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Once I overview small kind issue PCs, I are likely to maintain my expectations in verify. Provided that I take advantage of a monstrous System76 Thelio desktop for many of my work, it is typically a problem for such a tiny, shiny field to match. In truth, I’ve by no means met a tiny PC that might outperform my Thelio.
The GEEKOM A9 Max AI Mini definitely gave it a run for its cash. And whereas being hampered by an inferior OS. Word to all firms sending me PCs to overview: Please ship me machines with Linux preinstalled. Not solely do I discover it far simpler to overview computer systems with Linux, but it surely additionally reveals shoppers that you just do provide open-source choices.
With that request out of the best way, let’s discuss concerning the A9 Max AI.
My expertise
Naturally, as a result of this machine sported the Home windows working system, it took a very long time earlier than I may even use it. There have been updates aplenty, logging in with my Microsoft account, blah, blah. You realize the drill.
As you most likely seen, the identify of the PC contains AI, and I am positive you possibly can guess what which means. That is proper, this little buddy was constructed for “unmatched AI efficiency.” What does that even imply?
Take into account this: most individuals who use AI aren’t utilizing it domestically; they’re going to be utilizing ChatGPT or one of many many cloud-based companies.
Based on the outline, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor “delivers an industry-leading 80 TOPS of complete AI acceleration, that includes a next-gen XDNA 2 AI engine that pumps out 50 TOPS of devoted NPU efficiency, enabling seamless Copilot+ experiences, native giant mannequin deployment, and superior content material technology.”
Yeah, after all. And why would not it, proper?
The factor that jumped out at me is the “native giant mannequin deployment,” so I did precisely what you may anticipate: I put in Ollama and downloaded one of many greater LLMs to see how nicely it will carry out. The mannequin in query was the 9GB deepseek-r1:8b, and I pulled it for each the A9 Max AI and my System76 Thelio, operating Pop!_OS.
After the mannequin was pulled, I requested every the identical query (each getting used from the command line:
What’s Linux?
It is a pretty easy and easy query. So, how did they fare? This is a breakdown.
Though each machines used the identical LLM, deepseek-r1:8b operating on Linux produced a solution that was significantly longer and extra in-depth. On high of that, the reply produced by the A9 Max AI suffered from horrible grammar and created way more errors than that the Thelio’s.
So far as the occasions, they seemed like this:
- Thelio: 2:42.38
- A9 Max AI: 01:07.69
Sadly, the occasions do not actually inform an correct story, given how far more in-depth the Thelio reply was.
From an general expertise, my System76 Thelio was far more as much as the duty of operating AI. To be truthful, the A9 Max AI was hampered by Home windows 11, which might make a giant distinction, provided that Home windows 11 consumes way more system assets than Linux.
I then tried to essentially push the A9 Max AI and use the gpt-oss:120b mannequin, which is significantly bigger and extra succesful than the DeepSeek mannequin I initially used. I assumed this is able to process the A9 Max AI past what anybody would use it for.
The outcomes? Properly, it was very gradual, however that must be anticipated by such a large mannequin on a small machine. The excellent news is that the outcomes have been significantly extra correct. I may hear the followers operating at excessive speeds to maintain the CPU cool, and the top outcome took practically 5 minutes to finish.
However provided that this machine would not have a strong NVIDIA GPU, it was nonetheless fairly spectacular that it was capable of run the mannequin to be with.
Let’s get past the AI subject and take a look at this from a extra conventional person expertise.
Putting in and operating functions
I put in a number of functions on the A9 Max AI and located all of them put in in a short time and ran fairly nicely. I put in LibreOffice, GIMP, Msty, and VirtualBox to see how nicely the A9 Max stood as much as what I am accustomed to.
Ultimately, all the things put in rapidly and ran easily. With the functions prepared, I made a decision to create a digital occasion of Ubuntu utilizing VirtualBox to see how nicely it carried out. I gave the VM 10GB of RAM and 4 CPU cores (out of 32GB of RAM and 24 CPU cores).
After the set up completed (took about 2 minutes), I began the VM to see how nicely it will run. Through the set up of the Ubuntu visitor, the followers on the A9 Max AI have been at their loudest, so below load, this isn’t a quiet machine. I used to be capable of hear the followers operating from inside one other room of the home. If quiet is a necessity (and you actually push your machine), this may not be the pc for you. If sheer energy and a small dimension are what you are in search of, this mini PC is a superb choice.
After the VM was created, I fired it up. It ought to come as no shock (particularly given the assets I allotted for the machine) that the Ubuntu visitor ran very nicely. Even with the VM up and operating, put in functions carried out fairly nicely.
I ought to add this: The Ubuntu visitor OS ran circles round Home windows 11, regardless that it had a 3rd of the RAM and a sixth of the CPU cores. That alone validated my supposition that Home windows was a hamper.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
At first blush, a mini PC promoting for $999 may look like a foul cut price, however when you think about the efficiency you get with the A9 Max AI, the associated fee turns into much less of an element. This little machine dealt with all the things I may throw at it, and the one motive it blinked was due to Home windows 11. If I had taken the time to put in Linux on this machine, I can think about it will carry out insanely nicely. Sadly, Home windows is a useful resource hog and would not obtain practically the effectivity of Linux.
That being mentioned, the Geekom A9 Max AI mini PC significantly impressed me. If I have been on the hunt for a strong PC that took up subsequent to no house, this may nicely be my first alternative.
Geekom A9 Max AI mini PC tech specs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (configurable TDP as much as 54W)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5, 16 compute models)
- AI Efficiency: As much as 80 TOPS of complete AI efficiency, with a devoted AI engine
- Reminiscence: As much as 128GB of dual-channel DDR5-5600MHz RAM
- Storage: 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slot, 1 x M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD slot
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 2 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports A number of USB ports, together with USB 4.0 Kind-C ports with DP-Alt-Mode and Energy Supply
- 2 x HDMI 2.1 ports
- Full-size SD card reader
- Working System: Home windows 11 24H2
- Dimensions: 135 × 132 × 46.9 mm
