GEEKOM is no stranger to the mini PC form factor and, having reviewed several of their products now, I’m no stranger to how much bang for your buck users get. This time around, I’m assessing the AS 6, which is powered by the AMD 6000H series of processors. How does the small PC hold up through my testing? Find out in my GEEKOM AS 6 review.
Getting the party started
As expected, GEEKOM provides everything users could need for setup in the AS 6 box. There’s the unit itself, a power adapter, a VESA mount with screws, SSD mounting screws, HDD mounting screws, and a manual.
With the VESA mount, users can attach the AS 6 to the back of a monitor, to a stand, or to an under-desk mount with ease.
The SSD and HDD mounting screws come in handy for expanding internal storage. This is easily achieved thanks to the small number of screws locking away the inside. Of course, users will want to be cautious when navigating the internals, but it should be relatively simple for an SSD and/or HDD to be slotted in.
Generous selection of ports
The AS 6’s I/O is very generous, with plenty of ports ready and waiting for your devices. The two HDMI 2.1 ports and 2.5 G LAN are especially great to see, as are the USB 4 Type-C ports which support Thunderbolt 4.
Booting up the AS 6 for the first time will reveal the Windows 11 Pro installation. It’s a clean install, too, so you won’t have to worry about a slew of unwanted programs hogging resources.
Choose your configuration
The GEEKOM AS 6 is available with either the Ryzen 9 6900HX or Ryzen 7 6800H. These come armed with Radeon Graphics 680M, a capable GPU that can deliver impressive gaming performance, as I’ll cover in a moment.
All units come with 32 GB of DDR-4800 dual-channel RAM and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
I’ve been testing the AS 6 featuring the Ryzen 9 6900HX. Unsurprisingly, to those familiar with the “Ryzen 9” lineup, this mini PC doesn’t break a sweat during everyday tasks. It also remains impressively cool under load and the fan noise is minimal.
During more taxing actions, like editing and rendering 4K video, the R9 6900HX paired with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and 1 TB SSD didn’t stutter and exports were on par with the more expensive Intel NUC 13 Pro and its i7-1360P that I reviewed previously.
Yes, it can game
Where the GEEKOM AS 6 sets itself apart from the Intel NUC 13 Pro, however, is in gaming. For gaming at 1080p and 1440p, I found that the GEEKOM machine regularly outperformed the Intel NUC by 30-40%. If you’re looking for a mini PC that you can work on throughout the day and then game during the evening, the AS 6 is clearly the better choice.
Final Verdict
Now retailing for $749 (or $709 here with code “as640a”), the GEEKOM AS 6 positions itself in a fantastic spot. It’s cheaper than the Intel NUC 13 Pro and can outperform it in all tasks, especially when it comes to gaming. While some may feel the need to stick to Intel for QuickSync and some other nice-to-haves, the AS 6 is the product that I would recommend to most people in the market for a sub-$1,000 mini PC.
Positives and Negatives
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Powerful AMD components.
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Easy to set up and go.
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Compact and portable.
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Easy to expand storage.
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A step up from Intel's offering when it comes to gaming.
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GEEKOM remains a relatively unknown brand.
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No worthy alternatives to Intel QuickSync or other nice-to-haves.
Disclosure: AS 6 review sample provided by GEEKOM.
