Mini PC Buyers: Watch This Before Buying the GEEKOM A7!

[@TeamPandory]

►NOTE: We fixed the thermals issue, guide here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nX-XYZqZerSLpZo 😎

[@GEEKOMPC]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on our product. Your feedback on GEEKOM products is truly appreciated

[@M4XD4B0ZZ]

On the Box it says DDR4 but is there DDR5 built in?

[@AllgdSuspexx27]

@@M4XD4B0ZZjust like their tech support, they will never answer.

[@toomanycables996]

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.

[@Mclaneinc]

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..

[@TeamPandory]

Thanks man ❤️. Your comments are always appreciated 🤠 For sure, I'm hoping the next will be a good one with little need to faff.

[@Mclaneinc]

@@TeamPandory No problem Tim, I just appreciate the effort

[@xsporter69]

Spot on review. I actually sent mine back because of the terrible wifi performance. It was unbearable. I was in a room next to my router. I didn't fancy having to invest in an external wifi dongle.

[@RisteSekuloski]

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!

[@TeamPandory]

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 😄

[@honestfigurereviews]

Great review And a great treat for our ears at the end! Loved it 😃

[@SelinaWhite-u1h]

I'm using A7 now, enjoy it so much

[@jtr990]

Good thing I bought the Geekom A5 as a daily office PC.

[@TeamPandory]

The A5 feels a bit more of a complete unit. We just hope they hear our issues, as there are so many other reviews out there that praise the A7 to high heaven.

[@StevenMelikean]

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 . . .

[@TeamPandory]

It seems like there are only two accurate reviews 😅 Thanks for the comment!

[@蕾蕾蕾-y6g]

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!

[@Chris.Brisson]

I see what you did there. 😉

[@therealwhite]

Bot, or bought? A blot. This guy's a blot.

[@richardmcgowan1651]

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.

[@TeamPandory]

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*

[@softwarephil1709]

I want Windows.

[@646464mario]

I just bought a Beelink SER7mini PC for Linux and it works great! Plays games well in 1080p medium settings.

[@farfromirrational948]

I've always avoided learning about linux....has it become so easy and efficient these days that there isn't a reason to stay windows?

[@dalfvideos]

@@farfromirrational948yes, I’d say so. If you don’t want to tinker too much then Linux Mint, Fedora or PopOs are great options. I started with mint a year ago and the only reason I’ve tinkered around it’s been just for fun, never because an update broke anything or something weird like that.

[@TrusteftTech]

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.

[@Mclaneinc]

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 :)

[@craigprocter1232]

good review and great song :)

[@TeamPandory]

Thanks Craig :-)

[@APEXGuerilla]

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.

[@Cathy-g2k]

I LOVE THE A7❤❤❤I've used it and it's a strong performer🎉🎉🎉

[@Bajicoy]

That song has no reason to go so hard. Phenomenal review!

[@adamtoth1425]

Big like to your video! Just a quick question, what software do you use to see your temperatures while gaming? (like at 10:18, in upper right corner)

[@TeamPandory]

It's the Performance Overlay for the AMD Adrenalin Graphic Drivers

[@ETlandxoxo]

Katamari ~~na na, nanananana I like the song at the end, it makes all the problems sound very positive, haha

[@TeamPandory]

😂 I like rolling my balls

[@KyleRuggles]

Not a bad pc, horrible throttling though, that's a instant no buy from me. Great review, awesome song!

[@NoiseEverywhere]

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.

[@softwarephil1709]

I bought a GMKtec G3 with Intel N100 CPU recently for $200. It’s perfect for my application. I’m not a gamer.

[@kevinkev1530]

Great review, awesome song

[@OMNS777]

I’m loving my A7 so far.

[@la_clave]

Still enjoying the A7?

[@SunCrushr]

Helpful review. Just thought I'd point out that this CPU is actually a Ryzen 9, not a Ryzen 7.

[@TeamPandory]

Ooops! 😅

[@KonstantinTarasov-q7q]

sick, man, you are definitely underrated... great review! and great song lol :)

[@TeamPandory]

Thankyou 😊

[@tjtjmich16p]

Didn't sub because of the review, I subbed because of the amazing song 😂

[@TeamPandory]

@@tjtjmich16p 😲

[@samK1XT]

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

[@TeamPandory]

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.

[@samK1XT]

Sure no worries. Will be eagerly waiting for your video. Thanks again.

[@avidwriter2882]

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?

[@Erol_808]

Please do a review of geekom A8, curious to know if the heat and wifi issues are better in this new model.

[@TeamPandory]

If they send one, sure 😂

[@carabara3947]

looks good just waiting on mine being delivered from Geekom

[@_gelon]

Haha, wtf the song at the end was surprisingly catchy.

[@TeamPandory]

👀 😂 They didn't work as shorts as well as we'd have liked tbh 🤣 We have had some nice feedback regarding them at the end of these videos though. Thankyou 😊

[@theotherside8258]

A con to me is the lack of a Kensington socket. There are 2 unused screw holes on the base. Not sure what they are meant for, been thinking how i can either find a way to fasten some sort of plate to rack it or attach some kind of base for a lock to them.

[@srvuk]

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.

[@TeamPandory]

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)

[@daffcollins]

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.

[@TeamPandory]

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? 😂

[@mlthmp]

Great video! Just subbed

[@TeamPandory]

Thanks for the sub! ☺️

[@joeyjojojunior4886]

The recap song was very original.

[@kurodon8533]

Awesome vid but damn the cheap yen really hurts that price tag ;;

[@TeamPandory]

Thanks Don... The cheap yen hurts all over tbh 😭

[@akin242002]

How long did it take for the thermal throttling to take effect? I had expected 2 hours worth of gaming/intense video editing.

[@TeamPandory]

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.

[@biocyber4544]

...I wonder if the USB 4 port on the A7 supports eGPU...?

[@TeamPandory]

It might, but we don't have a USB-C to eGPU kit to test... those things are PRICEY! 🙀

[@impulsesystems]

Would wifi work better with the case on its side or upside down? As the base looked like plastic it would transmit better than the main case. The metal case and main board would tend to shield the antenna, no?

[@archidube]

Sorry I am not a gamer and looking for a good office, some video, some photoshop computer. Do you think this is overkill or would you recommend the 12 gen intel version? The wifi issue is concerning. I thought the plastic top could help over the Ser 8 metal case. I wonder if the intel version would have the same problem. Does the intel 12th gen run cooler? Thanks for your great reviews!

[@TeamPandory]

Hey there 👋 Maybe the intel core 125h (gmktec K9) would be more your cup of tea? We reviewed it last month. That system is going to be great for applications / video editing, and can dabble a bit in games too if you ever needed it to.

[@salvatorescappini1213]

Great review!

[@TeamPandory]

Thankyou 😊

[@kaczan3]

Oh man, having to tweak it kinda kills it for me. I wanted something ready out of the box. Would a larger mini PC heat throttle less? Like that Ace Magician? How about a 14 inch gaming laptop? Would it have a similar issue?

[@TeamPandory]

It depends entirely on how well it is built. We've had a shocking acemagician intel minipc, but much of the reason we gave it a poor review was most of the faffery that needed to be done. All computers are similar, in the way that you can't really rank by the chip alone, but you can rank the sum of all it's parts. CPU, motherboard, case design, bios, memory, storage and then the software. Most other reviews regarding the A7 gave it a LOT of praise. But how the heck did they miss such an obvious weakness? 🙀

[@JustPeasant]

Also, take Beelink's lineup into consideration🔍 PS: Does Dog Man (comic) has any dank/mortician humor?🤔

[@TeamPandory]

There is a Beelink in the pipeline :-) Didn't read the whole book, but it looked kinda cool 😎

[@Xanduur]

Does the Geekom Mini PCs still have performance problems with Crucial memory?

[@TeamPandory]

Check out latest video 😁

[@GTSongwriter]

Can you test World of Tanks? I’ve been playing it for 10 years and can’t live without it.

[@neocvera]

Good stuff! 🎤

[@TeamPandory]

Thanks man 😊

[@omarguerrero6417]

Wish sd card slot was infront of the device and not the side

[@ahowl7mx]

The heat issue and placement of the wifi chip suggests that the box is too small.

[@TeamPandory]

The issue was the ddr5 memory without a way to offload it's heat. We fixed that in a recent video 😁

[@filoniz]

It's all depends on the processor. I have Ser6 without problems.

[@TeamPandory]

Not exactly. This has a faster processor than the ser6, but other problems.

[@dansanger5340]

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.

[@TeamPandory]

Definitely! I mean if you don't care for the pc gaming, it isn't bad, but there are plenty of alternatives available.

[@WilliamHBart]

Wth video game are you playing at 5:34? What kind of side-scrolling adventure game has a main character with knockers that huge?

[@DJJuxtapose]

I couldn't get quite a good enough look at it, but maybe it was Dragons Crown?

[@TeamPandory]

@@DJJuxtapose yep. That'd the one.

[@WilliamHBart]

@@DJJuxtapose Yup, that seems to be it. Holy crap, the fan service in that game is insane.

[@YogiTheBearMan]

Do you think my Dell usb c dock would work with this? Would like to unplug my laptop and plug this in for Ethernet, display, keyboard and mouse through the dock

[@TeamPandory]

tbh I think it probably would work fine. Saying that, we don't have the same dock and hardware as you, so it might be worth taking that with a pinch of salt :-)

[@arcaderacer586]

And people thought Taylor Swift was the only one gifted at singing break up songs LOL poor geekom A7

[@brianrichmond3777]

Helpful

[@axeo123]

Which makes and models do you recommend that solve the WiFi issue? Thx.

[@TeamPandory]

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.

[@axeo123]

Thanks. What do you like for a basic biz mini PC?

[@TeamPandory]

@@axeo123 any intel n100 tbh. They're cheap and do things like internet and office nice and easy.

[@axeo123]

Any Make or Model you prefer or are they all basically the same components? Thanks again?

[@deejayrelapz6903]

the song at end made me laugh haha lol

[@JohnCross-rz5uq]

I guess it still has a Asus motherboard !? I have the Asus Mini-PC PN series with AMD.

[@saunderssb]

Bought one. I really wanted it to work. I’m a Fallout nut and have been for many years. The Geekcom A7 is a no buy. It worked for about 3 weeks and was great, then during particularly heavy fire fight going with about 8 characters per side; I heard a snap even though I had earphones on. Result: no picture. No nothing. The computer was hot so I believe the heat got it. Haven’t contacted Geekcom yet. Right now it’s a silver brick. I was afraid of the heat when I first saw it and its small size with restricted air holes. Here’s hoping I didn’t pay $800 for a very nice paper weight. I hope Geekcom comes through. I’ll keep you posted

[@TeamPandory]

Oh man. Thanks for letting us know, and sorry this happened to you. 😢 Please keep us informed. Hope everything works out for you 🙏

[@curiosity2314]

For that kind of money you can build what you want slightly larger.

[@_bashory8591]

I have one question can it run Minecraft with shaders for like seven hours (i don't care if the fps didn't get below 30 )

[@_bashory8591]

I mean like if they are 30 or more it's perfect for me if it's Lower it will be a little hard for me you know

[@AlexGhoro]

like for the song at the end

[@otto2609]

So this can run a 4K Monitor? Or not??

[@TeamPandory]

At 4k 60hz , yes. But don't expect games to be running well at this resolution.

[@otto2609]

That’s fine just wanna browse the web etc

[@InnerCitySlickersTV]

Will this unit be good to run protools 12 audio software

[@TeamPandory]

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

[@manadio]

marry me emuchicken!

[@acebirdjohn]

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?

[@TeamPandory]

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

[@acebirdjohn]

@@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.

[@TeamPandory]

@@acebirdjohn I've heard that geekom have a 3 year money back guarantee... 🤔 ... Maybe plop it on the eBay ?

[@acebirdjohn]

@@TeamPandory I don't know how they're going to feel about the adhesive tape I used to attach a vesa mount. 😅

[@itsoverat6000]

I love the song

[@uranblut]

What? It can pull 90W? wow :)...the AI generated song at the end...dude :).

[@nana-ln5pd]

GEEKOM is my most trusted mini pc brand

[@mattfins7790]

That song got my sub lmao

[@avidwriter2882]

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.

[@TeamPandory]

I'm wondering if those same people are doing the same thing on KZbin... And maybe have over 1m subs? Crazy world. ...We'll keep reporting on the good and the bad here in our shed 😊

[@DJJuxtapose]

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 ...

[@nageshtagadur]

amazon threatens customer with community guidelines clause,... when any questions are asked/ when low ratings are given,....

[@cmdredstrakerofshado1159]

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💩💩😂😂😂😂👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

[@TeamPandory]

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?

[@Fiona-o7j]

❤❤

[@leighgoldstein3119]

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.

[@josephbohme7917]

Bot AMD AE8 8845 mini July 23 2024 the company had taken my MC card. all attempts to get help 0 no response of any kind chat phone emails 3 weeks now and no computer yet the say 2-7 dAYS IN CA. What the hell their site is a pain no help

[@Yami-h8n]

It looks good for gaming

[@HueGWang]

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 KZbin reviewers should include warranty when reviewing "exciting" new hardware?

[@KatieW-p3d]

I will buy this mini pc on amazon

[@gaycat2555]

There is no need to use avast neither avg (literally avast with different ui), they're both trash. Instead please use sophos and bitwarden software