Ashish
Solid Mid-Range Mini PC
This is a surprisingly capable little PC for desktop productivity, media / HTPC, and some content creation or light gaming workloads. It's an Intel NUC-style mini PC built around the Core i5-8259U processor, which is a 28W CPU with an unusually large graphics processor (branded Iris Plus 655) - a custom config Intel made for Apple's MacBook Pros a couple cycles ago.The IT8 delivers pretty decent overall CPU performance. I tested it against a Dell XPS 13 featuring a Core i7-10710U (a 6-core, 12-thread 10th-gen Intel chip), and the IT8 is, surprisingly, actually faster in sustained multithreaded CPU workloads (Cinebench R23 ST/MT was 945/4010 vs. 1014/3333 for the Dell). The Geekom also beat the Dell by 20-30% in web browsing performance tests, which is quite respectable.On the graphics side, keep in mind this is still an Intel integrated GPU, so it will not match a discrete AMD/Nvidia graphics card, but the Iris Plus 655 is a big step up from Intel's normal 14nm iGPUs - often delivering 1.5-2x the graphics performance of the Intel UHD 620 in the XPS 13's Core i7-10710U chip. It is still a bit behind the highest-spec Radeon Vega iGPUs in competing quad-core AMD APUs, but it's in the same ballpark, and you get slightly better CPU performance on this. Also, the IT8 has the advantage of Intel QuickSync, which certain applications (like Blue Iris for home security cameras) greatly benefit from. Media playback at up to 4K 60 Hz is smooth.Idle power draw is just 9W, which is not bad, and under light web browsing, hits around 15W on average. Noise levels are also decently managed, though the PC is definitely not silent. The fan is always on; under light loads, it's noticeable only if located next to you in a quiet room. At full load, it's definitely quite audible (as with all actively cooled mini PCs), but not annoyingly so.The port selection is fine - on the rear, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) A ports, one USB-C port with USB 3.2 Gen 2 data and DP video support, an HDMI, MiniDisplayPort, 1 Gigabit Ethernet port (driven by an Intel i219-V chip, which works great), and the 19V DC barrel jack power input. On the front, there's a USB-A and USB-C port (both 3.2 Gen 2, and the C port supports video), a 3.5 mm headphone/mic jack, and the power button. There's also an infrared receiver, which could be neat for HTPCs in particular, and a full-sized SD card reader. A couple of additional USB 2.0 ports might've been nice for keyboard/mouse purposes.There's no Thunderbolt support, but with the HDMI, Mini DP, and two USB-C ports, this thing has four display outputs, all capable of 4K @ 60 Hz, which is pretty impressive.Inside, the Wifi chip is the Intel AC 7265, which works reliably and offers 2x2 Wifi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 but is, unfortunately, soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded (e.g., to Wifi 6 or 6E). The NVMe SSD is fast enough for most use cases, and there's an available 2.5" bay inside the case if you want to add a 2.5" SATA hard drive or SSD for additional storage. One puzzling thing is that the 16 GB of RAM came as one 16 GB stick in single-channel, which reduces RAM bandwidth vs. having two 8 GB sticks in dual channel. On the plus side, Geekom includes a VESA mount, so you can easily mount the PC behind your monitor (or your wall or elsewhere).On the software side, the Geekom came with a clean installation (no bloatware- hurrah!) of Windows 11, and specifically Windows 11 Professional, which is great - many PC makers ship the Windows Home OS instead of Pro, then you need to spend up to $100 extra if you want features like Windows Sandbox, inbound Remote Desktop, etc.Overall, the IT8 has worked well for most use cases. If you need more CPU or GPU performance in a mini PC, your best bet would be something with the latest 8-core AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs, but those tend to be much more expensive (and usually larger too). This offers a nice middle ground option at a relatively affordable price.Ver másVer menos
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