We have already checked out the hardware of the GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition mini PC with an unboxing and a teardown in the first part of the review. The new model still relies on a 12th Intel processor, and simply replaced the 10-core Intel Core i7-12650H by a more powerful 14-core Intel Core i7-1280P processor still coupled with 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD, although the brands and models of the RAM, storage, and wireless modules have changed.
In the second part of the review, we will be testing the GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition mini PC with the pre-installed Windows 11 Pro in detail, notably testing most features and running benchmarks before comparing it to the (2023 Edition) Mini IT12 mini PC with an Intel Core i7-12650H processor. We’ll also test 2.5GbE and WiFi 6 networking, cooling performance, and finally measure fan noise and power consumption.
Software overview and features testing
The System->About window in the Settings confirms we have Mini IT12 mini PC powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1280P clocked at 1.80 GHz (base frequency) with an Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 32GB RAM, and 1.82 TB storage in total (1TB M.2 SSD + our SATA HDD) running Windows 11 Pro 24H2 build 26100.4351.
HWiNFO 64 provides more details about the Intel Core i7-1280P Alder Lake-P SoC with a total of 14 cores (6P+8E) and 20 Threads (12P+8E), the motherboard, and Iris Xe Graphics.
GPU-Z provides further details about the 96EU Intel Iris Xe Graphics embedded into the Core i7-1280P SoC.
We can go back to HWiNFO 64 to check the PL1 and PL2 power limits set to 28W (PBP) and 45W (MTP), respectively, while PL4 is set to 64 Watts.
The program also shows the mini PC ships with two 16GB WODPOSIT Technology WPBH32D416SWA-16G DDR4-3200 modules for a total of 32 GB RAM.
This is confirmed in the Windows Task Manager with two SO-DIMM modules for 32GB RAM with a speed of 3,200 MT/s.
The Device Manager lists a 2.5GbE Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V, a MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E MT7922 160MHz Wireless LAN card, and a Bluetooth device.
HWiNFO 64 offers more information about the 2.5Gbps Ethernet Network Card…
… and MediaTek WiFi 6E module with a maximum link speed of 2,999 Mbps and connected at 286 Mbps at the time of the screenshot.
Let’s go back to Device Manager to check the Bluetooth version by accessing the MediaTek Bluetooth Adapter Properties, and checking out the firmware version in the Advanced tab.
“LMP13” looks up to Bluetooth 5.4, although the specifications only mention Bluetooth 5.2. We quickly tested Bluetooth with a file transfer between the Mini IT12 (Core i7-1280P) and Khadas Mind mini PC.
GEEKOM clearly marks each USB port on its mini PCs with its speed and specification, but let’s still check out if this matches the real performance. The GEEKOM MINI IT12 2025 Edition comes with three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and two USB4 Type-C ports, which we will test with an ORICO M234C3-U4 NVMe SSD enclosure, and one USB 2.0 Type-A port that will be tested with a Seagate USB HDD. We’ll also rely on HWiNFO 64 to report the USB version and USB speed, and run CrystalDiskMark to measure the data transfer rate.
Here are some examples starting with the left USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port on the front panel…
… then the left USB4 port (40 Gbps) on the rear panel…
… and finally the USB 2.0 port.
Here’s a summary of the results of all six USB ports (from left to right)
- Front panel
- USB-A #1 – USB 3.2 – USB 3.2 Gen2 (SuperSpeedPlus 10 Gbps) – Read: 1,056 MB/s; write: 1,008 MB/s
- USB-A #2 – USB 3.2 – USB 3.2 Gen2 (SuperSpeedPlus 10 Gbps) – Read: 1,058 MB/s; write: 1,007 MB/s
- Rear panel
- USB-C #1 – Thunderbolt 40 Gbps – Read: 3,154 MB/s; write: 2,814 MB/s
- USB-A #1 (top) – USB 3.2 – USB 3.2 Gen2 (SuperSpeedPlus 10 Gbps) – Read: 1,057 MB/s; write: 1,005 MB/s
- USB-A #2 (bottom) – USB 3.0 – USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mbps) – Read: 44 MB/s; write: 32 MB/s
- USB-C #2 – Thunderbolt 40 Gbps – Read: 3,159 MB/s; write: 2,811 MB/s
All USB ports work as advertised.
Since we installed a 2.5-inch SATA HDD, let’s test the interface with CrystalDiskMark.
The read speed is slower than the write speed, but it roughly matches the results we got with the MINI IT12 (Core i7-12650H).
Like its predecessor, the GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition supports up to four independent displays via two HDMI 2.0 video outputs and two USB4 ports.
We tested that successfully with four displays: CrowView 14-inch laptop monitor connected to USB4 #1, CrowVi 15.6-inch portable display connected to USB4 #2, GAOMON PD2200 Pen Display connected to HDMI 2.0 #1, and KTC A32Q8 4K UHD 32-inch Smart Monitor connected to HDMI 2.0 #2.
GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition benchmarks on Windows 11 Pro
We set Power mode to “Best performance” before starting the benchmarks. The ambient temperature was 28 to 30°C during testing, so readers should be aware that results may be higher at cooler temperatures.
Let’s start GEEKOM MINI IT12 2025 Edition Windows 11 benchmarks with PCMark 10 for an evaluation of the mini PC’s performance.
The mini PC achieved 5,746 points in this test.
3DMark Fire Strike combines CPU and GPU performance, and the mini PC got a score of 4,911 points here.
In PassMark PerformanceTest 11, the score was 4,863 points. The DISK MARK results placed the MINI IT12 2025 Edition mini PC in the 94th percentile. We could confirm the excellent storage performance with CrystalDiskMark, which reported a sequential read speed of 5,186 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 4,733 MB/s for the 1TB Crucial P3 Plus NVMe SSD.
Cinebench R23 allows us to test both single-core and multi-core performance.
The single core benchmark score was 1,734 and the multi-core score 6,952, for an MP Ratio of 4.01x for a 14-core CPU… indicating potential CPU throttling due to thermal or power limits.
Let’s start testing the GPU performance with Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0. The mini PC achieved a score of 1,353 points and could render the scene at 53.7 FPS on average at a standard 1920×1080 resolution.
Time for YouTube 4K and 8K video playback in Firefox using a KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor with a resolution of 4K (3840×2160).
A 4K 30FPS could play smoothly for over 6 minutes without any frames dropped.
4K 60FPS video playback for fine too for over 7 minutes, and just 3 dropped frames.
8K 30FPS was perfect with no frame dropped when testing it for almost 6 minutes.
However, 8K 60 FPS was unwatchable in Firefox with 13,494 frames dropped out of 23,039 during a 6+ minute test, or about a 58% drop rate. We tested the 8K 60 FPS video again on Google Chrome, and no problem here with the video playing smoothly for over 7 minutes with only 11 frames dropped. For reference, both were using the AV1 video codec.
In summary, we can stream YouTube videos smoothly up to 4Kp60 or 8Kp30 in Firefox, and up to 8Kp60 in Chrome.
GEEKOM Mini IT12 Windows 11 Benchmarks comparison – Core i7-12650H vs Core i7-1280P
We now have all the benchmark results needed to compare the GEEKOM MINI IT12 2025 Edition with a Core i7-1280P against the 2013 Edition model with a Core i7-12650H CPU. The basic specifications of both mini PCs are identical except for the different CPUs.
| GEEKOM IT12 (2025 Edition) | GEEKOM IT12 |
|
|---|---|---|
| SoC | Intel Core i7-1280P | Intel Core i7-12650H |
| CPU | 14 cores, 20 threads, up to 4.80 GHz | 10 cores, 16 threads, up to 4.70 GHz |
| GPU | 96 EU Intel Iris Xe Graphics | 64 EU Intel UHD Graphics |
| Memory | 32GB DDR4-3200 | 32GB DDR4-3200 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Default OS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro |
Benchmark results:
| GEEKOM IT12 (Intel Core i7-1280P) | GEEKOM IT12 (Intel Core i7-12650H) | |
|---|---|---|
| PCMark 10 | 5746 | 5627 |
| - Essentials | 10258 | 10714 |
| - Productivity | 7303 | 7052 |
| - Digital content creation | 6874 | 6401 |
| 3DMark (Fire Strike) | 4911 | 3997 |
| PerformanceTest 11.0 | 4863 | 3521 |
| - CPU Mark | 22451 | 18532 |
| - 2D Graphics Mark | 750 | 569 |
| - 3D Graphics Mark | 3099 | 2161 |
| - Memory Mark | 3345 | 2939 |
| - Disk Mark | 41197 | 22721 |
| Cinebench R23 | ||
| - Single Core | 1742 | 1781 |
| - Multi Core | 6952 | 5273 |
| Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0 | 53.7fps | 41.7fps |
The GEEKOM Mini IT12 (2025 Edition) with an Intel Core i7-1280P CPU performs better than the GEEKOM Mini IT12 (2023) with an Intel Core i7-12650H CPU in most benchmarks, but not by much in most cases. It’s not surprising for single-core benchmarks since both rely on Alder Lake CPUs with a similar top frequency. The main improvements are for multi-core workloads, thanks to having 14 cores instead of 10, and for 3D graphics with 96 EU Intel Xe Graphics instead of 64 EU Intel Xe Graphics.
Networking performance (2.5GbE and WiFi 6)
Let’s now test the network performance, starting with the 2.5GbE port using iperf3 and UP Xtreme i11 (192.168.31.12) on the other side.
- Download
1234567891011121314151617PS C:\Users\aey\downloads\iperf3.19_64\iperf3.19_64> .\iperf3.exe -t 60 -c 192.168.31.12 -i 10 -RConnecting to host 192.168.31.12, port 5201Reverse mode, remote host 192.168.31.12 is sending[ 5] local 192.168.31.143 port 49894 connected to 192.168.31.12 port 5201[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 10.01-20.00 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 20.00-30.02 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 30.02-40.01 sec 2.72 GBytes 2.34 Gbits/sec[ 5] 40.01-50.00 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 50.00-60.00 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr[ 5] 0.00-60.04 sec 16.5 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec 0 sender[ 5] 0.00-60.00 sec 16.5 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec receiveriperf Done. - Upload
12345678910111213141516PS C:\Users\aey\downloads\iperf3.19_64\iperf3.19_64> .\iperf3.exe -t 60 -c 192.168.31.12 -i 10Connecting to host 192.168.31.12, port 5201[ 5] local 192.168.31.143 port 49884 connected to 192.168.31.12 port 5201[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 2.77 GBytes 2.38 Gbits/sec[ 5] 10.01-20.00 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 20.00-30.01 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 30.01-40.01 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 40.01-50.01 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec[ 5] 50.01-60.01 sec 2.76 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-60.01 sec 16.6 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec sender[ 5] 0.00-60.07 sec 16.6 GBytes 2.37 Gbits/sec receiveriperf Done.
No issues here. Time to test 5 GHz WiFi 6 by adding a Xiaomi Mi AX6000 Router to our testbed.
- Download
1234567891011121314151617PS C:\Users\aey\downloads\iperf3.19_64\iperf3.19_64> .\iperf3.exe -t 60 -c 192.168.31.12 -i 10 -RConnecting to host 192.168.31.12, port 5201Reverse mode, remote host 192.168.31.12 is sending[ 5] local 192.168.31.128 port 50001 connected to 192.168.31.12 port 5201[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-10.00 sec 2.03 GBytes 1.74 Gbits/sec[ 5] 10.00-20.00 sec 2.00 GBytes 1.72 Gbits/sec[ 5] 20.00-30.01 sec 1.94 GBytes 1.66 Gbits/sec[ 5] 30.01-40.00 sec 1.82 GBytes 1.57 Gbits/sec[ 5] 40.00-50.01 sec 1.94 GBytes 1.67 Gbits/sec[ 5] 50.01-60.01 sec 1.87 GBytes 1.60 Gbits/sec- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate Retr[ 5] 0.00-60.06 sec 11.6 GBytes 1.66 Gbits/sec 0 sender[ 5] 0.00-60.01 sec 11.6 GBytes 1.66 Gbits/sec receiveriperf Done. - Upload
12345678910111213141516PS C:\Users\aey\downloads\iperf3.19_64\iperf3.19_64> .\iperf3.exe -t 60 -c 192.168.31.12 -i 10Connecting to host 192.168.31.12, port 5201[ 5] local 192.168.31.128 port 50011 connected to 192.168.31.12 port 5201[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-10.01 sec 1.75 GBytes 1.50 Gbits/sec[ 5] 10.01-20.01 sec 1.64 GBytes 1.41 Gbits/sec[ 5] 20.01-30.00 sec 1.65 GBytes 1.42 Gbits/sec[ 5] 30.00-40.01 sec 1.56 GBytes 1.34 Gbits/sec[ 5] 40.01-50.01 sec 1.59 GBytes 1.36 Gbits/sec[ 5] 50.01-60.01 sec 1.67 GBytes 1.44 Gbits/sec- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -[ ID] Interval Transfer Bitrate[ 5] 0.00-60.01 sec 9.87 GBytes 1.41 Gbits/sec sender[ 5] 0.00-60.07 sec 9.87 GBytes 1.41 Gbits/sec receiveriperf Done.
Excellent WiFI 6 performance with 1.41 Gbps uploads and 1.66 Gbps downloads. It’s faster than during our test on the GEEKOM Mini IT12 (2023), but we can’t compare the results since we still used an old version of iperf3 with unoptimal performance.
Stress test and thermal performance
We’ll run two stress tests to check the thermal performance and identify potential CPU throttling with HWiNFO 64. We’ll start with the 3Dmark Fire Strike benchmark. The CPU temperature maxes out at 100°C and thermal throttling is detected by the utility.
If we restart the computer and try a similar test with CineBench R23 multi-core, thermal throttling is detected again, but the maximum CPU temperature reached is 91°C (DTS).
The Enhanced section reports a maximal temperature of 93°C. For reference, DTS (Digital Thermal Sensor) is the on-die temperature sensor, while Enhanced uses various other sensors and an algorithm from Intel to derive the CPU temperature. The DTS is considered to be more accurate.
Fan noise
The mini PC is pretty quiet when idle and under light workloads, but it gets a little noisier under load, but nothing too bad. We measured the noise level with a sound level meter placed around 5 cm from the top of the enclosure.
- Idle and light load – 39.9 – 40.3 dBA
- 3DMark (Fire Strike) – 40.0 – 47.3 dBA
In a quiet room, the sound level meter reports 38-39 dBA.
GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition power consumption
We also measured the power consumption with a wall power meter:
- Power off – 1.9 Watts
- Idle – 6.0 – 6.4 Watts
- Video playback – 31.0 – 34.0 Watts (YouTube 8K 60 FPS in Firefox)
- Cinebench R23 Multi Core
- First few seconds – 60.3 – 64.0 Watts
- Long run – 43.0 – 44.0 Watts
Note: the mini PC was connected to WiFi 6, one USB RF dongle for a keyboard and mouse combo, and a KTC 4K monitor through one of the HDMI ports during the measurements.
Conclusion
In many ways, the GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition mini PC with an Intel Core i7-1280P 14-core CPU performs just as well as its predecessor with an Intel Core i7-12650H 10-core processor when using Windows 11 Pro. The key specifications, such as 32GB RAM, 1TB M.2 SSD, and all ports, are the same, and everything works as expected.
2.5GbE and WiFi 6 networking performance is excellent, all six USB ports work up to specifications, four display setups are supported through HDMI and USB-C ports, YouTube video works fine up to 8Kp60 in Chrome (8Kp30 in Firefox). The main benefit of the Core i7-1280P over the Core i7-12650H processor is better multi-core and 3D graphics performance, thanks to its 14-core design and a more powerful 96 EU Intel Xe Graphics.
The downsides remain the same, too. As an actively-cooled system, the Mini IT12 2025 Edition is slightly noisy under load, but nothing too bad, and completely quiet under light loads. Cooling is not quite adequate for multi-core workloads, as the CPU will quickly throttle after quickly reaching 100°C in the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark. That means users may not get the full performance of the Core i7-1280P processor. That’s all for today. We’ll now install Ubuntu 24.04 on the GEEKOM Mini IT12 2025 Edition to find out how Linux performs on the mini PC in the third part of the review.
We’d like to thank GEEKOM for sending the Mini IT12 2025 Edition mini PC with an Intel Core i7-1280P SoC, 32GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD for review. The model reviewed here can be purchased for $474 on Amazon or the GEEKOM store after applying the coupon code CNXIT122025. Systems based on 12th Gen Alder Lake processors are still popular because they are quite cheaper than the new Intel/AMD CPUs with AI accelerators, and many people don’t care about AI features in their computers.
CNXSoft: This article is a translation – with some additional insights – of the original review on CNX Software Thailand by Suthinee Kerdkaew.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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