I converted this Windows 11 mini PC into a Linux Work Station – and it did not regret it

Key takeaways of zdnet

• Geekcom IT 15 Mini PC is available at $ 1,100 on Amazon.
• This small form-carcase PC has a lot of power for everyday tasks.
• Only the negative side is that IT15 does not have a dedicated GPU.

I have always enjoyed a mini PC, and at any time I can combine a system together with a small form factor, I feel like a child on Christmas. My desktop had the latest mini gaekcom to grace This 15 mini pcIn fact a low machine with healthy selection of I/O.

This device measures 4.5 x 4.5 x 2 inch, so it is not only small, but also includes a vesa mount so that you can attach it to look like an all-in-one on your monitor.

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But, for me, however, the largest sales point is power. Although it is not designed for severe gaming or number crunching, for cases of specific use, this small PC exceeds sufficient power.

Let’s chat about it.

My experience

After rebuying the IT15 mini PC, I attached it to a spare monitor and keyboard. When I booted it, I was saddened by Windows 11. Yes, not a fan. I proceeded and went through the setup, which took a long time, and then did what you expected I would do.

I lit Linux into a USB flash drive, put the drive, rebooting the PC, and Ubuntu Buggi. Instead of installing Linux on Windows, I decided to double boot them, mostly I could compare each OS performance. This comparison is, of course, the tangent for this review, but it was fun regardless. In addition, I am more familiar with Linux, as I am with Windows, and I believe Linux gives me a clear picture of how well the PC can perform.

After the Linux was installed, I booted it to kick PC tires. My goal was to behave in such a way that it was my primary desktop machine, to see if it could stand to throw it on it. The first thing I did was to establish Olama AI and Musti, which has become my Go-Two test for PC hardware.

I think if a computer can perform well using local LLM, this average user will need to do anything. One thing to understand is that local LLMs consume lots of system resources, and without NPU or NVDia GPU, all processing is on the shoulders of the CPU.

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Unfortunately, IT15 Sports A Intel GPU, which means the CPU will take the entireness of the AI load, and it is shown.

When the installation was completed, I removed GUI and “What is Linux?” Olma went to work with the default LLM (Gemma3: 1B) and immediately began to print the north of the query. On a machine with Nvidia GPU, the output would be almost immediate, but using CPU only with Olama, the output was quite slow. Then, this is not the fault of the CPU, but the lack of a supported GPU. Nevertheless, it did not take too long to complete the output, and I had a very detailed answer to my question.

After that test, I went about doing normal things: browsing, browsing, installing software, running upgrade, etc. In this PC, the CPU is an Intel Core Ultra 9 285h-which lifts it well above the midrange and in the higher region-so I can only imagine how fast AI NVidia will perform with NVDia GPU. It is being said, whatever I thrown on this small animal ran away for perfection. The apps were launched almost immediately, the animations were clean and smooth, and Ubantu performed everything on Buggi like a winner.

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I want to say that it is the best performing small-form-fector PC I have ever used. This makes sense, this machine is targeted on users who want high performance, and it definitely saves. You have to work hard to find a more powerful machine in this size.

With many small form-factor PCs, I am used to see a bit of plastic and many corners are cut to reduce the price. Although the IT 15 uses PC+ABS for external case, which can withstand 200 kg force, the internal frame is all metal and has a crushproof rating of 441 pounds.

Tolerance is present on every aspect of hardware, and the internal is well placed and coined. I have zero complaints in this category.

According to the Geekum site, the IT15 uses AI Boost, an NPU operated by an NPU is given a summit of 13 tops (int 8). Naturally, with Olama/MSty, I was not able to test the text-to-image AI conversion (at the top, I am not eager to use AI to create art), but I can safely say that CPU is powerful that you need.

ZDNET purchase advice

This is an easy. If you are looking for a new PC, you don’t have much space, and you do not want to renounce strength, Geekom it15 Mini PC is a great purchase on Amazon at $ 1,100. If I had to replace my current system76 theelio with this size PC, you can bet that I will be happy using IT15. The cherry at the top is that everything worked out of the box with Linux.

Also: This official Ubuntu spin can only be the perfect introduction for Linux.

If you are a fan of small PCs, do a favor yourself and grab a geekom it15. You can use Default Windows 11 OS, install Linux on top of it, or both the world’s best for dual-boot linux and windows. This is a deal and will improve your expectations for most specific use cases.

How it compares

Geekom it15 tech specs

• CPU – Intel Core Ultra 9-285h
• GPU – Integrated Intel Arc 140T GPU
• Memory – Dual -Chennnel DDR5 262PIN 5600 MHz Sodimm, up to 64 GB
• Storage – Important P3 Plus M.2 Nvme PCIe 4.0 2TB SSD
• Port – USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A X 3, USB 2.0 Type -A X 1, USB4 X 2, 3.5 Mm Stereo Jack X 1, 2.5G RJ45 X 1, HDMI X 2, SD Card 4.0 Reader X 1
• Ethernet – Intel 10/100/1000/2500 mbps rj45
• Wireless LAN – Intel M.2 Wi -Fi 7, Bluetooth 5
• Cooling – Internal Fan (which can meet something loud under heavy load)