Geekom Mini PC

 

I have been considering a new PC for a number of years but I haven’t had a compelling reason to upgrade: I can install and use any apps I want to on my current / old PC FREEDOM; it is powerful enough for most software I use; it is a lot of work to change over; new ones don’t have features I desire.

However FREEDOM, is becoming less reliable: it needs to be booted twice to restart; recently it has had a few “blue screens of death”; a few programs such as 3D manipulation can be slow; it isn’t Win11 compatible…

I decided to make a quick decision on a new PC.  I have been keen to buy a new small PC from inside-tech but their small ones aren’t very attractive.  Currently there are plenty of adverts for a number of mini-PCs. My main requirements are:

·         Small size
·         Silent operation
·         At least 2GB SSD C: drive
·         Preferably a second SSD drive
·         At least 16GB memory
·         Allow 3 monitors
·         Win 11 Pro

Geekom have a good range of mini-PCs and appear to be widely used.  Most, but not all, reviews seem positive.  They are available from Amazon and directly from Geekom.
Since this is a rare and important purchase I am not too concerned about price – it is going to last me a long time.  Looking at the options, purchase with a 2GB SSD was a limiting factor.  I chose the IT13 as it seemed most appropriate for me.

I ordered the PC on 3rd July and it was delivered the next day.  It is as small as it seems, it feels sturdy and looks good.  If appropriate I can attach it to the rear of a VESA mount so it wont take up any space.

For me the most important test is silent operation.  When I turned it on the fan started but after a few seconds, at mostly thereafter it is beautifully tranquil.  It has passed the first test with flying colours.

I connected up two HDMI screens, wireless mouse and keyboard and I now have a useful system.  She has been named ATHENA after the powerful and wise Greek goddess.

My first action was to setup RDP so that I can use FREEDOM from ATHENA seamlessly.  This gives me access to all existing functionality whilst I change over to the new system which I expect to take a number of weeks.

My verdict is that I am happy with the new hardware.  I couldn't ask for more.  Windows 11 remains irritating whilst Microsoft "features" try to push Edge, OneDrive, Office365 and their horrible widgets .

In a next episode I can say how configuration and migration turn out.