Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro review: Can the mini-PC maker build a great laptop?
Table of Contents
At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Lightweight and sturdy magnesium casing
- Attractive 2.5K display with 120 Hz and high colour fidelity
- Future-proof thanks to Intel Ultra 9 with dedicated NPU
- Generous memory configuration with 32 GB RAM and 2 TB SSD
- Extensive connectivity options including USB4 and microSD
Cons
- Cooling is clearly audible under full load
- The webcam only offers standard quality
Our Verdict
While many laptops with comparable CPU specifications are either significantly heavier or have plastic cases, the Geekbook offers a balanced combination of performance, mobility, and workmanship.
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$1,349
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Until now, Geekom was primarily known for its mini PCs. With the Geekbook X16 Pro, the company is now expanding its portfolio to include a notebook. The laptop market is highly competitive and dominated by numerous established manufacturers. Our testing will show how the X16 Pro compares to popular alternatives in terms of workmanship, features, and performance.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Design
The Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro immediately makes a lasting impression on me when lifting it out of the packaging. Geekom uses a CNC-milled unibody made of a magnesium alloy, and the workmanship is precise, with virtually no gaps.
The size-to-weight ratio is particularly impressive. Despite its 16-inch format, the device weighs only 2.86 pounds. Combined with its low height of 17 millimeters (even less at its thinnest point), it stands out positively from bulky office laptops.
Christoph Hoffmann
The case is torsion-resistant in our grip and open test. Even when pressure is applied to specific points on the keyboard or case, the material hardly gives way. The matte finish is resistant to fingerprints, and the hinges hold the display securely in place and allow it to be opened with one hand.
While many laptops with comparable CPU specifications are either significantly heavier or have plastic cases, the Geekbook offers a balanced combination of performance, mobility, and workmanship.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Features
The heart of the laptop is the Intel Core Ultra 9-185H. This mobile high-end processor from the first Core Ultra generation (“Meteor Lake”) was introduced at the end of 2023 and is currently used in many laptops. It will be replaced by Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 generation (“Panther Lake”), which was unveiled at CES 2026.
The special feature of the Intel Core Ultra 9-185H is the integrated NPU (Neural Processing Unit). It’s specially designed for AI calculations. In everyday use, it relieves the CPU and GPU of tasks such as background blurring in video calls or local image processing.
Christoph Hoffmann
Geekom pairs the processor with 32 GB of fast LPDDR5x RAM. According to HWInfo, eight 4 GB modules from manufacturer Rayson Hi-Tech are soldered onto the motherboard. Soldered RAM does not require sockets.
This allows for more compact case designs, while shorter signal paths improve integrity at high clock speeds as well as reducing latency and power consumption. However, this means that the RAM cannot be upgraded.
Christoph Hoffmann
The Crucial P310 (model CT2000P310SSSD8) installed in the test device is a fast M.2 NVMe SSD with a PCIe 4.0 interface and a capacity of 2 TB. More on transfer rates later.
Christoph Hoffmann
Overall, I am impressed with the Geekbook X16 Pro’s keyboard. It is equipped with white LED lighting, which makes it easier to work in poor lighting conditions, allowing for better visibility of the keys.
The key travel is pleasant, the pressure points are clearly defined, and the layout appears tidy. The keys are printed with large font. Even during longer typing sessions, typing is comfortable and fast.
Only the position of individual keys requires a short period of adjustment, but this is hardly noticeable in everyday use. The keyboard is well suited for office work, texting, and productive work.
Christoph Hoffmann
The Geekbook’s touchpad is a comfortable size. In my tests, it responded precisely to inputs and gestures, enabling smooth and reliable operation overall.
The fingerprint sensor in the upper right corner also serves as an on/off switch. It enables biometric access protection when logging in via Windows Hello.
Christoph Hoffmann
The Geekom GeekBook X16 Pro is equipped with a 2-megapixel front camera that allows recording in Full HD (1080p). This gives it better image quality than many standard laptops.
Other features include two microphones and a light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment. What I miss is a physical privacy shutter that would allow the camera to be mechanically covered to protect privacy.
When it comes to ports, Geekom shows that mobility does not have to mean sacrificing connectivity. On the right side of the case are two USB-A ports (5GB/s) for external drives, USB sticks, or classic accessories such as a mouse and keyboard. There’s also a 3.5 mm combo jack for headset/audio and a microSD card reader.
There are two USB-C ports on the left side of the notebook. One of them is USB4-compatible and supports data transfer rates of up to 40 GB/s – ideal for fast external SSDs, docking stations, or external displays. This port can also be used to power the notebook.
The other USB-C port operates at USB 3.2 speed (10 GB/s). External monitors can be connected without an adapter via the HDMI 2.0 output.
Christoph Hoffmann
The device is also equipped with the latest wireless connectivity. It supports Wi-Fi 6E, which enables higher transfer rates, a more stable connection and lower latency, especially in networks with many simultaneously connected devices. This noticeably benefits video calls, cloud services, and large downloads. Bluetooth 5.4 is available for wireless input devices, headphones, and speakers.
High performance in a small space requires intelligent cooling. The “IceBlade 2.0” system built into the Geekom masters this challenge in testing: the fans remain pleasantly quiet in everyday use, but kick in audibly during demanding rendering processes and then quickly regulate themselves back down again.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Display
The display is one of the device’s great strengths. The 16:10 aspect ratio offers noticeably more vertical workspace than the classic 16:9 format, which is particularly advantageous when working with documents, spreadsheets, or source code.
Christoph Hoffmann
The 2560×1600 resolution ensures a high pixel density, so text, icons, and graphics look nice and sharp. With a refresh rate of 120 Hz, scrolling content, animations, and mouse pointer movements feel more smooth than a conventional 60 Hz display.
With a maximum brightness of 400 nits, the display is also easy to read indoors and is also suitable for outdoor use in indirect sunlight. Colors appear balanced overall.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Audio
The audio setup of the GeekBook X16 Pro also scores highly in our test, even though the speakers are not top-of-the-line. The notebook has two integrated stereo speakers (2 × 4 ohms × 2 watts) with DTS:X Ultra support. The speakers are located at the front of the case and emit sound downwards. This is then reflected off the table surface.
Christoph Hoffmann
The wide sound image and spatiality are satisfactory. The volume is sufficient for films and video conferences. Voices are reproduced clearly, although the bass cannot compete with external speakers.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Battery life
A common weak point in lightweight notebooks is battery capacity. Geekom specifies a runtime of up to 17 hours based on its own measurements. This puts it among the leaders in its class, at least on paper.
In fact, the lithium-ion battery manufactured by GFL in the X16 Pro, with a nominal capacity of 74,924 mWh, is one of the larger energy storage devices in the 16-inch class. We were curious to see if it would deliver respectable runtimes.
The test scenario is a real working day with mixed office use, browsing, and light image editing. According to our measurements, the battery lasted just under 13 hours before the device had to be plugged back in. This is a very good result for such a mobile 16-inch device, surpassing the runtime of many competitors in this category.
Christoph Hoffmann
Another positive feature is that the handy 65 W GaN power supply is barely larger than a smartphone charger. It charges the battery quickly and is easy to store thanks to its compact dimensions. In our testing, it took about 60 minutes to charge the X16 Pro from 10 to 80 percent.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Windows 11 Pro
The Geekbook X16 Pro comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. The operating system is factory-set to 24H2 Build 26100 with a release date of October 1st, 2024 and is quick to activate and set up. We updated the system to the latest version using the update function. We then installed the Intel drivers for the NPU and Arc graphics.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Computing power
Geekom wants to set a new benchmark for mobile AI and productivity applications with the Intel Core Ultra 9-185H and 32 GB of LPDDR5x memory. Our benchmark results show whether the concept works.
The results in PCMark 10 underline the potential of this overall package: with a score of 8,256 points, the laptop secures a top position in the comparison field. The Lenovo Yoga 9i scores 7,719 points, while the Asus Zenbook S 14 scores 6,598 points. Both laptops use the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V.
Christoph Hoffmann
The Geekbook’s productivity score of over 15,000 points is particularly impressive. It stands for first-class performance in complex office workflows and spreadsheets. The system also delivers solid results in content creation, although specialized workstations with dedicated graphics naturally remain at an advantage when it comes to rendering tasks.
Analysis of the 3DMark CPU profile illustrates the efficient scalability of the architecture. With 973 points in the single-thread test, the processor provides a solid basis for everyday applications. As the number of threads increases, the system unleashes its potential and achieves 6,741 points at maximum utilization. This value elevates the device into the upper class segment. The comparison between eight and 16 threads is revealing: here, the good resource utilization becomes clear, although the flat housing sets thermal limits that prevent full performance.
Christoph Hoffmann
The graphics performance in the Time Spy test totals 4,073 points. The integrated Intel Arc graphics achieve 3,732 graphics points. This performance is sufficient to display current games smoothly in reduced resolution. However, the hardware is less suitable for demanding titles in native resolution. This is also confirmed by the results in Steel Nomad. With only about seven frames per second, the graphics unit reaches its limits with modern 4K loads.
One bright spot is the Intel XeSS function test, which uses AI algorithms. Without upscaling, the system only achieves low frame rates in our test. Activating XeSS technology increases performance by 167 percent. This enables a smoother gaming experience in supported titles.
Christoph Hoffmann
The results from Geekbench-AI Pro reinforce the focus on artificial intelligence. With a score of 6,137 points, the notebook is well prepared for applications with local AI computing. In this area, the architecture significantly outperforms many older processor generations.
Christoph Hoffmann
The SSD data throughput in Crystal Disk Mark is impressive across the board. The built-in 2 TB SSD achieves read speeds of 7,000 MB/s. Write operations are performed at over 6,100 MB/s. Such transfer rates significantly minimize loading times for large files or video editing.
Christoph Hoffmann
The high memory bandwidth effectively compensates for peak loads. The results in Solar Bay, with over 55 frames per second, show that even ray tracing effects are possible to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the device remains primarily a tool for productive minds and creative users.
Christoph Hoffmann
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Conclusion
The Geekbook X16 Pro combines a lightweight, high-quality case with high computing power for this class of device. While many laptops with comparable CPU specifications are either significantly heavier or have plastic cases, the Geekbook offers a balanced combination of performance, mobility, and workmanship. Modern wireless standards such as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.4 also enable fast and stable connections to networks and peripheral devices.
With the Geekbook X16 Pro, Geekom is transferring its experience in building compact and efficient mini PCs to the laptop sector. The notebook offers consistent performance with controlled heat generation and remains pleasantly quiet. The long battery life further supports mobile use. The result is a functional and balanced overall package that is suitable for productive everyday use.
Geekom Geekbook X16 Pro: Specifications
- Dimensions: 356 × 248.5 × 17 mm (W × D × H)
- Weight: 2.86 pounds
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9-185H (up to 5.1 GHz, 16 cores, 22 threads)
- Graphics: Intel Arc Graphics (integrated)
- Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5x (dual channel)
- Hard drive: 2 TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD (Crucial P310 CT2000P310SSSD8)
- Display: 16-inch IPS, 2.5K (2,560 × 1,600 pixels), 16:10, 120 Hz, 100% sRGB, 400 nits
- Housing: Magnesium alloy (CNC unibody)
- Battery: 75 Wh, up to 17 hours of battery life, 65-watt GaN power adapter
- Connections: 1 × USB4 (full function), 1 × USB-C, 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.0, microSD slot, 3.5 mm jack
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4
- Security: Fingerprint sensor
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
- Warranty: 2 years and 24/7 support
