Mini PCs with Advanced AI Capabilities Shake Up the Market

The Geekom mini PC blew me away with its AI muscle

Desktop PCs have been under my desk for almost 30 years. Early last year, after issues with the Intel Core i9-14900KF, the CSL VenomBox was my first mini PC, and I haven't regretted it. As I want to stay up-to-date with AI, I needed a suitable mini PC. I chose the Geekom A9 Max with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, which is a moderate performance upgrade over the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS in the CSL VenomBox, while also providing the necessary AI support and updated connectivity. The A9 Max mini PC, which has only been available for a few weeks, was unveiled at CES earlier this year. Geekom packs the hardware into an attractively designed metal housing that's supposed to withstand up to 200 kilograms of pressure. We haven't tested this claim, but we can attest to the high stability of the housing. With dimensions of 135 x 132 x 46.9 millimeters, the A9 Max fits easily on any desk. It can also be attached to the back of a monitor using a VESA mount, which doesn't make sense with my setup with three 27-inch monitors on a single rail. As is typical for a mini PC, there are connections available on the front and rear, although the computer's orientation on the desk doesn't really matter. The front is marked by the on/off switch. Geekom hasn't been stingy with ports and leaves nothing to be desired: supporting up to four monitors with 8K, there are two USB4 ports with DisplayPort 1.4 each, plus two HDMI 2.1 ports. One highlight is the two 2.5 Gbit Ethernet ports, which become useful when paired with a compatible router or switch and a NAS, such as the Ugreen DX4800 Plus (more on this later). There are also additional USB ports, totaling eight in various versions-from USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 4.0 Type-C. This setup also allows storage devices to be connected at high speed. At the heart of the Geekom A9 Max is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a high-end processor from the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series, developed for both laptops and desktops. It has 12 cores (4 × Zen 5 and 8 × Zen 5c) and supports up to 24 threads thanks to SMT. AMD's Radeon 890M graphics and an integrated AI engine deliver up to 80 TOPS in total, 50 TOPS of which come via the NPU, meaning the CPU is specifically designed for AI applications and acceleration. The system in includes 32 GB of DDR5 RAM (5,600 MT/s) in two 16 GB modules. A single 32 GB module would have been more favorable for a future upgrade to 64 GB, since both modules would otherwise need to be replaced. The manufacturer is Wodposit Technology from Shenzhen, China-little is known about the company itself, but it has been a hardware partner of Geekom for some time. The NVMe SSD installed in our A9 Max has a 2 TB capacity and comes from Lexar, labeled LNQ7A1X002T. It's also possible that SSDs from other manufacturers are used in other A9 units. There is a short M.2 interface (M.2-2230) for an additional SSD, though the choice of compatible drives is limited. For our upgrade, we opted for the Crucial P310 SSD 2 TB M.2. The A9 Max comes with a hardware-bound license for Windows 11. When booting the mini PC for the first time, the Windows installation begins, the Windows installation begins and takes around 50 minutes. Updates are loaded during the set-up, but Windows offers further updates later on. In our test setup, a 27-inch Dell monitor is connected to the A9 Max, along with a wired Cherry keyboard and a Microsoft mouse with dongle. The mini PC is connected to the network via an Ethernet cable to the 2.5 Gbit/s BrosTrend 8X switch. We won't go into further detail about Windows, but we observed that many of the operating system's AI features are supported. Given the strong hardware for a mini PC in this price range, we were eager to see the performance test results. We used the PCMark 10 benchmark test to evaluate actual performance, which provides realistic values by running everyday tasks sequentially. Scoring 7,976, the A9 easily lands in the top shirt. For comparison, the Asus ZenBook 14 OLED with its Ryzen 7 7730U processor scores a total of 6,722 points. This shows just how the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 stacks up against Qualcomm and Intel CPUs. The Geekom A9 Max scores 3,279 points in 3DMark's Steel Nomad Light benchmark, placing it in the "good" range and slightly above average. It also performs solidly in the Time Spy benchmark, with 3,701 points. The M.2 NVMe SSD from Lexar delivers a read speed of 6,242 MB/s and a write speed of 5,423 MB/s in the Crystal Disk Mark benchmark. This is an above average value for a PCIe 4.0 SSD. By comparison, the retrofitted Crucial P310 SSD 2 TB achieves even higher speeds, with 7,000 read and 4,614 MB/s write. Another point of interest is the dual Ethernet setup with 2 x 2.5 Gbit/s ports. In short, there's no speed boost form using a single LAN port; the main advantage is the ability to connect to two wired networks in parallel. Regarding speed, we connected the A9 Max to the network using two category eight network cables and used Windows File Explorer to copy a video file of nearly 5.8 GB to and from the Ugreen NAS DX4800 Plus, which also has two 2.5 Gbit/s ports. The average bandwidth was 278 MB/s, whether one or both Ethernet ports were connected. The NAS Performance Tester produced similar results, recording average speeds of 276.04 MB/s for reading and 289.09 MB/s for writing. The Geekom A9 Max is a good choice for users seeking AI functions and above-average performance. With its comprehensive features and multi-monitor support, the mini PC is well-suited for office use and also appeals to developers and graphic designers. Geekom's pricing policy, however, is somewhat unfortunate. In the U.S., the A9 Max is currently goes for $999, which is down from its original $1,199. That's not a bad discount right there, but you may see the price fluctuate due to the occasional promotion on Geekom's website.

I tested out the Bosgame M5 AI - and it takes your expectations about what a mini PC can do and detonates them just for fun

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. With its advanced AI capabilities and sleek design, the Bosgame M5 AI perched eagle-like to redefine the standards of performance and versatility in the market. One of the first mini systems we've seen using the new AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, which breaks new ground in processing power and integrated video performance. The silicon used here is a significant leap forward, as it enables the device to expand into markets that were previously exclusive to desktop PCs. Professionals, gamers, and tech enthusiasts can now enjoy the same level of performance and power on the go, without being tethered to a bulky desktop setup. This portability does not come at the expense of performance, as the Bosgame M5 AI is equipped with cutting-edge hardware that ensures seamless multitasking, fast processing speeds, and exceptional graphics capabilities. When compared to other products in this sector, the Bosgame M5 AI stands out for several reasons. Firstly, its AI capabilities are unparalleled. The device is designed to learn and adapt to the user's preferences and habits, making it more intuitive and user-friendly over time. This level of personalisation is not commonly found in other products, giving the Bosgame M5 AI a distinct edge. Secondly, the Bosgame M5 AI boasts a sleek and modern design that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Its compact size makes it easy to carry around, while its robust build ensures durability. In terms of performance, the Bosgame M5 AI is a powerhouse. It is equipped with the latest processors, ample RAM, and high-speed storage options, making it capable of handling even the most demanding tasks with ease. Whether you are editing videos, playing graphics-intensive games, or running complex simulations, the Bosgame M5 AI delivers top-notch performance consistently. Moreover, the Bosgame M5 AI is designed with the future in mind. It supports the latest connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 7 and USB4, ensuring that it remains compatible with emerging technologies. This forward-thinking approach sets it apart from other products that may become obsolete as technology evolves. As you might expect for a machine on its own level, this isn't a budget option, but it isn't costly either. With its unique combination of compact design, expandability and power, the Bosgame M5 AI is obviously one of the best mini PC machines available. Still, other makers are already progressing their plans with this platform. The Bosgame M5 AI Mini Desktop is available in various regions via the maker's website, with two basic SKUs that are differentiated only by the amount of RAM. The cheapest option has 96GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, priced at $ 1,489.14, while its 128GB counterpart, also with 2TB of storage, costs $1,699.76 in the USA. The UK prices for those two options are £1,103 and £1,259. And in the EU, € 1,277.65 and € 1,458.35 are the asking prices. That makes this one of the most expensive mini PC systems we've covered at TechRadar Pro, but cutting-edge technology often carries a premium. However, this isn't the only system using this platform. GMKtec has its EVO-X2 design, and Beelink has the GTR9 Pro. The GMKtec EVO-X2 with 128GB and 2TB is $1999, and the Beelink GTR9 Pro of the same spec is $1985. In comparison, that makes the Bosgame M5 AI something of a bargain. And, those two alternative products aren't shipping yet, both being on pre-order. We can only hope that with more competition, AI Max+ 395 systems drop to around $1500 in the next few months. The Bosgame M5 AI isn't a NUC-sized mini system, or even close. It's a slightly curious 200mm square 50mm thick sandwich with an aluminium case that's silver on the top and bottom and black in the middle. Angling on the corners gives it a games console vibe, and it comes with a foot that enables the machine to be placed vertically. Feet on the underside also allow it to go flat, but Bosgame didn't make any VESA mounting for it to be attached to a monitor. The metal walls have numerous slots in them, indicating that cooling was a concern of the designers, and fans pump air through them to help keep temperatures within reasonable limits. The front has the standard USB ports, with one USB4 and two USB 3.2 Gen 2, an audio jack, power button, SD card 4.0 reader and a performance button. Pressing the performance button cycles through three modes with a colour graphic on the screen to show which one you are in. The green flower icon shows the machine is set to silent, the amber icon shows that performance and noise are in balance, and there is a red performance mode that I used for benchmarking. Interestingly, it hardly made a sound in balanced mode, and even in performance mode, it wasn't exceptionally audible until the system was heavily benchmark-stressed. On the rear is another USB4, another USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, a second audio jack and a single 2.5GbE LAN port. On such a powerful machine, a 10GbE LAN port might have been expected, but you could always add one of those using one of the USB4 ports. By subverting the USB4 ports and using both the HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, it is possible to drive four monitors from this system. Most mini systems these days disassemble for internal access, but the construction of this one makes that a much less desirable exercise. To avoid users dismantling it, Bosgame engineered an access panel on the underside. Removing a single tiny screw will open this panel, revealing the two full-sized M.2 slots, one being occupied by a 2TB Kingston drive pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro. There are no memory slots, as the 8000MHz DDR5 used in this system is soldered to the mainboard, which is something to consider when you choose a 96GB or 128GB model. The only other external feature of note is a touch-sensitive button on the top that activates an RGB lighting system for the front facia. Conveniently for business users, this is off by default, but if you want some colourful lighting, it is merely a touch away. Overall, the designers of this machine tried to be different without alienating the potential customer base, and generally succeeded. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a powerhouse designed to meet the demands of modern computing, particularly in the realms of AI, gaming, and professional workloads. It boasts 16 cores and 32 threads, has a standard clock speed of 3GHz, but can turbo boost up to 5.1GHz. The high core and thread count make it ideal for multitasking, running complex simulations, and handling large datasets. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is not just about raw power; it also integrates advanced AI capabilities, making it a perfect choice for developers and researchers working on machine learning and AI projects. When you compare this to the best Intel is offering with the Core Ultra 200 series, there is no point of intersection. With the Arrow Lake-H generation, Intel offers sixteen cores and threads, whereas AMD's sixteen Zen 5 cores can process thirty-two threads simultaneously. But, whereas Intel has only six performance cores, the rest are for efficiency, all of the AMD cores can be performance. It's worth noting that these are both mobile chips meant for laptop use, but the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 seems much better suited to the less power-limited environment of a mini PC. When it comes to memory technology, the Bosgame M5 AI Mini PC does not disappoint. It supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM, clocked at an impressive 8000MHz. LPDDR5X technology is known for its low power consumption and high efficiency, making it perfect for a compact system like the M5. The memory is dynamically shared with the GPU, enhancing both multitasking and graphics performance with increased bandwidth. The integrated Radeon 8060S GPU is, for this reviewer, the standout feature of the Bosgame M5 AI Mini PC. Based on AMD's RDNA 3.5 architecture, this GPU comes with 40 compute units and delivers performance comparable to an RTX 4060 mobile variant. This makes it capable of handling next-gen gaming and high-end graphics tasks. The Radeon 8060S is designed to provide smooth visuals and powerful computing without the need for a dedicated GPU. This is particularly beneficial for users who need a compact system without compromising on graphics performance. The GPU also supports advanced AI workloads, making it a versatile choice for both gaming and professional applications. To put this in perspective, the latest Intel chips I've tested, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and Arc 140T GPU, are rated at 99 peak TOPS, with the NPU offering 48 TOPS. This falls dramatically short of the 126 TOPS that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 can muster. While the AMD NPU is only 50 TOPS, as an AI platform, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is head and shoulders above its Intel counterpart. Overall, the Bosgame M5 AI Mini PC is a compact yet powerful system that excels in processor performance, memory technology, and GPU capabilities. Whether you are a developer, gamer, or professional, this mini PC offers the performance and versatility you need to tackle any task. Buckle up, Intel fans, because things are going to get bumpy on this ride. For this comparison, I matched the Bosgame M5 AI against one of the best Intel designs, the GMKtec EVO-T1. The EVO-T1 is around $1000 with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, making it a more affordable option. However, we're testing performance in this section. To be brutally honest, there is only one single benchmark where the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H traded positively against the AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max, and that was single-core performance on CineBench24. Every other score is a win for AMD, and some of these victories should worry Intel severely. GMKtec did put a better NVMe drive in their system, but I could put a much better one in and fix that score easily. The truly crushing defeats come in anything that's graphics-related, since the Radeon 8060S is between triple and quadruple the performance of the Intel Arc Graphics 140T. Being able to compete with the mobile version of the RX4060 is genuinely impressive and moves integrated graphics as a whole to an entirely new level. While I didn't put the data here, this is the first integrated set that I've tested that could run the 3Dmark raytracing tests, Solar Bay and Port Royal. But what was most disturbing was that I compared it to the system I use to write. That's an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X desktop system with 32GB of DDR4 and an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. The M5 obliterated that desktop system, achieving just 8134 on 3Dmark Steel Nomad Lite, compared to 11201 on the M5. And, it wasn't much noisier doing that, even with liquid cooling. Therefore, I'd probably get more done if I ditched my PC and got an M5. But what left me dumbstruck was discovering that the M5 is faster than the Lenovo ThinkStation P3 Tower I reviewed a while ago, and that's sold as a Workstation! OK, you could add a high-spec discrete CPU to the Lenovo, and it would be quicker, but with its RTX A2000 12GB graphics card, it gets royally trounced by the Bosgame system. If power consumption is essential to you, I conducted some basic tests using the 3DMark Steel Nomad Lite bench as the running application. In Silent mode, it consumed about 86W. In Balanced mode, the power increased to 127W, and Performance mode required about 175W. When at idle, the machine took only 50-60W. Admittedly, that's more than a typical NUC system, but then this machine gets much more done than a machine that only uses 45W maximum. It appears that we've blindly stumbled over a significant moment in computing development, where the desktop system is revealed to be a paper-tiger, and the future belongs to much smaller installations. In whatever way some might wish to view these developments, the M5 AI is a beast of a system, irrespective of physical size. I've been complaining about AMD's failure to deliver its proper RX technology to its integrated GPUs for some time, as the 680M, 780M, and 880M didn't trace a parabolic curve of performance improvements. The Radeon 8060S is what I'd been asking for, or more than I thought AMD would provide. When combined with the Zen 5 architecture of the AMD Ryzen AI 395 Max, the M5 AI creates a performance level that makes even recent desktop systems look poor in comparison. What Bosgame has delivered is a no-compromise mini system that can be used for CAD, video editing, AI local models, and virtually any other application. Using it for Office applications is probably beneath it, but it can sling a few cycles in that direction. As for the rest of this system, I'm not a massive fan of the aesthetics, but it's not weirdly unpleasant either. It has enough USB4 to work with a docking station nicely, and enough USB to connect most things. A second LAN port would have been nice, but with USB4 ports available, it's not a show stopper. Should it have had OCulink? Maybe. But the onboard GPU will be good enough for many people, so it's not a necessity. At this point, the M5 AI is the breaking edge of a wave that will be rapidly followed by a veritable tsunami of Ryzen AI machines, tearing up the fabric of space and time as we've come to understand it. Those selling Intel mini systems need to be mindful of the coming storm, because not many people are going to want Core Ultra 200 series hardware once they've seen one of these in action.

GMKtec EVO T1 "Intel Core Ultra 9 285H" Mini PC Review: Strongest Arrow Lake Mini PC We've Tested With Triple M.2 Slots, OCULink & Dual Lan

GMKtec has been making Mini PCs for years now. They are based out of the technology hub of Shenzen, China, and have maintained strategic partnerships with AMD, Intel & Microsoft, and currently offer a wide array of solutions, all the way from entry-level to enthusiast-grade designs based on mobility chips from AMD & Intel. With the arrival of Intel's Arrow Lake, GMKtec launched its brand new EVO T1 series, a productivity powerhouse with up to 16 cores and strong IO capabilities. This solution packs Intel's top Arrow Lake-H mobility CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, and today is our first taste of this high-end laptop chip within a Mini PC platform. We've already found the 285H to be a strong CPU offering for laptops in our MSI Prestige AI EVO 16 review here, so it's going to be interesting to see how much performance the chip maintains in a Mini PC form factor. In terms of specifications, the GMKtec EVO T1 Mini PC is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU. This is the flagship processor within the Arrow Lake-H mobile lineup and has a lot to talk about, so let's get started. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU features 16 cores in total with 16 threads. These are a combination of 6 P-Cores, 8 E-Cores, and 2 LPE cores. The CPU has a base frequency of 2.9 GHz and boosts up to 5.4 GHz on the P-Cores, while the E-Cores have a base frequency of 2.7 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.5 GHz. The LPE cores clock in at 1 GHz base and 2.5 GHz boost clocks. The chip features a total of 24 MB cache and has a TDP rating of 45W at the base and 115W MTP (Maximum Turbo Power). The chip can also be configured down to 35W as its minimum assured power rating (shouldn't be mistaken with idle power). For the iGPU, Intel is using an upgraded version of its Alchemist architecture known as Alchemist+. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is configured with the Arc 140T GPU, which offers 8 Xe cores that clock up to 2.35 GHz and feature a maximum TOPS (INT8) rating of up to 77. The iGPU supports all the latest APIs and AI Frameworks, and since this is an upgraded Alchemist design, you will get newer Ray Tracing Units and even support for XMX, which is far better than the DP4a model on the older Alchemist-based iGPUs. This allows games with RT to run a bit faster, while XMX enables better support for AI-based upscaling methods such as XeSS and also supports XeSS2 Frame-Generation. On the NPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is equipped with an updated NPU2.7, which offers a peak TOPS (INT8) of 13 and supports all the latest AI frameworks such as OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX RT & WebNN. Compared to Meteor Lake, which offers 11 TOPS, the 13 TOPS NPU comes in at a slight upgrade, but Intel has stated in the past that offering the highest number of TOPS isn't that important; what's more important is to fully utilize the capabilities of the NPU and its available capabilities through software-centric optimizations. With the internals of the CPU covered, let's talk about the rest of the specifications. First, we have the memory, which comes in the form of 64 GB of DDR5 from ADATA. The DRAM modules that are rated at 5600 MT/s speeds can be upgraded up to 128 GB. GMKtec only offers 64 GB RAM configurations. Storage includes a 1 TB Crucial SSD, but there are three NVMe M.2 Gen4x4 slots which support up to 2 TB each or 8 TB in total on the EVO T1. The max configuration that GMKtec offers is 2 TB. IO includes 3 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port (PD/DP/DATA), 1 3.5mm Combo Jack for audio, a Clear CMOS Button, and a power button at the front. The rear IO includes 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 DP 1.4, 1 OCULINK (Gen4x4), 2 USB 2.0 Type-A, dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, a 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, & a 2.5mm charging port. The Mini PC comes with a 150W power adapter that boots it up. Talking a little bit about the BIOS, GMKtec offers three main profiles: a Silent mode rated at 45W, a balanced mode rated at 54W, and a Performance mode rated at 80W. There are also nifty overclock options such as memory tuning, graphics tuning within the BIOS, as can be seen below: The GMKtec EVO T1 comes inside a large light blue colored box with the "GMKtec" logo in the front. The back of the box has some basic specifications that list the specific configuration for this model. We got the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H variant with 64 GB of memory and 1 TB storage capacity. Within the box, you can find the Mini PC in its old compartment, along with a guide/warranty booklet, and two smaller boxes that hold the accessories. The accessories within these boxes include the power cable, power adapter, and an HDMI cable. The Mini PC comes with a GVE "GT155-1900780-F" power adapter, which offers up to 148.2W of power and has a standard input of 100-240V at 50/60Hz (2.5A). GMKtec's Mini PCs really do stand out from the rest of the market offerings, with a stylish dual-tone design. The front cover is all metallic with a gold hue, while the chassis is a mix of an outer plastic shell with an internal aluminum frame. The Mini PC is a bit on the chunky side, but for good reasons, as we will get to in a bit. There are three exhaust vents/ports on the EVO T1. One at the top, one at the bottom, and one below the Rear IO. These ensure that the PC receives adequate airflow and remains cool with higher heat dissipation through the vents. The front I/O on the GMKtec EVO T1 Mini PC comes with three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, a 3.5mm Combo audio jack, a Clear CMOS Button, and a Power On/Off button with LED. The back I/O on the GMKtec EVO T1 features 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 DP 1.4, 1 OCULINK Gen4x4 port, 2 USB 2.0 Type-A ports, dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports, a 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, and a 2.5mm charging port for the adapter. You can see the large vents on the back, too. The PC can be placed both vertically and horizontally. That is why the sides also have rubber feet to ensure stability on surfaces. The top also comes with a small vent, which is used to pull air in for the memory and SSDs. To access the internals, you have to unscrew the four feet at the bottom of the chassis. These are easy to remove. The first thing that you notice when removing the metal frame is the large 92mm fan that sits at the top. There are two fans within the EVO T1, one at the top which his a 92mm fan that has a maximum power of 0.15A and features RGB LEDs. This is one of the reasons the EVO T1 is a bit wider than the other PCs that we have tested. Removing the fan cover exposes the bottom of the motherboard, which houses the three Gen4x4 M.2 slots. One of them is populated with a Crucial 1 TB SSD and has a pre-attached heatsink. There are two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots, each populated by a 32 GB DDR5-5600 memory stick from ADATA, operating at 1.1V. The other side of the motherboard houses the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU and the power delivery. All of this is located under a large heatsink with a blower-style fan. The heatsink adopts a vapor chamber and is composed of several aluminum fins to which heat is transferred and dissipated by blowing the hot air out of the chassis through the back vents. We start by comparing the 3DMark CPU Profile tests, where the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 sits right below the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, though you are looking at twice the power input of that part, as the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 here consumes only up to 30W power, making it a very strong result for the red team. In Blender, we used the standard monster, junkshop, and classroom tests for evaluation. In CPU-Z, we tested the single-thread and multi-thread performance. For Cinebench 2024, we once again compared the single-core and multi-core performance. In Geekbench 6, we used the full-suite benchmark to evaluate the performance. In UL Procyon's office test, standard office use-cases were evaluated. Lastly, we have the WinRAR benchmark test. Next up, we have our first AI benchmarks for the latest Intel and AMD CPUs. First up, we have the Geekbench AI benchmark numbers, which are as follows: For UL Procyon, we again see Intel's latest CPUs and its various AI accelerators, such as the NPU and the GPU, offering better performance capabilities than the Ryzen AI offerings. Now we are going to look at the GPU performance, and before we present to you the gaming numbers, we first have to see how the performance fares in synthetic benchmarks. For this purpose, we first want to outline the single-precision FLOPs each iGPU offers. Intel's Arc and AMD's Radeon series are based on entirely different architectures, and despite the FLOPS of the Radeon iGPU being higher, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Radeon iGPU will be faster. But with that said, the following is how the two chips compare: In 3DMark Speed Way, we see the Radeon iGPU narrowly beating the Alchemist+ iGPU. Speed Way is a very intensive benchmark that uses ray tracing, so Intel at least needs to work on some GPU-centric optimizations here. For 3DMark Steel Nomad, we get to see our first non-RT performance of the Intel iGPU, and here the blue team leads by a massive 46.4%. In 3DMark Port Royal, Intel's Arc 140T iGPU offers a 10.4% lead over the fastest Radeon iGPU. This is a ray tracing-heavy benchmark and goes off to show that the results we saw in the Speed Way test are an anomaly, something that you will also notice in the gaming tests. In 3DMark Time Spy, the Intel Arc 140T iGPU is 28.4% faster than the Radeon 890M. For Fire Strike, Intel offers great performance even on DX11 APIs, which is a good showcase, as many games still run DX11. Lastly, we have 3DMark Night Raid, where Intel scores another comfortable lead with its new Arc 140T GPU. With the synthetic performance out of the way, we can start taking a look at pure gaming numbers, and we start off our testing spree with Cyberpunk 2077 running at Medium Preset at 1080p with Balanced XeSS/FSR upscaling. In Forza Horizon 5, we only ran the game using Quality Upscaling at the Medium Preset at 1080p. In F1 24, we used the High Preset at 1080p. In Horizon Zero Dawn at the "Favor Quality" preset, we used the FSR 2 upscaling set to Balanced. Metro Exodus also runs great on the Arc 140T, offering the bare minimum 40-30 FPS with RT enabled at 1080P at the high preset. Lastly, we have The Callisto Protocol, where both iGPUs are very similar in performance but offer FPS in the mid-50s range even with FSR 2 enabled. It would be better to lower the resolution to get a better playing experience, but still, over 50 FPS is decent for these iGPUs. Next, we can see the power consumption of the latest Mini PCs. Following thermals, we have temperatures: GMKtec has made a strong offering with its EVO T1 Mini PC. It offers outstanding multi-threading and productivity capabilities, while the integrated Arc 140T delivers great gaming performance at 1080p in a range of games. The Arrow Lake-H NPU, coupled with the Arc 140T GPU, also makes it a potent solution for AI tasks, with up to 32B LLM support. GMKtec also packs the Mini PC with its own local AI suite, which is definitely handy for users who are looking to accelerate their workloads using AI. The memory and storage capacities offered are also good. With 64 GB memory as the base option, it does provide a great incentive where the extra memory can be allocated to the GPU for large LLMs. 3 NVMe M.2 slots are also great, offering support for up to 8 TB capacities. GMKtec also does a fine job in terms of design for the EVO T1, which packs a stylish RGB-Lit design, even though the RGB factor is very minute. The dual-fan offer dedicated cooling to the M.2 SSDs and the CPU. Despite running hot around 100 °C, the Mini PC remained silent enough that it didn't bother my usage. IO is also decent enough, and the key standouts are the Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, the quad USB 3.2 Gen2 ports on the front, and the OCULINK port on the back, which can expand the graphics capabilities of this Mini PC. GMKTec has the EVO T1 currently listed for $999 US for the configuration we tested. That's a solid price given the hardware you are getting, with 16 cores, Arc 140T GPU, a neat array of IO, and internal specs. Also, for those who are deep into AI, the company is also prepping a flagship EVO X model, which packs AMD's Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 APU, and that is something that we are looking forward to testing in the coming months. For those interested in the EVO T1, you can purchase the Mini PC at the following links:

GMKtech EVO T1 "Intel Core Ultra 9 285H" Mini PC Review: Strongest Arrow Lake Mini PC We've Tested With Triple M.2 Slots, OCULink & Dual Lan

GMKtec has been making Mini PCs for years now. They are based out of the technology hub of Shenzen, China, and have maintained strategic partnerships with AMD, Intel & Microsoft, and currently offer a wide array of solutions, all the way from entry-level to enthusiast-grade designs based on mobility chips from AMD & Intel. With the arrival of Intel's Arrow Lake, GMKtec launched its brand new EVO T1 series, a productivity powerhouse with up to 16 cores and strong IO capabilities. This solution packs Intel's top Arrow Lake-H mobility CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, and today is our first taste of this high-end laptop chip within a Mini PC platform. We've already found the 285H to be a strong CPU offering for laptops in our MSI Prestige AI EVO 16 review here, so it's going to be interesting to see how much performance the chip maintains in a Mini PC form factor. In terms of specifications, the GMKtec EVO T1 Mini PC is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU. This is the flagship processor within the Arrow Lake-H mobile lineup and has a lot to talk about, so let's get started. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU features 16 cores in total with 16 threads. These are a combination of 6 P-Cores, 8 E-Cores, and 2 LPE cores. The CPU has a base frequency of 2.9 GHz and boosts up to 5.4 GHz on the P-Cores, while the E-Cores have a base frequency of 2.7 GHz and a boost frequency of 4.5 GHz. The LPE cores clock in at 1 GHz base and 2.5 GHz boost clocks. The chip features a total of 24 MB cache and has a TDP rating of 45W at the base and 115W MTP (Maximum Turbo Power). The chip can also be configured down to 35W as its minimum assured power rating (shouldn't be mistaken with idle power). For the iGPU, Intel is using an upgraded version of its Alchemist architecture known as Alchemist+. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is configured with the Arc 140T GPU, which offers 8 Xe cores that clock up to 2.35 GHz and feature a maximum TOPS (INT8) rating of up to 77. The iGPU supports all the latest APIs and AI Frameworks, and since this is an upgraded Alchemist design, you will get newer Ray Tracing Units and even support for XMX, which is far better than the DP4a model on the older Alchemist-based iGPUs. This allows games with RT to run a bit faster, while XMX enables better support for AI-based upscaling methods such as XeSS and also supports XeSS2 Frame-Generation. On the NPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is equipped with an updated NPU2.7, which offers a peak TOPS (INT8) of 13 and supports all the latest AI frameworks such as OpenVINO, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX RT & WebNN. Compared to Meteor Lake, which offers 11 TOPS, the 13 TOPS NPU comes in at a slight upgrade, but Intel has stated in the past that offering the highest number of TOPS isn't that important; what's more important is to fully utilize the capabilities of the NPU and its available capabilities through software-centric optimizations. With the internals of the CPU covered, let's talk about the rest of the specifications. First, we have the memory, which comes in the form of 64 GB of DDR5 from ADATA. The DRAM modules that are rated at 5600 MT/s speeds can be upgraded up to 128 GB. GMKtec only offers 64 GB RAM configurations. Storage includes a 1 TB Crucial SSD, but there are three NVMe M.2 Gen4x4 slots which support up to 2 TB each or 8 TB in total on the EVO T1. The max configuration that GMKtec offers is 2 TB. IO includes 3 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port (PD/DP/DATA), 1 3.5mm Combo Jack for audio, a Clear CMOS Button, and a power button at the front. The rear IO includes 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 DP 1.4, 1 OCULINK (Gen4x4), 2 USB 2.0 Type-A, dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, a 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, & a 2.5mm charging port. The Mini PC comes with a 150W power adapter that boots it up. Talking a little bit about the BIOS, GMKtec offers three main profiles: a Silent mode rated at 45W, a balanced mode rated at 54W, and a Performance mode rated at 80W. There are also nifty overclock options such as memory tuning, graphics tuning within the BIOS, as can be seen below: The GMKtec EVO T1 comes inside a large light blue colored box with the "GMKtec" logo in the front. The back of the box has some basic specifications that list the specific configuration for this model. We got the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H variant with 64 GB of memory and 1 TB storage capacity. Within the box, you can find the Mini PC in its old compartment, along with a guide/warranty booklet, and two smaller boxes that hold the accessories. The accessories within these boxes include the power cable, power adapter, and an HDMI cable. The Mini PC comes with a GVE "GT155-1900780-F" power adapter, which offers up to 148.2W of power and has a standard input of 100-240V at 50/60Hz (2.5A). GMKtec's Mini PCs really do stand out from the rest of the market offerings, with a stylish dual-tone design. The front cover is all metallic with a gold hue, while the chassis is a mix of an outer plastic shell with an internal aluminum frame. The Mini PC is a bit on the chunky side, but for good reasons, as we will get to in a bit. There are three exhaust vents/ports on the EVO T1. One at the top, one at the bottom, and one below the Rear IO. These ensure that the PC receives adequate airflow and remains cool with higher heat dissipation through the vents. The front I/O on the GMKtec EVO T1 Mini PC comes with three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, a 3.5mm Combo audio jack, a Clear CMOS Button, and a Power On/Off button with LED. The back I/O on the GMKtec EVO T1 features 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 DP 1.4, 1 OCULINK Gen4x4 port, 2 USB 2.0 Type-A ports, dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports, a 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, and a 2.5mm charging port for the adapter. You can see the large vents on the back, too. The PC can be placed both vertically and horizontally. That is why the sides also have rubber feet to ensure stability on surfaces. The top also comes with a small vent, which is used to pull air in for the memory and SSDs. To access the internals, you have to unscrew the four feet at the bottom of the chassis. These are easy to remove. The first thing that you notice when removing the metal frame is the large 92mm fan that sits at the top. There are two fans within the EVO T1, one at the top which his a 92mm fan that has a maximum power of 0.15A and features RGB LEDs. This is one of the reasons the EVO T1 is a bit wider than the other PCs that we have tested. Removing the fan cover exposes the bottom of the motherboard, which houses the three Gen4x4 M.2 slots. One of them is populated with a Crucial 1 TB SSD and has a pre-attached heatsink. There are two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots, each populated by a 32 GB DDR5-5600 memory stick from ADATA, operating at 1.1V. The other side of the motherboard houses the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU and the power delivery. All of this is located under a large heatsink with a blower-style fan. The heatsink adopts a vapor chamber and is composed of several aluminum fins to which heat is transferred and dissipated by blowing the hot air out of the chassis through the back vents. We start by comparing the 3DMark CPU Profile tests, where the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 sits right below the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, though you are looking at twice the power input of that part, as the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 here consumes only up to 30W power, making it a very strong result for the red team. In Blender, we used the standard monster, junkshop, and classroom tests for evaluation. In CPU-Z, we tested the single-thread and multi-thread performance. For Cinebench 2024, we once again compared the single-core and multi-core performance. In Geekbench 6, we used the full-suite benchmark to evaluate the performance. In UL Procyon's office test, standard office use-cases were evaluated. Lastly, we have the WinRAR benchmark test. Next up, we have our first AI benchmarks for the latest Intel and AMD CPUs. First up, we have the Geekbench AI benchmark numbers, which are as follows: For UL Procyon, we again see Intel's latest CPUs and its various AI accelerators, such as the NPU and the GPU, offering better performance capabilities than the Ryzen AI offerings. Now we are going to look at the GPU performance, and before we present to you the gaming numbers, we first have to see how the performance fares in synthetic benchmarks. For this purpose, we first want to outline the single-precision FLOPs each iGPU offers. Intel's Arc and AMD's Radeon series are based on entirely different architectures, and despite the FLOPS of the Radeon iGPU being higher, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Radeon iGPU will be faster. But with that said, the following is how the two chips compare: In 3DMark Speed Way, we see the Radeon iGPU narrowly beating the Alchemist+ iGPU. Speed Way is a very intensive benchmark that uses ray tracing, so Intel at least needs to work on some GPU-centric optimizations here. For 3DMark Steel Nomad, we get to see our first non-RT performance of the Intel iGPU, and here the blue team leads by a massive 46.4%. In 3DMark Port Royal, Intel's Arc 140T iGPU offers a 10.4% lead over the fastest Radeon iGPU. This is a ray tracing-heavy benchmark and goes off to show that the results we saw in the Speed Way test are an anomaly, something that you will also notice in the gaming tests. In 3DMark Time Spy, the Intel Arc 140T iGPU is 28.4% faster than the Radeon 890M. For Fire Strike, Intel offers great performance even on DX11 APIs, which is a good showcase, as many games still run DX11. Lastly, we have 3DMark Night Raid, where Intel scores another comfortable lead with its new Arc 140T GPU. With the synthetic performance out of the way, we can start taking a look at pure gaming numbers, and we start off our testing spree with Cyberpunk 2077 running at Medium Preset at 1080p with Balanced XeSS/FSR upscaling. In Forza Horizon 5, we only ran the game using Quality Upscaling at the Medium Preset at 1080p. In F1 24, we used the High Preset at 1080p. In Horizon Zero Dawn at the "Favor Quality" preset, we used the FSR 2 upscaling set to Balanced. Metro Exodus also runs great on the Arc 140T, offering the bare minimum 40-30 FPS with RT enabled at 1080P at the high preset. Lastly, we have The Callisto Protocol, where both iGPUs are very similar in performance but offer FPS in the mid-50s range even with FSR 2 enabled. It would be better to lower the resolution to get a better playing experience, but still, over 50 FPS is decent for these iGPUs. Next, we can see the power consumption of the latest Mini PCs. Following thermals, we have temperatures: GMKtec has made a strong offering with its EVO T1 Mini PC. It offers outstanding multi-threading and productivity capabilities, while the integrated Arc 140T delivers great gaming performance at 1080p in a range of games. The Arrow Lake-H NPU, coupled with the Arc 140T GPU, also makes it a potent solution for AI tasks, with up to 32B LLM support. GMKtec also packs the Mini PC with its own local AI suite, which is definitely handy for users who are looking to accelerate their workloads using AI. The memory and storage capacities offered are also good. With 64 GB memory as the base option, it does provide a great incentive where the extra memory can be allocated to the GPU for large LLMs. 3 NVMe M.2 slots are also great, offering support for up to 8 TB capacities. GMKtec also does a fine job in terms of design for the EVO T1, which packs a stylish RGB-Lit design, even though the RGB factor is very minute. The dual-fan offer dedicated cooling to the M.2 SSDs and the CPU. Despite running hot around 100 °C, the Mini PC remained silent enough that it didn't bother my usage. IO is also decent enough, and the key standouts are the Dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, the quad USB 3.2 Gen2 ports on the front, and the OCULINK port on the back, which can expand the graphics capabilities of this Mini PC. GMKTec has the EVO T1 currently listed for $999 US for the configuration we tested. That's a solid price given the hardware you are getting, with 16 cores, Arc 140T GPU, a neat array of IO, and internal specs. Also, for those who are deep into AI, the company is also prepping a flagship EVO X model, which packs AMD's Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 APU, and that is something that we are looking forward to testing in the coming months. For those interested in the EVO T1, you can purchase the Mini PC at the following links:

I've been using this Geekom mini-PC for three weeks, and it might just be the Mac mini rival Windows users have been looking for

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. The Geekom IT15 enters a mini-PC market that has long been dominated by one product over all others: the Apple Mac mini. Windows contenders have come and gone, with big-name makers like Dell, HP, ASUS, Acer all trying to offer their own alternative for the compact desktop computer consumer, and all largely failing to make any lasting impression at all. Maybe what's needed is someone who focuses on the humble mini-PC format above all others? Enter Geekom. Last year, this relatively little-known computer hardware maker impressed me greatly with the GT1 Mega, a robustly built and impressively specced mini-PC, packing 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage (and some well-judged connectivity) to rival the top-specced Mac minis around. And this year, they're aiming to do one better with the IT15. Sporting 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage yet again, the CPU has been upgraded to the latest-gen Intel processor, the Core Ultra 9-285H, with its inbuild AI boost to keep up with the geometric development of AI technology and software. And I've been using it for my work (and some of my play) for the last few weeks. * Incredibly compact * Lots of ports on offer * Unexciting design The Geekom IT15 takes the basic design of the GT1 Mega I tried out last year and somehow squishes the form factor even more, making the IT15 smaller than the Mac mini on all fronts. That means it will fit on even the most space-deprived desk space, and the super-lightweight 593-gram build makes it eminently portable for hot-desking workers who want desktop CPU performance, as long as they have a screen to access, obviously. The casing is a combination of metal and hardened plastic composites, which makes it mostly very sturdy, although I noticed a little 'wobble' in the power button on the front, which cheapens the experience ever-so-slightly. Thankfully, however, the ports, of which there is a plentiful supply, are all perfectly and solidly packed into the unit, most on the back panel, but with two 10 Gbps USB-A 3.2 ports conveniently placed on the front next to the headset jack to provide quick-access connection for a keyboard and mouse (and speakers/headphones) if you need to set up on the go. In great news for photographers and video creators, there's even an SD card slot included, with a 4.0 spec placed on one side panel, with a Kensington lock for extra security located on the other side. The black colour does make it all a little bland, however, and doesn't help the Windows brigade much in trying to entice many users drawn in by the more aesthetically pleasing Mac mini and Mac Studio market leaders. However, if you look beyond the cover, there's plenty of enticement still to be found... While the product design might be a little plain, the hardware inside is anything but. Stuffed into the port-rich box is the 16-core Intel Core Ultra 9-285H CPU, which can provide up to 5.4GHz core frequency at max turbo mode, along with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and an integrated Intel Arc 140T GPU. That GPU is a big step up from previous Iris Xe Graphics cards, though, as it supports ray-tracing and has up to 77 TOPS of AI performance. Put in layman's terms, that means this is more than just a productivity PC; it should easily churn through CPU-intense computing tasks, including AI-reliant jobs, and even handle some gaming. Of course, unlike laptops or all-in-one PCs, there's no screen included here, so you'll have to figure that into your purchase plans. One of our recommended monitors for graphic artists should do nicely... To make up for the lack of an actual screen, the two HDMI ports and the DisplayPort-supporting USB-C ports provide support for up to four screens being linked up at once (that's two more than the Mac mini supports...)_, and with that CPU, you should be able to keep each of those fairly busy, too. Feature score: 4/5 We test every one of our computers using the same benchmarking software suite to give you a thorough overview of its suitability for creatives of all disciplines and levels. This includes: * Geekbench: Tests the CPU for single-core and multi-core power, and the GPU for the system's potential for gaming, image processing, or video editing. * Cinebench: Tests the CPU and GPU's ability to run Cinema 4D and Redshift. * UL Procyon: Uses UL Solutions' Procyon software suite to test the system's ability for AI image generation in Stable Diffusion, and its Microsoft Office performance. * Topaz Video AI: We use Topaz Video AI to test the system's ability to upscale video and convert video to slow-motion. * PugetBench for Creators: We use the PugetBench for Creators benchmarking suite to test the system's ability to run several key tasks in Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve Studio, as well as its performance when encoding/transcoding video. * ON1 Resize AI: Tests the system's ability to resize 5 photos to 200% in a batch process. * Fantastic CPU performance * Falls a little short on graphics As you can see from the benchmark charts above (select each test from the dropdown), the Geekom IT15 testing process was a two-part story. Everything I threw at the CPU, it aced, while most of what I challenged its GPU on turned out to be a bit less stellar. Now, it is to be expected that a computer with integrated graphics is never going to reach the lofty heights of one fitted with the latest generation of Nvidia or AMD graphics cards, but considering the claims made by Intel and Geekom about the capabilities of the Arc 140T GPU, I was left a little flat. It promises ray-tracing capabilities and gaming-ready performance, but it struggled mightily with any moving-graphics tests, and fell over in our Premiere Pro stress test, for example. This applied to both 'traditional' graphics loads and AI-boosted ones. Stable Diffusion, Geekbench AI DirectML (which tests the GPU's load-bearing AI ability), Topaz Video AI enhancement performance was largely on par with productivity laptops such as the HP Elitebook X, the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, or recent Acer Aspire models, none of which are going to darken a pro graphic designer's door any time soon. Now, this isn't exactly a surprise, but I would have loved just a 10% uptick from my achieved results on this front to better justify the graphics-performance claims. However, the CPU performance is absolutely stellar. The Geekom IT15 finds itself up there with ASUS ProArt, MSI Stealth and ahead of the Mac mini in Geekbench and Cinebench CPU tests and the Geekbench CPU AI test. That means it will easily handle LLMs, AI productivity workflows and a healthy level of traditional multitasking without breaking a sweat. In addition, its impressive PugetBench for Photoshop score of 7768 is ahead of all but the most powerful mini-PCs and studio/gaming laptops on the market, marking the Geekom IT15 out as a great sub-$1,000 option for ambitious photo-editing pros. At the time of writing he Geekom IT15 retails for $1,099 in the USA, and £949 in the UK. However, if you use the code CREATIVEIT15, you can knock an extra 10% off that price, bringing it down to $989 in the US and £854 in the UK, which makes it very competitive for the CPU performance it offers. Yes, you will need to factor in a monitor purchase too, if you don't already have a screen, but this is very much on par with or better than equivalent CPU power from a Mac mini would cost you. Photo editors looking for a compact, travel-friendly PC should take a long, hard look at the Geekom IT15, and general creatives, as long as they don't demand discrete graphics-card performance, will find a lot to like here.