Month: April 2026

What a sub $500 Mini PC looks like these days: GEEKOM A5 Pro Review

Finding a mini PC for under $500 has become increasingly difficult in the current market, but I recently spent some time with the Geekom A5 Pro (compensated affiliate link) to see how it balances cost and performance. While the machine bears a physical resemblance to the more powerful A8 model, this version utilizes a Ryzen 7 5300U processor and targets users with more modest computing requirements.

Check it out in my latest video review!

The unit Geekom sent me for review can be found on Amazon (compensated affiliate link). It features a Ryzen 7530U, which is an older six-core, 12-thread chip running at a 15-watt TDP.

Inside, the hardware is accessible but reveals some of the compromises made to reach this price point. It uses DDR4 RAM rather than faster DDR5, and while there is an expansion slot for a second SSD, it is limited to the SATA interface rather than NVMe. The RAM can be upgraded to 64GB. I also noticed during disassembly that the Wi-Fi antenna design is somewhat delicate; the cable is easily detached when opening the case and requires some patience to reconnect to the motherboard.

The external build quality remains high, featuring a metal case and a variety of ports. The front panel includes two 10Gbps USB-A ports—one of which supports device charging while the PC is powered down—alongside a headphone jack. The side houses a full-size SD card reader, while the back provides two HDMI ports and two USB-C ports. While it lacks USB 4, the USB-C ports do support video output, allowing a four-display 4K setup. There is also a 2.5gigabit per second ethernet port that performed as advertised in my testing.

In daily operation, the A5 Pro is efficient and quiet. It idles at around 7 watts and peaks at 46 watts under heavy load. The system fan is rarely audible during standard desktop tasks. It includes a licensed copy of Windows 11 Pro, and the machine handled web browsing and general office applications smoothly. However, the age of the processor becomes apparent when pushing the integrated graphics. During 4K YouTube playback at 60 frames per second, I observed frequent dropped frames, a limitation not typically seen on more modern AMD chips.

Creative tasks and gaming yielded mixed results. Simple video editing in DaVinci Resolve is feasible for basic projects, but adding complex effects or transitions leads to significant rendering delays and stuttering during playback. Gaming performance is similarly constrained; modern AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 struggled to reach 15 frames per second at 1080p on low settings. But, the machine is well-suited for emulation of older consoles or playing legacy PC titles, where it maintained consistent frame rates.

Thermal management is tuned for silence rather than maximum output. The system failed a 3DMark stress test with a score of 95.7%, suggesting about a 4-5% performance drop during sustained heavy workloads. For most users, this five percent dip in performance will likely go unnoticed, especially given the quiet nature of the fan.

The machine performed very well under Linux. Testing with the latest version of Ubuntu showed that all hardware components were recognized immediately, and the interface felt more responsive than Windows, likely due to the lack of operating system bloat.

While the A5 Pro could serve as a capable low-power home server, its AMD architecture makes it less ideal for hardware transcoding in applications like Plex compared to Intel-based alternatives.

Ultimately, this device reflects the current state of the hardware market. A few years ago, this budget would have secured more contemporary components, but today it buys a reliable, if slightly older, set of specifications. It remains a functional option for light office work or a dedicated Linux station, provided the user understands the graphical limitations inherent in the hardware.

Hamgeek FPGA MiSTer Clone Review

I ordered another cheap MiSTer FPGA clone off a site called Hamgeek the other day. Hamgeek mostly sells amateur radio gear and a few other curious gadgets. Like other MiSTer devices we’ve looked at recently, it uses an FPGA chip to accurately replicate retro computing, gaming and arcade systems from the 90s on back.

Check it out in my latest MiSTer video!

The Hamgeek unit cost about $160 and arrived fully assembled with a 32 GB SD card preloaded, which let me skip the initial flashing and get straight to testing. The Hamgeek MiSTer is effectively a “clone of a clone,” utilizing the same hardware design of the QMTech device we looked at a few weeks ago.

Like other MiSTers I’ve tested you will need to download and run the Update_all script to get all of the supported cores and features to work. You can see the full setup process in the MiSTer Pi video I did last year.

Compatibility on the Hamgeek feels just as good as the other MiSTer clones we’ve looked at over the last year. I tested a range of demanding and lower-end cores. The Amiga core looked crisp and executed complex demo scene disk images flawlessly. The Saturn core ran Daytona USA without visible issues, and the Sega 32X handled After Burner perfectly. I also ran Street Fighter Alpha 3 on a CRT for extended periods, played the Neo Geo’s King of Fighters 2003, and tried Wave Race on the Nintendo 64 core. On the low end, NES and Atari 2600 content ran as expected. Overall compatibility and stability across the cores I exercised matched what I’ve come to expect from consumer Mister builds.

I also ran a memory test that exercises the 128 MB memory module. It sustained 167 MHz for about ten minutes without errors, which suggests the hardware has some performance headroom beyond what most cores require.

Video output options are flexible: HDMI for modern displays, a VGA port that can deliver RGB component for late-model CRTs, and analog/optical audio outputs via a combined 3.5mm jack. The unit does not provide RCA composite or S-Video natively, so if your television only accepts composite you’ll need an adapter or consider waiting for the Superstation One MiSTer clone that will include more analog video output options built in.

Like other Mister builds, this one includes a port for SNAC adapters that allow for direct electrical connections to certain controller types and accessories. I verified light-gun functionality on a CRT using the NES core and a Zapper.

The box has a limited number of USB ports — enough for an external hard drive and a couple of controllers, but you’ll likely want a hub — and it does not include built-in Wi‑Fi. You can add Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth with a USB dongle. MiSTers generally do not require an active Internet connection but you will need to go online for core updates.

There’s an internal cooling fan that runs continuously; it’s audible but not loud. The metal case version of the Hamgeek MiSTer I opted for is more robust than the plastic one that’s available for the same price.

If you want a ready-to-use MiSTer without assembling parts, units like this make that option accessible at a lower price than earlier preassembled builds. It’s great to see the MiSTer ecosystem getting more accessible!

See more of my MiSTer content here!