GEEKOM IT13

The Geekom IT13 delivers Intel's 13th-gen mobile CPUs in a compact NUC design, but its DDR4 memory and thermal limitations undermine its value. The 13900HK model ($659) and 13900H variant ($849) share identical core specs (14C/20T, 5.4GHz boost), with the latter adding an extra 1TB SSD for a $200 premium—a poor trade-off given identical performance. Both throttle under sustained loads due to their 90W cooling design, hitting 95°C in Cinebench R23 tests. While the quad-display support (2x USB4 + 2x HDMI) and SATA expansion slots are perks, the Beelink GTI13 ($599) outclasses them with DDR5-5200, a vapor chamber, and PCIe 5.0 x8 for eGPUs—features absent in the Geekom models.

Storage flexibility is the IT13's strongest suit. Both models include a PCIe 4.0 SSD, extra M.2 SATA slot, and 2.5" bay—rare in mini PCs. However, the DDR4-3200 RAM bottlenecks bandwidth-sensitive tasks (e.g., the 13900HK scores 15% lower in Premiere Pro than DDR5 systems). The dual-fan system keeps noise below 50dB but fails to sustain peak clocks; after 30 minutes of rendering, speeds drop from 5.4GHz to 4.2GHz. By contrast, the Beelink GTI13 maintains higher clocks with its vapor chamber (32dB noise) and includes a built-in 145W PSU—eliminating the Geekom's external power brick.

The Beelink GTI13 exposes the Geekom IT13's pricing flaws. At $599, it undercuts the IT13 13900HK by $60 while offering DDR5, better cooling, and eGPU support. The Geekom 13900H's $849 price is especially hard to justify—the extra 1TB SSD shouldn’t cost $200 when competitors like the GMKtec K8 PLUS (Ryzen 7 8845HS, $522) include faster DDR5 and Oculink. The IT13's Thunderbolt 4 ports cater to productivity users, but gamers/creators should prioritize the GTI13's PCIe 5.0 x8 dock (supports RTX 4090) or AMD alternatives like the Beelink SER8 (Radeon 780M, $609).

- GhostKeyboard Review.