This Beelink GT-King Review is by Troy from TROYPOINT. It follows his experience using the Android TV Box regularly for three weeks.

It’s worth noting that I received the Beelink GT-King at no cost from GearBest. However, I still share my honest thoughts. I’ll cover both the good and the bad.

I’ve always been impressed by Beelink Android TV Boxes and see them as superior products.  So, I anticipate the same quality with the GT-King. This aligns with my experience reviewing other Beelink products on this site.

This device is currently promoted as the top-performing TV Box today.  However, it comes with a significant price tag, listed at $119.99 on Gearbest at the time of writing.  The website indicates a “7% off” discount, suggesting the price may fluctuate.

We’ll circle back to the claim of the GT-King being the most powerful device later. Stay tuned.

What Is the Beelink GT-King Android TV Box?

Let’s clarify how the Beelink GT-King differs from other Android-based streaming devices. It’s beneficial to understand these differences before we proceed.

The GT-King operates on the standard Android 9.0 Pie operating system. This is different than Android TV.

You can envision standard Android as the OS on your Android phone or tablet.

On the other hand, Android TV is an operating system by Google. It’s specifically designed for television screens and can be found on devices like the NVIDIA SHIELD and Mi Box.

Amazon offers a comparable Android-based OS referred to as Fire OS. It powers the Fire TV Stick and Fire TV, both optimized for TV use.

I often categorize boxes like the Beelink GT-King as “generic Android TV Boxes.” This is due to their lack of the authentic Android TV operating system.

Boxes like the GT-King are an excellent choice if you don’t rely on mainstream paid services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.  For users of these services, consider options such as the Fire TV Stick 4K/Fire TV, NVIDIA SHIELD, or Mi Box. These apps function more smoothly on Android TV and Fire OS.

The majority of these boxes originate from China. As a result, customer service may be less comprehensive.

Furthermore, it’s unlikely that devices like this will receive updates when Android releases new versions, such as 10.0.

The benefit of these generic Android TV Boxes? They provide great value for their cost. There are no licensing fees from the manufacturers, so you reap the savings.

I highly recommend investing in the iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard/Remote Combo. This is especially useful for those who plan to use a stock Android unit.  It greatly simplifies screen navigation within apps that aren’t designed for remote controls. Remember, you’re essentially using stock Android, which is tailored for phones and tablets, not TVs.

Beelink GT-King: The Price

The price is a major factor to consider. Let’s address it upfront.

I find it hard to justify spending over $100 on a device like this. It doesn’t run the true Android TV operating system, and updates to Android 10 or higher are unlikely, which is disappointing.

As highlighted earlier, it runs Android 9.0 Pie stock Android. Generic boxes like this usually miss out on updates.

Whenever possible, I suggest opting for a device with proper Android TV. Examples include the NVIDIA SHIELD or Mi Box S. They provide a smoother experience, especially if you use services like Netflix.

While reading this review, I couldn’t help but compare it to the NVIDIA SHIELD. It’s a premium streaming device that also has a high price tag.

Purchase Beelink GT-King from Gearbest

Purchase Beelink GT-King from Amazon

What I Like

The moment I opened the box, I was really impressed.  From the packaging to the design of the unit, everything about it exudes quality. 

The GT-King has a cool design, with an etched alien graphic and green eyes on top. The build quality also appears to be excellent.

The specs are really what make this box stand out from the competition.

You can tell right away that it’s built better than most of its rivals just by holding it.

It boasts the new Amlogic S922X processor, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 64GB of internal storage!  It also features 5G WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 4.1.

It’s an incredibly fast system. I didn’t experience any lag when streaming movies, TV shows, or IPTV.

It played every video format I tried, including H.263, H.264, H.265, and HD MPEG4.

I streamed some 4K videos from YouTube and didn’t encounter any buffering issues. 

I installed the TROYPOINT app so I could use the Rapid App Installer to quickly install my favorite applications.

I tested live IPTV HD streaming using Streams for Us and DurexTV, and I didn’t run into any buffering in those apps either.

I also installed Kodi 18 and Cinema HD. I paired them with RealDebrid.  Just like the IPTV services I mentioned, there were no problems. 

The Beelink GT-King also supports 5.1 surround sound output. This is a great feature for anyone with a home theater setup.

The GT-King is supposed to come with an air mouse remote control. Unfortunately, my box didn’t have the correct remote.  Gearbest initially shipped this device with a remote that didn’t have the air mouse button. Now, though, they say all of them do.

The remote I received is the same as the one that comes with the device. The only difference is the air mouse button. This means I can still give you accurate feedback.

I appreciate that the remote doesn’t use infrared like most of these boxes do. It has a wireless dongle, which I prefer to Bluetooth. The responsiveness is also fantastic.

Download speeds are excellent on this device (both with and without a VPN). I’ll go into more detail about that later.

So, I have no complaints at all about the Beelink GT-King’s performance.  It’s fantastic!

What I Don’t Like

This Android box has the standard Beelink launcher (user interface).  We’ve seen this same launcher on some of their other devices, so it’s nothing new. I’m not a huge fan of it. 

I immediately installed ATV Launcher to replace the default launcher.  This launcher works really well on Android TV Boxes, and it’s easy to customize, too.

Like most other Android TV Boxes running stock Android (not Android TV), paid services like Netflix and Amazon Prime don’t work very well.  You can get them to work by side-loading compatible apps. However, they won’t play at the maximum resolution.  As I mentioned earlier, in my view, you don’t want one of these generic boxes if you use Netflix or Prime a lot.

Since the remote that came with the box didn’t have an air mouse, I used the iPazzPort Wireless Keyboard/Remote Combo to set everything up. To be honest, I always use one of these during the initial setup because it makes the process much faster.  Once I had everything installed and configured, I switched back to the regular remote. It worked flawlessly.

The remote control has a voice button, but it only works in certain apps.  I still haven’t gotten into the habit of using voice input regularly, so this isn’t a major issue for me. 

My final complaint is the price.  It’s hard for me to justify buying this Android Box over other options. At least, for now.of the NVIDIA SHIELD.  I’ll provide additional details on that later.

Beelink GT-King Download Speed Tests

Download speed is a critical feature to evaluate. This is because we stream large HD files through these devices.

I conducted the tests below using my 200 Mbps Internet service.  I performed the WiFi testing on the 5 GHz band of my Asus AC3100 router.

For testing purposes, I opted to use the Speed Test tool. You can find this in the TROYPOINT App.

The VPN used throughout this speed test is IPVanish. It’s currently the fastest VPN on the market.

Ethernet

VPN On: 98.39 Mbps download & 25.35 Mbps upload

VPN Off: 129.26 Mpbs download & 25.72 Mbps upload

WiFi

VPN On: 80.64 Mbps download & 10.77 Mbps upload

VPN Off: 101.35 Mbps download & 20.29 Mbps upload

The Beelink GT-King boasts impressive download speeds. Especially when you compare it to other Android TV Boxes with stock Android.

Typically, we observe a more significant speed reduction when a VPN is active. However, this wasn’t the case with this device.

Purchase Beelink GT-King from Gearbest

Purchase Beelink GT-King from Amazon

Photo Gallery

Beelink GT-King VS NVIDIA SHIELD

Many are wondering if the GT King is the most powerful Android TV box currently available.
It’s a valid question, given its impressive specs.
However, it’s important to compare it to the reigning champ, the NVIDIA SHIELD, to get a true understanding of where it stands.

Is the Beelink GT-King the best TV box available today? I don’t believe so.

The Beelink GT-King is indeed the first model to have the Amlogic S922x processor. However, it’s still not quite as powerful as the Tegra X1 processor found in the SHIELD.

When comparing processors, it’s helpful to look at the PCMARK scores. The NVIDIA SHIELD boasts a PCMARK score of 6048, while the GT-King achieves a score of 5487.

A significant difference lies in the graphical capabilities, specifically the GPU or graphics processing units. The SHIELD achieves a remarkable 3DMARK score of 44203, whereas the Beelink GT-King reaches 19939.

The Beelink GT-King does have advantages over the NVIDIA SHIELD in terms of RAM and internal storage. It offers 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of internal storage, compared to the SHIELD’s 3GB DDR4 RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It’s worth noting that you can expand the SHIELD’s storage using an external device.

Considering all of these factors, my conclusion is that the NVIDIA SHIELD is still the most powerful TV box currently on the market.

Conclusion

If you’re seeking a genuine stock Android experience and are comfortable with the price, then this might be the right choice for you. This is a well-made Android TV box with top-notch components. Some users even prefer the stock Android experience over Android TV. This preference is often due to the wider app selection and greater customization options available.

However, if you’re open to spending an extra $40 to $50, I’d recommend considering the NVIDIA SHIELD instead.

What’s In The Box

The box includes the TV box itself, an HDMI cable, a voice-activated remote control, a power adapter, and a user manual.

Beelink GT-King Specs

• Brand: Beelink
• CPU: Amlogic S922X
• Core: Hexa Core
• The device is rooted
• RAM: 4G RAM
• RAM Type: LPDDR4
• ROM: 64G ROM
• Max. Extended Capacity: TF card up to 64GB (not included)
• TV Box Features: 5G WiFi
• Color: Black
• Decoder Format: H.263, H.264, H.265, HD MPEG4
• Audio format: AAC, FLAC, MP3, OGG, RM, WMA
• Video format: AVI, DAT, ISO, MKV, MP4, MPEG, RM, WMV
• Photo Format: BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIFF
• Support 5.1 Surround Sound Output: Yes
• 5G WiFi: Yes
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
• Power Supply: Charge Adapter
• Interface: AV,DC 5V,HDMI 2.0,LAN,SPDIF,TF card,USB2.0,USB3.0
• Language: Multilanguage
• HDMI Version: 2.0
• Other Functions: Others
• RJ45 Port Speed: 1000Mbps
• Power Type: External Power Adapter Mode
• Remote Controller Battery: 2 x AAA Battery ( not included )
• Product weight: 0.1900 kg
• Package weight: 0.6310 kg
• Product size (L x W x H): 10.80 x 10.80 x 1.60 cm / 4.25 x 4.25 x 0.63 inches
• Package size (L x W x H): 19.00 x 14.50 x 6.00 cm / 7.48 x 5.71 x 2.36 inches

You can buy the Beelink GT-King from Gearbest here.

Alternatively, you can find it on Amazon at this link.

 

Do you happen to own a Beelink GT-King? If you do, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. We also welcome any other helpful insights you might have about the device.