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There’s a lot to like about small form factor PCs, which often deliver desktop-grade performance and connectivity in enclosures that aren’t much bigger than a TV box – and the GEEKOM AS 6, which comes with a mighty AMD 6000 series CPU, tries to push that trend even further.
The good
Compact, neat, and accessible case.
Impressive CPU and graphics performance.
A wide array of ports.
Superb networking.
Easy to upgrade.
The bad
No SD card reader.
Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-6800H, 6nm process, 35W TDP
CPU: 8 cores, 16 threads @3.2-4.7 GHz
GPU: Radeon 680M @2200MHz, 12 CU
RAM: 16/32GB DDR5 4800MHz (dual-channel)
Storage: 2*M.2 2280 PCIe4.0*4 NVMe SSD (up to 2TB)
1* SATA III 2.5-inch HDD/SSD (up to 2TB)
Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USB4*2, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A*5, HDMI 2.1*2, DisplayPort 1.4*1, 3.5mm Audio Jack*1, 2.5Gbps Ethernet*1, DC-in*1
Dimensions: 120*130*58 mm
Weight: 0.9 kg
What’s in the box
GEEKOM AS 6 Mini PC * 1
150W Power Adapter * 1
User Guide * 1
VESA Mount Bracket * 1
HDMI Cable * 1
The AS 6 is a product of the global partnership of GEEKOM and ASUS, that’s why you will find the branding of both companies on the front of the retail packaging. The mini PC is available with two CPU options: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H or Ryzen 9 6900HX, the unit that I received comes with the former. Along with the AS 6 mini PC, you will also find a 150W (20V-7.5A) power adapter, an HDMI cable, a user guide, a bunch of screws, a VESA mount bracket for attaching the mini PC to the back of a monitor, and a greeting card from GEEKOM.
Design and build
The AS 6 is basically a clone of the ASUS PN53, in fact, you can argue it is literally a rebranded PN53. The mini PC is noticeably larger than the Intel NUC 12 Pro, it measures 120*130*58 mm, and weighs 900g. Fortunately, the larger housing also means more room for cooling, and a wider array of ports.
There are two USB4, five USB3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, two HDMI2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, one 3.5mm audio jack, as well as a DC-input. USB4 and DisplayPort 1.4 support [email protected] video output, and HDMI2.1 supports [email protected], you can connect the AS 6 to as many as 4 monitors. Each USB4 port supports 40Gbps traffic on its own and is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 protocols, which means you can even connect the AS 6 to an external graphics card.
The hardware expansion in the AS 6 consists of two M.2 Type-2280 slots for PCle4.0*4 NVMe SSDs, a traditional 2.5-inch drive bay, and two laptop-style SO-DIMM slots for the DDR5-4800 RAM. The M.2 2230 wireless card, which supports WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, is also accessible. GEEKOM only sells the AS 6 as preconfigured units, there are no barebones versions available, at least not for now. My review unit features 32GB dual-channel DDR5-4800 RAM (in the form of Crucial brand RAM sticks), and a 1TB Kingston PCIe4.0x4 NVMe SSD, onto which a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled.
The build quality of the GEEKOM AS 6 is simply amazing. It feels extremely robust in my hands, and the internal components are neatly arranged.
OS and Software
The AS 6 ships with a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro operating system which, compared to Windows 10, brings upgrades including a more aesthetically pleasing UI, improved multiple desktops, built-in XBOX gaming, and better security features. Since this is the Pro Edition of Windows OS, you also get a few extra IT and business features such as Hyper-V for virtualization, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode Internet Explorer, and Remote Desktop.
The Windows 11 Pro here is a completely clean version, with no pre-installed 3rd party applications or bloatware. Besides regular Windows software, you can also load the Android subsystem and Linux subsystem on the latest Windows 11 build. If open source is more of your thing, the AS 6 is compatible with numerous Linux distributions. You can even choose to triple-boot the mini PC since it supports three storage drives.
Performance
The AS 6 is a beast when it comes to performance. It is powered by the mighty AMD Ryzen7-6800H processor, which runs at a 3.20 GHz base frequency and can increase its speed to 4.70 GHz when necessary. It bundles 8 Zen3+ CPU cores, 16 threads, 16MB L3 Cache, and has a TDP of 35 Watts. This SoC also features an extremely powerful iGPU: the Radeon 680M. Based on the RDNA2 architecture, the Radeon 680M has 12 CUs (=768 shaders) clocked at 2,200 MHz, and offers performance equivalent to entry-level desktop graphics cards.
Benchmarks
As for CPU performance, Zen 3+ has proven to be only a minor upgrade from last year’s Zen3. In the Cinebench R23 CPU-crunching test, the AS 6 scored 1413 in CPU single-core, and 11795 in multi-core. While slightly edging out the 5800H powered Beelink SER5 Pro and i5-1240P version of Intel NUC 12 Wall Street Canyon, it is nowhere near the Beelink GTR7 and Lenovo Xiaoxin mini. The performance still has plenty of room for improvement, as the GEEKOM limits the cTDP of the 6800H CPU to 35W at the moment to keep the noise down, but the CPU can be configured to 45W.
PCMark 10 assesses overall system performance by simulating different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows like word processing, spreadsheet jockeying, web browsing, and video conferencing. The test generates a proprietary numeric score, and higher numbers are better. The 6743-point finish from the AS 6 is well above the 4,000 points we consider excellent, and it's a very respectable showing for a PC this small.
3DMark measures relative graphics performance of a PC by rendering sequences of highly detailed, gaming-style 3D graphics that emphasize particles and lighting. I ran two different 3DMark subtests on the AS 6: Fire Strike and Time Spy. The former is a DirectX 12 benchmark which tests how well a system can handle DirectX 12 games, while the latter is a DirectX 11 benchmark that tests the PC’s capability of running older gaming titles. The Radeon 680M iGPU proves to be a huge leap from Radeon Vega iGPU, as the AS 6 scored 2580 in Time Spy, and 6212 in Fire Strike.
The AS 6 also features dual-channel DDR5-4800MHz RAM. According to AIDA64 memory & cache benchmark, the read, write and copy speeds of the memory were more than decent. The integrated GPU also benefits from DDR5 RAM as shared VRAM, the numbers in GPGPU benchmark look quite good.
The 1TB NVMe solid-state drive used by the mini PC isn’t the fastest PCIe Gen4 SSD I’ve seen, in fact it doesn’t do much better than high-end PCIe Gen3 SSDs in CrystalDiskMark. However, it still offers decent read and write speeds. Booting into Windows 11 only took a few seconds, launching big applications and games was also quite fast.
Productivity
With such impressive hardware, the AS 6 obviously has no problem of seeing us through common home and office chores. It was also perfectly competent when dealing with relatively demanding creativity tasks.
Editing multiple layers of 4K video footages in Power Director 20, the AS 6 stayed fast and responsive the whole time. Producing a 10-minute high-bitrate 4K video via hardware encoding with GPU acceleration, The mini PC took 7 minutes, 25 seconds. Not a bad result, but it is somehow outshined by the 4 minute and 30 seconds time taken by the Beelink GTR7.
Using the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.4 to convert a 3min video clip from 4K to 1080p resolution, the AS 6 took 96 seconds.
Gaming
The Radeon 680M is the best iGPU in the world for a reason. Running League of Legend at 1080P and medium quality setting, we saw an average of 156 fps, which looks super smooth on my 144Hz gaming monitor. Even when I switched to 4K and high quality settings, the game still averaged 91 fps.
Genshin Impact was extremely smooth. At 1080P and medium setting, the AS 6 averaged 59 fps. After switching to high quality setting, it still averaged 52 fps.
Playing Witcher 3 on the AS 6 was also a fun and smooth experience, at 1080P and medium quality settings, we saw an average of 47 fps. Even in those intense fighting scenes, there were no noticeable hiccups.
Conqueror’s Blade has proven to be too much of a challenge for Ryzen 5000 mini PCs, but not so much for the AS 6. At 1080P and medium quality setting, the mini PC averaged 43 fps, even though there were noticeable dips in intensive battle scenes, we didn’t see any real delays. Switching to low quality setting could bump up the average frame rate of the game to 49 fps.
Even though the AS 6 is still not going to compete with desktop tower PCs with top-of-the-line graphics cards, but its gaming performance is decent enough for most people.
Video Playback
Video codec support is one of the few areas that AMD Radeon iGPUs lag behind their Intel counterparts, and the new RDNA2-based iGPU still didn’t change the game. According to DXVA checker, the Radeon 680M supports way fewer video formats to 4K and 8K. But for 4K videos of common formats, the AS 6 had no problem playing all of them smoothly.
Streaming YouTube videos in Chrome was also a fun and smooth experience, including all [email protected] and [email protected] videos. Because it was using hardware decoding, the utilization rates of the CPU and GPU were both quite low. But unfortunately, the AS 6 doesn't support AV1 decoding, so streaming 8K60fps videos could result in severe frame skips.
Stability, power consumption and noise
Although the eight CPU cores and the Radeon 680M iGPU inside are extremely fast and can reach high frequencies when necessary, the cooling mechanism inside still managed to keep the mini PC running generally cool and stable. The AS 6 passed the 3DMark Time Spy stress test with a terrific score of 99.9%, one of the best I have ever seen.
The AS 6 wasn’t the greenest computer I have tested, but it is still generally more power-efficient than average desktop towers and gaming laptops. The power draw was around 10 watts at idle, but can reach 94 watts when the processor was running at load.
Fan noise behavior is tied to the power profile setting. At Idle, the system could remain quiet. Light multitasking or video streaming will bump up the noise to a more audible 38 dB(A). Graphics-intensive gaming induces the noise of around 50 dB(A), which is definitely audible against a silent background, but still gentle compared to most mini PCs I have tested.
Verdict
The GEEKOM AS 6 checked lots of boxes. It comes with a beefy processor, rich selection of I/O, and superb networking capabilities. The mini PC also offers performance that peaks above what notebook platforms typically provide with the same hardware, along with being a bit more customizable with upgradeable memory and storage. If you want enough power for all the computing you need in a very small box, the AS 6 is the one to get.
GEEKOM AS 6
Product link: https://bit.ly/GEEKOMAS6-US
$709 after use code: as640a
Test Screenshots here:
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Small form-factor (SFF) machines have been one of the major drivers in the resurgence of the PC market. The trend was kickstarted by Intel's NUCs in the early 2010s. These PCs have usually relied on low-power processors with compelling performance per watt metrics. AMD was largely absent in this market till the introduction of its Ryzen processors. While mini-PCs based on Ryzen embedded processors are still outnumbered by those powered by Intel, more and more OEMs are beginning to utilize AMD Ryzen CPUs in their own high-performance mini-PC lineups.
The Beelink GTR5 released last year arguably represents the best of AMD powered mini PCs, but the Ryzen9-5900HX processor was way too much of an overkill for average consumers. For those who have less CPU-intensive tasks to deal with in their everyday computing, the newly released SER4, which comes with a less power-hungry Ryzen7-4800U SoC. and a slightly lower price tag, could be a better offer.
Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-4800U, 7nm process, 15W TDP
CPU: 8 cores, 16 threads @1.8-4.2GHz
GPU: Radeon RX Vega 8 @1750MHz
RAM: 16/32GB DDR4 3200MHz (dual-channel)
Storage: 500GB/1TB m.2 NVMe SSD
Wireless: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USB Type-A 3.0*3, USB Type-A 2.0*1, USB-C*1, HDMI*2, 3.5mm Audio Jack*1, 1000M Ethernet*1, DC-in*1
Dimensions: 126*113*42mm
Weight: 455g
What’s in the box
Beelink SER4 Mini PC * 1
57W Power Adapter * 1
User Guide * 1
VESA Mount Bracket * 1
HDMI Cable * 2 (1m and 0.2m)
Design: she’s quite a beauty
The SER4 is a gorgeous piece of tech. It has a much more attractive design than the likes of the uninspiring ASUS PN50 and Intel NUC 11 Pro. The panel on the top is perforated, which not only allows more efficient air flow, but also gives the machine an extremely classy and premium look. There’s quite a lot of branding here, besides the AMD and Beelink logo, you will also find the Ryzen7 and Radeon Graphics stickers, but I personally don’t really hate them, cause they just make the machine look more professional.
The ventilation grilles on the two side panels are coated in red, but whether you like it or not will come down to personal preference. The chassis has a metallic build, which means it will be able to take a fair amount of reasonable office abuse. The build quality is excellent, as there are no ugly mold lines on the case, and none of the panels tend to flex, even when I impose some serious force on them.
Measuring only 5 inches wide, 4.4 inches deep, and just 1 and a half inches in height, the SER4 is less than 1/6 of the size of the new Apple MAC Studio. It easily fits on any desk or even under a monitor stand if you have one, without taking up too much space with its small footprint. If you literally have no room on your desk, the VESA mount included in the retail box can help you attach the mini PC onto the back of the monitor, making it completely disappear from the surroundings.
Despite its trim dimensions, the SER4 is very well endowed with connectors. On the front, alongside the power button, you‘ll find a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port that also supports DisplayPort 1.2.
Around the back you’ll find one more USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB2.0 port, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an RJ45 1000M Ethernet LAN connector and a DC-in. As the keen-eyed have noticed, that gives the SER4 the potential to drive three 4K displays at once. Running multiple screens in a retail, commercial or corporate environment is one of the SER4’s raison d’etres. Unsurprisingly, given the absence of an Intel chipset, there's no support for Thunderbolt protocols, but if you don’t need an eGPU, it won’t make much difference.
Getting inside the PC couldn't be easier. There's a panel underneath the chassis that can be removed once four screws have been extracted. This reveals the two DDR4 3200MHz memory slots, 2.5-inch mounting area, as well as access to the m.2 slot. The m2.2230 wireless card on the other side of the motherboard is also replaceable, but you wouldn’t have much reason for replacing it any time soon, since it already supports the latest WiFi6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
This computer weighs only 455g, moving it around the house or taking it on a business trip won’t be much of an effort. If you have monitors in both your office and your apartment, this thing should be far less of a carry than, say, an average notebook computer.
Software: licensed Windows 11 Pro, and it’s clean
Most mini PCs run on the Home Edition of Windows OS, but the Beelink SER4 ships with licensed Windows 11 Pro, Average consumers will probably see no difference, but for power users, Windows 11 Pro offers a few extra features, the most important of which is being able to join a domain, including Azure Active Directory for single sign-on to cloud services (and have group policy applied as part of that).
You also get Hyper-V for virtualization, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business, Enterprise Data Protection containers (a feature that comes later in the year) and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Pro users can get updates from Windows Update for Business, which includes options for scheduling updates, so they don't reboot PCs at important business times.
The Windows 11 Pro here is also a completely clean version, with no pre-installed 3rd party applications or bloatware that you need to uninstall.
Performance: old processor that still rocks
The unit I have on hand features an AMD Ryzen7-4800processor, which is a 7nm Zen2-based APU that has 8 CPU cores, 16 threads, as well as integrated Radeon Graphics GPU. There’s also 32GB DDR4 3200MHz dual-channel memory and a 500GB m.2 NVMe SSD in my unit. Although the Ryzen7-4800U is a mobile chip released more than 2 years ago, it is still mighty impressive, and benchmark scores told the story.
These are the models I use for comparison, including some of the most popular machines out there.
First, I ran Maxon's latest CPU-crunching Cinebench R23 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads. The SER4 got a solid score in CPU multi-core, beating the M1 powered Apple MAC mini and both variants of the Intel NUC 11 Pro, but it fell a little short in terms of single core performance.
In the older Cinebench R20 test, the SER4 easily outpaced the Intel NUC 11 Pros again in multi-core CPU performance.
Comparing the SER4 to the Intel NUC 11 Pros using GeekBench 5 tells a similar story. Intel has AMD beaten in single-core performance but in multi-core performance, the AMD chip simply stomps the i7 into the dirt.
PCMark 10 simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. we use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheeting, web browsing, and video conferencing. The SER4 notched 5177 in the standard PCMark 10 test, ranking above both variants of the Intel NUC 11 Pro.
In everyday use, the difference in single-core performance will go largely unnoticed, but if you decide to edit some high-resolution images or 4K videos, then the multi-core ability of the AMD chip will shine through.
The m.2 NVMe SSD is not the fastest we’ve seen, but at nearly 2,000MB/s for reading data off the drive, this is still more than ideal for booting Windows and all your favorite productivity apps.
The unit I received comes with two Crucial 16GB DDR4-3200MHz memory sticks. This dual-channel memory setup guarantees high overall bandwidth and throughput speed. In the AIDA64 cache & memory benchmark, the read, write and copy speeds of the 32GB memory are decent, the 95.6ns latency is not the best we’ve seen, but still solid. The performance of the integrated GPU also benefits greatly from dual-channel memory, as most of the numbers in the GPGPU test result look lovely.
The AMD are known to offer better integrated GPUs than Intel, that’s why you often see Intel powered laptops relying heavily on GeForce MX series discrete GPU for gaming, while AMD chips can take care of gaming all on their own. The integrated Radeon Graphics GPU here isn’t powerful enough to make the SER4 a proper gaming or VR machine, but it is still reasonably capable. In 3DMark, the SER4 was returned 1,420 in Time Spy, 3,573 in Fire Strike, and 13,036 in Sky Diver.
Running “Genshin Impact” at 1920 x 1080 and medium settings saw an average of 44fps, not great, but still generally smooth the whole time. “Spell Break” returned very similar results. Less graphics-intensive games such as LOL can run smoothly even at 4K and high settings.
“Conqueror’s Blade” tells a different story, though. At 1080P and medium settings, the average frame rate recorded by GamePP was only 22fps. It is still playable, but you probably will want to turn down the resolution, or settings, or both for better smoothness. Because when I switched to 720 and low graphics settings, the average frame rate was improved to 42fps.
Those results mean the SER4 should be able to deal with reasonably intense graphic workloads without grinding to a halt. With that said, please bear in mind that the SER4 will not be enough if you want to game in the highest possible settings and still get a fair chance against other players.
The SER4 can also be a solid HTPC if you want it to. It has no problem decoding any video formats I played on it, including a few [email protected] and [email protected] clips. Streaming 4K YouTube Videos in Chrome, this machine does not skip a bit, either.
However, the SER4 did struggle a lit bit with 8K online streaming, as you can see in the screenshot that the CPU usage reached 100%, and I did notice some frame skip.
The SER4’s performance hasn’t come at the expense of heat or economy. The power draw is only 5W at idle over the course of two hours. When running the AIDA64 stress test, the SER4 drew an indicated maximum of 38W. Even under stress the casing never became more than slightly warm to the touch and the fans were impressively quiet. The quoted noise levels 21.9dB at idle and 37.7dB with the fans at full chat tallied with the results from our sound monitor.
Thanks to the efficient cooling, the SER4 is also extremely stable, it passed the 3DMark Time Spy Stress test with a very high mark.
Internet Connection
The SER4 supports the latest WiFi 6E technology, also known as WiFi 6 Extended. It allows the PC to use the 6GHz band, which in return brings more bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency, opening up resources for future innovations like AR/VR, 8K streaming, and more.
There’s also a 1000M Ethernet jack for wired internet access. Although it’s not as fancy as the 2.5Gbps ethernet found on the Intel NUC 11 or Beelink’s very own GT series mini PCs, it won’t make much difference for average users, not for now.
Competition
Price at $699 (16GB+500GB), the Beelink SER4 is well positioned in the mini PC market. The choice of a Ryzen 7 CPU (from the 4000 series) is a good step when going against Intel powered mini PCs that often don't go beyond an Intel Core i5. While it is not as powerful as its Ryzen9-5900HX powered brother, it is slightly more affordable and power-efficient than the latter.
Probably the closest competitor to the SER4 is the i5-1135G7 powered Intel NUC 11 Pro. As you can get the latter with 8GB memory and 500GB SSD on the same budget. The NUC comes with more versatile Thunderbolt 3 ports, which is a must for some users. However, in terms of horsepower, very few Intel powered models can really match the SER4.
Verdict
Beelink has squeezed plenty of performance and features into a tiny box. The Ryzen 7-4800U chipset delivers terrific performance while the abundance of upgrade options and connectors makes it supremely versatile. That it runs cool, quiet and economically should further endear it to business and corporate users and guarantee it a home in many an office, boardroom and customer-facing environment.
My video review of the SER4 will also be available in a week, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and get notified if you are interested in more content about the SER4. Thanks for reading, hope to see you next time.
Some of the benchmark screenshots here:
Hey Folks,
This is my first post here. I hope I will get the resolution I need from you guys. As I have two pc and I want to connect ethernet adapter with them. but I am not able to connect them.
I think it is not working. looking for the new one. I tried to find out from https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/acce...dapters/cables-&-adapters_adapters/4x90s91831, https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/usb-ethernet-adapter but looking for more.
Can someone suggest one?
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The good:
Compact design and great build quality.
Licensed Windows 11 Pro.
Dual-channel memory.
Decent performance.
Amazing power efficiency.
The bad:
No room for another SSD/HDD.
The latest generation of Intel Celeron and Pentium processors are becoming so good that, for most people’s daily computing, a budget mini PC can fully replace a large desktop PC nowadays. I tested quite a few low-power systems with the Jasper Lake Celeron and Pentium chips and were constantly amazed by the capability they had to offer. The recently released GEEKOM MiniAir 11 is an SFF PC powered by the Celeron N5095 quad-core processor, and it is in many ways the best budget mini PC I have ever tested.
Main specs of the GEEKOM MiniAir 11
Processor: Intel Jasper Lake Celeron N5095, TDP 15W
CPU: 4 Cores, 4 Threads, 2.0-2.9GHz
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 605
Process Technique: 10nm
OS: Windows 11 Pro 64bit
RAM: 8GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage: 256GB
Network: WiFi 5 / BT 4.2 / Ethernet Gigabit
Ports: 3x USB Type-A / 2x USB Type-C / 1x HDMI / 1x Mini DisplayPort / 1x 3.5mm Audio jack / 1x RJ45 Ethernet / 1x SDXC Card Reader
Accessories: 1x 19V-3.42A DC adapter / 1x HDMI Cable / 1x MiniDP to HDMI Converter / 1x User Manual / 1x VESA Mount Bracket
Size: 117 mm x 112 mm x 34.2 mm
Weight: 500 g
Retail Package
The GEEKOM MiniAir 11 comes with a very simple packaging box. You can find the branding and the model name on top, and the illustration of the product on the front.
Inside the box you will find a mini PC, a VESA Mount bracket, a 65-watt power adapter, two HDMI cables, a Mini DP to HDMI converter, a bag of screws, and a user manual. There’s also an envelope with a “Thank You” card inside. It’s GEEKOM showing its appreciation for the buyers.
Design and build
The well-ventilated ABS chassis of the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 measures 117 mm x 112 mm x 34.2mm, making it one of the smallest mini PCs to feature the Intel Celeron N5095 SoC. The matte black finish on top and muted blue finish on the other sides aren’t anything we haven’t seen yet, but it does give the machine a simple and professional look. You can find the “GEEKOM” branding in the center of the top panel, and an “Intel Inside” logo on the top-right corner.
The MiniAir 11 is packed with IO. The front panel sports one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack with mic support. The rear side plays host to two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, a full-size ethernet jack, one HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort and a DC-in port. Neither one of the two Type-C ports supports video output, but you can connect the MiniAir 11 to two displays with HDMI and Mini DisplayPort. To make things easier for you, GEEKOM has included a Mini DP to HDMI converter in the retail package.
There’s also an SDXC card reader on the left panel, and a Kensington lock on the right side.
After unscrewing the four screws on the bottom panel, you can get access to the internals of this mini PC. The MiniAir 11 comes with two memory slots, which mean we can have dual-channel memory to boost the performance the of iGPU. There’s a single M.2 2280 interface which supports SSDs of both SATA3 and NVMe protocols, but the fact you are not able to install another drive is somewhat disappointing.
You will be amazed by the build quality of GEEKOM products. Like the Mini IT8 I reviewed last month, the MiniAir 11 also employs a high-quality metal frame inside to protect the internal components from outside impacts. There's also a cooling pad on the inside of the bottom panel to keep the SSD from overheating. Everything on the motherboard is so well-placed that you forget how affordable this machine is.
Operating system
Most SFF PCs and laptops run on the Home Edition of Windows OS, but the GEEKOM Mini Air 11 ships with licensed Windows 11 Pro, which offers quite a number of extra features such as being able to join a domain, Hyper-V for virtualization, etc. If you are more into open-source operating systems, you can also choose to install Ubuntu, Debian, Android X86 or CentOS.
Performance
The MiniAir 11 is powered by an Intel Celeron N5095 chip, which is built on 10nm process, with typical Thermal Design Power of 15W. This SOC incorporates 4 CPU cores, 4 processing threads working at 2.0-2.9 GHz, and an Intel UHD 605 iGPU working at 650MHz. Celeron processors are often associated with low performance, but the N5095 chip is really anything but, and can be a game changer for the mini PC category.
Benchmarks
In the cross-platform Geekbench 5 test, the MiniAir 11 scored 656 in CPU single core, 2142 in multi core, and 2121 in OpenCL. Those were typical numbers for the N5095 processor, but the MiniAir 11 did a little better than the Beelink Mini S, which features the same SOC.
In the Cinebench R20 CPU-crunching test, the MiniAir 11 snatched 236 in single core, and 792 in multi-core. As you can see in the charts above, the MiniAir 11 handily beat the Core i3-8109U powered Beelink SEI8 in multi-core performance.
While the CPU performance of the N5095 chip may have caught up with older Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors, the GPU performance obviously has not. In 3DMark, the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 scored in 2448 Sky Diver, 645 in Fire Strike, and 205 in Time Spy, falling far behind the Beelink SEI8, which employs a beefier Iris Plus 655 iGPU to take care of graphics-intensive tasks.
PCMark 10 simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We often use it to assess the overall system performance of a PC. The GEEKOM MiniAir 11 scored 2287 in this test, much better than models featuring older Celeron and Pentium processors.
GEEKOM doesn’t offer a barebone version of the MiniAir 11, all units will be sold with an SSD inside. The 256GB SATA3 SSD in my review unit has decent sequential read and write speed, and you can upgrade the storage to an M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD whenever you need to. But unlike higher-end Intel Core SoCs, the Celeron N5095 processor only has a very limited number of PCIe channels, so you should not expect any significant increase in speed.
Daily computing
I had tested a handful of N5095 powered systems before the MiniAir 11, so I wasn’t really surprised by how capable this machine could be. Mainstream computing duties like web-browsing, social-networking, Microsoft Office tasks and media playback definitely put no pressure on the MiniAir 11. Thanks to the sufficient DDR4 memory inside, you can also expect the MiniAir 11 to handle a fair amount of multi-tasking. I could open a dozen image-heavy webpages in Chrome, play an 8K video clip, and edit a few documents at the same time without experiencing any hiccup or delay.
It obviously makes no sense to use the MiniAir 11, or any budget mini PC, for heavy creativity tasks such as 4K video editing or complex artwork design, but you can expect it to do well in lightweight content creation. I did not notice any lags or delays when adding filters and colorations to a couple of 1080P video footages in Power Director.
Gaming
It’s not impossible to play games on the MiniAir 11, but you should keep your expectations modest. Simpler games like Minecraft, Angry Birds 2 and Plant vs Zombies could run smoothly on this mini PC, but with heavier titles, you will need to tune down the resolution and settings to ensure a smooth run.
For example, League of Legends was playable at 1080P and medium settings. With 57 fps on average, I only experienced a few minor frameskips in those intense battle scenes. After turning the resolution down to 720P, the average frame rate of the game was improved to 77 fps.
Genshin Impact has proven to be too challenging for the MiniAir 11, even at 720P and low settings, the average frame rate was only 11 fps, and graphics generally felt sluggish and slow during the entire session, making you want to quit the game as soon as possible.
HTPC
According to DXVA checker, the Intel UHD 605 iGPU can decode most video formats to 4K and above, making the MiniAir11 an ideal HTPC or media center for your home entertainment. I played quite a number of video clips on this mini PC, and all of them were extremely smooth. Because the MiniAir 11 always utilizes hardware video decoding, the CPU usage is never too high. However, there is a drawback. Since the MiniAir 11 only supports one M.2 SSD as internal storage, you will probably need external storage devices for your local media files.
Streaming videos online was a similar story. When I was playing an 4K/60FPS YouTube video in Chrome, neither the CPU nor the GPU was stressed too much. Streaming 8K/60FPS videos could be challenging for the MiniAir 11, as I noticed frequent frameskip during the playback, since this mini PC doesn't really support 8K output, there's no point in doing that anyway.
Power consumption and noise
Power consumption of the MiniAir 11 is at only 6.8 watts idle and 22.5 watts on max load, and the machine stayed quiet most of the time. I did hear some noise from the cooling fan when running benchmark tests and games, but the sound was always so gentle that I easily ignored it.
The fan does an excellent job of keeping this mini PC cool and stable. The surface of this mini PC never gets hot, and in the 3DMark Time Spy Stress Test, the MiniAir 11 scored a decent 97.6%.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a compact system to deal with basic home or business computing tasks, this machine is an easy recommendation. The lack of another internal storage interface can be a deal-breaker for some, but with great build quality, plenty of I/O, licensed Windows 11 Pro, and a sensible price tag, the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 is still one of the best bang-for-the-buck mini PCs out there.
GEEKOM recently launches their USA summer sale. If you are interested in purchasing this mini PC, or any other products from GEEKOM, please visit their official website: www.geekompc.com
You can also find the screenshots of test results here:
Does Geekom MiniAir 11 have virtualization support in the bios?
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GEEKOM may be new to the mini PC industry, but they have released quite a few high-quality but cost-effective models in a very short period of time. The Mini IT11 is the latest addition to their lineup. With an Intel Tiger Lake CPU, a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro operating system, and a moderate price tag, it may offer better value than the Intel NUC 11 Pro.
Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 / Intel Core i7-1165G7/ Intel Core i5-1155G7 / Intel Core i7-1195G7 (Core i7-1165G7 in my review unit)
CPU: 4 cores, 8 threads @2.8-4.7GHz, 10nm process (i7-1165G7)
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics EU96
RAM: Dual-channel DDR4-3200, expandable up to 64GB (32GB in my review unit)
Storage: 1*SSD (M.2 SATA/PCle), expandable up to 2TB (1TB in my review unit)
1*2.5’’ SATA HDD/SSD (7mm), expandable to 2TB
Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USB4*2, USB 3.2 Gen2*3, HDMI 2.0*1, Mini DP*1, 3.5mm Audio Jack*1, Gigabyte Ethernet*1, DC-in*1
Dimensions: 117*112*45.6 mm
Weight: 565 g
What’s in the box
GEEKOM Mini IT11 Mini PC * 1
Power Adapter * 1
User Guide * 1
VESA Mount Bracket * 1
HDMI Cable * 1
Carrying pouch * 1
The GEEKOM’s packaging may not be very fancy, but you will get all the accessories you need in the box.
Design and build
The GEEKOM Mini IT11 looks very similar to the Intel NUC 11 Pro, as the two are almost identical in terms of shape, size and the layout of the ports. The well-vented chassis is made of ABS & PC, which is much more robust and durable than ordinary plastic material. The matte blue finish isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, but it does give the machine a professional look.
With an extremely small footprint (117*112*45.6 mm), the GEEKOM Mini IT11 will easily fit on any computer desk or TV bench, no matter how crammed that place may be. You may even decide to use the included VESA mount bracket to install the unit behind a monitor, which completely frees up your desktop.
This mini PC packs lots of I/O for its size. On the front you will find a USB4 Type-C, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack (with mic support). The back panel plays host to another USB4 Type-C, two additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, an HDMI 2.0, a Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and a DC-in. There’s also an SDXC card slot on the left side, and a Kensington lock on the right side of the machine. As you may have already noticed, the Mini IT11 can be connected to four 4K displays at the same time, making complex creativity tasks easier to handle.
The USB4 ports on this mini PC are marked as the 20 Gbps version, but in my test, both of them could easily exceed that speed limit. I consulted GEEKOM for this and was told that the USB4 ports on the Mini IT11 were actually the 40Gbps full-speed version, but due to the reason that the 40Gbps marking would need extra certification, they were currently undermarked. The USB4 ports are perfectly compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices. Not only can you transfer files between the GEEKOM Mini IT11 and portable SSDs at high speeds, but you may also use a Thunderbolt certified eGPU to enhance the graphics performance of your mini PC.
Getting access to the internals could not be easier, the only thing you need to do is to unscrew the four screws on the bottom panel. The Mini IT11’s motherboard features two DDR4-3200 memory slots, an M.2 2280 SSD interface, a 2.5” HDD/SSD interface, as well as 2 M.2 2230 interface inside. You can have as much as 64GB dual-channel memory, and 4TB internal storage under the hood. My review unit comes a single 16GB Kingston DDR4-3200 memory stick, but I added another 16GB memorty stick for dual-channel setup.
The build quality of the GEEKOM Mini IT11 is simply stunning. The chassis feels extremely smooth and robust, with no ugly mold lines on the surface. There’s also a metal frame inside to protect the internal components from impacts, a nifty feature that all GEEKOM mini PCs come with.
System & App
The Mini IT11 ships with an activated copy of Windows 11 Pro, so you don’t have to pay extra for the license. For average consumers, the Pro Edition of Windows OS probably won’t mean much. Yet for power users, there are quite a few extra features that may come in handy.
The operating system here is completely clean, with no preinstalled bloatware or third-party applications at all. Besides Windows, you can also choose to install other X86-compatible systems, such as Linux, Android X86 or UOS.
Performance
Performance from the Core i7-1165G7 and 32GB dual-channel memory is about as good as I expected, putting up respectable numbers that will accommodate anyone looking to tackle productivity work or streaming. The Intel Iris Xe graphics iGPU will handle creativity duties or even some lightweight gaming. To help you better understand the overall performance of the Mini IT11, I ran quite a few benchmarks on it, and compared its scores to the results of other top mini PCs.
First, I launched Maxon's latest CPU-crunching Cinebench R23 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads. The Mini IT11 got decent scores in both CPU single core and CPU multi-core. As you can see in the chart, there’s still a relatively huge gap between the GEEKOM Mini IT11 and the Apple MAC mini in terms of CPU performance.
The cross-platform Geekbench 5 test returned a very similar result. The Mini IT11 scored 1540 in CPU single core, 5133 in multi-core, and 16969 in OpenCL.
PCMark 10 simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We often use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks. The Mini IT11 scored 4661 in the standard PCMark 10 test, indicating that it should do well in a variety of heavy productivity tasks.
This mini PC also features a Kingston M.2 NVMe drive, which is extremely fast, readings and scores of the CrystalDiskMark test told the story. The dual-channel memory setup guarantees high overall bandwidth and throughput speed. In the AIDA64 cache & memory benchmark, the read, write and copy speeds of the memory are decent, the 71.2ns latency is solid, too.
Daily Computing
In the real-world use, This mini PC handily saw me through common home and office tasks, from web-browsing, social networking to editing 4K video footages. The Mini IT11 felt as efficient as the Beelink GTR5 when handling most duties, even though it got beaten by the latter in nearly all benchmarks.
Video Playback
One area where the Mini IT11 did better than the GTR5 was video playback. Thanks to the impeccable video codec support of the Intel Iris Xe Graphics iGPU, the Mini IT11 could hardware-decode most video formats up to 8K. I played many 4K movies and TV shows on this mini PC, and never encountered any frameskip or hiccups.
Not only was the Mini IT good at decoding local video, but it was also excellent in streaming videos online, even [email protected] YouTube videos could play smoothly in the Chrome browser.
Gaming
The Intel Iris Xe Graphics iGPU may not match top discrete graphics cards in performance, but it was a huge leap forward when compared to Intel’s older Iris Plus and UHD iGPUs, and could also outperform older discrete GPUs. In the graphics-focused 3DMark test, the GEEKOM Mini IT11 scored 1594 in Time Spy, 4332 in Fire Strike, and 13710 in Sky Diver. These results are significantly better than the numbers put up by the Intel NUC 8 and the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini 5i. Surprisingly, the Mini IT11 also easily edged out the HP Envy 13, which features an Nvidia MX350 discrete graphics card.
League of Legends was extremely smooth at 1080P and medium quality settings, with 115 fps on average. Even when I switched to 4K and high quality, it was still free of any noticeable lags or frame drops. Spell Break, which was slightly more hardware demanding than LOL, stayed at 60 fps the entire gaming session.
Running Genshin Impact at 1920 x 1080 and medium quality settings saw an average of 44 fps, not great, but still enough for me to enjoy the gameplay. However, the Mini IT11 did struggle a little bit with more graphics-intensive titles like Conqueror’s Blade. The average frame rate of this game was only 31 fps at 1080P and medium settings, still playable, but there might be delays and frame drops in those intense battle scenes.
Those results mean the Mini IT11 should be able to deal with demanding graphic workloads without grinding to a halt. But if you want to game in high quality settings and still get a fair chance against other players, you might need an external GPU.
Noise, stability, and power consumption
Power consumption of the Mini IT11 is at 8 watts idle and 70 watts on max load, and the machine stayed fairly quiet most of the time. I did hear noise from the cooling fan when the mini PC was running big applications and games, but its volume was never really too untamed.
As quiet as it was, this mini PC was still reasonably stable. It passed the 3DMark Time Spy test with a score of 99.9%. And thanks to the efficient cooling, the chassis of the mini PC never became too hot to touch.
Verdict
Throughout my time with the GEEKOM Mini IT11, I can attest to this unit being a nifty piece of kit that will suit most home and office scenarios. As tiny as it is, it still packs plenty of ports, and enough power for not only our everyday basics, but also creativity workflows and gaming. If you are looking a versatile mini PC to serve as your daily driver, you can’t go wrong with the Mini IT11.
By the time I finished writing this article, GEEKOM informed me that the SoCs of the Mini IT11 were going to be upgraded from Intel Core i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7 to Core i5-1155G7 and Core i7-1195G7 before the model hits the market. These new processors will surely give the mini PC more horsepower and help it get better numbers in benchmarking, but how much more efficiency it will bring to the table in real world use still remains to be tested, I will do another review once I receive the upgraded unit.
TEST SCREENSHOTS HERE:
Very nice machine and the USB4 is an extra really appreciated. Do you know when are you going to receive the upgraded version? I guess that extra horsepower will do very little, but if the price is the same very welcome.
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Beelink is one of the top manufactures of small form factor PCs, targeted at various audiences. The SER5 Pro, which comes with the AMD Ryzen5-5600H processor, is the latest addition to the company’s mini PC lineup. Though it’s a small device, it manages to offer plenty of power and a lot of ports, perfect for businesses and home offices.
The good:
Compact, VESA-mountable body.
Plenty of ports.
Impeccable performance.
Superb wireless networking.
Easy to upgrade.
Power Delivery 3.0 via USB-C.
The bad:
No SD card reader.
Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5-5600H, 7nm process, 35W TDP
CPU: 6 cores, 12 threads @3.3-4.2GHz
GPU: Radeon RX Vega 7 @1800MHz
RAM: 16/32GB DDR4 3200MHz (dual-channel)
Storage: 1*M.2 2280 PCIe3.0*4 NVMe SSD (up to 2TB)
1* SATA3 2.5-inch HDD/SSD (up to 2TB)
Wireless: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USB Type-A 3.0*3, USB Type-A 2.0*1, USB-C*1, HDMI*2, 3.5mm Audio Jack*1, Gigabit Ethernet*1, DC-in*1
Dimensions: 126*113*42mm
Weight: 455g
What’s in the box
Beelink SER5 Pro Mini PC * 1
57W Power Adapter * 1
User Guide * 1
VESA Mount Bracket * 1
HDMI Cable * 2 (1m and 0.2m)
The retail packing is simple but attractive. Along with the Beelink SER5 Pro mini PC, you will find a 19V-3A power adapter, two HDMI cables, a user guide, a bunch of screws, and a VESA mount bracket that can be used to attach the mini PC to the back of a computer display.
Design and build
Like other members of the Beelink SER family, the SER5 Pro is a gorgeous piece of tech. Its aluminum chassis is well-vented and offers lots of connectivity options. This mini PC weighs only 1 pound, but it still feels surprising hefty in the hands as all the weight is concentrated in a small area.
The perforated top panel, a long with many vents on the other sides, allows efficient airflow to keep the mini PC cool and stable.
The Beelink and AMD logos, as well as a few stickers here give the SER5 Pro a very professional look.
On the front panel of the SER5, you will find the following: a power button with status LED, a 3.5mm audio jack with mic support, a Clear CMOS pinhole, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports.
The rear side plays host to two HMDI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a DC-in port. The only thing missing that you might need is an SD card reader.
The two HDMI 2.0 ports and the Type-C port all support [email protected] video output, so you can connect the SER5 Pro to three displays at the same time. The Type-C port also supports Power Delivery 3.0, which means you can use a 65W PD charger as power supply for this mini PC, the only problem is that the Type-C port is in the front, hooking to the power brick from here could look a little bit weird.
The bottom cover has four rubber feet, texts showing how to enter BIOS and boot menu, and the screws that allow you to open the SER5 and access the insides.
The hardware expansion in the SER5 Pro consists of an M.2 Type-2280 slot for PCle3.0*4 NVMe SSDs, a traditional 2.5-inch drive bay, and two laptop-style SO-DIMM slots for the RAM. The wireless card is also accessible under the pre-installed NVMe SSD.
Housing two storage drives in a system this compact is rather impressive. Beelink sells this PC as a ready-to-use system, you get either 16GB or 32GB dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory (in the form of Crucial brand memory sticks), and a 500GB Kingston NVMe SSD, onto which a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro is installed.
To access the rest of the PC, you will have to remove more screws, but there's really no need for that since nothing else is replaceable or upgradable. The SER5 Pro also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, making it perfect for streaming games and VR content wirelessly.
The SER5 is extremely compact. It measures 126 x 113 x 42 mm in width, depth, and height, taking up less than 0.6L of total space. As a result, this mini PC can fit almost anywhere, even under a monitor stand if you have one. You can also choose to attach it to the back of a display with its available VESA mount, making it ideal for offices or homes where space is at a premium.
OS and Software
The Beelink SER5 Pro ships with a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro, Average consumers will probably see no difference between this and the Windows 11 Home Edition, but for power users, Windows 11 Pro offers a few extra features, the most important of which is being able to join a domain, including Azure Active Directory for single sign-on to cloud services (and have group policy applied as part of that).
You also get Hyper-V for virtualization, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business, Enterprise Data Protection containers (a feature that comes later in the year) and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk). Pro users can get updates from Windows Update for Business, which includes options for scheduling updates, so they don't reboot PCs at important business times.
The Windows 11 Pro here is also a completely clean version, with no pre-installed 3rd party applications or bloatware that you need to uninstall. If you are a fan of open-source software, you can also choose to install Linux-based operating systems on this mini PC.
Performance
The SER5 Pro comes with the AMD Ryzen5-5600H processor, which runs at a 3.30 GHz base frequency and can increase its speed to 4.20 GHz in turbo mode. It bundles six Zen3 CPU cores, twelve threads, 16MB L3 Cache, and has a TDP of 35 Watts. The SoC handles the graphics part too, you’ll get a very capable AMD Radeon Vega7 iGPU running at 1800MHz. There’s also 16GB/32GB dual-channel memory to deal with big applications and multi-tasking, and 500GB NVMe SSD to store all your files.
Benchmarks
In terms of performance, the SER5 Pro is a beast. It handily beat both varaints of the Intel NUC 11 Pro in Geekbench 5.4.1 and the Cinebench R23 CPU crunching tests.
PCMark 10 is a holistic performance suite developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). We use it to assess overall system performance in different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows like word processing, spreadsheet jockeying, web browsing, and videoconferencing. The test generates a proprietary numeric score, and higher numbers are better. The 5797-point finish from the SER5 Pro is well above the 4,000 points we consider excellent, and it's a very respectable showing for a PC this small.
3DMark measures relative graphics muscle by rendering sequences of highly detailed, gaming-style 3D graphics that emphasize particles and lighting. I ran three different 3DMark subtests on the SER5 Pro: Sky Diver, Fire Strike, and Time Spy, which are suited to different types of systems. Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark which tests how well a system can handle DirectX 12 games. The other two are both DirectX 11 benchmarks, but Sky Diver is more suited to slim laptops and midrange PCs, while Fire Strike is more demanding and made for high-end PCs to strut their stuff. The SER5 Pro scored 1417 in Time Spy, 3636 in Fire Strike, and 13327 in Sky Diver. The NUC 11 Pro i7, which features the Intel Iris Xe EU96 iGPU, achieved better results in all three subtests, but the Intel NUC 11 Pro i5, which comes with the Intel Iris Xe EU80, scored lower than the SER5 Pro in Fire Strike and Sky Diver.
The 500GB Kingston solid-state drive used by the mini PC proved to have good reading and writing data speeds, although I did have seen better. Still, the SSD allows us to boot into Windows in less than 10 seconds, and offers more than enough speed for everyday office duties, lightweight content creation, and moderate gaming.
Content Creation
With such a beefy processor and plenty of RAM inside, the SER5 Pro obviously has no problem of seeing us through common home and office tasks. This mini PC is also quite capable when dealing with relatively demanding creativity workflows.
Editing 4K videos in Power Director, the SER5 Pro stayed fast and responsive even when I was adding some complex effects and renders to the raw footages. Producing a 10 minute high-bitrate 4K video via software encoding, the SER5 took 28 minutes, 9 seconds, while the Intel NUC 11 Pro (i7-1165G7 variant) took 41 minutes, 44 seconds. After I switched to hardware encoding, the SER5 took 6 minutes, 1 second to finish the task, while the NUC spent 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Even though I used the exact same setting for both mini PCs, including the bitrate of the output video, the SER5 Pro finished the task with a much bigger video file than it was commanded to.
During the video production (hardware encoding), the CPU utilization of the NUC 11 Pro stayed above 70%, and even hit 100% sometimes. The CPU utilization of the Beelink SER5, on the other hand, stayed below 50%, allowing users to work with other applications efficiently at the same time.
Encoding the same video clip in Handbrake, the SER5 took 1 minute, 56 seconds, while the NUC 11 Pro i7 took 2 minutes, 37 seconds.
Gaming
For an integrated GPU, the AMD Radeon Vega 7 in the SER5 Pro is quite capable. Running League of Legend at 1080P and medium quality setting, the average frame rate was 117 fps, even when I switched to 4K and high settings, the game still averaged 67 fps.
Genshin Impact was also playable at 1080P and medium setting, I saw an average of 47 fps, and didn’t notice any stutters or hiccups even in those intense fighting scenes. Switching to low quality setting will improve the smoothness to 55 fps.
Conqueror’s Blade has proven to be a little too challenging for the SER5 Pro. At 1080P and medium quality setting, the average frame rate was only 28 fps, and there will be noticeable frameskip and delays in intensive battle scenes. Switching to 720P and low setting could bump up the average frame rate to 41 fps, but it was still only playable.
These results mean the SER5 Pro should be able to deal with reasonably intense graphic workloads without grinding to a halt. But if you want to game in the highest possible settings and still get a fair chance against other players, you will need to look elsewhere.
Video Playback
Video codec support is one of the few areas that AMD Radeon iGPUs lag behind their Intel counterparts. According to DXVA checker, the Iris Xe Graphics iGPU can support many more video formats of up to 4K and 8K than the Radeon Vega 7. With that said, the SER5 Pro managed to play all of the 4K videos I threw at it smoothly.
Streaming YouTube videos in Chrome was also a fun and smooth experience, including all [email protected] and most [email protected] videos.
Stability, power consumption and noise
Not only is the Beelink SER5 Pro is powerful for its size, it’s also very stable. Although the AMD Ryzen5-5600H processor inside is extremely fast and can reach high frequencies when necessary, the cooling system inside the mini PC is super effective. Besides the high-speed cooling fan, there’re also copper pipes inside to help keep temperatures at bay. In the 3DMark Time Spy stress test, the SER5 Pro scored an amazing 100%, the best result I’ve seen in any laptop or mini PC.
Fortunately, the SER5 Pro’s incredible performance doesn’t result in high power consumption. The power draw was only 3-4 watts at idle, and around 47 watts at maximum. Unlike many other small form-factor computers, the SER5 Pro is also very quiet. It made almost no noise when dealing with relatively lightweight tasks, and even in some benchmark tests, where the hardware was stressed to its limit, the fan noise was still quite tamed.
Verdict
The Beelink SER5 Pro is a well-rounded choice for a mini desktop. It has a small chassis that allows it to fit almost anywhere, plenty of ports for all kinds of external devices, superb networking, ample pep to complete all kinds of computing duties without lag, and efficient cooling to keep it running stably for a long period of time. The $469 starting price also seems decent for a model with 16GB dual-channel memory, 500GB NVMe SSD and a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro. All told, the Beelink SER5 Pro could be an inspirational choice for anyone who wants a small computer for their everyday tasks.
What are your thoughts on the hades canyon nuc? I doubt the beelink can handle serious gaming.
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Small form factor PCs are gradually taking over from conventional desktop computers, as their compact size and low power consumption are attractive to lots of consumers. The recently released Beelink SEi12, which rocks an Intel i5-1235U processor, plenty of RAM, a fast PCIe4.0x4 SSD and a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro operating system, may be a perfect choice for consumers looking for a compact personal computer for their everyday computing chores.
The good:
Premium design and compact size
Wi-Fi 6 and plenty of connectivity options
Performance better than higher-priced competitions
Easy to add memory and storage
Works with two 4K displays
Quiet even under heavy workloads
The bad:
No built-in card reader.
The Type-C port is data-only.
Specifications
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Processor: Intel Core i5-1235U
CPU: 10 cores, 12 threads @3.3-4.4GHz, 12MB Intel Smart Cache
GPU: Iris Xe Graphics EU80
RAM: 16 DDR4 3200MHz (dual-channel)
Storage: 1*m.2 2280 PCIe4.0*4 NVMe SSD (up to 2TB)
1* SATA3 2.5-inch HDD/SSD (up to 2TB)
Wireless: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports: USB 3.0*2, USB 2.0*2, USB-C (data only)*1, HDMI 2.0*2, 3.5mm Audio Jack*1, Gigabit Ethernet*1, DC-in*1
Dimensions: 126*113*42mm
Weight: 455g
What’s in the box
Beelink SEi12 Mini PC * 1
120W Power Adapter * 1
User Guide * 1
VESA Mount Bracket * 1
HDMI Cable * 2 (1m and 0.2m)
The retail packaging of the Beelink SEi12 is more attractive than ever. Along with the mini PC, you get a 19V-6.25A power adapter, two HDMI cables, a user guide, a bunch of screws, and a VESA mount bracket for attaching the mini PC to the back of a monitor.
Design: it’s one of a kind
Beelink continues to work on improving the design of their products. The SEi12 a simply gorgeous. Its plastic chassis is vented on four of its six sides, allowing efficient airflow to keep the mini PC cool and stable. Most of the perforated top panel is covered with high-quality felt cloth, giving it an interesting and premium look.
The fabric material used here is not only waterproof, but also immune to fingerprints. There Beelink branding and the SEi model name on the bottom-right corner are very subtle, blending in extremely well with the rest of the housing.
On the front of the SEi12, you will find the following: a power button with status LED, a 3.5mm audio jack with mic support, a Clear CMOS pinhole, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports.
The rear side plays host to two HMDI 2.0 ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a DC-in port. As keen eyes might have noticed, the SEi12 doesn’t come with an SD card slot, you will need an external card reader if you transfer photos and video footages from your cameras frequently.
Both HDMI 2.0 ports support [email protected] video output, allowing you to connect the SEi12 to two displays simultaneously. Unlike other high-end Beelink mini PCs, the Type-C port on the front of the SEi12 only supports data transmission. It’s a letdown for those who prefer to work with more than two monitors.
The bottom cover has four rubber feet, texts showing how to enter BIOS and boot menu, and the screws that allow you to open the SEi12 and access the insides.
Compared to previous Beelink mini PC models, the SEi12 features an additional 4007 OS fan and an aluminum heat sink to keep the SSD cool. As a result of the improved cooling, the internals are more difficult to access than before. Older Beelink mini PCs only require you to remove four screws on the bottom panel to get to the motherboard, with the SEi12, you will need to unscrew 3 extra screws on the SSD cooling panel, which also serves as the bracket for a 2.5-inch HDD/SSD.
The hardware expansion in the SEi12 consists of an M.2 Type-2280 slot for PCle4.0*4 NVMe SSDs, a traditional 2.5-inch SATA3 drive bay, and two laptop-style SO-DIMM slots for the RAM. The M.2 2230 wireless card is also accessible under the pre-installed M.2 SSD.
Housing two storage drives in a system this compact is rather impressive. Beelink sells this PC as a ready-to-use system, you get either 16GB or 32GB dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory (in the form of Crucial brand memory sticks), and a super-fast 500GB Kingston PCIe4.0 NVMe SSD, onto which a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled.
To access the CPU, and other components of the PC, you will have to remove even more screws, but there's really no need to do that since nothing else is replaceable or upgradable. In terms of wireless connections, the SEi12 supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
OS and Software
The Beelink SEi12 ships with a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro which, compared to Windows 10, brings more aesthetically pleasing UI, improved multiple desktops, built-in XBOX gaming, and better security features. Since this is the Pro Edition of Windows OS, you also get a few extra IT and business features.
The Windows 11 Pro here is also very clean, with no pre-installed 3rd party applications or bloatware. Besides regular Windows software, you can also load the Android subsystem on the SEi12 and run Android apps on the SEi12. If you are interested in open-source operating systems, the mini PC is also compatible with Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS and many other Linux distributions.
Performance
The SEi12 comes with the Intel Alder Lake Core i5-1235U processor, which runs at a 3.30 GHz base frequency and can increase its speed to 4.40 GHz in turbo mode. It bundles as many as 10 CPU cores (2 performance cores and 8 efficient cores), 12 threads, 12MB Intel smart cache, and has a TDP of 15 Watts. The SoC handles the graphics part too, you’ll get a very capable Intel Iris Xe EU80 iGPU with a dynamic frequency of up to 1.2GHz. There’s also 16GB/32GB dual-channel memory, and a 500GB PCIe4.0x4 NVMe SSD under the hood.
Benchmarks
In terms of CPU performance, the SEi12 is a huge step up from mini PCs with Intel Tiger Lake quad-core processors. In Cinebench R23, it completely blew the Intel i7-1165G7 NUC 11 Pro out of the water, scoring 11% higher in single-core and 42% higher in multi-core. It also handily beat the Apple Mac mini and the Beelink SER5 Pro in both subtests.
Geekbench 5 measures the computer's single-core and multi-core power, for everything from checking emails to taking pictures to playing music, or all of it at once. The results reveal how close the tested system is to the cutting-edge. What makes the Geekbench special is that it allows us to compare system performance across devices, operating systems, and processor architectures. The SEi12 scored 1619 in single core, 7475 in multi-core, way above systems with the Intel Tiger Lake mobile CPUs.
PCMark 10 is a holistic performance suite developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). We use it to assess overall system performance in different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows like word processing, spreadsheet jockeying, web browsing, and videoconferencing. The test generates a proprietary numeric score, and higher numbers are better. The 5284-point finish from the SEi12 is well above the 4,000 points we consider excellent, and it's a very respectable showing for a PC this small.
3DMark measures relative graphics muscle by rendering sequences of highly detailed, gaming-style 3D graphics that emphasize particles and lighting. Like always, I ran three different 3DMark subtests on the SEi12: Sky Diver, Fire Strike, and Time Spy, which are suited to different types of systems. Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark which tests how well a system can handle DirectX 12 games. The other two are both DirectX 11 benchmarks, but Sky Diver is more suited to slim laptops and midrange PCs, while Fire Strike is more demanding and made for high-end PCs to strut their stuff. The SEi12 scored 1343 in Time Spy, 3686 in Fire Strike, and 12443 in Sky Diver, falling behind the Intel NUC 11 Pro and Beelink’s very own SER5 Pro.
According to CrystalDiskMark, the 500GB PCIe4.0x4 solid-state drive in the mini PC has excellent reading and writing speeds. It allows you to boot into Windows 11 Pro in only a few seconds. Launching big creativity applications and 3D games is also incredibly fast.
Content Creation
With such a beefy processor inside, the SEi12 has absolutely no problem of seeing us through common home and office duties. It is also quite capable when dealing with relatively demanding creativity tasks.
The SEi12 stayed smooth and responsive even when I was adding complex effects and renders to 4K video footages, it almost felt as fast as my desktop PC, which features an AMD Ryzen5-5600G CPU and an Nvidia GeFore GTX1660 Ti GPU. Encoding a 3-minute 1080P/30fps video in Handbrake, the SEi12 took 1 minute, 51 seconds, which was a lot shorter than the 2 minutes, 36 seconds the Intel NUC 11 Pro took to finish the same task.
Gaming
Even though the SEi12 is using an integrated GPU for graphics-intensive tasks, its gaming capability is on par with PCs with entry-level discrete graphics cards. Running League of Legend at 1080P and medium quality setting, the average frame rate was 131 fps, the visuals are extremely smooth on my 144Hz gaming monitor. Even when I switched to 4K and high settings, LOL still averaged 71 fps, good enough for an enjoyable gaming experience.
Genshin Impact was playable at 1080P and medium setting, I saw an average of 41 fps, and didn’t notice any dips even in intense fighting scenes. Switching to lowest quality setting will improve the average frame rate to 56 fps.
Most of the other games ran fine at moderate settings, but somehow, I failed to launch Conqueror’s Blade on the SEi12, as the game constantly got stuck at the animation in the very beginning.
These are the results of all the games I tested on the Beelink SEi12, quite promising for a mini desktop PC with such a small footprint. However, if you want to enjoy the most graphics-intensive titles at higher settings, you will probably be better off with the Beelink GTR6, which rocks an even more powerful AMD Ryzen9-6900HX processor and a 12-core Radeon 680M iGPU.
Video Playback
Intel iGPUs are known to have amazing video codec support. According to Bluesky DXVA checker, the Iris Xe Graphics EU80 iGPU can support most video formats of up to 4K and 8K. When I was playing an 8K video clip, the CPU utilization was only 1%-2%, while the GPU usage also stayed below 50%. Streaming YouTube videos in Chrome was also no problem for the SEi12, including 8K/60fps videos.
Networking
The SEi12 has a Wi-Fi 6 compatible network card that works well with my TP-Link Wi-Fi6 router. However, if you want even higher speeds, you can use the Gigabit Ethernet jack on the back of the mini PC and connect it through a cable to the network.
Stability, power consumption and noise
Although the 12th generation Intel processor inside is extremely fast and can reach high frequencies when necessary, the dual cooling fans, heat sinks and copper pipes under the hood are super effective in keeping the SEi12 cool and stable. In the 3DMark Time Spy stress test, the mini PC scored a solid 99.7%, ranking above most mini PCs I've tested. In the AIDA64 Stability Test, the temperature of the CPU never surpassed 90 degrees in one hour of running in full load.
The SEi12’s higher performance does result in high power consumption, though. The power draw was around 13 watts at idle, and around 73 watts at maximum. In comparison, the Intel NUC 11 Pro draws around 8 watts at idle, while the Beelink SER5 Pro draws only 3.5 watts. Fortunately, the included 120W adapter never needs to work too hard to keep the mini PC going as mighty as it could be.
As long as I did not stress the processor inside the SEi12, the mini PC was perfectly quiet. Even in demanding tasks such as benchmark testing, where the hardware was pushed to its limit, the noise made by the fans was still rather tamed. I used to be bothered by the fan noise picked up by my Creative Live! MIC when dubbing the review videos on the Intel NUC 11 Pro. After switching to the Beelink SEi12, that problem was gone.
Verdict
The Beelink SEi12 is a well-rounded mini desktop PC. Its small footprint allows it to fit almost anywhere. There are plenty of ports for all kinds of external devices. The mini PC also offers solid performance for dealing with common computing duties without lag, as well as efficient cooling to keep it running stably for all day long.
The price of this mini PC starts from $459, which includes 16GB dual-channel DDR4-3200 memory, 500GB PCIe4.0x4 SSD, and a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro. In comparison, the Intel i7-1165G7 NUC 11 Pro with the same amount of storage will cost you $815.99, even though it is powered by a much weaker processor. The Beelink SEi12 is obviously missing premium features like dual Thunderbolt ports, a built-in SD card reader, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet jack, but its price will probably compel most of consumers to question the necessity of these features.