The Geekom mini PC blew me away with its AI muscle

Best Prices Today: Geekom A9 Max

Desktop PCs have been beneath my desk for nearly 30 years. Early final 12 months, after points with the Intel Core i9-14900KF, the CSL VenomBox was my first mini PC, and I haven’t regretted it.

As I need to keep up-to-date with AI, I wanted an acceptable mini PC. I selected the Geekom A9 Max with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, which is a average efficiency improve over the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS within the CSL VenomBox, whereas additionally offering the required AI assist and up to date connectivity.

Geekom A9 Max: Specs

• Dimensions: 135 × 132 × 46.9 mm (W × D × H)
• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
• GPU: AMD Radeon 890M
• Memory: 2 × 16 GB Wodposit Dual-Channel DDR5 5600MHz
• Internal storage: Lexar LNQ7A1X002T, M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 ×4 NVMe SSD
• SSD upgradeability: 1 × M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 ×4 NVMe, as much as 4 TB
• Rear connections: 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 × USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 × USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt-Mode / PD-In, 1 × USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt-Mode, 2 × Ethernet RJ45 2.5 Gbit/s, 2 × HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1 × DC-In
• Front connections: 3 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A Always On, 1 × 3.5 mm headphone jack, 1 × SD card reader 4.0
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 (64-bit)
• Accessories: VESA mount (121.8 × 116.5 × 1.0 mm)

Geekom A9 Max: Design and options

The A9 Max mini PC, which has solely been out there for just a few weeks, was unveiled at CES earlier this 12 months. Geekom packs the {hardware} into an attractively designed steel housing that’s supposed to resist as much as 200 kilograms of strain. We haven’t examined this declare, however we are able to attest to the excessive stability of the housing.

Christoph Hoffmann

With dimensions of 135 x 132 x 46.9 millimeters, the A9 Max matches simply on any desk. It can be connected to the again of a monitor utilizing a VESA mount, which doesn’t make sense with my setup with three 27-inch screens on a single rail.

As is typical for a mini PC, there are connections out there on the entrance and rear, though the pc’s orientation on the desk doesn’t actually matter. The entrance is marked by the on/off change. Geekom hasn’t been stingy with ports and leaves nothing to be desired: supporting as much as 4 screens with 8K, there are two USB4 ports with DisplayPort 1.4 every, plus two HDMI 2.1 ports.

Christoph Hoffmann

One spotlight is the 2 2.5 Gbit Ethernet ports, which grow to be helpful when paired with a suitable router or change and a NAS, such because the Ugreen DX4800 Plus (extra on this later).

Christoph Hoffmann

There are additionally extra USB ports, totaling eight in varied variations–from USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 4.0 Type-C. This setup additionally permits storage units to be related at excessive pace.

Geekom A9 Max: Processor, GPU, RAM, and SSD

At the guts of the Geekom A9 Max is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a high-end processor from the AMD Ryzen AI 300 sequence, developed for each laptops and desktops.

It has 12 cores (4 × Zen 5 and 8 × Zen 5c) and helps as much as 24 threads because of SMT. AMD’s Radeon 890M graphics and an built-in AI engine ship as much as 80 TOPS in complete, 50 TOPS of which come by way of the NPU, which means the CPU is particularly designed for AI functions and acceleration.

The system in consists of 32 GB of DDR5 RAM (5,600 MT/s) in two 16 GB modules. A single 32 GB module would have been extra favorable for a future improve to 64 GB, since each modules would in any other case should be changed. The producer is Wodposit Technology from Shenzhen, China–little is thought in regards to the firm itself, however it has been a {hardware} associate of Geekom for a while.

Christoph Hoffmann

The NVMe SSD put in in our A9 Max has a 2 TB capability and comes from Lexar, labeled LNQ7A1X002T. It’s additionally attainable that SSDs from different producers are utilized in different A9 items.

Christoph Hoffmann

There is a brief M.2 interface (M.2-2230) for an extra SSD, although the selection of suitable drives is proscribed. For our improve, we opted for the Crucial P310 SSD 2 TB M.2.

Geekom A9 Max: Windows 11 model 24H2 comes pre-installed

The A9 Max comes with a hardware-bound license for Windows 11. When booting the mini PC for the primary time, the Windows set up begins, the Windows set up begins and takes round 50 minutes. Updates are loaded through the set-up, however Windows affords additional updates in a while.

In our check setup, a 27-inch Dell monitor is related to the A9 Max, together with a wired Cherry keyboard and a Microsoft mouse with dongle. The mini PC is related to the community by way of an Ethernet cable to the two.5 Gbit/s BrosTrend 8X change.

We received’t go into additional element about Windows, however we noticed that lots of the working system’s AI options are supported.

Geekom A9 Max: Performance

Given the sturdy {hardware} for a mini PC on this worth vary, we had been wanting to see the efficiency check outcomes. We used the PCMark 10 benchmark check to judge precise efficiency, which offers sensible values by working on a regular basis duties sequentially.

Scoring 7,976, the A9 simply lands within the prime shirt. For comparability, the Asus ZenE-book 14 OLED with its Ryzen 7 7730U processor scores a complete of 6,722 factors. This reveals simply how the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 stacks up towards Qualcomm and Intel CPUs.

Christoph Hoffmann

The Geekom A9 Max scores 3,279 factors in 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light benchmark, putting it within the “good” vary and barely above common. It additionally performs solidly within the Time Spy benchmark, with 3,701 factors.

Christoph Hoffmann

The M.2 NVMe SSD from Lexar delivers a learn pace of 6,242 MB/s and a write pace of 5,423 MB/s within the Crystal Disk Mark benchmark. This is an above common worth for a PCIe 4.0 SSD. By comparability, the retrofitted Crucial P310 SSD 2 TB achieves even larger speeds, with 7,000 learn and 4,614 MB/s write.

Christoph Hoffmann

Another focal point is the twin Ethernet setup with 2 x 2.5 Gbit/s ports. In quick, there’s no pace enhance kind utilizing a single LAN port; the principle benefit is the flexibility to connect with two wired networks in parallel.

Regarding pace, we related the A9 Max to the community utilizing two class eight community cables and used Windows File Explorer to repeat a video file of practically 5.8 GB to and from the Ugreen NAS DX4800 Plus, which additionally has two 2.5 Gbit/s ports.

The common bandwidth was 278 MB/s, whether or not one or each Ethernet ports had been related. The NAS Performance Tester produced comparable outcomes, recording common speeds of 276.04 MB/s for studying and 289.09 MB/s for writing.

Christoph Hoffmann

Geekom A9 Max: Conclusion

The Geekom A9 Max is an effective selection for customers searching for AI capabilities and above-average efficiency. With its complete options and multi-monitor assist, the mini PC is well-suited for workplace use and in addition appeals to builders and graphic designers.

Geekom’s pricing coverage, nonetheless, is considerably unlucky. In the U.S., the A9 Max is presently goes for $999, which is down from its authentic $1,199. That’s not a foul low cost proper there, however you may even see the worth fluctuate as a result of occasional promotion on Geekom’s web site.