Today we are going to present the review of GEEKOM A7, a latest generation Windows mini PC that is renewed both outside and inside. Let’s see the details together!
Mini Windows PCs have been replacing normal desktops and even laptops for some time because they offer the right combination of power, compactness and convenience. One of the main players in the sector is certainly GEEKOM which is churning out increasingly interesting models. Today, in this review, we talk to you about GEEKOM A7, one of the most recent Windows mini PCs from the Taiwanese manufacturer. In addition to integrating the recent AMD 7000 series APUs with RDNA 3 GPUs, we are also faced with an important renewal in terms of design. So let’s analyze everything calmly!
Technical specifications
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS (8C/16T, fino a 5.2 GHz) o Ryzen 7 7840HS (8C/16T, fino a 5.1 GHz)
- based on Zen 4 architecture, made at 4nm
- Graphics: AMD Radeon 780M, RDNA 3
- Memory: Dual channel DDR5 5600MT/s, up to 64GB
- Storage: PCIe Gen4x4 up to 2TB or SATAIII Up to 1TB
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1 x USB 4 Gen3 Type-C
- 1 x HDMI 2.0
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x Front stereo 3.5mm headphone jack
- Operating system: Windows 11 Pro, compatibile con Linux
GEEKOM A7 review: design and construction
With this new mini PC, GEEKOM has decided to proceed a fairly important re-styling. Older models were based on a square design, with slightly rounded corners. In GEEKOM A7, the lines soften further and the curves immediately catch the eye. For the coloring, metal in its essence was chosen, slightly satin-finished to give that touch of elegance. The black plastic insert which houses the rear connection ports interrupts the aluminum monobloc. To tell the truth, this choice is a bit unexpected and is going to be a bit annoying the elegance of pure metal. I wouldn’t label it as a flaw though. You may like it or not, but in case it is not difficult to hide it being on the back.
The construction of the GEEKOM A7 is excellent. Being mainly constructed of metal, the case of this mini PC it is very solid. Great engineering work as always to fit all those high-end components into such a small space, just 0.47 litres! However, we noticed that the rubber feet are a little less stable compared to previous models. If you connect cables that are a little under tension, it’s easy for the mini PC to start slipping. Furthermore it’s a little bit harder to open the case and access the motherboard. However, we were surprised by the weight: this device it is very light and the 120W power supply is also very compact.
GEEKOM A7 review: performance analysis
The model we tested was equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS chip, with 8 cores and 16 threads that work up to 5.2 GHz, therefore a real multi-core monster. The new Zen 4 architecture should also guarantee excellent performance even in single core. Cinebench 2024 tells us 107 points in single core and 883 in multi core. We are therefore close to the performance of the Apple M1 series. Maybe we could have expected a little more, but still we can’t complain. Let’s look at our tests in more detail.
The temperature and frequency graphs tell us that, despite its size, this PC performs quite well. In single core, the frequencies oscillate between approximately 5 GHz and 3 GHz, allowing temperatures to be maintained around 60 degrees and reaching 70 degrees only at the end of the test. In multi core the frequencies remain around 4.2 GHz for about 6 minutes, and then go to 4 GHz. in this case the temperatures reach close to 80 °C, but the slight reduction in frequencies brings the entire system back below 70 °C. Consumption always under 50 W. GEEKOM A7 It is therefore able to manage power and temperatures in an excellent way.
The installed memory is really very fast in sequential reading and writing, while it struggles a little more with random access. Finally regarding the integrated GPU, it manages to run FHD content well even with high details. However, playing at a higher resolution is still utopian for this type of device.
GEEKOM A7 review: user experience
Overall, using the GEEKOM A7 is extremely pleasant. Since it is very compact, it fits on any desk. The wide range of connection ports allows you to connect any peripheral: from the monitor (or monitors, it would be better to say) to the keyboard. Then we also have ports enabled for fast charging of our devices.
On this mini Windows PC we can spin just about anything. No problems with the office suite obviously, but not even with photo editing or 3D modeling software (at an amateur level obviously), but even video editing won’t be a big problem thanks to the integrated GPU which is quite powerful. Staying on the GPU topic, but you can play? The answer is yes. Fairly modern games with medium-high details will run at 30 fps in FHD. We are talking about titles like GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077 or Far Cry 6. Obviously less demanding games like DOTA 2 can also run above 60 fps.
Overall, therefore, we have in our hands a complete mini PC that allows you to do a bit of everything, with some certain limitations, but still For a car like this it’s an excellent result! For home or amateur use it is more than sufficient. Also for smart working or office work. For creatives it can be a good solution, depending on your needs (if you edit very often and very heavy videos perhaps not). And you can also enjoy some good games. What more can we ask for?
Conclusions
Overall, GEEKOM A7 satisfied us from several points of view. This is a compact mini Windows PC. elegant and very light it can easily replace a desktop PC or laptop. The performance is sufficient to guarantee fluidity for the main productivity and creativity applications, with the sole exception of heavy video editing. However, it is fine for non-intense use. Difficult to find substantial flaws. Maybe the case is a little less stable and accessible? Or the slight thermal throttling? Or perhaps the CPU which is not a miracle compared to previous models? But perhaps I wouldn’t call them real flaws. You can purchase GEEKOM A7 from the official website or from the Amazon box below, ad a price starting from 829 euros. Well, perhaps the fairly high price compared to previous generations is the main flaw! That’s all from the hardware section, keep following us!
Points in favor
- Excellent construction
- Satisfactory performance
- Good integrated GPU
- Complete connectivity
- Compactness and weight
Points against
- High price
- CPU a little subdued
- Less accessible motherboard