If you’ve not heard of GEEKOM, they’re a company that makes compact desktops in partnership with some of gaming’s biggest manufacturers. This time around, GEEKOM’s latest compact desktops were made in partnership with ASUS, bringing AMD’s Ryzen 5000 and 6000 processors to market. The most powerful of the two, the AS 6, hast the most features as well, with dual M.2 NVMe drives, DDR5 RAM, and more, all powered by the Ryzen 9 6900HX processor. Ready to find out more about these user-upgradable mini PCs? Head below the fold where we unpack all the details to help you make the best decision for your compact setup.
GEEKOM AS 5/6 desktops are compact, yet upgradeable
We’ll start out with the more powerful of the two mini PCs: the GEEKOM AS 6 compact desktop. Packing Ryzen 6000H processors, you’ll be able to choose between either the Ryzen 7 6800H or the Ryzen 9 6900HX, both of which pack a punch in the power department. The processor is flanked by up to 32GB of user-upgradable DDR5 RAM, so you can swap it out in the future should you need more. There’s also dual PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slots which each support up to 2TB of M.2 storage, with a 2.5-inch SATA HDD slot as well if you need even more storage. Of course, there’s integrated Radeon Graphics 680M here to power up to four displays at once. Now, add to that ample I/O, and you have a solid PC option to run your compact desk setup.
There’s two USB4 ports (one on the front and one on the back) which both support DisplayPort alt mode for screen hookups, and the rear actually offers USB-C PD input which seemingly could power the desktop. You’ll also find that this compact desktop four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports along the back with two more up front, an audio jack, and dual HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4. However, that’s not where it ends. This desktop also packs 2.5G Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6E in tow, which allows you to easily connect to any network you might have at your desk.
Stepping down a bit, you have the GEEKOM AS 5 with the Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and Vega 8 graphics. While this desktop does take a little step back in performance, it’s still quite full-featured all around. It utilizes DDR4 RAM and can support up to 64GB, and there’s the same storage setup with dual NVMe SSDs, though they’re limited to PCIe 3.0 speeds. The same SATA SSD slot is also available. For ports, it’s a lot of the same with dual HDMI 2.1, three USB 3.1 Gen 1 around back and two up front, an audio jack, DisplayPort 1.4, and 2.5G Ethernet. However, the USB-C plugs are 3.2 Gen 2, meaning there’s not 40Gb/s of throughput available like USB4 delivers. Either way you go, this desktop still packs plenty of power in a compact form-factor and will easily handle your needs.
Not sure what a desktop like this would be good for? Well, if you don’t need a lot of graphics power, then it’s perfect for nearly anything else. With up to eight cores and 16 threads, and up to 64GB of RAM depending on what model you pick up, this mini desktop has a unique capability of mounting to your monitor’s VESA holes which can essentially let you place it completely out of sight. Whether you’re looking for an ultra-minimal desk setup for working from home, or just want to get the kids a decent computer for them to do schoolwork on without having to take up a lot of room, this is a solid choice all around. It would also be ideal as a mini server computer since it’s so small and takes up a maximum of 150W of power, allowing you to run smart home services or media servers without having to keep your more powerful desktop on at all times.
Pricing for the GEEKOM AS 5 starts at $730 right now, though an on-page coupon takes it down to $610 with 32GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD pre-installed. Going up to the GEEKOM AS 6 would be well worth the few bucks extra though, with a normal price of $780 and a current sale of $650 with the on-page coupon. It also comes with 32GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD, so you’re ready to go as soon as it arrives.
9to5Toys’ Take
Honestly, these mini PCs are pretty tempting for lower-power needs. The processor has more than enough juice to run server applications, be that a game server, Plex media server, or even something like Roon or WordPress. It would also be great for more lightweight normal work tasks that include word processing, email, and the like. Though, with eight cores and 16 threads, it’ll also handle a little heavier workloads too, including some light photo manipulation or code compiling. The fact that the desktops take up at most 150W of electricity is also awesome as it won’t be ultra-power-hungry and running your electric bill up in summer months.
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