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Geekom A8 mini PC review

The Geekom A8 is a no-fuss mini PC with plenty of grunt for everyday computing and less-demanding games.

GEEKOM A8 Mini PC
Geekom A8
4 out of 5 stars
4
Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS (16MB cache, up to 5.2GHz)
Max memory
64GB DDR5-5600
Max storage
2TB (M.2 SSD)
Nathan Lawrence
Jul 16, 2024
Icon Time To Read7 min read
Quick verdict: Geekom A8
The Geekom A8 packs a surprising amount of power into a mini PC form factor. There are two core options, both of which come with everything PC-wise to get started, including Windows 11 Pro preinstalled. Once you’ve connected the necessary peripherals, you should be ready to work or play in around 15 minutes. That said, at least one DisplayPort would be nice, and there are some seemingly random instances of fan noise, plus it’s not exactly built for gaming.
pro
Pros
pro Powerful innards
pro Competitive price
pro Easy to use
con
Cons
con No DisplayPort options
con Random instances of fan noise
con Not really a gaming mini PC

Even with Intel NUC exiting the mini-PC game that it helped to popularise, mini PCs are still a popular computer form factor. Case in point, the Geekom A8. After shifting its focus to mini PCs in 2021, Geekom hasn’t been shy of rolling out mini PC revisions. Geekom sent me an A8 model to review—the high-end AMD Ryzen 9 version—and I was left mostly impressed with the results. Scroll on for my full Geekom A8 review.

Geekom A8 value for money

Competitively priced for what’s on the inside ($1,499 RRP).

Mini PC enthusiasts will know that compact computers don’t always ship with all the hardware innards required to boot them up. Geekom sells ready-to-boot mini PCs, so all you need to add is a monitor, keyboard and mouse. In terms of pricing, less-compact gaming-centric mini PCs can cost north of $3,500 RRP.

While not as cheap as a barebones or entry-level NUC, both the Ryzen 7 ($1,299 RRP) and Ryzen 9 ($1,499 RRP) versions of the Geekom A8 are competitively priced. It’s worth spending the extra $200 for the Ryzen 9 version, too, for the faster processor and double the speedy M.2 storage capacity. According to the Geekom Australia store, both A8 models are covered by a 30-day refund-and-return policy and a three-year warranty.

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Geekom A8 special pricing

Geekom sent through some limit-time promotional pricing for the Geekom A8, with 5% off via the official Geekom Australia site and Amazon Australia. Just get in by 31 August 2024 to nab the pricing. Use ‘reviewA8’ for the Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 A8 on the Geekom Australia site. Alternatively, use ‘reviewJA8’ for the Ryzen 9 A8 on Amazon Australia or ‘reviewA8’ for the Ryzen 7 version.

Geekom A8 design and setup

Compact, plenty of ports but no DisplayPort connectivity.

Outside of the powerful innards, the Geekom A8 packs a wealth of ports into a tidy mini-PC case. In the box, you’ll find everything you need, including the mini PC, a generous-length power cable and even a mounting bracket (plus screws).

In terms of I/O ports, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-A ports on the front (including one with power delivery), alongside a 3.5mm stereo headset port and the power button. The right side has a grill pattern for airflow, and the left flank has the same grill broken up by a full-sized SD slot. On the back, there’s a healthy selection of ports to the right of the power slot:

  • HDMI 2.0 (x2)
  • Ethernet RJ45 2.5Gbps
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2 (type A)
  • USB 2.0 (type A)
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2 with power delivery (type C)
  • USB 4 Gen 3 with power delivery (type C)

About the only thing missing is some form of DisplayPort as far as monitor inputs are concerned. Admittedly, HDMI is more ubiquitous (and pretty much every monitor supports it), plus the A8 supports up to four monitors overall: two via HDMI and two via the USB-C back ports. I did most of my review with the Espresso Display 15 Touch as the main screen to complement the compact design (and it worked a treat).

In terms of initial setup, there weren’t any quirks. Connect a keyboard, mouse and monitor—I used a Logitech G502 X mouse and Asus ROG Claymore II keyboard via respective 2.4GHz dongles—then you hit the power button and go through the user configuration for Windows 11. It’s also a nice touch that Geekom has included a preinstalled Windows 11 Pro (instead of Home). Practically speaking, it took about 13 minutes from initial power on before the A8 was properly usable, and most of that was Windows installation time.

Info Box
What is Geekom?
Geekom is a multinational computer company that’s been around since 2003. Consider Geekom products if you’re in the market for a mini PC, USB hub or portable monitor.

Geekom A8 everyday computing

A compact and speedy operator with occasional noticeable fan noise.

There’s very little to nitpick with the Geekom A8 as an everyday computer. It takes about 12 seconds to boot to the Windows login screen. After you’re logged in, there may be some fan noise as the initial background apps load. In fairness, that noise was low-to-mid 40 decibels with fan noise measured about half a metre away from the A8.

I measured similar fan noises during stress testing with sound disabled which, impressively, is smidge above the noise you can expect in a library. At the time of review, there was a pre-release update that added three fan settings to the BIOS, which I didn’t use for most of my testing.

I’m a pretty heavy multitasker in my everyday computing, but the A8 never felt like it was lagging. In terms of specific stress tests, here are the benchmark scores for the A8 CPU and GPU:

  • Geekbench 6: 2,615 (single core CPU); 13,451 (multi-core CPU); 31,272 (GPU)
  • Cinebench R23: 1,818 (single core CPU); 16,230 (multi-core CPU)
  • Novabench CPU: 3,419 (overall); 2,167 (CPU); 329 (GPU); 426 (RAM); 497 (storage)

For context, those Cinebench CPU numbers were in the top five for single-core and multi-core scores. Impressively, some of those single-core CPU scores are better than Intel Core i9 laptops we’ve reviewed, with higher Geekbench scores than the Acer Predator Helios 3D gaming laptop, and only a smidge behind the double-the-RRP Lenovo Legion Pro 5i laptop. The GPU scores aren’t anything to write home about, but the A8’s AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics solution scored ahead of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Copilot Plus and HP Spectre x360 in Geekbench.

Info Box
Geekom A8 bios update
That aforementioned BIOS update may not be publicly available. If you’re reading this and can’t find the A8 bios update on the Geekom site, you may need to reach out to tech support for them to send you the update.

Geekom A8 gaming and versatility

Decent enough performance for 1080p gaming (with some disclaimers).

Unless you’re buying a noticeably bulkier gaming-centric mini PC, the form factor really isn’t built for playing the latest greatest games at high resolutions with the graphics maxed out. That said, you should still expect to play games at around 1080p with playable frame rates.

Initially, I had issues with every game crashing during my tests. The crashes went away when I shifted from the games-focused HYPR-RX mode with the preinstalled AMD Software. But the more stable fix came from an eventual AMD Software update. All of my game testing was done with the HYPR-RX mode re-enabled to gauge the best frame rates with minimal tweaking.

I’ve been obsessed with the Ghost of Tsushima Steam port lately, and it defaulted to a high preset for my tests. Performance was okay at 32 frames per second (fps) for native 1080p resolution, better with FSR 3 balanced mode enabled (44fps), then better still with FSR 3 frame-gen active (55fps). Admittedly, there was something buggy with the frame pacing for frame-gen, which made it feel choppy in my tests. According to my internet sleuthing, the FSR 3 frame-gen choppiness is an issue with the AMD anti-lag feature; disable it to get smoother frame rates.

Immortals of Aveum fared better with FSR 3 frame-gen enabled: from an unplayable 19fps at native 1080p resolution (low preset) to 48fps. My other recent obsession Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor had a very playable 63fps at native 1080p, while a custom Counter-Strike 2 map averaged the same. Elden Ring defaulted to 720p resolution—which the A8 upscaled to 1080p via a ‘Super Resolution’ feature—netting a tidy 51fps during my tests (vs 33fps at native 1080p).

Everspace 2, though, only managed a 29fps average on low settings during my tests. Finally, I tested another FSR 3 game in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. On low preset, it scored 32fps at native 1080p with the in-game benchmark, which paradoxically got worse with basic FSR 3 enabled (29fps). That said, FSR 3 with frame-gen enabled jumped to a very playable 49fps average.

Most of those frame rates and default quality presets aren’t anything to write home about, but they are playable for most games. Like Nvidia graphics cards with DLSS, the best results come from FSR 3 games that support frame-gen. Still, it’s good to know that the A8 is capable of some gaming, even if it clearly isn’t built for it. It’s also worth noting that the same BIOS update I didn’t apply for testing purposes reportedly optimises the graphics card memory, which could leave to better scores.

Info Box
AMD Super Resolution
AMD Super Resolution is a great feature for systems like the Geekom A8. It lets you get the potential fps perks of 720p resolution albeit outputted at 1080p, with decent results. The catch is the game has to be in exclusive fullscreen for the tech to work, and my tests had varying results. Avatar, for instance, didn’t seem to upscale at all. Counter-Strike 2 was somehow slower with 53fps at upscaled 720p-to-1080p resolution (vs the 63fps at native 1080p), and it was the same story for Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor: 56fps vs 63fps. But Ghost of Tsushima and Immortals of Aveum both impressed with 96fps (vs 55fps) and 79fps scores (vs 48fps).

Is the Geekom A8 worth buying?

A compact, easy-to-use and powerful mini PC.

If you’re in the market for a mini PC all-rounder, the Geekom A8 is definitely worth considering. Sure, it’s more built for everyday computing, but the price is competitive, the innards are powerful, and it’s got plenty of ports. While the gaming performance has a few disclaimers, this mini PC is still a viable choice for fans of older games, indie titles or anything less reliant on beefier graphics cards.

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How we review mini PCs

Our mini PC reviews start by comparing prices and specs to competitors on the market, noting the differences between the costs of barebones kits and ready-to-use models. We then take a closer look at the I/O situation, checking for the number and type of ports on the front and back.

After all, to start using a mini PC, you at least need two USB ports for a keyboard and mouse, plus at least one HDMI port (bonus points for more than one display input). We connect the necessary peripherals and scrutinise the onboarding experience: mini PCs are, after all, supposed to be user-friendly with minimum fuss.

Then it’s on to testing. These comprise a mix of everyday use, industry-standard benchmarking software and game tests. We make note of any issues, including excessive noise and/or heat as well as other quirks that may arise as part of everyday use.

Geekom A8 frequently asked questions

Geekom is a multinational computer company whose research and design facilities are headquartered in Taiwan.
Geekom was founded by Kom de Olde in 2003, and its focus on mini PCs started in 2021.
The best mini PC for gaming is something like the Minisforum Neptune HX99G (or similar). Mini PCs built for gaming tend to be noticeably larger than typical compact mini PCs like the Geekom A8, which is more comfortable with lower-spec 720p and 1080p gaming.
Nathan Lawrence
Written by
Nathan Lawrence has been banging out passionate tech and gaming words for more than 11 years. These days, you can find his work on outlets like IGN, STACK, Fandom, Red Bull and AusGamers. Nathan adores PC gaming and the proof of his first-person-shooter prowess is at the top of a Battlefield V scoreboard.

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