Final Words & Conclusion

Final Words & Conclusion

This Jasper Lake offering may be just what the doctor ordered if you require a low-power internet PC. However, don't expect much performance because this unit isn't designed for it. Overall, Windows 11 ran smoothly on this mini PC. I'd even call it interesting for something weighing 500 grams. The issue for Geekom is that they must compete with Minisforum products that offer far superior performance and features. To be honest, the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 is a little dull around the edges. The Jasper Lake Celeron N5095 quad-core processor provides adequate performance. Then we're limited to the one-gigabit ethernet port and five gigabit USB ports. Also, the 256 GB storage unit is SATA3-based and not particularly robust. The main issue with the product is WIFI; the antennas do not get the most out of its WIFI5 (AC) solution (Intel AC 7265). Under normal conditions, we achieve 75-100 MBit/s regardless of whether the band is 2.5 or 5 GHz. We also believe that the Jasper Lake Celeron N5095's memory is a little limited with only a single DIMM; our recommendation is to double that value and go for a dual-channel configuration.

Performance

As mentioned, the Jasper Lake Celeron N5095 SoC for a proper Intenet PC is fast enough even with Windows 11. This SoC typically finds its way into NAS servers, here, dual-channel and 2.5 Gbit ethernet often is offered. But hey, it runs Windows 11 Pro completely fine and fast as it doesn't use many resources. In retrospect, with speed and performance wise, you can compare it to a low-end laptop. The processor offers enough punch. The embedded GPU has a very decent video processor that can accelerate high-definition content all by itself; 1080P and Ultra HD are not an issue. We need to talk acoustics as well; the product is silent. In use, this is an easy unit to share an office with—although actively cooled, its fan is quiet and unobtrusive, with no bearing whine or rattle in what noise it could make. 

Concluding

Is the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 sufficient enough? That depends on your requirements. As previously stated, this is an ideal Internet PC. You can browse Guru3D all day without concerns, but it will encounter perf limitations when you need a little more oomph. We believe that the WIFI implementation is suboptimal; even on AC WIFI, we normally see values three times higher than what the GEEKOM MiniAir 11 provides. This is something they should look into and is likely antenna related. So, where does this unit excel, you may ask? Well, power or energy consumption is simply astounding; in idle, we're measuring less than 10 Watts, average PC usage is around 15 Watts, and under heavy workload, I've never seen this unit exceed 25 Watts. Because of the SoC used, these are astounding values. The box excels in another area, and that is pricing. The tested unit costs only €239. For that money, this box works well for multimedia; the decoding and post-processing of 1080P content did not cause this unit to consume more than about 10 Watt while performing flawlessly; this also makes this a very energy-efficient product. You can easily tuck it behind your monitor using the VESA mount, and if you're on the road, connect it to your hotel's HDTV HDMI and bring your fully functional PC with you. The GEEKOM MiniAir 11 will not win in terms of performance or features. Still, if you need a low-cost internet PC, at 279 USD, it may offer the best bang for your buck I've seen in a while, thanks to some exceptional energy efficiency.

Visit the Geekom product page. Or if you like to buy the product, visit Amazon here. You can use a 5% off code: UM7WF4P4; use it with the on-page coupon to get $33 Off.

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