It’s the first time we’ve heard of Geekom IT8 mini workstation PC an up-and-coming company with two products. The awkwardly Bookfun laptop, a $1,999 mobile workstation with a Core i7-11800H, Windows 11 Pro, and RTX3070, and the more modest IT8 tiny PC. The topic of this review.
Geekom did a very good job developing a small workstation PC that gives great value for money in a very small form factor. It comes installed with Windows 11 Pro, features many connections, and can drive four monitors. It is a necessary tool for the price, and while there are a few small flaws. They are minor. However, Geekom will not be able to match the business-grade after-sales service provided by some of its much larger competitors.
What you will see here?
Design
The IT8 seems to be one of the many Intel NUC small PCs that have arrived in recent years. It’s roughly the same size as the NUC 11 Speed Mini PC, approximately 117 x 112 x 48mm, and could be mistaken for one from distance (ed: makes us wonder if they share some common DNA).
The weight of Geekom’s small PC is unexpected. It feels and looks powerful (it weighs nearly 600g). Because the top is made of glossy plastic. It is sensitive to oily fingerprints and hairline scratches. The rest of the body is made of solid metal, with two side grills to improve air movement (and cool the 28W CPU inside).
The IT8 has over a dozen ports and connections despite its small size. three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A plugs, two USB Type-C connectors, one Gigabit ethernet cable, one headphone jack, an SD card slot, an HDMI connector, and a mini DP connector. The power connector is a cylinder model that is powered by a brick-type power supply unit that is 90W (19v,4.74A).
Pricing and availability
The Geekom IT8 PC costs $499 and comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The lowest stock-keeping device costs $399 and has half the memory and half the storage space. For the same price, Dell offers a desktop PC (the Inspiron 3891) with a Core i5-10400 CPU but half the memory and storage space. Also, it is much, much larger in size. The TRICKY Speed S, on the other hand, is a more serious competitor, costing $430 at Workshops and running Windows 10 Pro rather than Windows 11 Pro.
Hardware
Geekom IT8 mini workstation PC Intel Core i5-8259U CPU powers the IT8. A popular multi-chip that has featured in a variety of products. Shall we say challenger companies? This 4-year-old processor was found in the Electrify TBolt 20 Pro (a business laptop). The GMK NucBox 2, and the Minisforum U850. There are a few solid reasons why this model is so popular. It contains an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 graphics processor. This is a step above what you’d normally see in this price bracket. When you mix four cores (for a total of eight threads), a relatively high processor base speed, and a 3.8GHz turbo frequency, you have the makings of a very powerful CPU platform.
The CPU is connected with a 512GB SSD (Kingston OM8PDP3512B-A01). An entry-level PCIe Gen3 NVMe solid-state memory. And 16GB DDR4 RAM in dual-channel design, giving the device a boost. An Intel Wireless AC-7265 card handles connectivity. However, it only supports Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 5, which is a bit disappointing.
Performance
Geekom IT8 mini workstation PC comes with Windows 11 Pro. This is a bit surprising given the SRP of the most recent edition of Windows Pro. Aside from the VESA mount, the small PC also offers a spare 2.5-inch SATA slot for suitable SSDs and HDDs. There is no software that could slow down startup performance, as expected.
In trials, the IT8 held its own against newer competitors such as the Core i5-10210U. Because of its quicker storage subsystem speeds (it reached 2.7GBps/2.9GBps in the ATTO test). It will be more than suitable as a workstation or business PC. Its fan didn’t make a lot of noise. Even while it was working hard, it didn’t get too hot to the touch.
Should you buy the Geekom IT8 mini workstation PC
Why buy:
You’re on a tight budget and need Windows 11 Pro. If you want the most recent version of Microsoft’s business operating system, the 8GB/256GB version is the way to go. At this price, it’s an excellent deal.
On a budget, you want to run more than three displays. In principle, the IT8 can power four screens. All of which are in 4K. We didn’t try it, but this may be a major advantage for businesses looking for a single computer to power multiple digital displays.
Why avoid:
You want professional after-sales service. When it comes to corporate devices, everyone who isn’t Lenovo, Dell, or HP has an Achilles’ heel. After-sales. Geekom (or, for that matter, other rival companies) cannot offer 24×7 next business day replacement for a little fee.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantage:
Windows 11 Pro is included.
Affordably priced
VESA mount with good performance
It has the ability to drive up to four displays.
card reader
Disadvantage:
The brand’s stability is still up in the air.
After-sales service is in limit.
Wi-Fi is not available 6
Conclusion
The Geekom IT8 happily surprised us with a smartly designed NUC-like tiny PC that excels as a micro workstation. The inclusion of Windows 11 Pro and a wealth of ports will attract businesses. While the lack of Wi-Fi 6 and a strong after-sales support network may discourage some customers.
