Geekom A6 Mini PC AMD Ryzen 7 6800H review

Geekom A6: 30-second review

The A6 is similar in design to the impressive A8 Max, just on a smaller scale. One of the main features of the machine, like the Max, is an impressive array of connection options with two USB Type-A ports on the front and then two HDMI 2.0, two USB Type-C ports, plus two Type-A and a network port, more than most other machines of this size.

Once set up, I was instantly impressed with the general performance, and I was able to navigate all of the Microsoft Office apps with absolute ease. If you're looking for a high-performance office machine that takes up very little desktop space, then this is a perfect option.

However, at this price point, it is aimed at those who need a little more performance from their machines than just running MS Word, and while this chipset doesn't feature a dedicated NPU chip inside, it's still powerful enough to run many intensive apps. In this test, I've utilised both Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro to check out just how well the slightly less powerful CPU without AI would operate under the load of some heavyweight applications.

Through the test and editing of several high-resolution images as well as video, the machine was impressed with its speed and ability to handle the files—showing that it was more than capable of handling most light to mid-weight HD and 4K editing. That editing was more than just one or two quick edits for some corporate video, and the power of the CPU and GPU handled most of the tasks, only struggling when more advanced effects and grading were applied.

As that processing ramps up, the sound of the fans does kick in, but unlike its larger sibling, the noise isn't quite as distracting. When it comes to gaming, the power of the CPU and GPU is under strain.

Having tested some of the best mini PC units around, I have to say, overall, for a machine of such a small size, the performance is impressive, but you can't help but feel that you're paying quite a premium for a machine of this size when you can get something similar and far more powerful in a desktop format for much the same price.

Geekom A6: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $449 / £499
• When is it out? Now
• Where can you get it? Widely available

The Geekom A6 Mini PC is widely available and can be purchased directly from the Geekom website; it's also available at most major online retailers, such as Amazon.com.

TechRadar Pro readers can also get an exclusive 5% discount - click your chosen link below and use code TECHRADARA6

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• Value: 4 / 5

Geekom A6: Specs

Geekom A6: Design

The A6's design and build is extremely high quality and matches the other A machines in the range. Again, there's an aluminium outer casing that reflects the premium look and price. The matte finish metal is contrasted with a matte black plastic base and back, all finishing off the design very nicely and making it a perfect complement to any stylish design studio. Size-wise, it measures 112.4 × 112.4 × 37 mm and weighs just 450 g.

A characteristic of the A series Mini PCs is the number of connection options they offer. Here on the front, two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Type-A ports sit next to a 3.5 mm audio socket and the power button. On the side, there's an SD card slot, which I would've preferred to have seen mounted at the front for accessibility.

Round the back, there's the DC power input, and again, because of the size of the machine, I would've liked to have seen this as possibly a USB Type-C power input, which would've made it slightly more portable and given more flexible power options. Next to this, there's two HDMI 2.0 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB 4.0 Type-C, one RJ45, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and one USB 2.0 Type-A, giving you plenty of connection options.

The design of the A6 is stylish, with plenty of connection options, which should appeal to anyone working in the creative sector especially if they have plenty of peripherals such as control panels and SSDs to connect. The main thing here is that the smaller form factor of the A6 compared to a standard desktop means that if you are stuck for desk space, then this is a perfect solution. And, of course, it features the usual VESA mount option on the back, so if you do need to mount it away from the desk space, then that's also possible.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Geekom A6: Features

Being big on features is a key element of the Geekom A series, and here we have a compact machine with AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, complemented by the popular AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics. Alongside the CPU, GPU combo is dual-channel DDR5-4800MHz that maxes out at 64 GB, with this review sample arriving with a more standard 32 GB. On the storage side, there's an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD, accepting up to 2 TB, with the review sample offering 1 TB.

Connection options are well covered with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet RJ45 port, which is all pretty standard, and of course, Windows 11 Pro comes pre-installed, just highlighting that this is a professional-level machine.

As already mentioned, the A series goes big on connection options, and on the back, the two HDMI 2.0 ports and USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB 4 Gen 3 Type-C ports enable you to connect up to four 4K monitors or one 8K. The USB 4.0 port enables transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps, so if you are editing 4K video, then this port will facilitate the connection to the likes of ultrafast LaCie Tough SSDs.

For such a small system, the cooling is exceptionally important, and here we see the IceBlast cooling system—again, a more compact version of the cooling system that GEEKOM employs in many of their other machines. Through testing, I generally found this cooling system worked exceptionally well. However, as more demand was placed on the CPU and GPU, especially during gaming or 4K video editing, those fans did, audibly, kick in.

One thing that I really like about the A6 is the small, compact size, which makes the unit easily portable. It's interesting to see that GEEKOM has obviously made the size and portability a bit of a feature, so it seems even more odd that they would keep the DC input when they could have swapped it for USB Type-C, which would be far better for those living the van life culture. However, that said, GEEKOM has stated that this small mini PC has been tested for vibration, high temperature, drops, humidity, and altitude, which is quite unusual for a mini PC but does mean it's probably a little more robust than most and if you are thinking about taking it on the road with you, then this extra level of durability can only a be good thing.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

Geekom A6: Performance

The Geekom A6 features a Ryzen 7 6800H processor, which is quite a step up for such a small machine. The other point to consider is that, given the specifications and size, this is a phenomenally expensive machine, so you'd expect the performance to be right up there.

On opening up the package and getting started with the A6, I was instantly impressed with the design quality and build, which, like its larger sibling, the A8 Max, is exceptional. I also really like the fact that it's got two readily accessible USB Type-A ports on the front, although again, I'd really like to have seen a USB Type-C port, as most new accessories are USB Type-C, especially when it comes to ultrafast SSDs.

The SD card slot on the side is a nice touch, although again, had that been on the front, it just would've been a step up for accessibility.

Round the back, the array of ports is really nice to see, and the fact that one is a USB 4.0 enables for ultrafast connections to external devices. Likewise, the single wired network connection enables you to hook into your local area network without too much issue, offering a really good, fast, and robust connection, which is essential in any studio or creative office.

Getting started and taking a look at the Microsoft Office apps running on the Windows 11 Pro platform, there's no doubt about the power of this machine to handle day-to-day tasks. This is reflected with an overall Windows Experience score of 8.2 and a PCMark score of 7174, ultimately meaning that if you're working on office documentation, then this machine is just about as good as it gets—if not a little bit overpowered.

As I started to push the machine and opened up Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, I started to see its true ability. Even though it has a slightly less powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, it's still able to handle Adobe Premiere Pro when editing HD and 4K footage shot on the Sony A7 IV. The video edit that I tested on the machine was around 15 minutes, and through the editing process, it managed to handle the processing without too much issue, also enabling smooth grading and audio enhancement in Audition.

As the effects were applied to the footage, there was some slowdown in the processing, but it was able to handle everything that was thrown at it, which is impressive considering the size. One thing to note, however, was that the fans did kick in as the whole system came under that processing load.

Switching over to gaming, this is where you can really see the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU struggle. At the same time, we've seen the AMD Radeon 680M handle graphics well with some of the larger Mini PCs; here, in a smaller form factor—whether because of heat or the pairing with the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU—the performance did take a considerable cut. In most cases, through the 3DMark benchmarking tests, there was at least a 1,000-point drop for the Fire Strike, Time Spy, and Wild Life scores compared to a Ryzen 9 machine. This essentially results in a reduction in frame rates and the need to lower some of the graphics settings.

Overall, for general day-to-day work, the A6 is more than capable of handling advanced Excel tasks and Word documents. For casual video editing and image manipulation, this machine also has more than enough power to handle the Adobe Creative Suite to a good level. If you're using Adobe Creative Suite as your professional focus, then you probably want to opt for the larger machine with a bigger processor.

At the end of the test, whilst general office performance was exceptionally good and Adobe Creative Suite apps ran smoothly within reason, the price of this machine was high.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Geekom A6: Final verdict

Once again, Geekom has created a fantastic machine with the A6. The only issue is that the price is high. All things considered, you're essentially paying a premium for the high-quality build and the compact design.

A few things that I would like to have seen on this machine—firstly, a USB Type-C port or two on the front; these would be more compatible with the latest accessories, especially ultrafast SSDs, which you're likely to plug into to expand the storage, particularly for creative tasks such as video editing or photography.

Then, at the back, it uses a 1.9 V DC input, which plugs into a standard AC wall socket. Because of the size, robustness of the build, and portability, I would've thought that a USB Type-C port here would've been a better option, giving far more flexibility over its use, especially for those considering using this as a mobile work machine—and this would have been a great option for those working in the creative sector.

When it comes to performance, however, it really is a cut above many other mini PCs of this size. The AMD Ryzen 7 processor packs an impressive amount of power and is perfect for general administration as well as standard video and image editing. It is only really starting to struggle when you try to utilise it for medium- to high-end gaming or longer and more advanced 4K video edits.

While the Geekom A6 is expensive, it is also exceptionally high quality, so if you are looking for a solid machine for office work, some video and image editing, and a little bit of light gaming, then the A6 is an exceptionally good compact solution—but all at a premium price.

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