GEEKOM Air12 Lite Review – Cheap mini PC with great energy efficiency.

Earlier this year, we reviewed the GEEKOM range of high-performance mini PCs, and now it’s time to look at their most affordable model, the GEEKOM Mini Air12 Lite. As the cheapest mini PC in their line-up, the Air12 Lite offers the Intel N100 processor, known for its impressive power efficiency and performance in compact systems. Ideal for daily tasks, let’s see how well this budget mini PC holds up in our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review.

Inside the Box

Lets get the GEEKOM Air12 Lite review started with what is inside the box. You’ll find everything you need to get started: the GEEKOM Air12 Lite mini PC, a quick start guide, power adapter with plug cable suited for your country, an HDMI cable, and a VESA mount with screws to attach it behind your TV or monitor. This complete setup with Windows 11 allows you to get started right away with this mini PC for home or office use.

GEEKOM Air12 Lite Overview

Next in our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review we will take a closer look at the device itself. The GEEKOM Air12 Lite is compact, measuring 5.3 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches (13.5 x 11.5 x 3.4 cm) and weighing around 532g (1.17 lbs).

Along the front, there’s a power button, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 9-pin expansion jack, and 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks. The 9-pin expansion jack, a unique feature, can connect to racks that provide power and control —useful for specialized setups though not commonly found in other mini PCs.

On the back, you’ll find a DisplayPort 1.4, a 1Gbps Ethernet port, two USB 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, and an HDMI 2.0 port. Notably absent is a USB-C port, which has become standard even on many budget-friendly mini PCs. However, with both DisplayPort and HDMI, you can set up a dual 4K monitor configuration—ideal for multi-tasking.

GEEKOM Air12 Lite Technical Specifications

As part of our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review we will discuss the technical specifications as well as testing the power usage, fan noise and temperatures.

The GEEKOM Air12 Lite features Intel’s 12th generation Alder Lake N100 processor with Intel UHD graphics. With four cores running up to 3.4GHz and a TDP of only 6W, the performance for its low cost is outstanding. This energy-efficient mini PC delivers the speed needed for everyday tasks without excessive power usage, making it a smart choice for budget-conscious users.

This model comes with 8GB DDR4-3200 SODIMM RAM and a 256GB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 SSD, which you can upgrade to 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD if needed. Connectivity options include WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 for smooth networking.

For the best office mini PC for office or home environments, power efficiency and noise levels are crucial. We measured idle power usage at 6.2W, with an average of 16W during video playback, and a peak of just 25W under full load. Even at its highest, this is considerably less than a traditional desktop, which often exceeds 500W. The low power usage makes it a perfect energy-efficient mini PC for home and office, especially in quieter spaces.

The fan noise is also commendable, with a peak of 41dB under heavy load and a brief 61dB burst on startup. We reached a highest temperature of only 46°C which is quite low. Throughout testing, it remained quieter than similar budget mini PCs, like the Chuwi LarkBox X, which registered 50dB and 57°C during high usage. This makes it ideal for those needing a mini PC for quiet environments.

System Benchmarks

As part of our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review we run a series of benchmarks to learn the performance and also compare to other similar models. The Chuwi LarkBox X and Minisforum UN100 share the same processor and similar specifications.

PASSMARK

Passmark tests the CPU, GPU, RAM and Storage for its peak performance. The Geekom Air12 Lite scores well with 1252.2 within the error of margin compared to the Chuwi and a little lower than the MinisForum. 

PCMARK

PCMark tests your day to day usages ranging from web browsing, working with office documents and video conferencing up to more demanding tasks such as image editing. The Geekom Air12 Lite scores great in this benchmark with top scores. We see a 5% increase over the nearest competitor, the Chuwi LarkBox X.

Cinebench R23

Cinebench tests the processors single and multi-core performance. In single core we see a small increase in performance over the two N100 models. However in multi-core performance we see the models trade places dropping to 3rd. We are talking a few percent difference here so in actual real world usage it would be barely noticeable.

3DMark

Our final benchmark is 3DMarks Time Spy which tests the CPU and GPU performance together. The scores are within margin of error with 366 versus 372 on the other two models. Next to no difference in performance which is good to see.

Benchmark Summary

Overall, this budget-friendly mini PC achieves well-balanced scores across the board, competing closely with similar models. Any performance differences are minimal, ensuring it remains effective in regular usage.

Day-to-Day Tasks and Workload Performance

The GEEKOM Air12 Lite is well-suited as a mini PC for office or home tasks. The N100 processor capably handles demanding office work, 4K video streaming, and even light image editing. This energy-efficient best mini PC for office excels at delivering essential performance while keeping operational costs low, making it a smart choice for budget-conscious users.

Game and Emulation Performance

While not built for gaming, the GEEKOM Air12 Lite still impresses in light gaming and retro emulation. Expect smooth gameplay on older or lighter titles like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, League of Legends, and Pinball FX3, or opt for game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now for more demanding games. For retro gaming, it handles up to PlayStation 1 flawlessly and can run some lighter PlayStation 2 titles as well, making it a surprisingly versatile option for nostalgic gamers.

Final Thoughts

Time to sum up our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review. The GEEKOM Air12 Lite stands out as a budget-friendly and energy-efficient mini PC, perfect for daily use at home or the office. At just $199 (at the time of writing), this model is one of the cheapest mini PCs available, making it an attractive choice for anyone needing basic functionality without the high costs.

With a peak power draw of only 25W, it’s far more energy-efficient than a traditional desktop, and the low noise levels make it ideal for quiet environments. My only reservation is the lack of a USB-C port, which can be an inconvenience for those using modern USB-C peripherals. However, with a simple USB-A to USB-C adapter, this can be worked around.

Overall, the GEEKOM Air12 Lite is an excellent budget mini PC for home and office tasks, delivering solid performance, energy savings, and affordability, which make it easy to recommend for anyone seeking reliable day-to-day performance on a budget.

You can learn more and buy the GEEKOM Air12 Lite from the following:

US – Official Store | Amazon Store
DE – Official Store | Amazon Store
UK – Official Store
FR – Official Store
ES – Official Store
IT – Official Store

We hope you have found our GEEKOM Air12 Lite review useful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments and we will be happy to answer.