GEEKOM A5 Mini PC Review

The GEEKOM A5 Mini PC offers a lot of bang for your buck, positioning itself well as a portable professional/enthusiast-oriented system. This device, powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, aims to deliver a leap in performance, but there are some drawbacks.

Unique colorway

Despite its appealing compact size and stylish rose gold finish, the GEEKOM A5’s design does little to help mask the at-times high fan noise. The high-strength frame, while sturdy, does little to mitigate the notable fan noise, which can be intrusive, especially under heavy load. This aspect could significantly deter users seeking a quiet working environment.

Good for basic gaming

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics are adequate for basic gaming and streaming needs, but are obviously more limited than higher-end integrated (and dedicated) graphics processors. With that said, the Geekom A5 kept up impressively with my usual 4K video editing workflow, competitive games like Fortnite, and as a dedicated streaming PC for encoding to Twitch.

The inclusion of 32 GB of RAM, with support for up to 64 GB, as well as 512 GB of SSD storage, which can be expanded up to 4 TB, is good to see and future-proofs the PC to a certain degree.

Connectivity highlights

The array of connectivity options, including multiple USB 3.2 ports and HDMI 2.0 support, is a highlight. GEEKOM has been great at offering a vast number of ports, despite the compact nature of its products. While the rose gold colorway might look Apple iMac-esque, the generous number of ports certainly isn’t!

Cool temperatures, but at what cost?

The cooling system, designed to handle the compact form factor, is effective but not discreet. The fan noise, particularly under load, is a point of contention, detracting from the overall user experience.

Final Verdict

Regularly available at $399 (though with a listed $449 RRP), the GEEKOM A5 is well-priced for the current market. The PC’s compact size and robust build quality, combined with a solid AMD CPU, and a generous I/O make a strong case for this product. The only caveat noticed during my testing was the fan noise, which can become a problem under load.

Disclosure: A5 review sample provided by GEEKOM.