The Geekom Mini Air12 Mini PC impresses as an ultra-desktop that arrives ready to use. Most of these mini-PCs are usually sold as bare-bones kits to which you add memory and storage before deploying the tiny systems behind an office monitor or as a media streamer in your home entertainment setup. With the Mini Air12, however, Geekom is offering a functional piece of equipment out-of-the-box.
Even with a previous-gen CPU (Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake N100 Mini), there’s still a subtle balance between energy efficiency and power. Our review unit arrives with a maximum of 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, which can be upgraded to 2TB if needed.
It’s a surprisingly capable diminutive desktop with a useful array of ports and quiet operation, and the Air12 is a fine alternative to a pricey Intel NUC for light work, display signage, and other mini-PC operations.
Design-wise, the Mini Air12 is sleek and modest, sporting a grey casing and black top plate that should blend unobtrusively with any setup. Its compact form factor makes it highly portable, ideal if you need a PC that you can carry along on your travels. Access to internal components for upgrades is seamless, with only four screws on the base enabling quick access to the internals, enabling easy upgrades and maintenance when needed.
About the Geekom Mini Air12
The Geekom Mini Air12 is competitively priced at under £249 ($249), down from its original price of $489. This affordable price makes it an excellent choice if you’re looking for a balance between performance and affordability in a mini PC.
Here are the basic specs in our review model:
- CPU: Intel Alder Lake N100
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 12th
- RAM: 16GB DDR5
- Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD
- Rear Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-C with DP 1.4 Alt Mode, RJ45, HDMI 2.0, Mini DP 1.4
- Front Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-C Data Only, SD Card Reader, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
- Audio: HDA CODEC
- Camera: N/A
- Size: 117 x 112 x 34.2 mm
- OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro 21H2
- Accessories: VESA Mount
What we Like
Sleek design and useful ports
For all its worth, the Geekom Mini Air12 sports a design that’s functional and simple. It’s a compact desktop, measuring just 117 x 112 x 34.2 mm, which makes it ideal for tight spaces such as behind a monitor, on a bookshelf, or a desk. Like most mini PCs, this machine is designed for office use, college, and home entertainment. However, even with the understated design, the Air12 doesn’t feel or look cheap; the casing is made from high-quality plastic, that feels sturdy and durable.
Port selection is another win on this Geekom Mini PC, offering a decent range of ports on both on the front and back. You’ll find a handy SD card slot on the side, a Type-C port (with DisplayPort 1.4), HDMI 2.0, Mini DP 1.4, and lots of USB 3.2 ports for all your peripherals. Despite its small size, the Mini Air12 manages to offer extensive ports and its weight adds to the feeling of quality.
For cooling, the Mini Air12 is fitted with a compact cooling system that manages air circulation well. The fan isn’t loud, ensuring a quiet working environment. In case you need to do a few upgrades, the design enables easy access to key hardware like RAM and M.2 slots through the base, which is held in place by only four cross-head screws.
A feature-packed productivity workhorse
The Geekom Mini Air12 is created to cater to different needs, it can be your standalone small office PC or the ultimate home entertainment hub. Under the hood, it packs a 12th gen Intel Alder Lake N100 processor, a chip that delivers a balance of power and efficiency for everyday tasks. The processor is paired with 16GB RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD, upgradable to 2TB.
In a machine of this class, the speedy drive helps boost overall performance with quick boot times and application launch. Due to the fast drive data transfer speeds. To connect to the Internet, the machine utilizes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, both help ensure a stable wireless connection.
If you multitask a lot, the Mini Air12 supports up to three displays, including 8K, which allows you to connect multiple screens for productivity or entertainment on different screens. But while this feature comes in handy for professionals hopped up to the best graphic design or best monitors for video editing, the system’s processing power doesn’t quite meet professionals’’ needs.
Overall, the Geekom Air12 is capable of providing a smooth Windows 11 experience and streaming HD video is bliss, and the fast storage option makes things better. It’s ready to rock out of the box and costs less than a comparable Intel NUC when you consider the extra investment of purchasing 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD.
What we don’t like
Mediocre graphics, no dedicated GPU
The Geekom Mini Air12’s performance in video editing and gaming is penned on its hardware capabilities. Yes, you can run any video editing software, particularly with HD and 4K content, and the Air12’s CPU and storage speeds with offer decent performance for light editing tasks. However, any intensive tasks involving multiple layers or effects will be a challenge due to the integrated Intel UHD graphics and the processor’s limited multi-core performance.
In gaming, the Mini Air12 can run older or less demanding titles, but its capability to handle graphically intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin’s Creed is very limited. The underwhelming gaming performance isn’t a surprise, though, this machine lacks the graphical prowess required for smooth gameplay in these modern AAA titles, which often require dedicated graphics cards and higher-end CPUs.
Again, while the Geekom Mini Air12 is sold as a competent machine for general use and multimedia, its hardware limitations make it a less appealing machine for handling high-res video editing and modern gaming scenarios. Where the Air12 excels is for everyday tasks such as Microsoft Office and multimedia for which it is ideally suited, but for gaming, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Should you buy the Geekom Mini Air12?
The Geekom Mini Air12 Mini PC is a great choice for anyone looking for a compact desktop for general tasks, office use, and entertainment. It boasts solid performance thanks to a 12th Gen Intel processor, fast SSD storage, and lots of RAM, which is about as much as you’d need for everyday computing and basic creative tasks.
While it has limitations in gaming and intensive video editing, it nonetheless offers excellent connectivity, a quiet cooling system, and is incredibly portable. If you’re a high-end gamer or professional video editor, this isn’t the machine for you; but for the casual everyday user, it stands out as a capable performance workhorse.
Recommended Configuration
GEEKOM A8 AI Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS Mini Computers (up to 5.2GHz), 32GB DDR5 5600MHz RAM&2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, Windows 11 Pro Mini Desktop, AMD Ryzen AI/Radeon 780M/WiFi 6E/BT5.2/USB4/8K/Quad Display
The Review
Geekom Mini Air12 Mini PC
The Geekom Mini Air12 Mini PC is an affordable, versatile mini PC designed for everyday tasks including Microsoft Office, office use, and home entertainment.
PROS
- Sleek, compact design
- Solid performance for the price
- High-speed SSD
CONS
- No dedicated GPU
- Middling graphics
Review Breakdown
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ARS Guide Score
