact our customer service, we will provide 24-hour professional technical support and serve you at any time.
Environment and workarounds that shaped the numbers
The test used one VM with 2 vCPUs (AMD EPYC 9D64), 7.7 GiB of RAM, Ubuntu 24.04.5, and kernel 7.0.0-38-generic. Boxr was the prebuilt Linux x86_64 v0.1.44 binary; Podman 4.9.3 came from Ubuntu packages and used crun 1.14.1.
- No container networking: Both commands used
--network nonebecause Podman’s default netavark networking failed in this environment. Tanaka reports that boxr’s defaultautonetworking, which sets up pasta, added roughly 45 ms in his measurement; that overhead is not in the headline comparison. - Podman storage setup: Podman used a tmpfs graphroot to avoid an unavailable
/dev/fusepath and use native overlay with idmapped mounts. Tanaka says this likely helped Podman. - Cgroup manager: The test selected
--cgroup-manager=cgroupfsbecause D-Bus was unavailable. - Image reference spelling: Tanaka reports that boxr did not match the cached image when given
docker.io/library/alpine:latest; the test usedlibrary/alpine:latest. He says the other spelling triggered repeated pulls and extraction. This is an observation from that setup, not confirmation of a current, general product defect.
What the result can—and cannot—tell you
For this particular cached-image, no-network, short-lived true workload on Tanaka’s VM, boxr had the lower reported warm median. The test does not show that boxr is faster for every container, nor does it compare application readiness. A web server that loads code, mounts volumes, publishes ports, and waits for its first response measures a different path than a command that exits immediately.
Rank #3
- 【AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU: Outperforms N150 & 3500U】 BOSGAME E5 mini PC is powered by the TSMC 7nm FinFET architecture AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, up to 3.8GHz boost, 6MB total cache). Compared to low-end Intel N150 or 3500U chips which only have 4 single threads and throttle under load, the 5300U delivers over 30% faster multi-core speed. Run 30+ browser tabs, large Excel sheets, and Zoom meetings simultaneously without system lag.
- 【8GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB NVMe SSD Storage】 Installed with high-speed 8GB DDR4 dual-channel memory and a fast 256GB M.2 2280 SSD, eliminating slow boot times and application loading delays. To accommodate growing data requirements, the upgradeable hardware design features dual SODIMM slots that allow you to expand memory up to 64GB RAM, ensuring smooth operation during heavy multitasking.
- 【High-Capacity Dual M.2 SSD Storage Expansion】 Never worry about running out of space for your business files. In addition to the pre-installed 256GB system drive, the motherboard houses an extra empty internal M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 3.0 slot. This allows you to easily add a second solid-state drive for up to an additional 2TB of storage capacity (upgrades not included) without needing to remove or reinstall the original operating system.
- 【Radeon 6-Core Graphics & Triple 4K Displays】 Integrated with official AMD Radeon Graphics (6 Graphics Cores, 1500 MHz frequency) for casual gaming, photo editing, and crisp 4K media decoding. Featuring 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x Full-Function Type-C port, the E5 outputs true 4K@60Hz resolution to three monitors at once. This multi-screen setup eliminates constant window-switching for traders, programmers, and office workers.
- 【Dual 2.5GbE LAN Ports for Advanced Networking】 Experience fast wired network transmission speeds up to 2500Mbps without lagging or buffering. The integration of dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports (powered by Realtek RTL8125 controller) makes this compact computer an exceptional hardware choice for tech enthusiasts. Easily configure it into software routers, hardware firewalls (pfSense, OpnSense), home NAS servers, or local homelabs.
Podman’s own performance guide identifies CLI options and configuration, OCI runtime, host filesystem, and container image as factors that can affect results. It recommends timing with /usr/bin/time -v and describes using a separate test account for experiments that may alter storage state.
Runtime, storage, and user-namespace effects
The same guide describes crun as probably the fastest OCI runtime and gives a typical storage-speed order of native overlayfs, fuse-overlayfs, then vfs. It also notes that rootless Podman with modified UID/GID mappings can incur a first-container creation penalty under particular conditions. That creation-phase effect should not be confused with a general measure of runtime speed.
Rank #4
- Office Gaming Mini PC - UPGRADED GMKtec Nucbox M5 Ultra Series is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor, 8 Cores/16 Threads, Base 2.00GHz (Power Saving Quiet Mode) with Turbo Boost up to 4.50GHz (Performance Mode) in BIOS settings, Based on the ZEN 3+ architecture, this small but powerful mini pc delivers satisfying results in productivity, office work, and gaming. 35% Performance increase over AMD Ryzen 5 7430U/ Ryzen 7 5700U, 5600U, 5560U, 5500U.
- 16GB DDR4 RAM & 256GB PCIe SSD - Installed with DDR4 16GB RAM (1x16GB), the Nucbox M5 Ultra mini pc support expansion to 64GB RAM. Featured with 256GB M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, support dual slot expansion to 4TB SSD. (Upgrades not included)
- DUAL NIC LAN 2.5G RJ45 - Fast Network Speeds: Enjoy up to 2500Mbps data transmission speed without worrying about lagging. Ideal for working, gaming, and surfing the internet. Great for Untangle, Pfsense or as a server office PC.
- Mini Desktop Computer with 4K Triple Screen Display - Nucbox M5 Ultra integrates AMD Radeon Graphics 8 Cores 2000 MHz GPU to deliver powerful graphics processing power to easily handle the demands of complex design software, 4K@60Hz UHD video editing, and playback. It can connect to 3 display screens simultaneously.
- Fast Internet WiFi 6E + BT5.2 Connection - GMKtec Mini PC with WiFi-6E Wireless, have 2.5G/5G/6G triple band, more faster and lower latency. Bluetooth 5.2 allowing you more quickly to connect other wireless devices (headset, mouse, keyboard, etc.) Interface features 2*USB3.2 ports, 2*USB2.0 ports, 1*HDMI 2.0 port(4K@60Hz), 1*USB-C port(PD/DP/DATA), 1*DP Port, 1*Audio 3.5mm (HP&MIC), 1*DC Power Port.
Networking changes what startup includes
The guide says rootless Podman traffic normally passes through pasta and incurs a performance penalty. Socket activation and other network arrangements can change which work is included in startup or connection timing. The guide identifies pasta as the default and only rootless network driver since Podman 6.0.0; that version-specific statement should not be projected backward onto this benchmark’s Podman 4.9.3 installation.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
How to make a more useful comparison
A follow-up benchmark should make the conditions visible and time the outcome that matters to the intended workload. The Podman guide’s recommendation to use /usr/bin/time -v is useful for collecting timing and resource details, but a single elapsed-time number cannot answer every startup question.
Best Value
- WHY CHOOSE G3 ULTRA MINI PC PENTIUM GOLD 7505 - Choose the Intel Pentium Gold 7505 for snappier everyday responsiveness: It delivers up to 30% faster single-core performance than the Ryzen 5 3500U, making office apps and web browsing feel noticeably quicker, while its Intel UHD Graphics (48 EUs) provides 2.4x the GPU performance of the N100 & N150's 24-EU graphics, ensuring smoother 4K streaming and light photo editing.
- 16GB RAM MEMORY & 512GB STORAGE - GMKtec Nucbox G3 Ultra mini computer is prebuilt with 16GB LPDDR4 RAM at 3200 MT/s, you will enjoy a speedier experience with Built-in 512GB M.2 SATA Hard Drive. Our mini desktop pc boots up in seconds, work on multiple browser tabs, software applications and quickly transfers files. There is a primary slot and secondary expansion storage. Primary slot is M.2 2280 PCIE and secondary slot is M.2 2280 SATA.
- RICH INTERFACE - Nucbox pentium mini computer is equipped with 3* USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, up to 10Gbps/S, 1*USB 2.0, HDMI(4K@60Hz)*2, 3.5mm Audio Jack. Supports WiFi 6, and Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 2.5GbE network connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2. This Mini PC supports multiple device connection and can be used with servers, monitoring equipment, office equipment, displays, projectors, televisions, etc.
- 4K DUAL SCREEN DISPLAY - Mini desktop computer is equipped with upgraded Intel Graphics(max 1000MHz), supports 4K video playback and AV1 decoding, connect the pc with a projector as a home theatre, enjoy a variety of entertainments. Two HDMI 2.0 ports allows you to multi-task efficiently on two 4K@60Hz displays.
- UPGRADED COOLING FAN - The G3 Ultra has upgraded the cooling fan to reduce fan noise and thermals. We are using an upgraded thermal paste as well to help reduce heat on the CPU.
- Match the privilege model. Where possible, run both engines as a regular unprivileged user, and state whether each uses a container user namespace.
- Record the environment. Include engine and OCI runtime versions, OS and kernel, CPU and memory, image digest, storage driver and graphroot, cgroup manager, and network mode.
- Publish complete commands. Include every option that changes storage, networking, namespaces, cleanup, or runtime behavior.
- Separate image acquisition from startup. Report image-pull tests separately from cached-image runs, and define whether timing ends at process launch, process exit, service readiness, or first response.
- Use representative workloads. Keep a minimal case such as
truefor isolating overhead, but add a real process and the mounts or published ports your use case needs. - Keep the distribution. Alternate run order, preserve all samples, state the sample count, and report a distribution rather than only the fastest time. If testing cold page cache, describe how it was cleared and keep that result distinct from ordinary warm runs.
Tanaka identifies a non-root rerun, a real workload such as a web server measured to first response, cold page-cache tests, and additional engines such as Docker and nerdctl as useful next comparisons. Each would answer a different question; none is settled by the minimal startup figures above.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
