If GEEKOM delivers on what it’s teasing, the A9 Mega could be the first Windows 11 mini PC that genuinely threatens the Mac Studio’s blend of sleek design and uncompromising performance—at a far lower entry price and with stronger gaming credentials.
GEEKOM is preparing a compact desktop built around AMD’s headline-grabbing Strix Halo platform—marketed here as Ryzen AI Max+ 395—paired with up to 128GB of LPDDR5X‑8000 memory and a powerful RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU. The company is dangling a “launch day special” of $1,899 and positioning the machine as “the most powerful mini PC on Earth,” with claims of 126 TOPS of combined AI acceleration and desktop‑class graphics for 4K content creation and high‑refresh gaming. The pitch is audacious, but the underlying silicon makes the bravado plausible. (geekompc.com)
At the same time, the A9 Mega arrives into a suddenly competitive niche. Early Strix Halo desktops from Framework, GMKtec, and Beelink hint at what’s possible when you give AMD’s 16‑core Zen 5 APU sufficient cooling and bandwidth: 3DMark scores that nip at RTX 4060/4070 Laptop territory, fluid 1440p gaming in demanding titles, and the headroom to run large local language models without a discrete GPU. Those results, plus AMD’s own disclosures, help ground GEEKOM’s lofty marketing in something approaching reality—while also underscoring the caveats of first‑wave hardware. (tomsguide.com, kitguru.net, notebookcheck.net)
AMD and early independent testing frame the 8060S as the first iGPU to consistently threaten mid‑range laptop dGPUs in synthetic benchmarks and selected games. Time Spy results place it in the neighborhood of an RTX 4060 Laptop and sometimes closer to an RTX 4070 Laptop Max‑Q, with the usual caveat that synthetic parity does not always translate 1:1 to real‑world gaming. (kitguru.net)
Expect this to translate to faster encodes in HandBrake, quicker Lightroom/Photoshop batch processing, and snappier code compiles versus Ryzen AI 300 or Intel Core Ultra laptops—especially for workloads that run long enough to saturate smaller heat sinks. Whether GEEKOM’s “IceBlast 5.0” can match or beat the vapor‑chamber implementations we’re seeing from Beelink and others is an open question, but the platform certainly invites it. (techradar.com)
Where Strix Halo does draw a clear line is capability: AMD has demonstrated running very large local models on this class of silicon, and the enormous memory bandwidth plus sizable addressable VRAM pool make 7B–70B parameter deployments far less painful than on past integrated setups. Expect strong on‑device transcription, vision pipelines, and diffusion workflows that no longer demand a 300 W GPU under your desk. (notebookcheck.net)
For Windows enthusiasts, that matters because it breaks an old either/or. You no longer have to choose between a noisy SFF rig with a discrete GPU or a quiet mini PC that compromises too much in games and renders. The newest AMD iGPU is good enough that your first upgrade might be storage, not graphics.
On the silicon side:
But as with any “first wave” of a new platform, patience pays. Wait for hard numbers on sustained 120W thermals, noise, and stability; validate your specific apps and AI models; and, if you’re risk‑averse, consider buying through a retailer with a frictionless return policy. The A9 Mega could be the Strix Halo showcase mini PC many of us have been waiting for—just make sure the promise holds up under the lights before you put your money down. (techradar.com, reddit.com)
And if you’ve been wondering whether the era of “APU‑only desktops” is truly here, the broader market is already answering yes. Framework, Beelink, GMKtec—and now GEEKOM—are all shipping boxes that make discrete GPUs optional for a surprising number of Windows workflows. The A9 Mega may not topple the Mac Studio outright, but it undeniably moves the mini PC goalposts—and that alone should have Apple, and every mini PC maker, taking notice. (tomsguide.com, techradar.com)
Source: Windows Central The Geekom A9 Mega mini PC is about to have the Mac Studio quaking in its boots
Overview
GEEKOM is preparing a compact desktop built around AMD’s headline-grabbing Strix Halo platform—marketed here as Ryzen AI Max+ 395—paired with up to 128GB of LPDDR5X‑8000 memory and a powerful RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU. The company is dangling a “launch day special” of $1,899 and positioning the machine as “the most powerful mini PC on Earth,” with claims of 126 TOPS of combined AI acceleration and desktop‑class graphics for 4K content creation and high‑refresh gaming. The pitch is audacious, but the underlying silicon makes the bravado plausible. (geekompc.com)At the same time, the A9 Mega arrives into a suddenly competitive niche. Early Strix Halo desktops from Framework, GMKtec, and Beelink hint at what’s possible when you give AMD’s 16‑core Zen 5 APU sufficient cooling and bandwidth: 3DMark scores that nip at RTX 4060/4070 Laptop territory, fluid 1440p gaming in demanding titles, and the headroom to run large local language models without a discrete GPU. Those results, plus AMD’s own disclosures, help ground GEEKOM’s lofty marketing in something approaching reality—while also underscoring the caveats of first‑wave hardware. (tomsguide.com, kitguru.net, notebookcheck.net)
Background: What Strix Halo Actually Brings
Zen 5 cores, RDNA 3.5 graphics, and a serious NPU
AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (codename “Strix Halo”) pairs up to 16 high‑performance Zen 5 CPU cores with a 40‑CU RDNA 3.5 integrated GPU branded Radeon 8060S, plus a second‑generation XDNA 2 NPU rated at up to 50 TOPS. Memory runs over a wide LPDDR5X interface at up to 8,000 MT/s, and the chip is designed for configurable TDPs between 45W and 120W—critical for a mini PC that wants to sustain performance without throttling. (techpowerup.com, notebookcheck.net)AMD and early independent testing frame the 8060S as the first iGPU to consistently threaten mid‑range laptop dGPUs in synthetic benchmarks and selected games. Time Spy results place it in the neighborhood of an RTX 4060 Laptop and sometimes closer to an RTX 4070 Laptop Max‑Q, with the usual caveat that synthetic parity does not always translate 1:1 to real‑world gaming. (kitguru.net)
Bandwidth, “unified” memory, and Variable Graphics Memory
Unlike older APUs that relied on a small, fixed VRAM carve‑out plus shared memory, Strix‑era designs lean on high‑bandwidth LPDDR5X over a 256‑bit path (theoretical 256 GB/s) and an improved memory management scheme that allows the iGPU to use a much larger contiguous block of memory when workloads demand it. AMD’s Variable Graphics Memory (VGM) feature, introduced with Ryzen AI 300 and extended here, lets users reallocate system RAM into “dedicated graphics memory” at the firmware/driver level to accommodate larger models and assets; it’s not magic “infinite VRAM,” but it removes a major bottleneck for integrated graphics and many AI tools. Expect a reboot after changing the setting, and note that allocating too much can starve the CPU. (amd.com)Design and I/O: A boutique box, not a barebones cube
While most mini PCs still look like generic black bricks, GEEKOM is clearly chasing Apple’s design halo. The A9 Mega’s CNC‑machined aluminum chassis measures a tidy 171 × 171 × 70.9 mm and fronts a clean, understated aesthetic. Under the lid, the company touts “IceBlast 5.0” cooling to keep a sustained 120W envelope in check. The port layout is unapologetically creator‑centric:- 2 × USB4 Type‑C (40 Gbps, DP 2.1)
- 2 × HDMI 2.1 FRL
- 2 × USB‑C (data)
- 3 × USB‑A (mixed Gen 2/2.0)
- SD card slot
- Dual 2.5 GbE RJ45
- 3.5 mm audio jack
- Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
- Fingerprint power button
Performance Expectations: Where a mini PC meets a gaming laptop
CPU: Sixteen Zen 5 cores at desktop‑like sustained clocks
On multi‑threaded compute, Strix Halo is already showing desktop‑class chops in early systems that prioritize cooling. AMD’s 16C/32T configuration at up to 5.1 GHz boost, backed by a large shared L3 cache, has repeatedly outpaced last‑gen high‑end mobile silicon in Blender, V‑Ray, and Corona render demos, and partners are targeting 120W sustained power in compact desktops for workstation‑style loads. That aligns with GEEKOM’s “sustained 120W” language. (notebookcheck.net)Expect this to translate to faster encodes in HandBrake, quicker Lightroom/Photoshop batch processing, and snappier code compiles versus Ryzen AI 300 or Intel Core Ultra laptops—especially for workloads that run long enough to saturate smaller heat sinks. Whether GEEKOM’s “IceBlast 5.0” can match or beat the vapor‑chamber implementations we’re seeing from Beelink and others is an open question, but the platform certainly invites it. (techradar.com)
GPU: Radeon 8060S is the iGPU to beat
Multiple independent datapoints suggest Radeon 8060S can land around or above RTX 4060 Laptop in Time Spy, with some reports pushing near RTX 4070 Laptop Max‑Q. That’s an unprecedented showing for an iGPU. Mini‑PC testing on pre‑production Strix Halo boxes also paints a surprisingly rosy picture at 1440p: Cyberpunk 2077 in the ~60 FPS range on high settings (FSR/AFMF where available), ~90 FPS in Spider‑Man 2 (1440p High + FSR Quality), and >70 FPS in God of War Ragnarök at 1440p High without FSR. That’s not universal, but it’s a remarkably capable baseline for a 70 mm‑tall box. (kitguru.net, notebookcheck.net)- Synthetic parity does not ensure equal 1% lows or ray‑tracing performance per watt; Nvidia still has deep software optimizations in some engines.
- Memory behavior matters: with VGM set conservatively, the iGPU will lean on shared memory more often; Strix Halo shines when you grant it a large contiguous pool for graphics assets and AI tensors. (amd.com)
AI acceleration: 126 TOPS—and what that really means
GEEKOM’s A9 Mega marketing talks up “126 TOPS” and head‑turning inference claims—“2.2× faster than an RTX 4090 at just 13% power” in LM Studio—while name‑checking LLaMA, Qwen, Stable Diffusion, and even DeepSeek R1 70B as “supported.” Read that as a mix of vendor claims and best‑case software paths rather than a guarantee across all models and precisions. The AMD NPU alone is rated at 50 TOPS (INT8), with the rest coming from CPU and GPU paths; real‑world speed depends on the framework, operator coverage, precision, and memory layout. (geekompc.com, techpowerup.com)Where Strix Halo does draw a clear line is capability: AMD has demonstrated running very large local models on this class of silicon, and the enormous memory bandwidth plus sizable addressable VRAM pool make 7B–70B parameter deployments far less painful than on past integrated setups. Expect strong on‑device transcription, vision pipelines, and diffusion workflows that no longer demand a 300 W GPU under your desk. (notebookcheck.net)
How it stacks up to Mac Studio
Apple’s Mac Studio remains the reference design for compact power. As of early 2025, the base M3 Ultra model starts at $3,999 with 96GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD; M4 Max variants start at $1,999 but top out at 128GB RAM and target different buyer profiles. That $3,999 “floor” for 96GB has become an easy anchor for Windows rivals to benchmark against on price. (appleinsider.com, tomshardware.com)- In raw multi‑core CPU tasks and certain GPU‑accelerated creative apps, M3 Ultra still sets a wickedly high bar. Apple’s media engines and memory fabric are world‑class, and macOS pro apps often exploit them brilliantly.
- In Windows gaming and broad driver support for legacy titles, GEEKOM’s Strix Halo platform should run circles around the Mac Studio.
- For AI workflows, it’s a split decision: Apple’s Neural Engine and Metal backends are fast and efficient, but Windows tools like LM Studio, Ollama, and Stable Diffusion pipelines increasingly lean into CUDA‑like GPU paths and NPUs on x86, which Strix Halo can feed with that large VRAM pool and high bandwidth.
The mini PC moment: Why A9 Mega matters beyond GEEKOM
If all you care about is the end result—quiet, small, fast—the more important trend is that Strix Halo is finally shipping broadly into tiny desktops. Framework’s remarkably modular Desktop, Beelink’s workstation‑leaning GTR9 Pro, and GMKtec’s EVO‑X2 all show the ecosystem coalescing around AMD’s big APU. Preorders and hands‑on coverage suggest prices from roughly $1,400 to just under $2,000, depending on RAM/SSD and I/O. That clusters right where GEEKOM is pointing its “$1,899” launch special. (tomsguide.com, techradar.com, liliputing.com)For Windows enthusiasts, that matters because it breaks an old either/or. You no longer have to choose between a noisy SFF rig with a discrete GPU or a quiet mini PC that compromises too much in games and renders. The newest AMD iGPU is good enough that your first upgrade might be storage, not graphics.
What we can verify today
GEEKOM has publicly disclosed the A9 Mega’s core specs, dimensions, and I/O, along with its “coming soon” status and a launch‑day special of $1,899. The company also calls out Windows 11 Pro, Linux readiness, dual USB4, dual HDMI 2.1, dual 2.5 GbE, Wi‑Fi 7/BT 5.4, two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots up to 8TB, and “IceBlast 5.0” cooling targeting 120W sustained performance. These align with what other OEMs are shipping in Strix Halo mini PCs. (geekompc.com, techradar.com)On the silicon side:
- Ryzen AI Max+ 395: 16C/32T Zen 5, up to 5.1 GHz boost, 50 TOPS NPU, LPDDR5X‑8000 support, quad‑channel memory (up to 128GB), and a 45–120W cTDP. (techpowerup.com)
- Radeon 8060S iGPU: 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs; early tests put it around RTX 4060/4070 Laptop class in Time Spy with notable successes at 1440p in current AAA titles. (kitguru.net, notebookcheck.net)
- Memory behavior: AMD’s Variable Graphics Memory allows large dedicated VRAM blocks drawn from system RAM, with shared memory continuing to supplement as needed; it’s a manual setting and not “magically dynamic” in the Apple Silicon sense. (amd.com)
- Mac Studio pricing: The M3 Ultra configuration with 96GB unified memory starts at $3,999, while current retail promos occasionally dip it to around $3,599 at third‑party stores. (appleinsider.com, microcenter.com)
The big claims—and how to sanity‑check them
“Most powerful mini PC on Earth”
It’s a marketing line, but not utterly outlandish. In the sub‑2L category with integrated graphics, there’s little that will beat a properly cooled Strix Halo at 120W. Some boutique boxes pair desktop CPUs with discrete GPUs in slightly larger volumes, but the A9 Mega’s proposition is about dense, all‑in‑one performance in a tiny square. If your definition of “mini PC” includes small SFF desktops with 200–300W dGPUs, then sure, there are faster machines. GEEKOM’s claim is best read as “most powerful APU‑only mini PC.” (techradar.com)“Radeon 8060S can go toe‑to‑toe with RTX 40‑series”
There’s credible evidence the iGPU can meet or beat RTX 4060 Laptop in synthetic tests and nip at 4070 Laptop Max‑Q in specific conditions. That’s extraordinary for an iGPU. In sustained raster at 1440p with help from FSR/AFMF, the story remains favorable. In ray tracing‑heavy titles or engines tuned heavily for Nvidia, expect the usual caveats. (kitguru.net, notebookcheck.net)“126 TOPS of AI acceleration” and “2.2× a 4090 in LM Studio”
The 126 TOPS figure is a combined CPU/GPU/NPU marketing number; real inference speed varies widely by model, precision (e.g., INT4/INT8/FP16), and operator coverage. The LM Studio comparison is a vendor claim specific to a test path, and while AMD has publicized impressive AI demos on Strix Halo, independent validation across diverse models remains ongoing. Treat those numbers as directional, not definitive. (geekompc.com, notebookcheck.net)Strengths we’re excited about
- Desktop‑class iGPU capability: For creators who live in DaVinci Resolve, Blender, Unreal, or Adobe apps that increasingly benefit from GPU acceleration, having RTX 4060‑ish performance without dGPU noise, heat, and cost is a sea change. (kitguru.net)
- Ample memory bandwidth: LPDDR5X‑8000 on a 256‑bit interface feeds both the CPU and 40‑CU iGPU, a key reason Strix Halo doesn’t choke on larger projects and datasets. (techpowerup.com)
- Local AI headroom: The NPU’s 50 TOPS plus GPU paths, plus a large addressable VRAM block via VGM, make local LLM and diffusion workflows practical on a quiet mini box. (techpowerup.com, amd.com)
- I/O for creators: Dual USB4 with DP 2.1, dual HDMI 2.1, dual 2.5 GbE, SD card reader, and Wi‑Fi 7 is a creator‑friendly loadout. Four 8K‑capable outputs across USB4/HDMI 2.1 is overkill in the best way. (geekompc.com)
- Price positioning: If the $1,899 launch price holds for a solid configuration, it undercuts comparable Strix Halo minis we’ve seen and makes an easy “half a Mac Studio Ultra” talking point. (geekompc.com, techradar.com)
Risks and unknowns to keep in view
- Kickstarter launch dynamics: GEEKOM has used crowdfunding before on other projects, and the A9 Mega’s page teases a “launch day special” while Windows Central reports a Kickstarter first phase. Crowdfunding introduces delivery timelines and communication expectations different from a conventional retail drop. Proceed the way you would with any campaign: eyes open, paperwork saved. (kickstarter.com, windowscentral.com)
- Thermals at 120W: Sustaining 120W in a 70.9‑mm‑tall chassis is non‑trivial. Beelink and others are leaning on vapor chambers and aggressive dual‑fan designs for similar silicon. GEEKOM’s IceBlast 5.0 will need to keep noise and hotspots in check under Blender/V‑Ray or long AI runs. Wait for independent testing. (techradar.com)
- Soldered memory: LPDDR5X is fast but not upgradeable. Choose your capacity wisely; 64GB is a comfortable floor for creative and AI use, 96–128GB is better if you live in multi‑gigabyte timelines or larger models. (techpowerup.com)
- Driver maturity and app paths: RDNA 3.5 iGPU performance is impressive, but game‑by‑game variability and pro app plugin support still matter. Early adopters often outrun the software stack by a few months.
- After‑sales support: Community feedback around direct‑from‑brand support and fulfillment for GEEKOM is mixed. Buying through a reputable retailer can mitigate risk via stronger return policies and faster exchanges. (reddit.com)
Who should consider the A9 Mega?
Creators and editors who value small, quiet power
If you’re cutting 4K in Resolve, compositing in After Effects, or iterating Blender scenes and want a machine that sits quietly under a monitor arm, a Strix Halo mini may replace both your laptop and a mid‑tower. Dual USB4 plus HDMI 2.1 means multi‑monitor rigs, fast external arrays, and capture chains are straightforward. (geekompc.com)AI developers, researchers, and enthusiasts
For local model experimentation, a 126 TOPS marketing number matters less than memory behavior and bandwidth—and Strix Halo has both in spades. With VGM set high and enough LPDDR5X, you can keep more models in “VRAM‑like” memory and avoid painful paging. The 50 TOPS NPU is well‑suited to pipelines that offload pre/post‑processing or specific operator sets, while the iGPU handles bulk tensor math in supported frameworks. (amd.com)PC gamers who want a console‑like box
If you’re mostly gaming at 1440p on a high‑refresh display (or a 4K TV with a smart upscaler), the 8060S iGPU plus FSR/AFMF can deliver a pleasantly console‑like experience without the noise and heat of a discrete GPU. You’ll still dial back ray tracing in many titles, but the days of mini‑PC “IGPU gaming compromises” are fading fast. (notebookcheck.net)Practical buying advice
- Prioritize memory and cooling. With soldered LPDDR5X, you can’t upgrade later; pick 96GB or 128GB if your workloads are heavy. And wait for independent thermals/noise testing before committing to a preorder.
- Plan your storage. Two PCIe 4.0 x4 slots make it easy to split projects/models and scratch/cache drives. If you run out of internal space, USB4 40 Gbps enclosures can provide near‑NVMe speeds.
- Right‑size your expectations for AI. Verify that your preferred frameworks (PyTorch, ONNX Runtime, DirectML, etc.) map well to AMD’s NPU/iGPU and that your model’s operators are supported at the precisions you plan to use.
- Buy from a retailer you trust. GEEKOM promises a 3‑year warranty, but third‑party stores often make returns and exchanges much simpler if anything arrives DOA or develops a fault early. (geekompc.com, reddit.com)
Alternatives to watch
- Framework Desktop (Strix Halo): A modular design that delivers surprising 4K gaming on iGPU, with a right‑to‑repair ethos and expandable I/O via Expansion Cards. Pricing varies by config and is typically competitive with other Strix Halo minis. (tomsguide.com)
- Beelink GTR9 Pro: A workstation‑leaning Strix Halo mini PC emphasizing connectivity, including dual 10GbE, robust display support, and premium cooling—positioned as a Windows Mac Studio alternative around the $2,000 mark. (techradar.com)
- GMKtec EVO‑X2: One of the earliest Strix Halo minis to open preorders; specs and pricing hover in the $1,400–$2,000 band depending on memory and storage. (liliputing.com)
- Apple Mac Studio (M3 Ultra/M4 Max): If your workflow lives in Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, or other macOS‑optimized tools, the Mac Studio still feels purpose‑built—and starts at $3,999 for the 96GB M3 Ultra model. (appleinsider.com)
What Windows enthusiasts should look for in reviews
- Sustained performance and acoustics: Short benchmarks are easy; 30–60‑minute renders and multi‑hour AI runs tell the real story. Look for temperature, wattage, and noise telemetry over time.
- 1% lows in games: With iGPUs, memory allocation and bandwidth can whipsaw frame pacing. Balanced VGM settings should improve consistency, but reviewers should test multiple configurations. (amd.com)
- Pro app behavior: Resolve Studio, Premiere, Blender Cycles/Eevee, Unreal Engine builds, and Photoshop/Lightroom batch tests will reveal whether the driver/app stack is ready.
- I/O throughput: Verify that both USB4 ports provide expected alt‑mode behavior and DMA speeds, that HDMI 2.1 FRL delivers 4K120 with VRR, and that dual 2.5 GbE can saturate links simultaneously.
Bottom line
GEEKOM’s A9 Mega reads like a wish list item for Windows power users: a beautifully machined, living‑room‑friendly mini PC that finally pairs “Apple‑grade” industrial design with the raw multi‑engine muscle of AMD’s Strix Halo. The blueprint is right: Zen 5 cores for compute, Radeon 8060S for serious iGPU gaming and creator work, a 50 TOPS NPU for AI pipelines, LPDDR5X‑8000 to feed all three, and the I/O you actually need to build a compact pro‑caliber desk setup. If the company hits its $1,899 launch special with sensible configurations, it will have a potent Mac Studio alternative that also happens to be one of the best Windows 11 mini PCs for creators, gamers, and AI tinkerers. (geekompc.com)But as with any “first wave” of a new platform, patience pays. Wait for hard numbers on sustained 120W thermals, noise, and stability; validate your specific apps and AI models; and, if you’re risk‑averse, consider buying through a retailer with a frictionless return policy. The A9 Mega could be the Strix Halo showcase mini PC many of us have been waiting for—just make sure the promise holds up under the lights before you put your money down. (techradar.com, reddit.com)
And if you’ve been wondering whether the era of “APU‑only desktops” is truly here, the broader market is already answering yes. Framework, Beelink, GMKtec—and now GEEKOM—are all shipping boxes that make discrete GPUs optional for a surprising number of Windows workflows. The A9 Mega may not topple the Mac Studio outright, but it undeniably moves the mini PC goalposts—and that alone should have Apple, and every mini PC maker, taking notice. (tomsguide.com, techradar.com)
Source: Windows Central The Geekom A9 Mega mini PC is about to have the Mac Studio quaking in its boots