Over the last week, I've been using the new Geekom A6 mini PC as my main work computer. I've tested several mini PCs over the last few years and have grown to like Geekom's products, so I was curious to see how this new computer held up to its predecessors.
While the A6 is far from the most powerful device I've ever used, it easily allowed me to complete all of my usual workloads without issue. It has many of the same limitations as most other mini PCs, but these are things to be expected in these kinds of devices.
Here's why I recommend the Geekom A6 as a great low-price computer, whether you want to use it as your main PC or give it a specific task.
Geekom A6: Pricing and specifications
- An entry price point of $449 makes the mini PC extremely affordable.
- While not the most powerful computer, it does feature solid internals.
- Value rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Price: $449.00 at Amazon
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (8 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.7GHz)
• GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics 680M (12 cores)
• RAM: 32GB DDR5 @ 6,400MHz
• Storage: 1TB M.2 2242 NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD
• Dimensions: 112.4 × 112.4 × 37mm (4.42 x 4.42 x 1.45in)
• Weight: 1,097g (2.42lbs)
• Warranty: 3-year
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of mini PCs available right now, but many of them really aren't worth your time. That said, Geekom is a company that I regularly recommend to people due to the quality of its compact devices.
The Geekom A6, specifically, is a fantastic budget mini PC due to it having an MSRP of only $449.00 at Amazon or Geekom.com. Even at that price, you're getting a great range of ports, and the device itself comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU (central processing unit), AMD Radeon 680M integrated GPU (graphics processing unit), 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. It's not the most powerful mini PC out there, but it can definitely handle everyday workloads.
To be clear, there are some mini PCs out there with similar configurations that can cost up to $200 less than this. However, it's best to purchase from a known company that you trust. I've personally had experiences where cheap mini PCs have come with malware installed. Geekom is a company that we trust here at Windows Central, and this specific mini PC offers a good configuration at an affordable price.
Thanks to its compact shape and lightweight, it's very easy to mount the Geekom A6 behind monitors or under desks for a far more minimalist look.
Geekom A6 — What's in the box?
In addition to the mini PC itself, the Geekom A6 comes with a VESA Mount, screws, HDMI cable, power adapter, and a user guide. With all of this, you have everything you need right out of the box to hook it up to a monitor or even mount it to the back of a compatible monitor to keep it out of sight.
Geekom A6: Design and build quality
- The casing looks good and doesn't take up a lot of room.
- Plenty of ports and some upgradability make it convenient to use.
- Design rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
With its simple aluminum alloy chassis and boxy shape, the Geekom A6 doesn't draw attention to itself. This works in its favor, making it far less showy than some other mini PCs out there. As such, it can look good in professional settings as well as casual ones.
The cubic device measures about 4.42 by 4.42 inches and is about 1.45 inches thick, which makes it very easy to place under a monitor or tuck into a desk. It also only weighs 2.42 pounds, so it doesn't put a lot of strain on screws or the included VESA mount when mounted somewhere.
Most importantly, despite having such a compact form factor, this mini PC still offers a very healthy range of ports. On the front, you get easy access to two USB-A ports and a headphone jack. Meanwhile, turn it around, and you get a USB4 Gen 3 USB-C port, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two HDMI 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB-A 2.0 port, and a RJ45 LAN port. Of course, there's also an SD card reader on the mini PC's right side.
Component access and upgradability
Being in such a small form factor means the A6 has limited upgradability, but even so, this mini PC was designed to be opened and upgraded to some degree. As with the other Geekom mini PCs I've tested, I had to pull the rubber foot pads off of the bottom of the device to uncover four screws. After removing these, I used my screwdriver as a lever to gently pull the back plastic off, revealing the A6's internals.
To make room for upgrades, there are two stacked DDR5 4800MT/s RAM sticks on one side of the mini PC equaling 32GB, but it can hold up to 64GB total. Meanwhile, the A6 comes with 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD, but the mini PC can house up to 2TB total if you want more storage.
Geekom A6: Performance and thermals
- It offers solid performance and never gets super loud.
- You shouldn't expect it to run games locally or do more demanding tasks, but it's ideal for casual workloads.
- Performance rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
During the week that I used the Geekom A6 as my main work computer, I spent time writing up articles, editing images in Photoshop, surfing the web, and doing a bit of gaming. While it's by no means a powerhouse, this mini PC can be trusted with everyday activities. It even handled neural filters and camera RAW filter edits like a champ.
As with any computer I review, I also ran the Geekom A6 through a gauntlet of benchmark testing to see how it stacked up compared to similarly configured devices. While it won't knock your socks off with its performance, this mini PC does alright for itself.
To start things off, I tested the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU by running Geekbench 6. The Geekom A6 earned a single-core score of 2,564 and a multi-core score of 13,215, which is on the higher side of the results we've seen for this specific processor.
From there, I ran some 3DMark benchmark tests to better analyze the integrated GPU. Now, the Radeon 680M graphics processor in the A6 isn't the most powerful option, so I wasn't surprised when this mini PC only got a gaming graphics score of 2,399 in Time Spy. I then ran the integrated GPU benchmark, Night Raid, to which the GPU got a healthy 22,249 score, which is slightly higher than this processor's average.
Out of curiosity, I downloaded Cyberpunk 2077 onto the A6 and ran the benchmark test after putting graphics settings at their low default (non-Ray Tracing). The mini PC was able to complete the test, but as you'd expect, it was very choppy, averaging 11 FPS (frames per second). I then played the game through a distant server via NVIDIA GeForce NOW and was able to get a much-improved average of 45 FPS while the game was running at Ray Tracing: Overdrive default settings. Cyberpunk 2077 also loaded a lot faster with GeForce NOW than it did locally on this mini PC. So if you use this or a similar service you definitely can play your favorite games smoothly on Geekom A6.
After that, I used CrystalDiskMark to evaluate SSD transfer speeds. The Geekom A6 earned a 4,058 MB/s read speed and a 3,157 MB/s write speed, which isn't super speedy but is a very reliable place to be. What these results tell us is that you won't have to wait overly long for the Geekom A6 to save, load, or access data. To follow this up, I also had the A6 transcode a 4K copy of Tears of Steel in Handbrake. The mini PC took 2,767 seconds (~46 minutes) to complete this task. This isn't the fastest we've ever seen, but it is respectable.
Lastly, I used CrossMark to evaluate the A6's overall system performance. The 1,460 score it earned is a bit lower than expected but not horrible. In the end, this mini PC can easily handle basic workloads, making it ideal for school, office, and personal use. Just don't expect to do any graphically demanding tasks locally.
Thermals and fan noise
Even when I had the Geekom A6 running CPU stress testing benchmarks for 20 minutes, my decibel meter only ever showed that the mini PC reached a peak of 59.2 dB. That's a little louder than a quiet office but also quieter than your average conversation. In other words, while you will notice the soft venting from the machine, it never gets overly noisy. If you have the device connected behind your monitor or under your desk, you might not hear it at all.
As with many mini PCs, the Geekom A6 is fanless, which means it doesn't blow heat out as effectively as larger computers. Even so, I found that the device didn't get all that warm. When I whipped out my thermal camera after 20 minutes of CPU stress testing, the hottest area, unsurprisingly, turned out to be the back vents. They peaked at 132 degrees F (~55 degrees C). Meanwhile, the front of the mini PC only got as hot as 90 degrees F (~32 degrees C).
Geekom A6: Alternatives
Geekom A6: Score card
Geekom A6: Final thoughts
You should buy this if ...
✅You want a compact computer that doesn't take up a lot of room
The Geekom A6 is only 4.42 x 4.42 x 1.45 inches, which means it can easily lay under a monitor, attach behind a display, or tuck under a desk leaving more room for you to use.
✅You need a reliable mini PC that doesn't cost too much
For less than $500, the Geekom A6 provides you with a computer that can handle web browsing, movie streaming, photo editing, and a little bit of basic gaming.
You should not buy this if ...
❌You want a device that can handle more graphically demanding creative programs and gaming
Most mini PCs on the market do not offer very powerful graphics processors and the same is true of the Geekom A6. If you do want a device that can locally run intensive software, then you'll want to look elsewhere.
❌You need an even more affordable mini PC
The Geekom A6 is a solid compact computer that doesn't cost that much, but there's no denying that there are some cheaper options out there if you're on a strict budget.
