GEEKOM reached out to me asking if I was willing to give one of their Mini PCs a whirl and I accepted if I was able to test one of their later and beefier models, seeing as they also still sell a variant with 8th gen Intel i3, i5, and i7 CPU choices for under $500, and I was interested in benchmarking a modern Mini PC with Windows 10 and 11.
Although I've seen Mini PCs before (I almost bought a Mac Mini as a second PC) I have never used one, so this will be a learning experience for me too.
First up, below are the full specifications of this thing. I have bolded my configuration where relevant.
Mini IT11 11th Gen Intel Core i7/i5 | ||
---|---|---|
Dimensions |
||
Weight |
564.9 g | |
CPU |
i7-1195G7 (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12M Cache, up to 5.00 GHz) i7-1165G7 (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12M Cache, up to 4.70 GHz) i5-1155G7 (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 8M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz) i5-1135G7 (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 8M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz) |
|
Graphics |
Intel® Iris® Xe | |
Memory |
Dual-channel DDR4 SODIMM, 16GB; expandable up to 64GB | |
Storage |
1 x SSD (2280 M.2 SATA/PCIe), 512GB; expandable up to 2TB 1 x 2.5" SATA HDD (7mm), expandable up to 2TB |
|
Operating System |
Windows 11 Pro | |
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth® v5.2 | |
Ethernet |
Intel® 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet | |
Wireless LAN |
Intel® Wi-Fi 6, AX201 (CNVI) | |
Kensington Lock |
Yes | |
Adapter |
Automatic Voltage adjustment between 100 and 240V AC, 50/60Hz, 3 pin, 65 Watts (19V/3.42A), 1.5 meters in length | |
|
||
I/O Ports |
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports 2 x USB4 ports 1 x SD card reader 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port 1 x HDMI 2.0 port 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x DC jack 1 x Power button 1 x CIR |
|
Price |
$769 ($599 during Black Friday week) |
Although this i7-1195G7 variant I am reviewing has a MSRP of $769, right now it is discounted to $649, and when you apply the BFIT11 coupon, it discounts it a further $50 bringing it down to just $599. That is not bad for an 11th gen i7 PC with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD.
The packaging feels very premium and the top can be pulled off to reveal the Mini PC sitting inside a foam cushioned interior. Once you have the PC out, and the foam is removed you are greeted with a Thank You envelope, below that after removing the cardboard "shelf" you can find the other components such as the power lead, HDMI cable, VESA mount plate with a bag of screws, and the instruction manual.
What’s In The Box
- 1 x Mini IT11 Mini PC
- 1 x VESA Mount
- 1 x Power Adapter
- 1 x Storage Bag
- 1 x HDMI Cable
- 1 x User Guide
- 1 x Thank You Card
GEEKOM opted to ship an HDMI cable with the PC, unfortunately there is no mini DisplayPort adapter, which means I had to order one because my setup is using DisplayPort via a KVM switch, and HDMI isn't really a convenient option.
The Mini PC itself has a good heft to it, it certainly is not heavy, but it isn't light either, it has a premium and balanced feel to it. All the edges and corners except for the bottom edge of the Mini PC are rounded, so it is comfortable to hold and move around. It is also good to see that there are two USB 4 ports (Type C) one on the front and one on the back. The other three USB 3 ports are also Gen 3.2, which is great.
As far as looks go, it is a fully matte exterior, so it's not a fingerprint magnet. It also feels like aluminum, but I can't be sure, so I will find out and include info on the build materials in the full review.
I'll take a deeper dive over the next week or so and publish a comprehensive review soon, if you have any questions about the IT11 I will try to address them in the review. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, GEEKOM is offering up to $170 off the MSRP (discount + BFIT11 coupon) during Black Friday week.
Our stories may contain affiliate links for products/apps where Neowin is paid an affiliate fee if you complete a purchase via those links.
12 Comments - Add comment