Geekom IT15 AI Mini PC Gaming Review In-Depth Tests on Intel Core Ultra 9 and Arc Graphics Is It Worth Buying

Geekom IT15 AI Mini PC Game Use, Tests, and Is It Worth It

Hey all, Mgtid From Technetbook here. Today, we're checking out a new mini PC: the Geekom IT15 AI. This small box claims big strength with an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and the new Intel Arc graphics. Can it play new games. Let's look at its game scores and see if this small strong box is worth your money.

Inside Look Specs and How It Connects

The Geekom IT15 AI runs on the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H chip. It has 16 cores: 6 are strong, 8 save power, and 2 are very low power. It has 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD. The Intel ARC 140T graphics are built in. This graphics unit aims to do much better than older ones in small PCs.

For hooking up, the IT15 AI is well set up. It has the newest Intel Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, and comes with Windows 11 Pro ready to use. It has many ports:

• Front: 2 USB, 1 audio jack, on button.
• Side: 1 spot for SD cards (great for people who make stuff).
• Back: Various power and USB ports, 2 HDMI ports, and a fast internet plug.

With these, you won't run out of ways to connect.

Price and How The CPU Works

Right now, the Geekom IT15 AI costs $1,200 (on sale). That's a lot for a mini PC, especially one with no solo graphics card.

The Ultra 9 185H CPU can do well, but in this small PC, it gets very hot fast. In a heavy test, it starts strong but must slow down due to heat. This means it can't do as much as if it were cooler.

Game Scores Tests and Thoughts

GTA 5 Enhanced Edition

We played it in HD with high detail. It ran smooth near 60 FPS, sometimes a bit less. Uses up to 35 watts, and the heat was okay at 69°C. Turning off one setting made it look better with little cost to speed. A good play, much better than past small PCs.

Horizon Forbidden West

We tested this in a lower HD setting on very low. It was tough here. The game often ran slower than 30 FPS, worse in some parts. It did heat up to 90°C in busy parts, slowing it down. It played okayish in simpler spots, but it was not steady or good for this game.

Counter Strike 2

We tried this in full HD at low detail – more than 100 FPS and smooth. That was good play. At a lower HD setting, it got choppy, showing the CPU got too hot faster. Full HD was smoother even with less FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

This was tested in both HD and lower HD on low. In lower, about 50 FPS and not much stutter good. In full HD, stayed over 30 FPS, up to the 40s. Small stutters but smooth mostly. Did better than hoped and beat older low end cards like the GTX 1050Ti.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

In full HD with tweaked sharpness and low detail. Mostly okay, but the frame times varied. CPU speed went up and down but didn't hurt the game much. Heat was fine. The game uses stuff well, giving a good play with a few hiccups.

The Last of Us Part Two Remastered

In lower HD on the lowest setting. Big jump from older small PC graphics (which couldn't even play it). It ran well until we hit harder parts, with FPS dropping to the 20s and some slow down. While you can play it, the look on low is bad, and not the best way to see the game.

Day Z

Tried in full HD at a medium look and ran near 90 FPS. Looks nice even at medium and runs well on weaker PCs. May slow down in big towns or with lots of players and monsters, typical for this game. But overall, a very solid play. CPU use was low at 40%, and heat was controlled in the low 70s, showing that good cooling can happen with lower power use.

Black Myth Wukong (UE5)

We tested it at 720p on Low and three XSS levels. At 360p, the game still looked okay and ran at 40-50 FPS with some UE5 stutter. Raising the resolution to 75% and 100% didn't drop FPS much, still in the 30s/40s. The game can handle 720p, which is great for Intel graphics, but it's not the best setup for smooth play.

The Finals (UE5)

Tested at 1080p, Ultra Quality (720p inside), and Low. This game ran well, over 60 FPS on average. Some stutters happened, mostly linked to UE5, but it got better as we played. The Arc iGPU did much better than Intel XC, a big plus for its ~30-watt level.

Battlefield 1

Tested at 1080p on Low. This older game ran very smoothly, around 90 FPS. It looks good at low and plays without any issues. CPU use was about 40%, keeping it cool.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Tested at 1080p with high textures and minimal water physics. It started at 40-50 FPS much better than 30-35 FPS with Intel XC. But, high action spots like Strawberry town had big stutters due to CPU power shifts, making it less fun.

Fortnite

Tested at 1080p on Medium and High settings. it had serious stutter problems, making gameplay tough despite an average 139 FPS. Also, faced an unusual "Application Hang Detected" error. Despite okay hardware, the stutters were too much.

Pros and Cons

The Verdict

The Geekom IT15 AI shows great progress for Intel integrated graphics the Arc 140T plays many new games well at decent settings. But, this specific model suffers from heat issues due to using a high end CPU in a small space. With its high price, the performance does not live up to expectations compared to options even at similar costs.

Its performance in running many games is notable. But, the mixed experience, marked by stutters, along with the issues of price and heat, make it a tough sell. A different setup with a lower power CPU might offer better stability, but we haven't tested that.

Overall Rating: Poor

While the Geekom IT15 AI shows off better iGPUs from Intel, too much performance and cooling loss hinders this version, trying to fit a top CPU in a small case. A bigger case might help reach this setup's true potential.