By I’ve had desktop computers on my desk for nearly three decades. The CSL VenomBox was my first micro PC, and I haven’t regretted it since it was released early last year, following problems with the Intel Core i9-14900KF.
I wanted a decent tiny PC because I want to stay current with AI. In addition to offering the required AI support and modern connections, the Geekom A9 Max with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor offers a small performance boost over the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS in the CSL VenomBox.
Specification
- Measurements: W × D × H = 135 × 132 × 46.9 mm
- AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor
- AMD Radeon 890M GPU
- Memory: Wodposit Dual-Channel DDR5 5600MHz, 2 × 16 GB
- Internal storage: M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 × 4 NVMe SSD, Lexar LNQ7A1X002T
- Upgradeability of SSDs: up to 4 TB, 1 × M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 x 4 NVMe
- Rear connections include two × Ethernet RJ45, one × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one × USB 2.0 Type-A, one × USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt-Mode / PD-In, and one × USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt-Mode. Front connections: 3 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A Always On, 1 × 3.5 mm headphone jack, 1 × SD card reader, 2.5 Gbit/s, 2 × HDMI 2.1 FRL, and 1 × DC-In 4.0 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity
- System software: 64-bit Microsoft Windows 11 24H2
- VESA mount (121.8 × 116.5 × 1.0 mm) is an accessory.
Design and features
The A9 Max tiny PC was introduced at CES earlier this year and has only been on the market for a few weeks. Geekom houses the technology in a stylish metal casing that can support up to 200 kg of strain. Although we haven’t tested this claim, we can confirm that the housing is very stable.
The A9 Max’s dimensions of 135 x 132 x 46.9 millimeters allow it to be placed on any desk with ease. A VESA mount can also be used to attach it to the rear of a monitor, but it doesn’t work with my arrangement of three 27-inch monitors on one rail.
Although it doesn’t really matter which way the computer is positioned on the tabletop, there are ports on the front and back, as is common with tiny PCs. The on/off switch marks the front. With two USB4 ports with DisplayPort 1.4 each, two HDMI 2.1 connectors, and support for up to four 8K displays, Geekom hasn’t skimped on ports and has left nothing to be desired.
When combined with a suitable router or switch and a network area network (NAS), such as the Ugreen DX4800 Plus (more on this later), the two 2.5 Gbit Ethernet ports are a highlight.
Eight USB ports in different versions—from USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 to USB 4.0 Type-C—are also included. Additionally, this configuration enables fast connections to storage devices.
Performance
We were excited to see the performance test results because the hardware seemed robust for a tiny PC in this price range. We assessed actual performance, which generates realistic figures by sequentially doing daily tasks.
The A9 comfortably places in the top shirt with a score of 7,976. In contrast, the Ryzen 7 7730U processor-equipped Asus ZenBook 14 OLED receives a total score of 6,722 points. This demonstrates how the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 compares to CPUs made by Qualcomm and Intel.
In 3DMark’s Steel Nomad Light benchmark, the Geekom A9 Max receives 3,279 points, which puts it in the “good” range and just above average. With 3,701 points, it does well in the Time Spy test as well.
In the Crystal Disk Mark benchmark, Lexar’s M.2 NVMe SSD achieves a read speed of 6,242 MB/s and a write speed of 5,423 MB/s. For a PCIe 4.0 SSD, this is an above-average value. In contrast, the Crucial P310 SSD 2 TB that has been retrofitted reaches even faster rates, with 7,000 read and 4,614 write MB/s.
GEEKOM A9 Max AI Mini PC with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (80 TOPS) | Radeon 890M, 32GB DDR5 RAM 2TB NVMe SSD, Mini Gaming PC Windows 11 Pro
The dual Ethernet configuration with two 2.5 Gbit/s connections is another noteworthy feature. In summary, the primary benefit is the ability to connect to two wired networks simultaneously; however, utilizing a single LAN connection does not result in any speed improvement.
We utilized two Category eight network cables to connect the A9 Max to the network, and we used Windows File Explorer to copy a video file that was almost 5.8 GB in size to and from the Ugreen NAS DX4800 Plus, which likewise has two 2.5 Gbit/s ports.
Regardless of whether both Ethernet ports were connected, the average bandwidth was 278 MB/s. Similar findings were obtained by the NAS Performance Tester, which recorded average reading and writing speeds of 276.04 MB/s and 289.09 MB/s, respectively.
Conclusion
For users looking for above-average performance and AI features, the Geekom A9 Max is a decent option. The small PC is ideal for office use and is particularly popular among developers and graphic artists due to its extensive feature set and support for multiple monitors.
However, Geekom’s pricing strategy is a little regrettable. The A9 Max used to cost $1,199, but now it costs $999 in the United States. That’s not a bad deal right there, but occasionally Geekom’s website will run promotions that could cause the price to change.
