Mini PC Buyers: Watch This Before Buying the GEEKOM A7!
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- In this GEEKOM A7 review, we take a deep-dive into this mini pc.
With the Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and 2TB of PCIE4 NVME, this mini computer should FLY and be amazing all-around, but that certainly was not the case.
Many reviews on CZcams fail to mention some of the flaws of the GEEKOM A7, and we hope to show you EVERYTHING you'll need to know about this mini PC before finally making a purchasing decision.
This Mini PC can be found both directly from GEEKOM and from Amazon (links below)
Windows 11 Pro is pre-installed, and in our review we run benchmarks, test games, and also try emulated systems in Windows and Batocera Linux.
► Specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS / 8 Core 16 Thread / 4.0GHz - 5.2GHz
RAM: 2x16GB CRUCIAL DDR5 5600MTs
GPU: AMD Radeon 780M 12CUs up to 2800MHz
Storage: Acer N5000 2TB PCIe4x4 M.2 NVME
OS: Windows 11 Pro 64bit
►Note:
This product was received for free solely for the purpose of video review. Nothing of monetary value has been received.
Affiliate links have been added which help the channel at no additional cost to yourself.
Thanks 🙏
► Coupon Code
Use the code TPandoryA7 on the GEEKOM HP linked below to save around US$20/£15/AU$30
► Purchase links
GEEKOM US: go.teampandory.com/geekoma7us
GEEKOM UK: go.teampandory.com/geekoma7uk
GEEKOM AU: go.teampandory.com/geekoma7au
Amazon US: amzn.to/4aT8alH
Amazon UK: amzn.to/4cSnMHP
Amazon AU: www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CSD8WR...
► Alternative Mini PCs
GEEKOM A5: go.teampandory.com/geekoma5us
Amazon US: amzn.to/49iGJkF
GMKtec Website: go.teampandory.com/gmkteck8
Amazon: amzn.to/49hHiue
►Timestamps:
0:00 GEEKOM A7 Review
0:20 GEEKOM A7 Mini PC Unboxing
1:35 GEEKOM A7 Specs
1:49 A Closer Look
3:12 Size Comparison
3:53 First Boot, Windows Setup
4:00 Bypassing Windows 11 Setup Without Internet Connection
4:30 Windows, Tamper check
4:46 Ninite, Power Settings, Malware and Virus Check
5:10 Productivity - Office, 2D Graphics, DAW, Video Editing, Ryzen AI
5:48 Internet Shopping, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Netflix, CZcams 4K
6:26 Benchmarks
6:45 Bluetooth Game Controller
6:51 Gameplay - Devolver Bootleg, Terraria, Super Woden GP2
7:15 Gameplay - We Love Katamari ReRoll, Dota 2
7:36 Gameplay - Fornite, House of the Dead ReMake, Street Fighter 6
8:33 Gameplay - Rocket League, Yakuza 6
9:01 BIOS TDP Settings
9:30 Fixing Jerky Framerate with Universal x86 Tuning Utility
9:50 Emulation Tests - XBOX360, Wii U, PlayStation 3
10:12 Emulation Tests - Wii-U, Switch
10:34 BIOS
10:50 Batocera - WiFi and Bluetooth Test
11:01 Emulation Testing - Atari ST, Amiga, MS-DOS, XBOX, PS2
11:42 Opening up the GEEKOM A7, Tear Down
12:54 Wi-Fi Signal Strength test
13:20 Using USB-C to DP cable to get 144hz in UWQHD
13:38 Fan Noise, Power Draw
14:09 Pros and Cons
14:37 Alternatives to the GEEKOM A7
14:53 Final Thoughts and Patreon Thanks
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►Credits
'Italo Disco Magic', 'Miami Midnight Drive', and 'A Way Out (Machine's Maze)' by Chris Huelsbeck, used under a royalty-free license, please visit www.patreon.com/chris_huelsbeck for more info!
Pandory Intro Music by Disfunktional
surroundsoundrecordings.bandc...
breakingsaints.bandcamp.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
TEAM PANDORY
www.teampandory.com/
►Fancy supporting our work?
Patreon: / pandorytool
Buy us a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/CKZbiXa
►Merch:
USA: go.teampandory.com/merchusa
Europe: go.teampandory.com/merchuk
►Feedback
Discord channel: go.teampandory.com/discord
Facebook: / teampandory
#geekom #minipc #ryzen7 #7940hs #amd #gaming #retrogaming #review - Hry
Ok, the song at the end steps it up a notch. With that and your excellent production values you’re definitely going to see a big bump in subscribers soon. Keep these top notch videos coming.
Such a shame, it looked the part, but that heat issue is shocking, at least the wifi has a workaround, but it's still bad that it does not work as it should. The music did make me smile (not looked but presume Suno). As always Tim, very slick video and packed with info..Have fun with the next one, Paul..
Thanks man ❤️. Your comments are always appreciated 🤠
For sure, I'm hoping the next will be a good one with little need to faff.
@@TeamPandory No problem Tim, I just appreciate the effort
Great review
And a great treat for our ears at the end! Loved it 😃
Great review, awesome song
sick, man, you are definitely underrated... great review! and great song lol :)
Thankyou 😊
good review and great song :)
Thanks Craig :-)
Great review . . . Second review I have seen that indicates heat/throttling issues, along with poor WiFi (antenna) design or location. Song is hilarious! Thank you . . .
It seems like there are only two accurate reviews 😅 Thanks for the comment!
That song has no reason to go so hard. Phenomenal review!
Great review!
Thankyou 😊
I'm using A7 now, enjoy it so much
Great video! Just subbed
Thanks for the sub! ☺️
looks good just waiting on mine being delivered from Geekom
I LOVE THE A7❤❤❤I've used it and it's a strong performer🎉🎉🎉
Great, down to earth review - cool little machine until it becomes not cool (pun intended). However I think it would be better suited for productivity than for gaming (it seems to pack a lot of punch for such a small package). Of course, cherry on top of the review was your song. Loved it!
True, but if we need a computer solely for productivity, then an Intel chip might be better suited for the task.
It's such a shame to see such power be wasted like this, as the parts inside are excellent!
Thanks for the nice comment btw 😄
Hey awesome video specially the part on how to check for vulnerability in these mini pc's
Would love if you could do a same exposed test with GMKtec nucbox G5 (with intel n97).
Thanks
Hey thanks 👍
Yeah I mean we do pretty much the same checks, if something sucks we'll let you know 😁
Btw we've not got the G5 yet. I think there's one on the way, but it won't be until next month - too many things to review.
Sure no worries. Will be eagerly waiting for your video. Thanks again.
I bought a GMKtec G3 with Intel N100 CPU recently for $200. It’s perfect for my application. I’m not a gamer.
With Mini PC you always go Ryzen. You do get your money's worth. AMD just build better APUs. Also there is no harm going Linux straight out of the box. Steam fully supports Linux now and you can use Wine for .exe's. Next year I will be fully Linux. Sorry, I just don't trust Microsoft aswell as other companies with AI. They will just use it as Spyware.
For sure, if this geekom could give us the option in the bios like gmktec recently added, it'd put our minds a bit at ease... Also we'd be getting lower temps :-)
Linux definitely is on the Ryzen *cough*
I want Windows.
I just bought a Beelink SER7mini PC for Linux and it works great! Plays games well in 1080p medium settings.
I really like the GEEKOM A7 Mini PC and I'm planning to buy one. The quality of GEEKOM is really impressive. The performance, material quality, and value for money of the A7 are excellent. GEEKOM provides great after-sales service and fast shipping. GEEKOM is a trustworthy brand in the Mini PC market. Looking forward to more product reviews from influencers!
I see what you did there. 😉
Bot, or bought? A blot. This guy's a blot.
Katamari ~~na na, nanananana
I like the song at the end, it makes all the problems sound very positive, haha
😂 I like rolling my balls
I’m loving my A7 so far.
Would there be anyway to move or extend the wifi antenna to make it better? I wonder if running it on it's side (although it blocks the vents) would fix the issue?
The thermal throttling makes this useless for heavy emulation then. What a shame. The WiFi issue is annoying too. Can't justify this. Hopefully its successor fixes these issues.
Good stuff! 🎤
Thanks man 😊
I love your chuckle/laugh checking the map. :)
You might want to be careful with the usage of "Steward's" voice with the new rules and new option when uploading. I don't know how strict they are going to be in the future.
Funny how only the 3.5" inch FD helps me understand the size of it.
Clever move to throttle the system before it reaches thermal throttling temps. Technically it doesn't thermal throttle lol.
Can someone please make a mini PC with thicc cooling? It's ok, no one is going to make fun of it for the size. They are already small.
Thanks for the video.
The voice should be OK, it's not technically his voice, but a recreation of it using a certain website..But best to play safe sometimes :)
GEEKOM launched the A7 mini-PC, the most impressive mini-PC available... without warranty support. Oh, it's mentioned on their web pages but it isn't real. At least not in Australia or via the US or China. Warranty = Fail. With a new market segment in mini-PCs & the gaming market open to a new hardware segment, AMD & Intel are hedging more than a bit on all this to jump start their cloud gaming future and expand their chip presence in the IoT. I wonder if AMD & Intel know what GEEKOM are doing to their brands. Maybe our CZcams reviewers should include warranty when reviewing "exciting" new hardware?
Helpful review. Just thought I'd point out that this CPU is actually a Ryzen 9, not a Ryzen 7.
Ooops! 😅
the song at end made me laugh haha lol
I love your content. You at least do some proper testing and evaluation instead of promoting one more product on the market. You made me buy 3 Nucbox G3 barebone systems upgraded with 16 GB Ram and 1 TB Samsung NVME to create a HA proxmox cluster. Happy so far but the systems do get hot when loaded 100% Need to re-apply thermal paste to check that out. I've also got a GMKTEC M5 Pro on route to experiment with more serious VM's. Keep it coming bud.
Not a bad pc, horrible throttling though, that's a instant no buy from me. Great review, awesome song!
Please do a review of geekom A8, curious to know if the heat and wifi issues are better in this new model.
If they send one, sure 😂
Those thermals are indeed worrying. I do like the port identification symbols, which should ideally be universal across the industry.
I don't consider the Windows login requiring an internet connection to be a downside per se as it is something defined by Microsoft. In terms of the workaround, it is something that could be included in the user guide to ensure that users have a clear alternative.
All in all, specs wise, it is quite impressive, even though, at the price demanded, it certainly should be. All those decent USB ports really make it stand out a little more.
But with the thermals being an issue, it does raise the question of manufacturer response and whether they will come out with any form of comment as to what they can do going forward for new customers and what they will do for existing customers, who are undoubtedly in a precarious position.
Perhaps it is as simple as something in a BIOS update or a new cooling solution. But Geekom, who sent the device for review, should actively take part in the discussion now that the verdict is in. Future sales may depend on response to criticism and faults.
We'll see. They surprisingly sent a positive email back to me saying they're going to look into each thing that we had concerns about... "Time will tell, sooner or later... Time will tell" - Einstein (Red Alert)
Awesome vid but damn the cheap yen really hurts that price tag ;;
Thanks Don... The cheap yen hurts all over tbh 😭
That song got my sub lmao
How long did it take for the thermal throttling to take effect? I had expected 2 hours worth of gaming/intense video editing.
Depended on the game. Rocket League it throttled at 1 minute of gameplay, whereas Yakuza 6 took around 5 minutes.
Fortnite we managed to go a full game (around 10-15 minutes) with the settings we used without an issue, so games that don't push GPU and CPU too much might be okay. Not exactly something we can recommend for anyone interested in gaming tbh.
I love the song
The recap song was very original.
First time visit, and I subscribed. Loved the song at the end. Great production and great intel. I'll scratch Geekom A7 7940HS off my list.
Thanks 💯, really appreciate your comment.
To be honest, we think they have the guts to knock it out of the park. Just with the iteration we had, it didn't hit home.
... Maybe we pushed it harder than the other reviewers and testers? 😂
Which makes and models do you recommend that solve the WiFi issue? Thx.
Both geekom (A5 and A7) computers we tried having a poor signal.
This may be in-part to having a router that's sub-par, but it's the same one we test with other mini pcs, and those all had much better performance in that area.
Thanks. What do you like for a basic biz mini PC?
@@axeo123 any intel n100 tbh. They're cheap and do things like internet and office nice and easy.
Any Make or Model you prefer or are they all basically the same components? Thanks again?
I'm having issues with bluetooth audio basically not working (stuttering). I've tried to remove obstructions, disabling other devices (wifi, bluetooth and USB hub), reinstalling drivers for bluetooth and audio, but nothing works. Is this something you encountered while testing as well?
This could be an issue with the antennae they're using with both WiFi / Bluetooth... We don't really use Bluetooth headphones, but had issues with the WiFi.
Maybe switching the antenna might help? I'm sure a usb / BT dongle will work, both solutions not exactly ideal
@@TeamPandory Thanks for answering. I've tried a USB dongle too and that worked, but it doesn't work before logging in to Windows, so basically I can't login that way. It's really annoying and they have a bad return policy. Had I known this, I'd have gone with Minisforum.
@@L80skidd I've heard that geekom have a 3 year money back guarantee... 🤔 ... Maybe plop it on the eBay ?
@@TeamPandory I don't know how they're going to feel about the adhesive tape I used to attach a vesa mount. 😅
...I wonder if the USB 4 port on the A7 supports eGPU...?
It might, but we don't have a USB-C to eGPU kit to test... those things are PRICEY! 🙀
And people thought Taylor Swift was the only one gifted at singing break up songs LOL poor geekom A7
Will this unit be good to run protools 12 audio software
Yeah, it'd excel at that actually. As long as you're not looking at pc games which push the system somewhat, you're good n
Also, take Beelink's lineup into consideration🔍
PS: Does Dog Man (comic) has any dank/mortician humor?🤔
There is a Beelink in the pipeline :-)
Didn't read the whole book, but it looked kinda cool 😎
Fake AMZ reviews are very very common. From 2018ish to 2022 I partook in FB groups that refunded you 100% (pretax) for a "honest" 5 star review. I always put some negatives in the review, sometimes even mostly negative but still gave the 5 stars to honor the "agreement" I stopped for many reasons but they are still going strong in 2024.
I'm wondering if those same people are doing the same thing on CZcams... And maybe have over 1m subs? Crazy world.
...We'll keep reporting on the good and the bad here in our shed 😊
Wait, did they still send you the product? Or you would buy, they wouldn't send, and you'd get your money back?
I knew fake reviews were a thing, just didn't know how they're worked ...
For that kind of money you can build what you want slightly larger.
Quite disappointing. No sense in having all that processing power if you can't use it for more than a few minutes. Hopefully, Geekom will fix the thermals in a revision.
Definitely! I mean if you don't care for the pc gaming, it isn't bad, but there are plenty of alternatives available.
Wth video game are you playing at 5:34? What kind of side-scrolling adventure game has a main character with knockers that huge?
I couldn't get quite a good enough look at it, but maybe it was Dragons Crown?
@@DJJuxtapose yep. That'd the one.
@@DJJuxtapose Yup, that seems to be it. Holy crap, the fan service in that game is insane.
marry me emuchicken!
❤❤
It looks good for gaming
GEEKOM is my most trusted mini pc brand
I will buy this mini pc on amazon
I have bought a bunch of different brand mini pcs' Beelink...minisfoums....and others....In my opinion T]they are a collection of poorly made computers with low quality parts...Lousy and slow Chinese tech support, and I would avoid these crappy machines at all costs. Other than the Intel brand NUC.....most of these are just junky cheap little computers.....Most all get too hot too fast and throttle or just freeze and re boot. Buyers beware.
When I saw this mini with a high power cpu in a tiny tiny case with no second fan for the Ram and DDR cooling I knew it was a hard pass. Very crapple oops Apple 🍎 fail , aesthetics and beauty over a full performance, functional mini PC💩💩😂😂😂😂👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻
Should be okay, provided you don't do any gaming on it...
You're on the ball re: small case and cooling btw.
We knew smaller = more heat = less performance. It's one of the reasons why we hated using those laptops with GPUs. Heavy, hot, noisy, and sub-optimal performance.
If you don't know history, you're doomed to repeat it, right?