Geekom GT1 Mega review: Geekom's first AI mini PC does not convince in all aspects

The Geekom GT1 Mega presents itself as a powerful mini PC that impresses in many areas. With powerful hardware, consisting of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, which also has a very powerful iGPU, the mini PC is ideally suited for office applications as well as multimedia and light creative tasks.

A particularly positive feature is the variety of connections, which is rare for a compact device of this size. The two USB4 interfaces are among the most useful ports when it comes to future-proofing. The expandability of the memory and the flawless workmanship also make the GT1 Mega an attractive solution for workstations that require little space.

However, we have to criticize the noise level under average and high load. A mini PC, which is inevitably placed on the desk in the immediate vicinity, simply shouldn't reach 50 dB(A).

Why Geekom didn't put more energy into this to better tune the product in terms of fan curves is a mystery to us. The BIOS options are also very rudimentary. Fortunately, a quiet mode can be activated, but it is more of a workaround than a proper solution with loss of performance. This cannot be an ideal solution, as Geekom is asking well over €1,000 for the GT1 Mega according to the RRP.

High noise levels apart, the Geekom GT1 Mega is a powerful, flexible, and compact solution ideal for offices and home offices, for anyone looking at a reliable all-round PC in a small space, and also as a capable multimedia solution.

The Geekom GT1 Mega in our review configuration costs €1,149 at Geekom DE and can be currently had for $989 at Geekom US. At just €899, or $849 the GT1 Mega with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a more cost-effective option.

In the US, buyers can also order the Geekom GT1 Mega via Amazon.

The Geekom GT1 Mega is the latest mini PC from Geekom, features an Intel Meteor Lake processor for the first time. Visually, the Geekom GT1 Mega is reminiscent of a Geekom GT13 Pro.

Nevertheless, Geekom has incorporated some major design changes. At first glance the significantly larger design catches the eye. We look into whether this offers any inherent advantages shortly.

In this test, we focus on the Geekom GT1 Mega in the top configuration. It comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with 32 GB RAM and a 2 TB SSD. In terms of price, though, you'll have to dig deep into your pockets because, at €1,149 or $989, the mini PC is not exactly a bargain. That being said, Geekom is known for the occasional discount campaign or two, which you can speculate on if you are planning on this device.

If your budget is around €899, you can also equip the Geekom GT1 Mega with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. At the outset, this looks to be a more sensible configuration as there are only minimal technical differences between the two processors.

The Geekom GT1 Mega also competes with established mini PCs from other manufacturers such as Asus, Minisforum and Acemagic. However, the GT1 Mega also faces competition from within its own ranks as Geekom itself has several other high-performance Mini PCs in its current portfolio.

The Geekom GT1 Mega is significantly larger than previous Geekom mini PCs. This is not a major concern as it allows the use of a more powerful cooling unit.

When it comes to the choice of materials, Geekom relies primarily on aluminum, which looks very high quality in the discreet dark grey finish. There is nothing to criticize about the build quality as the device looks to be perfectly finished all round. This is to be expected given the price.

The underside is made of plastic similar to what we had seen with the Geekom GT13 Pro. The larger design also has an impact on the weight. At just under 700 g, our test sample is still a little lighter than the Acemagic F2A or the Minisforum UH125 Pro.

The power supply weighs in at 256 g, which is about the same weight as the Geekom AX8 Pro or the Geekom GT13 Pro. All devices from Geekom that we have compared here are supplied with the same power supply unit.

It is also possible to attach the Geekom GT1 Mega directly to a monitor using the supplied VESA bracket.

The Geekom GT1 Mega is always sold in combination with pre-installed RAM and an SSD. Conversely, this means that the GT1 Mega is immediately ready for use. However, the device can still be opened with a little skill.

The procedure here is similar to the Geekom GT13 Pro, although the G1 Mega is only slightly larger. Four small screws are hidden under the glued-on rubber feet, which must first be unscrewed to remove the underside. Another metal plate blocks the way to the installed components, which must first be removed if you want to access the RAM, SSD or WLAN module.

One free M.2 slot is still available, which means that the Geekom GT1 Mega can be equipped with two SSDs. The second M.2 slot can technically accommodate both NVMe and SATA SSDs. However, the SSD length is limited to 42 mm.

The Geekom GT1 Mega is a compact mini PC, which means that repair work is hardly possible in the event of a defect. Nevertheless, Geekom offers a 36-month warranty, which sets it apart from most other manufacturers in this area.

Geekom can be praised for its compact packaging, which certainly makes transportation easier. In terms of sustainability, Geekom advertises lower power consumption compared to a conventional desktop PC. However, there is no detailed information on the use of recycled materials for production.

We carried out all performance tests with the "High performance" energy profile. We did not change the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and left it in normal mode according to the BIOS settings.

Deviating energy saving plans were only used for the energy consumption measurements according to our Test criteria.

The top-of-the-range Geekom GT1 Mega is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. 16 cores with a total of 22 threads ensure a high working speed, which primarily pays off in multi-threaded tasks.

However, our test sample isn't a slouch when it comes to single-core performance. The GT1 Mega often leads the benchmark results. Overall, our test sample secures second place in the comparison. The toughest competitor here is the Geekom AX8 Pro we had tested featuring the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS.

Regarding power consumption, it should be mentioned that Geekom operates the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H according to the manufacturer's specifications. As delivered, the normal mode profile is active in the BIOS. This means that the SoC operates with 45 W under continuous load, although up to 70 W is possible in Turbo mode.

In addition to normal mode, the Geekom GT1 Mega can also be operated in quiet mode or performance mode. This has little effect on the processor's power limits, which also changes the performance somewhat. We have carried out some tests with the different modes and summarized them in the table.

The results show that there is no significant performance advantage in performance mode. To reduce the acoustic load, we would recommend quiet mode. The associated loss of performance can certainly be tolerated.

For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our CPU comparison table.