Geekom A7 mini PC review

Geekom A7 mini PC: 30-second review

The Geekom A7 mini PC instantly feels like a premium Mini PCs, with its all-metal casing. Taking a closer look and features such as the SD card on the side instantly highlight that this is more than your standard, space-saving Mini PC.

Unlike many of the best mini PCs we've tested, the high-quality build is complemented by a wide selection of ports on the back, and these are joined by further port options on the front, as well as that SD card slot, already mentioned on the side, highlighting that this is a machine aimed at creatives, gamers, and high-end users.

On arrival the machine comes installed with Windows 11 Pro, and through the set-up process and running of the first few apps the speed impresses, from the quick boot time and easy handling of applications such as Photoshop and Premiere Pro including some of the best video editing software. Switching over to a bit of gaming and Cyberpunk 2077 and the gaming performance is pretty decent, although some adjustments to quality settings are necessary for smooth gameplay. For instance, Tekken 8 benchmarks at a score of 287 showing that while this Mini PC is good, it's best gaming performance requires mid-range settings. Cyberpunk, when set to Medium graphics at 4K, is playable despite occasional glitches. However, lowering the resolution to 1080p while boosting graphics settings enables far smoother gameplay.

In everyday use, the A7 runs all Office applications with absolute ease. If you're a creative professional then you'll appreciate the ultra-fast USB Type-C ports for quick data transfer to and from large-capacity external storage devices. Additionally, the dual HDMI ports enable easy dual monitor setup, with the option for further expansion through USB ports.

Our review unit came equipped with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD M.2 storage, which as a starting point will suit most users. With the option to expand the RAM up to 64GB, and plenty of connection options this compact machine offers potential for high demand users.

Geekom A7 mini PC: Price & availability

The Geekom A7 is available in several configurable options. The model reviewed features an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS with Radeon Graphics, while a slightly more affordable version comes with the Ryzen 7 7840HS, also equipped with AMD 780M graphics. Both variants can be customised with either 32GB or 64GB of RAM and a choice of 1TB or 2TB of SSD storage. These configurations can be purchased on Amazon, the Geekom website, and numerous other retailers.

• In the US? The Geekom A7 mini is available from Geekom by clicking here or from Amazon by clicking here - save $20 with code techradara7
• In the UK? Get it direct from Geekom by clicking here - save £20 with code techradara7

• Score: 4/5

Geekom A7 mini PC: Design & build

The first thing you notice about the A7's build quality is the metal casing, which looks great and is contrasted with a standard plastic base. This stylish design makes it suitable for home, office, or workshop use, while the build quality will ensure that it's robust, which is especially important in the workshop, but also means if you need to transport the A7 between home and work, then it's more than durable to do so.

One notable feature of the design is the volume of ports at the back; this choice enables connection to a wide variety of devices via HDMI, USB Type-A, and C, along with a direct network connection. This feature is particularly useful for creative users like photographers and videographers who need fast network transfer rates to NAS and other storage devices. The addition of a built-in SD card reader on the side is another feature that will appeal to photographers and content creators, enabling the quick download of image and video files.

While the mini PC comes with a range of hardware options for RAM and SSDs when you buy it, both can be upgraded as your needs and budget allow. Access to the hardware is straightforward, requiring the removal of the small rubber feet and unscrewing four small screws to detach the plastic base. Under this, a metal plate adds an extra layer of protection to the electronics and also forms part of the internal cooling system. This plate, held in place by another four screws, can be removed to access the SSD and RAM directly.

A large fan is positioned at the top of the machine; again, this is all part of the cooling system that's designed to keep on top of the heat generated by the CPU and GPU. Similar to other high-performance mini PCs we've recently reviewed, this fan is designed large so that it runs quietly, all hopefully to ensure it doesn't distract from work, editing, and gaming.

• Design: 5/5

Geekom A7 mini PC: Features

The Geekom A7 is one of a new wave of powerful Mini PCs, that packs in hardware and performance that show that this compact form factor does more than just save desk space. The headline features here have to be the CPU and GPU, along with the connectivity options that will peak the interest of many professionals, creators, as well as everyday users.

The Ryzen 7000 Series CPU, is already known for its performance with a thermal design power (TDP) of up to 45W. This gives the machine a balance between performance and power consumption, ultimately meaning that if you use processor intensive applications such as those used for video editing, graphic design, or software development this machine will have what's needed.

Partnering the CPU is the AMD Radeon Graphics 780M, this is a mobile GPU that again already has a proven track record. While it can't match the power of a dedicated external GPU, it does provide a balanced solution making it ideal for video editing, graphic design, and mid-range gaming.

When it comes to RAM the A7 supports high-speed DDR5 memory in a dual-channel DDR5 5600MHz SODIMM configuration, this can be expanded up to 64GB, which is required for multitasking across applications. It also offers expandable storage options, supporting an M.2 2280 SSD for PCIe Gen4*4 (up to 2TB) or a more economical SATAIII SSD (up to 1TB), again this is something that will appeal to creatives and gamers both for the faster transfer speeds as well as the expanded storage options.

Another feature that will appeal to professional users are the volume of ports on the front and back of the machine, these include USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A/C, HDMI 2.0. Alongside these physical connection options are the wireless with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 support

When it comes to size as a Mini PC it is small at 112.4 x 112.4 x 37 mm and lightweight (420g) making it ideal if desk space is at a premium. Its durable metal case and small footprint also enable easy wall mounting or placement away from workshop tools and equipment.

Despite its compact size, the A7 is equipped with the Geekom 4.0 cooling system for heat management, this is cooling system is a combination of features including the large top-mounted fan and side venting to ensure the system remains cool even under intensive loads, that larger fan also helps to keep noise levels down when compared with smaller fan systems.

One way that the size is kept so small is due to using an external power supply rather than having one built in, this supports a 120W power draw which is needed for the higher processing performance, it's just a shame that there is no USB-C power delivery.
The Geekom mini PC is preinstalled with Windows 11 Pro and ready to go after the usual initial setup process.

• Features: 4.5/5

Geekom A7 mini PC: Performance

Through the performance test, the A7 demonstrated just how powerful the CPU/GPU combination is, putting in impressive performance across a range of applications and supported by its impressive test scores. For creative tasks, such as working in Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro, its GeekBench Multi score of 13,296 and a CineBench CPU Multi score of 19,835 show its ability to manage complex, CPU-demanding tasks. Practically, this translates to a decent performance when editing high-resolution images from the Canon EOS R5 in Photoshop or handling 4K video editing in Premiere Pro. High-speed DDR5 RAM is also available for layer manipulation and real-time footage preview, and the stock 32GB RAM was more than enough for the 4K edits used in this test.

In DaVinci Resolve, the GeekBench Compute score of 33,438 and Fire Strike Graphics score of 8,512 showcase the mini PC's abilities for colour grading and 4K video rendering—again highlighting the GPU power for demanding video editing and enabling an easy glitch free edit of the test 4K video files from the Canon EOS R5 C. If you've been on the lookout for a compact alternative to the best video editing PCs or even the best video editing laptops, this could be the mini PC for you. 

Content creation across the board, from video to photography, is good. The A7 comfortably handles Adobe Audition performance for track mixing and effect applications. 

Although not primarily a gaming rig, the A7's performance in creative applications is a good guide that it's gaming capabilities will be pretty decent. With a Time Spy Graphics score of 2,886, it supports casual to moderate gaming, although some graphics and effects will need to be tuned down. Games such as "Tekken 8" and "Cyberpunk" can be played in mid-range settings, requiring adjustments for smooth gameplay at higher resolutions.

In everyday use, the A7 runs Microsoft Office applications without issue; programmes are fast to load and respond quickly. A PC Mark score of 7,289 demonstrates that the A7 can manage word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and other office-related tasks with ease. The fast SSD, with Crystal Disk Read and Write speeds of 4908.63 MB/s and 4720.80 MB/s, is fast and ensures application loads quickly and files can be accessed quickly; this is especially handy when transferring image and video files via the SD card slot. This combination of high-speed memory, processing power, and fast storage all highlight the mini PC as a powerful, versatile computer that will suit a wide variety of user needs, from creative to everyday office work to casual gaming.

• Performance: 4/5

Should you buy the Geekom A7 mini PC?

The A7 from Geekom is a great option for creatives, professionals, and anyone looking for a compact and powerful computer. The small machine features a high-spec CPU and GPU, and through the test, these proved to provide excellent processing and graphics capabilities, which make it a perfect choice for demanding tasks like video editing, graphic design, and coding. When it came to gaming, the machine put in another impressive performance, but while the machine is good, it can't compete with a dedicated gaming PC, although you'll still get a decent gaming experience.

If you're a hardcore gamer or user who requires absolute graphical performance, then you may find that the A7 might not meet your needs compared to dedicated gaming and Creative PCs. However, considering the price, albeit at the higher end of the Mini PC price range, and performance in such a small form factor, this still makes the G7 a very attractive Mini PC for a wide range of users.

Value: Solid performance at a reasonable price. 4/5
Design: Compact, efficient, easy to place design. 5/5
Features: Versatile, with comprehensive connectivity and expansion options. 4.5/5
Performance: Strong in multitasking, moderate in gaming. 4/5
Total: Well-rounded, great choice for professionals and casual users. 4/5

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