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A good price for a budget gaming laptop

Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: 30-second review

The Geekom A9 Max is a stylish, premium-styled mini PC that incorporates the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with NPU and integrated AMD graphics. It is a small, stylish machine that has been designed to handle general office work, AI workloads and applications that utilise an AI, such as CoPilot or Photoshop, are given a generative boost.

As I've seen from this line of mini PCs before, the machine is well equipped, with the review sample arriving with 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD that backs up the powerful CPU and integrated GPU. Sure enough, through the test, it proved to be an exceptional office-focused machine with more than enough power to handle heavy-duty day-to-day tasks, such as Microsoft Office and more intensive applications to a point.

The speed of handling large files and browsing documents on a 4K monitor all worked well within the processing abilities of this small machine. I also liked the fact that there were plenty of connectivity options, with LAN ports enabling me to plug directly into my NAS as well as the network for increased transfer rates.

Other connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi 7, proved robust, although I did have a few connection issues with the Eero 6 router. Once swapped to an updated Wi-Fi 7 network, the connection transformed in speed and reliability.

In use, the machine handled 1080p video editing in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with ease. However, as I started to tackle a couple of 4K video edits, it became apparent that although the CPU was capable, the integrated GPU slightly held it back.

For social media edits, the machine proved superb, offering plenty of power and flexibility, especially in CapCut. One aspect I liked about the design, especially if you need to handle larger files, is the ability to install a secondary M.2 SSD to boost internal storage.

The volume of connection options came in handy, enabling easy integration within an office or studio setup, with four USB ports in a line across the front. Working in the creative sector, it's also always nice to see an SD card slot at the side to quickly offload image and video files.

By the end of the test, I was genuinely impressed with the performance. It handled Windows, Office, and creative applications with relative ease, up to a certain point, where the GPU seemed to hold back its potential.

A key feature of this machine is that it's enhanced for any application that has AI integration, such as Photoshop, Copilot, Zoom, Teams background blur, noise cancellation, and real-time translation. During testing, I used the AI NPU in Photoshop and Lightroom for AI-powered selection, upscaling, and background removal.

The AI CPU also supports running local machine learning models and your own AI test bench, if that's your thing.

I finished the test with a bit of gaming. The limitations of the GPU became more apparent at this point. While gaming at 1080p was OK, once graphics were enhanced and resolution increased, frame drops became noticeable. Lighter games like DiRT Rally ran fine and were playable.

However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle required all graphics settings to be reduced, and even then, there were still occasional image breakups.

It was clear this stylish machine has been finely tuned for office and creative space use. It's an ideal option with robust connectivity options and enough power for day-to-day office tasks and a bit more. It can handle many standard creative tasks, such as video editing and image enhancement, without many issues. Only when stepping up to high-resolution, high-bitrate 4K video did its limits become clear.

If you're in the market for one of the best mini PC units, with high-quality, high-performance for the home or office, then the Geekom A9 Max is a superb option.

Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $999 / £999
• When is it out? Now
• Where can you get it? Widely available

The GEEKOM A9 Max AI Mini PC is available directly from Geekom US for $999 and Geekom UK for £999 at time of review. This includes 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB PCIe SSD.

It's also available from most major online retailers, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M
RAM: 32GB Dual Channel DDR5-5600 SODIMM (128GB MAX)
Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 SSD, 1 x M.2 2230 SSD
Front Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3.5mm stereo headphone
Rear Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt mode / PD, USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt mode, 2 x RJ45, 2 x HDMI 2.1, DC
Side Ports: SD Card slot
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Audio: 3.5mm Audio in
Camera: N/A
Size: 1135 x 132 x 46.9 mm
OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro
Accessories: VESA Mount

The A9 Max is a premium mini PC with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis, offering a durable and sleek aesthetic. Lifting it out of the box, there's no doubt this machine has a distinct premium feel.

It measures 135 x 132 x 46.9 mm, making it fairly average in size for this style of computer, and with a slightly heavier weight, it feels more substantial than many cheaper mini PCs on the market.

The premium build and extensive connectivity pitch this mini PC towards professional and mid-to-high-end home environments. It wouldn't look out of place in any design studio with its minimalistic design.

One feature that's instantly apparent over many other mini PCs is the sheer volume of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. Around the body of the machine, there's a row of four USB-A ports across the front, all of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2. The rest of the front is relatively minimalistic with just a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack.

On the side, there's an SD card 4.0 slot to quickly download files from your camera or other devices.

Around the back, there's another USB 3.2 Gen 2 alongside a USB-A and USB 2.0. Also present are two USB 4.0 ports, one of which supports PD power. These are joined by two RJ45 networking ports, two HDMI 2.1 FRL ports, and the DC-in socket.

Inside, once opened, both RAM and storage are upgradeable. The RAM is dual-channel DDR5 5600 MHz, upgradeable to 128 GB. Storage includes two M.2 2280 SSD NVMe Gen 4 slots, and our review sample came pre-installed with 2 TB.

The aluminium chassis also contributes to cooling, integrating with a large heatsink, heat pipes, and a fan. While not fanless, the cooling system is necessary for the powerful CPU, NPU, and GPU.

A VESA mount is included, so it can be wall-mounted or attached to the back of a monitor.

Ultimately, the A9 Max offers a stunning minimalistic design that offers plenty of processing power, connectivity and a boost in performance for applications that support AI.

• Design: 5 / 5

Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)

The core highlight of this machine is its AI potential. Alongside the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, there's an integrated AMD Radeon 890M GPU and NPU powered by the XDNA 2 engine. This offers up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance and a total AI acceleration of 77–80 TOPS, ideal for Copilot, local LLMs, object detection, voice recognition, and any AI-integrated applications such as Windows 11 and Adobe Photoshop with generative features.

On the back, display options include two HDMI and two USB4 ports, supporting up to 8K monitor output.

The machine also offers ample flexibility for upgrades. Dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM slots can be upgraded to 128 GB, and the two PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD slots support up to 8 TB, which is substantial for a machine of this size.

Network connectivity is also good with Wi-Fi 7 and dual LAN for fast wired and wireless connections, making it suitable for both setups and streaming. The fact that it comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro means that it's ready to be used as part of a mid to large scale business, but if you're not a Windows fan it will also support alternative operating systems such as Ubuntu.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)

CrystalDiskMark Read: 6234.88MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 5371.08MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 15190
Geekbench CPU Single: 2938
Geekbench GPU: 41100
PCMark Overall: 7638
Cinebench CPU Multi: 20802
Cinebench CPU Single: 2026
Fire Strike Overall: 8631
Fire Strike Graphics: 9396
Fire Strike Physics: 30023
Fire Strike Combined: 3222
Time Spy Overall: 3622
Time Spy Graphics: 3284
Time Spy CPU: 10559
Wild Life Overall: 19157
Steel Nomad Overall: 546
Windows Experience Overall: 8.2

Getting started with the Geekom A9 Max is straightforward. Simply run through the Windows 11 Pro setup, which takes around five to ten minutes, then after the updates, it's ready for your choice of applications to be installed.

Windows 11 Pro runs extremely smoothly from the outset, with the only issue I encountered being the wireless connectivity with my Eero 6 router. After switching to a Wi-Fi 7 router, both speed and reliability significantly improved, suggesting a conflict between the A9 Max and the Eero 6, which I've experienced before with Wi-Fi 7-enabled machines.

Running Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office applications went without issue. Using Microsoft Word with Copilot was fast and responsive, and that performance was pretty much reflected across all Office applications. In Adobe Photoshop, the generative fill feature processed quickly with good results.

Because applications were able to use the local AI CPU and NPU, there was no reliance on cloud-based AI, essentially helping to speed up the amount of processing time, especially with the Adobe Creative Apps, compared to machines that aren't AI-enhanced.

The performance in Photoshop and Lightroom was impressive and far smoother than I expected for a machine of this size, which led me on to testing higher resolution video. Using CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, initially for a simple 1080p edit with effects, the A9 Max handled everything smoothly. The 2 TB SSD and fast transfer speeds meant it could manage social media and small-scale video production, making it ideal for small-scale creative work.

However, when working with 4K footage shot on a Sony A7 IV, the GPU began to show its limits. Fans ramped up under load, timeline rendering slowed, and clip import times increased. That said, for a small form factor, performance remained impressive, and fan noise was generally well managed.

In gaming tests, DiRT Rally performed well, though it isn't graphically demanding. Tekken 8 also played well, though effects had to be reduced; however, when it came to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the performance was less fluid, with dropped frames and occasional stuttering. The gaming highlighted how the integrated GPU is adequate for light gaming, but not for graphics-intensive titles.

Benchmark results confirmed real-world impressions. Windows 11 Pro and Office are performing well, reflected in a PCMark score of 7638 and a Windows Experience Index of 8.2, both typical for premium mini PCs. Office applications such as Excel and PowerPoint loaded quickly and allowed for fast multitasking, thanks to strong Geekbench CPU single and multi-core scores.

Creative applications also performed well as a whole, with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom running smoothly, and the Geekbench GPU score of 41100 highlighted the machine's potential for mid-range graphics processing.

SSD speeds were particularly impressive, with a read speed of 6234 MB/s and a write speed of 5371 MB/s. These speeds helped with video editing, especially when handling larger files.

In Premiere Pro, 1080p editing went well, but at 4K, performance dropped as effects were applied. DaVinci Resolve was less stable overall and demanded more from the graphics system. While usable at 1080p, the experience was definitely less fluid as I had to wait for the renders to catch up.

By the end of testing, it was clear that the A9 Max is very capable for Windows 11 Pro, Office, and general productivity tasks. With internal upgrades available, there's good potential. Even the base 32 GB RAM and 2 TB storage are enough for social media editing at 1080p. It's worth noting that, like other Geekom machines of this level, replacing the RAM and SSD is relatively easy; simply take off the base, remove the antenna wires, and then remove the next plate to gain access. While some machines enable you to leave the antenna wires in place, here there isn't quite enough length, and if you do leave them in place, they'll disconnect from the wireless card, and refitting them can be a tedious and painstaking task.

Through the test the speed of the machine generally impressed with the only significant slowdown occurring during editing of high-bitrate 4K footage from a mirrorless camera. Standard 4K from a smartphone was manageable, though it has lower data rates by comparison.

In gaming, performance was average. The machine is clearly designed more for work than play. The extensive connectivity, four front USB-A ports, USB4 at the back, and dual LAN make integration into an office network easy, making it a great office-based solution.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)

The Geekom A9 Max is a great mini PC that looks fantastic, with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis that fits perfectly in any office or studio.

Its standout features include build quality and upgradeability, essentially as your needs grow, internal storage and RAM can be increased. For multimedia editing, more RAM would help with higher-bitrate video and effect-heavy workflows. Storage can also be expanded from 2 TB up to 8 TB, reducing the need for external drives.

The dual LAN ports allow high-speed connections to a local network or NAS. For small office setups, this is a real advantage, although it's worth noting that LAN speeds are capped at 2.5 GbE, rather than the 5 or 10 GbE you might expect in a premium system.

If you find yourself regularly plugging and unplugging accessories, the row of front USB-A ports is a big time-saver; however, it's a shame there's no USB-C on the front for faster devices.

I also liked the fact that there's the inclusion of the SD card reader, which makes it easy to quickly offload image and video files to the internal SSD, which offers exceptionally fast read/write speeds and helps significantly in workflows involving large files or media.

By the end of testing, it was clear this is a premium-level office machine. There are some omissions, such as the lack of a front USB4 port or faster LAN, but for its main purpose as an office-based machine, it delivers.

Should I buy a Geekom A9 Max Mini PC?

Value

A great machine that is a perfect solution for office use, though the quality does come with a price premium

4

Design

The solid CNC-machined aluminium chassis looks fantastic and feels incredibly robust

5

Features

With AMD's latest CPU, NPU, and GPU all integrated into a single chip, this machine is office-ready

4.5

Performance

With AMD's latest CPU, NPU, and GPU all integrated into a single chip, this machine is office-ready

4.5

Overalls

A great option for any office, especially if you use Copilot or other applications that utilise AI integration

4.5

Buy it if...

You want an AI-ready PC

The latest CPU with NPU enables full use of AI services through local processing, which helps speed up results and improve workflow.

You need a future-proof option.

With the latest CPU, USB4, and Wi-Fi, this system includes new technologies that should remain relevant for years.

Don't buy it if...

You need discrete GPU performance.

The integrated graphics are good, but for high-end creative tasks or gaming, a dedicated GPU is still preferable.

You're on a tight budget.

This is a premium mini PC with premium pricing. Entry-level models may offer better value depending on your needs.

For more professional-level tech, we've tested the best business computers and best business laptops around.

Packing in the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU with integrated NPU and Radeon 890M graphics, the GEEKOM A9 Max has plenty to offer, making it an ideal option for professionals, creators, and the latest generation of AI-enhanced enthusiasts.

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