Tech Posts GEEKOM A6 vs IT12 vs IT13: AMD vs Intel Mini PC Comparison November 9, 20252 views0 By IG Share Share Choosing a GEEKOM Mini PC presents a clear choice between AMD and Intel models. The A6, IT12, and IT13 force a decision: superior graphics or flexible storage. This article compares the GEEKOM A6 (AMD) against the IT12 and IT13 (Intel) to find the best option. We test the A6’s DDR5 and Radeon graphics against the IT-series’ 2.5-inch SATA bay, helping you pick the right PC for light gaming, a home server, or office work. We also explain the IT13’s performance issues. Note: If you buy something from our links, we might earn a commission. See our disclosure statement. Comparing GEEKOM Mini PCs – A6 vs IT12 vs IT13 Faceofit.com Reviews Guides Comparisons Comparing GEEKOM Mini PCs: Which One Is Better? An analysis of the AMD A6 versus the Intel IT12 and IT13. Updated: October 2025 When comparing GEEKOM’s mini PCs, many people look for an “AMD vs. Intel” option. This can be confusing. The “GEEKOM A6” is not a series; it is a specific AMD-based model using the Ryzen 7 6800H processor. The Intel counterparts are the GEEKOM IT12 (12th Gen) and GEEKOM IT13 (13th Gen). The choice between them is not about which processor is simply “better”. It is a direct trade-off. The AMD A6 offers a modern, balanced system. Its strengths are a powerful AMD Radeon 680M integrated GPU (iGPU) and fast DDR5 system memory. These parts together provide graphics performance that the Intel models cannot match. The Intel IT-Series models are specialists. Their main advantage is storage flexibility. The IT chassis can hold three separate drives, including a 2.5-inch SATA bay, which the A6 lacks. This report compares these different product lines to help you find the best option for your needs. The Core Trade-Off The choice is simple. Do you need better graphics performance or more storage flexibility? These two features define the product lines. Choosing the A6 (AMD) What You Get ✓ Superior Radeon 680M graphics for gaming and creative work. ✓ Fast DDR5-4800 RAM that boosts CPU and iGPU performance. ✓ A more compact, slimmer chassis (37mm vs 49.2mm). ✓ Two modern USB4 ports on the rear. What You Give Up ✗ The 2.5-inch SATA bay. Storage is limited to M.2 slots. ✗ No front-facing USB-C ports (only USB-A). ✗ A premium-feeling metal-framed build (A6 is all plastic). Choosing the IT-Series (Intel) What You Get ✓ Maximum storage flexibility with a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay. ✓ Two convenient front-facing Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. ✓ A more premium-feeling build with a metal internal frame. ✓ (IT12) Excellent value for a home server or office PC. What You Give Up ✗ Modern DDR5 RAM (stuck with slower DDR4). ✗ Graphics performance. The Iris Xe GPU is much weaker. ✗ (IT13) Performance-per-dollar, due to thermal throttling. ✗ A slim profile (the chassis is significantly thicker). Full Comparison Table Feature GEEKOM A6 (AMD) GEEKOM IT12 (Intel i7) GEEKOM IT13 (Intel i9) CPU AMD Ryzen 7 6800H RAM Speed DDR5-4800 DDR4-3200 DDR4-3200 M.2 Slots 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 2.5″ SATA Bay No Yes Yes USB4 / TB4 2x USB4 (Rear) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Front) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Front) Dimensions (mm) 117 x 112 x 37 117 x 112 x 49.2 117 x 112 x 49.2 Check Price On Amazon On Amazon On Amazon Visual Feature Matrix A quick look at the key features that separate these machines. Included Feature Not Included GEEKOM A6 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon GEEKOM IT12 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon GEEKOM IT13 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon Deeper Analysis: Why the Specs Matter The Throttling Problem: Why the i9 is Misleading The GEEKOM IT13’s main issue is its cooling. The chassis appears insufficient for the 45W+ i9-13900HK processor. Under load, the CPU can hit 100°C, its thermal limit. This causes throttling. Throttling means the CPU slows itself down to prevent overheating. This can make the i9’s performance drop to the level of a lower-tier Core i7. The A6, by contrast, runs hot but was found to be stable, without throttling. The A6 provides consistent performance under long, heavy tasks. The Graphics Gap: A Decisive Win for AMD This is the most one-sided comparison. The A6’s Radeon 680M iGPU, supported by DDR5 RAM, is in a different performance class. The IT12 and IT13 use an older Iris Xe iGPU, which is further limited by DDR4 RAM. Benchmarks show the A6 has nearly double the graphics performance of the IT13. This makes the A6 a far more capable machine for any task that uses the GPU, including light 1080p gaming, photo editing, and video editing. A Deeper Dive on Storage The Intel IT-series machines (IT12, IT13) have a clear storage advantage. The chassis is physically taller, which allows for a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay. This is a significant benefit for a home server or media center. It allows you to install your operating system on a fast M.2 NVMe drive and use a large, inexpensive SATA SSD (up to 2TB) for mass file storage. The A6 lacks this bay; it only has one M.2 2280 slot and one M.2 2242 SATA slot, which is a less common and more restrictive format. Build, Ports, and Noise Aesthetics and Build The A6 and IT-series machines look similar but feel different. The AMD A6 unit has an all-plastic chassis. It feels solid but is still plastic. The Intel IT12 and IT13 use a metal internal frame with a plastic top and bottom. This gives them a more weighty and substantial feel. Both designs are clean and minimal, but the Intel models feel slightly more premium, even if their design is older. The Port Problem A notable design choice on the A6 is its port selection. While it has two fast USB4 ports on the back, it does not have a USB-C port on the front. The front panel only has USB-A ports. The Intel IT12 and IT13, by contrast, feature two front-facing USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports. This makes the Intel machines more convenient for quickly plugging in modern peripherals, external drives, or monitors without reaching behind the unit. Noise & Acoustics Under a light load, all three machines are very quiet. When idling, they are nearly silent. The difference appears under heavy, sustained loads. The IT13, with its i9 processor, has the most aggressive fan curve. Its fan noise is noticeable when the CPU is pushed, a direct result of the high temperatures. The A6’s fan is also audible under a full gaming load but is generally considered less intrusive. The IT12, with its more modest i7-1280P, is often the quietest of the three under a multi-core workload. Which One Should You Buy? Top Choice: Graphics & All-Rounder GEEKOM A6 (AMD) This is the best-balanced machine. Its Radeon 680M graphics and DDR5 RAM provide excellent performance for general use, creative tasks, and light gaming. It runs stably and offers modern features like USB4. It is the best choice for anyone who is not specifically a home-server user. It is the best all-rounder by a wide margin. Check on Amazon Top Choice: Storage & Home Server GEEKOM IT12 (i7) For a user whose main need is mass internal storage, the GEEKOM IT12 is the better choice. Its 3-slot storage capacity, which includes the 2.5-inch SATA bay, is its best feature. This makes it an ideal, low-power home server for Plex or file storage. It represents the best value for this specific purpose, offering the same storage benefits as the IT13 for a lower cost. You must accept that its graphics performance is poor. Check on Amazon Top Choice: Office & Productivity GEEKOM IT12 (i7) For pure office work, the IT12 is a reliable and quiet machine. It provides a good balance of CPU performance for spreadsheets and documents, and its front-facing Thunderbolt 4 ports are very convenient in an office setting. It is a cost-effective choice for a business or home office that does not involve graphics-heavy work. Check on Amazon Not Recommended GEEKOM IT13 (i9-13900HK) This model is a “paper tiger”. Its premium “i9” name is not matched by its real-world sustained performance because of severe thermal throttling. It is louder and built on a compromised DDR4 platform that limits its own components. For almost every user, the A6 offers better-balanced performance, and the IT12 offers the same storage benefits for a lower cost. Check on Amazon Final Thoughts The choice between these GEEKOM models comes down to a clear trade-off. There is no single “best” PC, but there is a best option for a specific need. The GEEKOM A6 is the modern all-rounder. Its superior graphics and DDR5 memory make it the clear choice for anyone interested in light gaming, creative work, or simply the best-balanced performance. The GEEKOM IT-series, particularly the IT12, is a storage specialist. Its ability to hold three drives, including a large 2.5-inch SATA SSD, makes it the practical choice for a home server or media hub. The IT13, however, is a difficult product to recommend. Its thermal issues and DDR4 limitations mean its i9 processor rarely gets to show its full strength, making the A6 or IT12 a better value for almost everyone. Frequently Asked Questions Is the GEEKOM IT13 (i9) a bad computer? It is not a “bad” computer, but it has a specific, significant problem. Its i9 CPU gets very hot in the small chassis and is forced to slow itself down (this is called thermal throttling). Because of this, it often does not perform better than a cheaper i7. The A6 (for graphics) or the IT12 (for storage) are better values for most people. Can the GEEKOM A6 be used for high-end gaming? No. Its Radeon 680M iGPU is excellent *for an integrated chip*. It is powerful enough to handle many modern games (like Civilization VI or lighter indie titles) at 1080p with low-to-medium settings. It cannot compete with a proper gaming PC that has a dedicated, full-size graphics card. Why do the Intel models use older DDR4 RAM? The IT12 and IT13 are built on an older motherboard platform that was designed for 12th/13th Gen Intel CPUs. This platform’s main feature is the 2.5-inch drive bay. Using DDR4 memory was a cost-saving measure for this platform, but it unfortunately limits the performance of both the CPU and the integrated graphics. Why do you call the IT13 a “paper tiger”? We use this term because the IT13 looks powerful on paper (it has “i9” in the name), but in reality, its performance is held back by its heat and slow RAM. It has the *name* of a high-end chip but does not deliver the *sustained* performance to match it. 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Comparing GEEKOM Mini PCs: Which One Is Better? An analysis of the AMD A6 versus the Intel IT12 and IT13. Updated: October 2025 When comparing GEEKOM’s mini PCs, many people look for an “AMD vs. Intel” option. This can be confusing. The “GEEKOM A6” is not a series; it is a specific AMD-based model using the Ryzen 7 6800H processor. The Intel counterparts are the GEEKOM IT12 (12th Gen) and GEEKOM IT13 (13th Gen). The choice between them is not about which processor is simply “better”. It is a direct trade-off. The AMD A6 offers a modern, balanced system. Its strengths are a powerful AMD Radeon 680M integrated GPU (iGPU) and fast DDR5 system memory. These parts together provide graphics performance that the Intel models cannot match. The Intel IT-Series models are specialists. Their main advantage is storage flexibility. The IT chassis can hold three separate drives, including a 2.5-inch SATA bay, which the A6 lacks. This report compares these different product lines to help you find the best option for your needs. The Core Trade-Off The choice is simple. Do you need better graphics performance or more storage flexibility? These two features define the product lines. Choosing the A6 (AMD) What You Get ✓ Superior Radeon 680M graphics for gaming and creative work. ✓ Fast DDR5-4800 RAM that boosts CPU and iGPU performance. ✓ A more compact, slimmer chassis (37mm vs 49.2mm). ✓ Two modern USB4 ports on the rear. What You Give Up ✗ The 2.5-inch SATA bay. Storage is limited to M.2 slots. ✗ No front-facing USB-C ports (only USB-A). ✗ A premium-feeling metal-framed build (A6 is all plastic). Choosing the IT-Series (Intel) What You Get ✓ Maximum storage flexibility with a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay. ✓ Two convenient front-facing Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports. ✓ A more premium-feeling build with a metal internal frame. ✓ (IT12) Excellent value for a home server or office PC. What You Give Up ✗ Modern DDR5 RAM (stuck with slower DDR4). ✗ Graphics performance. The Iris Xe GPU is much weaker. ✗ (IT13) Performance-per-dollar, due to thermal throttling. ✗ A slim profile (the chassis is significantly thicker). Full Comparison Table Feature GEEKOM A6 (AMD) GEEKOM IT12 (Intel i7) GEEKOM IT13 (Intel i9) CPU AMD Ryzen 7 6800H RAM Speed DDR5-4800 DDR4-3200 DDR4-3200 M.2 Slots 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 1x 2280 PCIe 4.0, 1x 2242 SATA 2.5″ SATA Bay No Yes Yes USB4 / TB4 2x USB4 (Rear) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Front) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Front) Dimensions (mm) 117 x 112 x 37 117 x 112 x 49.2 117 x 112 x 49.2 Check Price On Amazon On Amazon On Amazon Visual Feature Matrix A quick look at the key features that separate these machines. Included Feature Not Included GEEKOM A6 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon GEEKOM IT12 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon GEEKOM IT13 Rear USB4 Ports Check on Amazon Deeper Analysis: Why the Specs Matter The Throttling Problem: Why the i9 is Misleading The GEEKOM IT13’s main issue is its cooling. The chassis appears insufficient for the 45W+ i9-13900HK processor. Under load, the CPU can hit 100°C, its thermal limit. This causes throttling. Throttling means the CPU slows itself down to prevent overheating. This can make the i9’s performance drop to the level of a lower-tier Core i7. The A6, by contrast, runs hot but was found to be stable, without throttling. The A6 provides consistent performance under long, heavy tasks. The Graphics Gap: A Decisive Win for AMD This is the most one-sided comparison. The A6’s Radeon 680M iGPU, supported by DDR5 RAM, is in a different performance class. The IT12 and IT13 use an older Iris Xe iGPU, which is further limited by DDR4 RAM. Benchmarks show the A6 has nearly double the graphics performance of the IT13. This makes the A6 a far more capable machine for any task that uses the GPU, including light 1080p gaming, photo editing, and video editing. A Deeper Dive on Storage The Intel IT-series machines (IT12, IT13) have a clear storage advantage. The chassis is physically taller, which allows for a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay. This is a significant benefit for a home server or media center. It allows you to install your operating system on a fast M.2 NVMe drive and use a large, inexpensive SATA SSD (up to 2TB) for mass file storage. The A6 lacks this bay; it only has one M.2 2280 slot and one M.2 2242 SATA slot, which is a less common and more restrictive format. Build, Ports, and Noise Aesthetics and Build The A6 and IT-series machines look similar but feel different. The AMD A6 unit has an all-plastic chassis. It feels solid but is still plastic. The Intel IT12 and IT13 use a metal internal frame with a plastic top and bottom. This gives them a more weighty and substantial feel. Both designs are clean and minimal, but the Intel models feel slightly more premium, even if their design is older. The Port Problem A notable design choice on the A6 is its port selection. While it has two fast USB4 ports on the back, it does not have a USB-C port on the front. The front panel only has USB-A ports. The Intel IT12 and IT13, by contrast, feature two front-facing USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports. This makes the Intel machines more convenient for quickly plugging in modern peripherals, external drives, or monitors without reaching behind the unit. Noise & Acoustics Under a light load, all three machines are very quiet. When idling, they are nearly silent. The difference appears under heavy, sustained loads. The IT13, with its i9 processor, has the most aggressive fan curve. Its fan noise is noticeable when the CPU is pushed, a direct result of the high temperatures. The A6’s fan is also audible under a full gaming load but is generally considered less intrusive. The IT12, with its more modest i7-1280P, is often the quietest of the three under a multi-core workload. Which One Should You Buy? Top Choice: Graphics & All-Rounder GEEKOM A6 (AMD) This is the best-balanced machine. Its Radeon 680M graphics and DDR5 RAM provide excellent performance for general use, creative tasks, and light gaming. It runs stably and offers modern features like USB4. It is the best choice for anyone who is not specifically a home-server user. It is the best all-rounder by a wide margin. Check on Amazon Top Choice: Storage & Home Server GEEKOM IT12 (i7) For a user whose main need is mass internal storage, the GEEKOM IT12 is the better choice. Its 3-slot storage capacity, which includes the 2.5-inch SATA bay, is its best feature. This makes it an ideal, low-power home server for Plex or file storage. It represents the best value for this specific purpose, offering the same storage benefits as the IT13 for a lower cost. You must accept that its graphics performance is poor. Check on Amazon Top Choice: Office & Productivity GEEKOM IT12 (i7) For pure office work, the IT12 is a reliable and quiet machine. It provides a good balance of CPU performance for spreadsheets and documents, and its front-facing Thunderbolt 4 ports are very convenient in an office setting. It is a cost-effective choice for a business or home office that does not involve graphics-heavy work. Check on Amazon Not Recommended GEEKOM IT13 (i9-13900HK) This model is a “paper tiger”. Its premium “i9” name is not matched by its real-world sustained performance because of severe thermal throttling. It is louder and built on a compromised DDR4 platform that limits its own components. For almost every user, the A6 offers better-balanced performance, and the IT12 offers the same storage benefits for a lower cost. Check on Amazon Final Thoughts The choice between these GEEKOM models comes down to a clear trade-off. There is no single “best” PC, but there is a best option for a specific need. The GEEKOM A6 is the modern all-rounder. Its superior graphics and DDR5 memory make it the clear choice for anyone interested in light gaming, creative work, or simply the best-balanced performance. The GEEKOM IT-series, particularly the IT12, is a storage specialist. Its ability to hold three drives, including a large 2.5-inch SATA SSD, makes it the practical choice for a home server or media hub. The IT13, however, is a difficult product to recommend. Its thermal issues and DDR4 limitations mean its i9 processor rarely gets to show its full strength, making the A6 or IT12 a better value for almost everyone. Frequently Asked Questions Is the GEEKOM IT13 (i9) a bad computer? It is not a “bad” computer, but it has a specific, significant problem. Its i9 CPU gets very hot in the small chassis and is forced to slow itself down (this is called thermal throttling). Because of this, it often does not perform better than a cheaper i7. The A6 (for graphics) or the IT12 (for storage) are better values for most people. Can the GEEKOM A6 be used for high-end gaming? No. Its Radeon 680M iGPU is excellent *for an integrated chip*. It is powerful enough to handle many modern games (like Civilization VI or lighter indie titles) at 1080p with low-to-medium settings. It cannot compete with a proper gaming PC that has a dedicated, full-size graphics card. Why do the Intel models use older DDR4 RAM? The IT12 and IT13 are built on an older motherboard platform that was designed for 12th/13th Gen Intel CPUs. This platform’s main feature is the 2.5-inch drive bay. Using DDR4 memory was a cost-saving measure for this platform, but it unfortunately limits the performance of both the CPU and the integrated graphics. Why do you call the IT13 a “paper tiger”? We use this term because the IT13 looks powerful on paper (it has “i9” in the name), but in reality, its performance is held back by its heat and slow RAM. It has the *name* of a high-end chip but does not deliver the *sustained* performance to match it.
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