Equipped with 14th generation Intel Core Ultra processors, the Geekom GT1 Mega is a mini PC that is powerful enough to meet even higher demands. The small power pack also shines with many connection options.
After Geekom launched the A8 in May, a mini PC with a high-performance chip from AMD, the Chinese manufacturer is now also selling a super-compact computer with Intel's high-end Core Ultra 9-185H and Core Ultra 7-155H processors. ntv.de tried out what the more powerful GT1 Mega has in its small box.
If you want, you can connect four 4K displays.
(Photo: kwe)
The simple but stylish anthracite-colored housing of the mini PC is largely made of matt aluminum. Only the back and bottom are made of black plastic. At 135 x 132 x 46.9 millimeters, the GT1 Mega takes up hardly any space on the desk. Geekom also includes a mounting plate so that it can disappear on the back of a monitor or under the desk. The power supply is not integrated, but is only the size of a cigarette pack. Unfortunately, the computer cannot be powered via USB-C.
Connections for almost every need
The range of connections should more than satisfy most users. On the front, in addition to the power switch and a headphone jack, there are four USB-A ports that allow data transfers of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) with USB 3.2 Gen 2. One of them can serve to charge connected devices even when the PC itself is turned off.
Photographers and videographers can look forward to a fast SD card reader.
(Photo: kwe)
There are two additional USB-A sockets on the back, one of which also offers USB 3.2. The second, with USB 2.0, is particularly suitable for keyboards and mice. For high data rates, there are two USB-C ports that reach up to 40 Gbit/s with USB 4.0. The left one can also power devices with up to 15 watts (W). The GT1 Mega also has two HDMI 2.0 outputs, which can operate a total of four 4K displays. An 8K screen can also be connected to one of the USB-C 4.0 ports.
Modern and strong interior
The mini PC that comes with Windows 11 Pro has a state-of-the-art WLAN 7 module for radio transmission. Alternatively, there are two Ethernet sockets on the back that have up to 2.5 Gbit/s. The Bluetooth standard of the small computer is also up to date with version 5.4. On the left side, the Geekom GT1 Mega has an SD card reader that speeds things up with UHS 2, and on the right there is a holder for a Kensington lock.
The heart of the mini computer is the Intel Core Ultra 9-185H, which was introduced last December. It not only has a very powerful central processing unit (CPU), but also a dedicated neural processor (NPU) to be ideally equipped for current AI tasks. An integrated ARC-GPU card is responsible for the graphics of the System on a Chip (SoC). The RAM (two-channel DDR5 262PIN 5600MHz SODIMM) is reasonably large at 32 gigabytes (GB). Both memory modules can be replaced.
The SSD (PCIe SSD NVMe Gen 4) of the computer comes from the manufacturer Crucial and belongs to the upper middle class. The stronger version has 2 terabytes (TB) of storage space, the weaker version has 1 TB. In the AS SSD Benchmark speed test it achieved a total of around 7700 points. The reading performance was just under 2850 and the writing performance was around 3400. There's nothing to complain about.
Almost too muscular for the office
Equipped in this way, the mini PC not only easily handles any office task, it also has no problems with more complex image and video editing, as long as you don't work with extremely large files in a professional area. In the PCMark 10 benchmark test, the computer achieved a total of 7,491 points, which puts it in the range of gaming notebooks from 2023, roughly on a par with the A8, which scored around 7,600 points.
The GT1 Mega is not a gaming PC with its integrated graphics card, but it can also handle more demanding games if you don't have excessive expectations. In the test, for example, it mastered Bethesda's “Starfield”, but only in the lowest settings. That's okay if you want to continue playing the game you normally play on your Xbox or Playstation during a break from work.
When he's really working, you can clearly hear the computer's fan, which can be annoying if it's placed right next to you on the desk. In normal operation, however, you hardly notice the cooling. Then the power consumption is usually only between 18 and 25 W, the mini PC only uses its maximum permanent power consumption of 65 W under maximum load, which is the constant state when gaming. When idle it draws almost 10 W and when switched off it draws 1.5 W.
Conclusion
You can currently get the Geekom GT1 Mega for just under 900 or around 980 euros, depending on the equipment. It's not a cheap purchase, but the price is fair for the performance and features it offers. In addition, the components installed are new and future-proof, so you should be able to enjoy the device for a few years.
If you're primarily looking for a mini PC for office tasks, you don't have to spend that much. Geekom offers, among other things, the Mini IT13 or the XT12 Pro, which are available from 570 and 700 euros.
