GEEKOM GT1 Mega AI mini PC Review – Part 1: Specifications, unboxing, teardown, and first boot

GEEKOM GT1 Mega is an AI mini PC based on the latest Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 Meteor Lake processor. We received a review sample from the company with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H SoC, 32GB DDR5 memory, and a 2TB NVMe SSD as well as an Intel BE200 WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 module.

As usual, we’ll do a three-part review starting with an article with the specifications, an unboxing, and a teardown followed by a thorough review with the pre-installed Windows 11 Pro operating system, and finally with the latest Ubuntu 24.04.1 OS.

GEEKOM GT1 Mega specifications

GEEKOM provides the following specifications for the GT1 Mega mini PC and motherboard:

• Meteor Lake SoC (one or the other)
  • Intel Core Ultra 9 185H 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 2.5 / 3.8 / 5.1 GHz (Turbo) with 24MB cache, 8x Xe-cores Intel Arc graphics @ 2.35 GHz, Intel AI Boost NPU; TDP: 45W
  • Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 2.5 / 3.8 / 4.8 GHz (Turbo) with 24MB cache, 8x Xe-cores Intel Arc graphics @ 2.25 GHz, Intel AI Boost NPU; TDP: 28W
  • Intel Core Ultra 5 125H 14-core (4P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 2.5 / 3.6 / 4.5 GHz (Turbo) with 18MB cache, 7x Xe-cores Intel Arc graphics @ 2.2 GHz, Intel AI Boost NPU; TDP: 28W
• System Memory – Dual channel DDR5-5600MHz SODIMM, up to 64GB
• Storage
  • M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD up to 2TB
  • M.2 2242 Key-M PCIe x4 or SATA (BoM option) socket for NVMe/SSD storage
  • Full-size SD card reader
• Video Output
  • 2x HDMI 2.0 ports
  • DisplayPort via USB4 ports
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Digital audio via HDMI
  • Speaker header (option)
  • HDA audio codec
• Networking
  • 2x 2.5GbE RJ45 jacks
  • WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 via Intel BE200 M.2 key-E 2230 module
    
• USB
  • 2x USB4 ports (40 Gbps) with DisplayPort Alt mode including one supporting USB PD for power input
  • 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, including one Always-on port for charging devices
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A port
  • 2x USB 2.0 via internal pin header
• Expansion
  • M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 socket for storage
  • M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 or SATA socket for storage
  • M.2 2230 Key-E socket for wireless connectivity
  • Internal connectors
    • RS485 header
    • RS232 header
• Security – Supports DTPM 2.0
• Misc
  • Power button
  • Kensington lock slot
  • RTC with coin battery
  • Fan for cooling
  • 2x Power LEDs (LED color: Power On: White, Always on, MS: White, Flash)
  • 5-pin header for SATA/HDD LED
• Power Supply
  • 19V, 6.32A (120W) via DC jack
  • USB PD via USB4 port
  • Wireless charging for smartphones, wearables… (option)
  • 9V to 36V internal power connector header
• Dimensions – 135 x 132 x 46.9mm (mini PC); 127.6 x 126.1 x 1.6mm (motherboard)
• Certifications – CE, FCC, CB, CCC, RoHS

The GT1 Mega ships with Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 23H2. The design is larger than other GT Series mini PC like the GEEKOM GT13 Pro because of the higher number of ports and for better cooling of the 45 Watts Core Ultra 9 185H processor.

Unboxing

The GEEKOM GT1 Meta ships in the black retail package reading “GEEKOM GT Series”.

We can also find the basic specifications on the bottom of the package showing we’ve received a GT1 Mega mini PC with an Ultra 9 185H CPU, 32GB DDR5, and a 2TB M.2 SSD. You may want to check that out before opening the package to make sure you received the exact model you ordered.

The GEEKOM GT1 Mega mini PC ships with a compact 120W power adapter and corresponding power cord. an HDMI cable, a VESA mounting kit with a screw pack, and a welcome card and basic user manual.

The front panel includes four USB 3.2 gen2 10 Gbps ports with the first one supporting always-on power, a 3.5mm jack, and a power button.

The rear panel features two 2.5GbE ports, two USB4 ports with DisplayPort Alt mode (the left port also supports USB PD), additional USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and a 19V DC jack.

Like most other GEEKOM mini PCs, the GT1 Mega also features a full-size SD card reader and a Kensington lock slot.

GEEKOM GT1 Mega teardown

We’ll start the teardown of the GEEKOM GT1 Mega by removing four sticky pads from the bottom cover and loosening four screws.

That part is safe as the WiFi antennas are connected to a metal plate used for cooling.

We’ll need to loosen four more screws to remove the metal plate and be careful with the cable for the WiFi antennas.

The mainboard is fitted with a 2TB Crucial P3 Plus PCIe Gen4 x2 SSD, and two 16GB Crucial CT16G56C46S5 DDR5-5600 memory modules. I removed those to have a closer look at the SSD and memory modules…

… and it also allows us to have a clear look at the motherboard and wireless module.

However, when I loosened the SSD screws, the spacer for the WiFi module came with it. It lifted the Intel BE200 WiFI 7 module and disconnected the two antennas from the module in the process. So I had to yet again repair the WiFi antennas in a mini PC, but at least this time, the wires were not damaged. So I just had to use a pencil eraser to push the antenna plugs back into place.

First boot

I connected the GEEKOM GT1 Mega to the 14-inch CrowView display via a single USB-C cable, added an Ethernet cable to one of the 2.5GbE ports, and inserted two RF USB dongles for a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, before powering up the device. The first boot took a couple of minutes before reaching the setup wizard. At this point, the mini PC rebooted one more time and I could complete the mini PC’s configuration after being forced to go through a somewhat lengthy OS update process. Nevertheless, after a painful Windows 11 onboarding, I could get to the desktop with a proper internet connection.

The System->About window confirms we have a “GT1_Mega” mini PC powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor clocked at 2.5 GHz (base frequency), equipped with 32GB RAM, and running Windows 11 Pro 23H2.

That will be all for today, we’ll test the GEEKOM GT1 Mega AI mini PC on Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu 24.04.1 in the next parts of the review.

Continue reading:

1. GEEKOM GT1 Mega Review – Part 2: An Intel Core 9 Ultra 185H Meteor Lake “AI” mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro
2. GEEKOM GT1 Mega Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 24.04 (Coming soon)

We’d like to thank GEEKOM for sending the GT1 Mega mini PC for review with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Meteor Lake CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD. It can be purchased on Amazon for $929.66 in this configuration when using the coupon code CNXSOMEGA for a 6% discount. Alternatively, you can order it on the company’s store in the US for $930 and in the UK for £939.55 when applying the coupon code CNXGT1 with the devices shipped from a local warehouse.

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