When PCs first came out, they were large, heavy, and clunky. Sure you can still get large, heavy desktop computers but those are more relegated for gaming and creativity purposes. While most people use their phones or laptops these days, there are smaller form factor computers that are great for personal and business use.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Our GEEKOM Mini IT8 review looks at a small form factor computer that is easily upgradable, VESA mountable, and decent enough for home or basic business use. Read on for our full review!
Specifications
The GEEKOM Mini IT8 Mini PC we reviewed has the following features and specifications (configurable when ordering):
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8259U w/ 4 cores, 8 threads, 6MB Intel Smart Cache @ 2.30GHz (max turbo freq. 3.80GHz) |
| GPU | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655; Frequency 2350MHz |
| Motherboard | Maita NUCCFO1 PCI-Express 3.0, Intel Coffee Lake |
| Memory | 16GB Kingston dual-channel DDR4 SODIMM RAM (KVR32S22D8/16), Slot x2, expandable to 32GB |
| Storage | • 1x 512GB M.2 SATA PCIe SSD (Kingston OM8PDP3512B), expandable up to 1TB • 1x 2.5″ SATA HDD (7mm) slot, expandable up to 2TB |
| Ports | USB Type-C (data only), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI 2.0, USB Type-C (data + display), Gbps Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, power port |
| Ethernet | 1000Mbps LAN |
| Wireless | Bluetooth v4.2, Dual-Band Wi-Fi 2.4G+5G |
| Features | Built-in quiet fan, CIR (consumer infrared) function, supports 4 displays |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro (pre-installed), supports Linux, Android x86, FydeOS, and more |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 4 5/8 x 4 3/8 x 1 3/4″ |
What’s in the box
- GEEKOM Mini IT8
- VESA mounting plate
- 90W power supply
- HDMI cable
- Soft carrying pouch
- SATA HDD mounting screws
- VESA mounting screws
- Quick Start Guide
Design
As is the case with mini PCs, the GEEOKIM IT8 is small and pretty non-descript. It is about 4 5/8″ wide, 4 3/8″ deep, and a mere 1 3/4″ in height. Black in colour, it does have rounded edges for a smooth finish. The top is gloss black with the GEEKOM logo printed across the middle and the Intel Inside logo in the upper right.
The front of this mini PC has a data-only USB-C port, a USB-A 3.2 port, a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack, and a small power button. The back is where you’ll find most of the ports which include the small round 19V power port for the 90W power supply, a Mini DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet port, two more USB-A 3.2 ports, another USB-C port with display support, and an HDMI 2.0 port. The left and right sides have a grille finish for ventilation. The left has a full-size SD card slot while the right has a Kensington lock slot.
The bottom of the GEEKOM Mini IT8 is solid, with four rubber feet screwed into the bottom. There are also four smaller plugged holes and two in the middle. The four plugged holes are for securing a 2.5″ SATA HDD drive, while the middle two are for mounting it with the included VESA mount adapter plate.
Removing the four screws in the feet allows you to easily access the guts of the system. You do have to be careful removing the bottom plate, however, as there is a connector cable for the 2.5″ SATA HDD drive connector located on the other side of the plate. Here you can easily add more storage to the device. Inside the main unit, you can see and upgrade the M.2 SATA SSD drive, as well as add a second SODIMM RAM chip in the extra empty slot. You can also upgrade your RAM easily by removing the first and replacing it with a larger RAM chip, up to a maximum of 32GB (16GB per channel).
GEEKOM also included a soft carrying pouch for the unit if you’re going to be transporting it from place to place. While it fits the mini PC just fine, it doesn’t have enough room for the power adapter and HDMI cable.
Overall, the GEEKOM Mini IT8 Mini PC is compact but still easy to upgrade and add additional storage and RAM to it. Easily VESA mountable, it can be tucked away out of sight as well behind a monitor for a cleaner workspace as well.
Software
While most systems ship with Windows 10/11 Home, the GEEKOM Mini IT8 Mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro, giving you full access out of the box to all the consumer and business features Windows 11 has to offer. If you’ve read any of our other recent laptop or desktop reviews, you’ll know that we’re pretty big fans of Windows 11 here at Techaeris. It’s a decent OS with a modern look and feel and runs just fine, even on a system with an 8th-Gen Intel Core i5 processor.
If you wish, you can easily install another operating system to this mini PC, including Linux, Android x86, FydeOS, or others. Best of all, there’s no excessive bloatware, including antivirus programs, pre-installed on this system so it’s as clean as it gets when it comes to a fresh Windows 11 install.
Performance
When I read the specifications for the GEEKOM Mini IT8, my first thought was that it is using an outdated processor. Being an Intel Core i5-8259U, we are looking at a mid-range CPU that is 3 or 4 generations old. That being said, it does have 4 cores, 8 threads, 6MB Intel Smart Cache, and runs at 2.30GHz with a max turbo frequency of 3.80GHz. Our review unit also shipped with a 512GB Kingston M.2 SATA PCIe SSD and 16GB of Kingston DDR4 SODIMM RAM.
First off, I ran the usual hard drive read/write benchmarks:
| CrystalDiskMark Seq Read | 1,642 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark Seq Write | 1,209 MB/s |
| AS SSD Seq Read | 1,394 MB/s |
| AS SSD Seq Write | 1,047 MB/s |
| ATTO Seq Read | 1,530 MB/s |
| ATTO Seq Write | 1,510 MB/s |
| AJA System Test Read | 1,405 MB/s |
| AJA System Test Write | 1,437 MB/s |
While there are much faster drives out there, these speeds are more than adequate for day-to-day and most office computing. A UserBenchmark test confirmed that the SSD score is suitable for heavy workstation use, while the processor — even though it is a few generations older — is great for everyday tasks such as web browsing, office apps, and audio/video playback. In addition, it can be used as a light workstation or even a light server.
I did, of course, use it extensively for day-to-day work for a bit and had no issues with it. While it did have onboard graphics, it was still o.k. for both (light) Photoshop and Lightroom work in addition to document processing, web browsing, and video streaming.
Unfortunately, due to it only having an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 graphics processor, it isn’t the greatest for gaming but will handle basic games at lower resolutions. I didn’t test out many but I was able to run Heroes of the Storm on medium settings with decent enough framerates.
In addition, when running and in use all day, the Mini IT8 didn’t get overly warm to the touch.
Price/Value
Available in several configurations, the GEEKOM Mini IT8 Mini PC starts at US$439 for the 8GB RAM+256GB SSD version. Our review unit is priced at $499. Both prices are very reasonable for what you get, however, they are also discounted by $50 on the GEEKOM website.
You can also snag the 8GB RAM+512GB SSD version on Amazon for under $400.
Photo Gallery
Wrap-up
Given the specifications and performance of the GEEKOM Mini IT8, alongside its very affordable price tag, if you’re looking for a smaller PC that is more than adequate for basic home or business computing tasks, you can’t go wrong here.
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Last Updated on December 10, 2022.
