This mini PC looks a lot like a Mac Mini for Windows fans

AS6 by Geekom Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Remember the days when PCs were huge beige boxes that took up half of your office? If for many of you this image does not evoke much, I remember it well. And the fact that a powerful PC can be contained in a box that fits in the palm of your hand continues to surprise me.

And what is even more surprising is that some components of this mini-PC can also be changed. Which is not the case with most mini-systems.

This is not the case with the Geekom AS6.

Technical specifications of the Geekom AS6

• 
  Processor : AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (8 cores, 16 threads, 16MB cache, 3.3 – 4.9 GHz)
• 
  GPU : AMD Radeon 680M
• 
  Operating system : Windows 11 Pro
• 
  Memory : 32GB dual-channel DDR5-4800MHz SODIMM (supports up to 64GB)
• 
  Storage : 1TB SSD
• Storage Upgrade options**: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD (supports up to 2TB NVMe drives), 1 x 2.5-inch SATA HDD (supports up to 2TB)
• 
  Interface : 2 x USB Type-C, 2 x HDMI 2.1 Port, 1 x Display Port 1.4, 1 x RJ45 LAN 2.5G, 5 x USB 3.2 Gen1, 1 x Audio Jack
• 
  Wireless connectivity : Wi-Fi 6TH & Bluetooth 5.2
• 
  Dimensions of the device : 120 x 130 x 58 mm
• Weight of the device : almost 900 g

First of all, this device is a real concentrate of power. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX octa-core processor and a Radeon 680M graphics card, this is not a small PC designed for light tasks. It is designed to withstand heavy workloads.

The AS6 is a concentrate of power, equipped with high-end components. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Imagine a Mac Mini, but for Windows users.

Speaking of Windows, this PC comes with Windows 11 Pro preinstalled and ready to run.

It’s a PC monster in a very small format!

Impressive modularity

But it’s not the performance that makes this small PC so special. What differentiates it from other mini-PCs is the ease with which it is possible to open it to replace certain components.

Many companies can make a small PC, but opening it becomes a nightmare of broken parts.

To get inside the Geekom AS6, all you need is a screwdriver to unscrew four screws and voila. This system is so well designed that the screws, which are part of the rubber feet, are captive and cannot be lost.
This is a very appreciable choice of disign!

To open the AS6, just unscrew four screws! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

6 TB of storage possible

The AS6 opens very easily, and once inside, you have access to everything: the M.2 slots, the RAM and the SATA slot. You just have to pay attention to the ribbon cable between the two halves, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

The AS6 is a working tool that is pleasant to work with.

The M.2 and SATA slots allow up to 6 TB to be stored in this system.

The interior of the AS6 Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Many ports

The power supply for the system is external, of very high quality, and should offer years of service.

Then there are the ports – so many ports!

On the front, you have two USB-A ports, a USB-C port and an audio jack; on the back, you will find even more :

• one Ethernet port
• three USB ports
• one USB-C port
• two HDMI ports
• a DisplayPort.

And then there is the power port.

Ports galore! Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Cooling is another strong point of the AS6.

The processor, GPU and hard drives will generate a lot of heat, and this heat must be dissipated to the outside. Many of the mini-PCs that I have tested do not succeed, and very badly, so much so that I had to put an end to the evaluation. Not the AS6!

This system manages the heat like a champion, even when the ambient temperature is high, as was the case here in the UK during the test period. Yes, there is a cooling fan, and this fan is far from silent, but all things considered, this is a very well designed cooling system.

In a few words, here is a powerful and high-end system, whose price is high. The Geekom AS6 equipped with the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX is currently available at € 770 (instead of € 1000).

Source: “ZDNet.com “