Geekom A5 review: Mini PC for under 500 euros
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on October 20, 2023, 14:11 p.m. | Write a comment
Geekom is known for its variety of mini PCs that offer a lot of technology for a reasonable price. We tested the new Geekom A5.
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Geekom A5: design
The A5 has a fresh and modern design with a new color option. It is very compact at 117 × 112 × 49,2 mm and fits in with the other Geekom PCs we are currently testing. It has many ports on the front and back. In contrast to the AS6, it again has an SD card reader, but only large USB ports at the front.
The Geekom A5 has a chroma design.
(Image: TechnikNews)
The A5 has many ports, which are distributed as follows:
On the front (from left to right) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x 3,5 mm jack connection for speakers.
On the left side: SD card reader.
On the right: Kensington lock.
On the back (from left to right): Power supply connection USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C HDMI 2.0b 2,5G RJ45 LAN port 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C HDMI 2.0b
Geekom advertises the A4 with an “8K connection”, but this is only possible via USB-C, there is no DisplayPort or HDMI 2.1 connection.
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- The Geekom A5 does not have a USB-C port at the front. (Picture: TechnikNews)
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- The Geekom A5 does not have a DisplayPort connection at the back. (Picture: TechnikNews)
Chrome colors are a real eye-catcher
The design of the A5 is a real eye-catcher. The rose gold case with the chrome accents has prompted many friends to inquire. The quality of the plastic case with the metal insert is solid, like other Geekom models. This means that you have the PC proCan be easily transported and taken to the office. Unfortunately there is no carrying bag.
The downside to this design is that the A5's fan is a bit louder and more frequent than other Geekom mini PCs. You can hear it clearly, especially in demanding applications such as games or Photoshop. This can be annoying in the long run.
A plus point of the A5 is that it can be easily upgraded. If you unscrew it, you can expand both the RAM and the internal storage. Up to 64 GB RAM and 2 TB via M.2 SSD are possible. There is no limit for 2,5-inch HDDs.
With the included VESA mount you can also screw the A5 to a compatible monitor and turn it into an all-in-one PC.
Geekom A5: technical data
- Proprocessor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8 cores, 16 threads, 16 MB cache, 3,2 GHz to 4,4 GHz clock, TDP 35 watts)
- GPU:AMD Radeon Vega 8
- RAM: 32 GB DDR4-3200
- Storage: M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 4x SSD, supports up to 2 TByte 1x 2,5 inch / 7 mm SATA HDDs and two 2 TByte M.2 SSDs for expansion
- Operating system: Windows 11 Pro
- Slots: 3x USB-A (3.2 Gen 2), 1x USB-A (2.0), 2x USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), 2x HDMI 2.0b, 3,5 mm jack, LAN (2.5G), SD Card reader, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6
- What's in the box: Mini PC, VESA mount, power adapter, HDMI cable, user manual
- Mass weight: 117 x 112 x 49,2mm / 652g
- Price: 429 Euro
Geekom A5: Performance
The A5 is another mini PC from Geekom based on the AMD Ryzen platform. He has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor, which came out at the beginning of 2021. This Processor cannot be upgraded to a Ryzen 9 model. It already has 32 GB of fast DDR-4 RAM on board. Internal storage consists of a 512GB SSD from Lexar.
The Processor is a bit older, but it was originally developed for laptops and still offers enough performance for office applications. I also tested the A5 for basic video editing and light gaming and was satisfied.
As with all Geekom models, there is no separate graphics card. The graphics performance is therefore limited compared to many desktop PCs, and the CPU and GPU also have to share the same RAM. This is quite generous at 32 GB, but you shouldn't expect top performance when gaming or video editing.
If you are satisfied with a few stutters and longer loading times and are more interested in older games, the performance of the mini PC is sufficient.
Windows 11 is running on the PC Pro, which offers all the functions of the Microsoft operating system without restrictions.
Geekom A5: Conclusion
The Geekom A5 is a mini PC for the office that is available for 599 euros. I like the new design better than the rather angular and simple cases of the other Geekom PCs that I have tested so far. However, the new AMD model makes a little more fan noise when confronted with performance-hungry tasks such as video editing or computer games.
The A5 is a cheaper alternative to the AS 6 as it has a lower RRP and a weaker Processor has. Geekom now offers mini PCs with Intel and AMD components that are both powerful and expensive and low-performance and cheap. But I would have liked that Proprocessor of the A5, because it is the budget variant in the AMD lineup.
The design of the A5 is attractive, but you have to accept a fairly large loss of performance. That's a shame, because you can Proprocessor cannot be upgraded later, unlike the RAM and internal memory.
You also have to make compromises when it comes to connections. There is an SD card reader, but only HDMI 2.0b instead of HDMI 2.1. The 8K display support that Geekom advertises only works via the USB-C ports, which will also be needed for other devices in 2023.
The Geecom A5 is a useful addition to the Geekom lineup, but it does have some drawbacks. I hope that Geekom also applies the new design to more powerful mini PCs.
You can use the Geekom A5 here buy
