GEEKOM A9 Max
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The GEEKOM A9 Max is a 0.8-liter metal mini PC for creators and developers who want a fast desktop they can still upgrade, and the trade-off is a fan you will hear when it works hard. The 2026 edition runs AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (12 cores, 24 threads, up to 5.2GHz, integrated Radeon 890M), whose XDNA 2 NPU is rated at 55 TOPS, well above the 40 TOPS that Microsoft requires for Copilot+. GEEKOM also sells the original edition with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which has a 50-TOPS NPU. The memory is not soldered. Two SO-DIMM slots take user-upgradeable DDR5 up to 128GB.
Both versions pair 32GB of RAM with 2TB of storage. The HX 470 edition lists at $1,599, and the HX 370 edition at $1,499.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with a 55-TOPS NPU; Copilot+ PC | Fan clearly audible at partial and full load (NotebookCheck) |
| User-upgradeable DDR5 to 128GB via SO-DIMM slots | No OCuLink or USB4 v2 for an external GPU |
| Wi-Fi 7 and dual 2.5GbE | Premium pricing at $1,599 for the HX 470 edition |
| All-metal chassis (GEEKOM rates it to 200kg of pressure) | Limited BIOS fan-control options |
| Dual M.2 NVMe slots (2280 + 2230) | Design carries over from the A8 Max and GT1 Mega |
| Full-size SD card reader and four front USB-A ports | No front USB-C; rear-only USB4 |
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GEEKOM A9 Max Comparison Chart
 GEEKOM A9 Max | GEEKOM A9 Max | |
| Price | List Price: $1499.00 Amazon Prices: | List Price: $1599.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices... |
| Version | 32GB/2TB/Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | 32GB/2TB/Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 |
| Performance Rating | 6.3 | 6.4 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Twelve-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Twelve-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.20 Ghz) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 |
| GPU | Integrated AMD Radeon 890M | Integrated AMD Radeon 890M |
| RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Internal Storage | 2 TB | 2 TB |
| Dimensions width x length x thickness | 5.32 x 5.2 x 1.85 inches (135.13 x 132.08 x 46.99 mm) | 5.32 x 5.2 x 1.85 inches (135.13 x 132.08 x 46.99 mm) |
| Weight | 1.56 lbs (0.71 kg) | 1.56 lbs (0.71 kg) |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Ethernet | 2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps | 2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps |
| HDMI | 2 Full-Size HDMI Ports | 2 Full-Size HDMI Ports |
| DisplayPort | No DisplayPort | No DisplayPort |
| VGA | No VGA Ports | No VGA Ports |
| USB Ports | 1 USB 2.0, 5 USB 3, 2 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x USB4 Type-C (40Gbps, DP Alt Mode, PD on 1 port); 4x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A front (1 Always On), 1x USB 3.2 Type-A rear, 1x USB 2.0 rear | 1 USB 2.0, 5 USB 3, 2 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x USB4 Type-C (40Gbps, DP Alt Mode, PD on 1 port); 4x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A front (1 Always On), 1x USB 3.2 Type-A rear, 1x USB 2.0 rear |
| Thunderbolt Ports | No | No |
| OCuLink | No | No |
| Internal SATA Ports | No SATA ports | No SATA ports |
| Card Reader | SD Card Reader 4.0 | SD Card Reader 4.0 |
| Headphone Jack | combo | combo |
| Fanless | No | No |
| VESA Mount | Yes | Yes |
| In the Box | A9 Max Mini PC, 120W power adapter with IEC C5 cord, 2x HDMI cables, VESA mount bracket with screws, quick-start guide, warranty booklet | A9 Max Mini PC, 120W power adapter with IEC C5 cord, 2x HDMI cables, VESA mount bracket with screws, quick-start guide, warranty booklet |
| Expandability | RAM upgradeable to 128GB via 2x DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM slots (dual-channel). Storage expandable via 2x M.2 slots (2280 + 2230, both PCIe 4.0 NVMe, each up to 4TB). User-upgradeable via removable bottom panel. | RAM upgradeable to 128GB via 2x DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM slots (dual-channel). Storage expandable via 2x M.2 slots (2280 + 2230, both PCIe 4.0 NVMe, each up to 4TB). User-upgradeable via removable bottom panel. |
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Metal chassis, four front USB-A ports, and the Radeon 890M
The A9 Max has an all-metal aluminum chassis measuring 5.32 x 5.20 x 1.85 inches and weighing 1.56 pounds, which GEEKOM rates to withstand up to 200 kilograms of pressure. The front panel holds four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports (one Always On for charging), a 3.5mm audio jack, and a full-size SD card reader. The rear carries two HDMI 2.1 outputs (up to 8K), two USB4 Type-C ports, dual 2.5GbE, and more USB.
Both chips use a hybrid layout of 4 Zen 5 performance cores and 8 Zen 5c efficiency cores with the same integrated Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5), which is strong for an iGPU and handles modern games at 1080p with playable frame rates. The NPU accelerates AI features in apps like Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Premiere Pro. In PCWorld’s testing of the original HX 370 edition, it scored 7,976 in PCMark 10 and 3,701 in 3DMark Time Spy.
Networking runs on Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.4, and two 2.5GbE ports, which you can bond at the OS level if you need the throughput. The two USB4 ports deliver 40Gbps each with DisplayPort Alt Mode for high-resolution displays. Storage runs across two M.2 slots (one 2280 and one 2230), each taking a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive up to 4TB; PCWorld measured the Lexar drive in its HX 370 unit at 6,242 MB/s read and 5,423 MB/s write.
Reviewer Insights
NotebookCheck, PCWorld, TechRadar, and Tom’s Guide reviewed the original HX 370 edition, as did the KitGuru and UFD Tech videos and Toasty Bros’ earlier gaming video. Toasty Bros’ sponsored hands-on below tested the 2026 HX 470 edition. Both versions use the same chassis, ports, and Radeon 890M graphics.
NotebookCheck praised the workmanship and faulted the fan
NotebookCheck awarded the A9 Max an 82% score and called it the best GEEKOM mini PC yet. Sebastian Bade credited the “chic, elegant design” and “impeccable workmanship,” along with strong performance from its Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and the dual USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. His main criticism was the fan, “clearly audible at partial and full load,” plus limited BIOS options, concluding that “an optimized fan control could significantly improve the overall very positive impression.”
PCWorld: two 16GB modules complicate a later 64GB upgrade
Christoph Hoffmann gave the A9 Max a PCWorld Editors’ Choice and pitched it at developers and graphic designers. He praised the port selection: “GEEKOM hasn’t been stingy with ports and leaves nothing to be desired: supporting up to four monitors with 8K.” He liked the compact metal build, but flagged the pricing and the RAM configuration: with two 16GB modules, “a single 32 GB module would have been more favorable for a future upgrade to 64 GB, since both modules would otherwise need to be replaced.”
An office machine that stops short of demanding games
For Alastair Jennings at TechRadar, the A9 Max is “an exceptional office-focused machine with more than enough power to handle heavy-duty day-to-day tasks.” He gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and called it “a feature-packed AI-ready mini PC with surprising performance in a compact, ultra-stylish form.” He wanted more GPU power for demanding games and missed a front USB-C port.
Tom’s Guide on the front ports, cooling, and case access
Anthony Spadafora of Tom’s Guide wrote that it has “the most front ports I’ve seen on any PC yet” and gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the excellent expandability and very convenient front port access. Spadafora called the cooling quiet and efficient, a finding NotebookCheck’s fan measurement disputes, and noted that reaching the internals means pulling the rubber feet first.
Toasty Bros found the memory configuration decides the gaming numbers
Toasty Bros ran a sponsored hands-on with the HX 470 edition that opened the case and benchmarked games. Their sample arrived with one 32GB DDR5-5600 stick rather than a matched pair, and Matt warned that “there is a downside when it comes to running a single stick of memory, and that’s when it comes to gaming performance.” Swapping in a smaller dual-channel kit moved CS2 at 1080p low from a 125 FPS average to 193.5, and 3DMark Time Spy from 2,279 to 3,602. On the port layout their reaction was “The amount of ports on this thing is like actually insane.” Their warning to shoppers was blunt: “if you’re buying this just for gaming, don’t because that’s not really going to be good price performance at all.”
Customer Reviews
A verified buyer, Ty E, used it to run virtual machines for a class and wrote “It seems like it’s a very powerful computer for how small it is.” He runs three virtual machines at once under Hyper-V and found the speed “really fast for my use case,” though he added that “it does get a bit noisy at times,” which he put down to the heavy memory load from those virtual machines. Read more owner reviews on Amazon.
Who should buy the A9 Max
Buy it for video editing, 3D rendering, or virtual machines on a small desk, where the 12-core chip and upgradeable memory pay off. Buyers who want desktop-class graphics will not get them from the Radeon 890M, and the fan is audible once the machine is working hard.
Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart lines the A9 Max up against other models on specs and features.
Upgrades
Accessories that fit the GEEKOM A9 Max's USB4 or Thunderbolt ports.
Core X V2
A Thunderbolt 5 enclosure that Razer lists as working with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 hosts; it fits a four-slot card and needs an ATX power supply.
DEG2 eGPU Dock
Connects over USB4 or Thunderbolt 5, with an OCuLink input behind a switch, and adds an M.2 slot; it needs an ATX or SFX power supply.
Breakaway Box 850 T5
Has an 850W power supply built in, so only the graphics card is extra, and works with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 Windows PCs.
TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
An 18-port dock that CalDigit lists for Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 hosts, with 2.5GbE and a DisplayPort 1.4 output.
TBT4-UD5 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Two HDMI ports drive two 4K60 monitors from one Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 port on a Windows PC.
Revodok Max 208 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
Adds three Thunderbolt 4 ports for dual 4K60 displays plus gigabit Ethernet; it has no HDMI port, so monitors connect over USB-C or an adapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upgrade the RAM in the GEEKOM A9 Max?
Yes. Two DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM slots sit behind the removable bottom panel, and the system supports up to 128GB in a dual-channel configuration. Both versions ship with 32GB, but the layout varies: PCWorld’s HX 370 unit had two 16GB modules, while Toasty Bros’ HX 470 sample had a single 32GB stick. With two 16GB modules, a move to 64GB means replacing both sticks; with one 32GB stick, you can add a second.
What is a Copilot+ PC and why does it matter?
A Copilot+ PC is Microsoft’s designation for systems with a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second). The 2026 Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 edition has a 55-TOPS NPU (GEEKOM cites 86 TOPS across the whole chip), and the original HX 370 edition has a 50-TOPS NPU, so both clear that bar. That unlocks Windows Copilot+ features such as Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions translation.
How many monitors can the GEEKOM A9 Max support?
Up to four displays at once, at resolutions of up to 8K, through two HDMI 2.1 ports and two USB4 ports with DisplayPort Alt Mode. PCWorld singled out that four-monitor support as a strength of the port layout.
Is the GEEKOM A9 Max good for gaming?
The integrated AMD Radeon 890M handles modern games at 1080p with playable frame rates, and the HX 370 edition scored 3,701 in 3DMark Time Spy in PCWorld’s testing. TechRadar flagged the lack of GPU power for demanding games, so AAA titles at high settings need a desktop with a discrete card, or an eGPU over USB4.
How loud is the GEEKOM A9 Max during operation?
Under partial and full load the fan becomes clearly audible, which NotebookCheck flagged as its main criticism, suggesting an optimized fan control would improve the machine. Tom’s Guide took the opposite view of the cooling, calling it quiet and efficient and counting it among the machine’s selling points.
Does the GEEKOM A9 Max support Linux?
Yes. It ships with Windows 11 Pro, and GEEKOM’s A9 Max product page says it “also supports Linux, Ubuntu, and other operating systems.” The AMD Ryzen platform generally has strong open-source driver support.
What comes in the box with the GEEKOM A9 Max?
The package includes the A9 Max mini PC, a 120W power adapter with IEC C5 cord, two HDMI cables, a VESA mounting bracket with screws, a quick-start guide, and warranty documentation. With two HDMI cables and the mounting bracket supplied, a dual-monitor setup behind a display needs nothing extra.
Can I use an external GPU (eGPU) with the GEEKOM A9 Max?
The two USB4 ports run at 40Gbps, which an eGPU enclosure can use. The A9 Max has no OCuLink port and no USB4 v2, either of which would give an external graphics card more bandwidth, so check your enclosure’s requirements before buying.