GEEKOM A9 Max
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The GEEKOM A9 Max fits a lot of performance into a 0.8-liter metal chassis. It runs AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12 cores, 24 threads, integrated Radeon 890M), whose XDNA 2 NPU is rated at 50 TOPS, part of AMD’s roughly 80-TOPS total platform figure, and well above the 40-TOPS NPU that Microsoft requires for Copilot+. The memory is not soldered. Two SO-DIMM slots take user-upgradeable DDR5 up to 128GB.
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, dual 2.5GbE ports, and two USB4 ports at 40Gbps sit alongside dual M.2 NVMe slots, a full-size SD card reader, and VESA mounting. At $1,199 for the 32GB RAM / 2TB storage configuration, it is aimed at creators and developers who want a small box without giving up expandability.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with a 50-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 $1,199 for the base configuration |
| 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 | |
| Price | List Price: $1199.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices... |
| Version | 32GB/2TB/Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| Performance Rating | 10.1 |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Twelve-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 |
| GPU | Integrated AMD Radeon 890M |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Internal Storage | 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) |
| Weight | 1.56 lbs (0.71 kg) |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Ethernet | 2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps |
| HDMI | 2 Full-Size HDMI Ports |
| DisplayPort | No DisplayPort |
| VGA | 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 |
| Thunderbolt Ports | No |
| OCuLink | No |
| Internal SATA Ports | No SATA ports |
| Card Reader | SD Card Reader 4.0 |
| Headphone Jack | combo |
| Fanless | No |
| VESA Mount | 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 |
| 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. |
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Two SO-DIMM slots and four front USB-A ports
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.
The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses a hybrid layout of 4 Zen 5 performance cores and 8 Zen 5c efficiency cores. Its integrated Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5) is strong for an iGPU, handling modern games at 1080p with playable frame rates, and the 50-TOPS NPU accelerates AI features in apps like Microsoft Copilot and Adobe Premiere Pro. In PCWorld’s testing 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 bundled Lexar drive at 6,242 MB/s read and 5,423 MB/s write.
Reviewer Insights
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 the 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
PCWorld named the A9 Max an Editors’ Choice, positioning it for developers and graphic designers. Christoph Hoffmann 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 and quick boot times, 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
TechRadar rated the A9 Max 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as “a feature-packed AI-ready mini PC with surprising performance in a compact, ultra-stylish form.” Alastair Jennings noted that the system proved to be “an exceptional office-focused machine with more than enough power to handle heavy-duty day-to-day tasks.” Jennings listed connectivity and the design among the strengths, and the lack of GPU power for demanding games and the absence of front USB-C ports among the limitations.
Getting inside means pulling the rubber feet first
Tom’s Guide also awarded 4.5 out of 5 stars, with Anthony Spadafora particularly impressed by the port layout. He declared it has “the most front ports I’ve seen on any PC yet,” 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.
Customer Reviews
Across 139 ratings on Amazon, the GEEKOM A9 Max averages 4.2 stars, with 68 percent leaving five stars and 10 percent leaving one. 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.” Another verified reviewer, MBS, leaned on the portability: “I love being able to take this computer home with me to work at night. I don’t think it weighs a pound, so I can put it in a purse.” Bob Fraundorf turned his into a Linux server running local AI models through Ollama and reported “No thermal issues even under heavy loads.”
A verified reviewer, M, gave four stars after a firmware headache: “0.18 bios has major issues. HD audio drivers have high latency and system hangs” until flashing to BIOS 0.20, though that buyer added that GEEKOM support reached out and apologized for the missing documentation. The harshest review, a one-star from verified buyer K S., warns of a wake-from-sleep fault: “there is a KNOWN hardware problem that causes it go into something called S0 Low Power Idle mode (unpredictably and even in the middle of operations) AND CANNOT BE RE-AWAKENED,” requiring a hard reboot. And a three-star reviewer, Dobb, flagged a fulfillment mismatch: “I paid for a HX 470 and received a 370,” advising buyers to verify the chip they receive. Read more owner reviews on Amazon.
A high-end box that keeps its memory and storage upgradeable
The A9 Max’s 50-TOPS NPU clears the bar for a Copilot+ PC, and the two SO-DIMM slots plus dual M.2 slots mean the memory and storage are not fixed at purchase.
At $1,199, WiFi 7 and dual 2.5GbE suit a desk with heavy network traffic, and video editing or 3D rendering work benefits from the 12-core chip. 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.
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. The base model ships with 2x 16GB modules, so a move to 64GB means replacing both sticks rather than adding one.
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 A9 Max’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has a 50-TOPS NPU, which clears that bar (AMD also cites a roughly 80-TOPS total across the NPU, GPU, and CPU). That enables features like AI-enhanced video effects, intelligent photo editing, and faster responses in Microsoft Copilot and other AI-powered apps.
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 it scored 3,701 in 3DMark Time Spy in PCWorld’s testing. TechRadar flagged the lack of GPU power for demanding games, so a discrete card is the better route for AAA titles at high settings.
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?
The AMD Ryzen platform generally offers strong open-source driver support. One verified buyer, Bob Fraundorf, runs his A9 Max as a Linux server for local AI models through Ollama and reported no thermal issues under heavy loads.
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.
