Can the Radeon 890M iGPU Run the Latest Games? (ft. Geekom A9 Max)

Product reviewed

GeekCom A9 Max mini PC featuring Ryzen AI 9 HX370 (12-core/24-thread) with Radeon 890M iGPU plus:

• 32GB DDR5-5600 (upgradable up to 128GB)
• 2TB SSD (upgradeable up to 8TB)

Key hardware & design features mentioned

Cooling

• The CPU is “properly cooled” compared with a previous GeekCom device.
• Cooling is adequate to sustain ~54W without excessive noise (the fan “doesn’t even get too loud”).

Ports (strong point)

• Front: 4× USB 3.2 Type-A, headphone jack, power button
• Back: 2× HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz), 2× USB4 Type-C (display out), 2× 2.5GbE LAN, plus USB 2.0 and USB 3.2
• Side: SD card reader (praised as rare and useful for creators)

Price

• $999, described as “eye watering.”
• The video argues it’s overpriced for gaming, especially compared to laptops with dedicated GPUs.

Gaming performance findings (Radeon 890M iGPU focus)

General theme:

• Optimized / less demanding games run well.
• Most recent UE5/AAA titles struggle, often requiring low settings / 720p.
• Stutter and frame-time issues show up repeatedly in some games.

Games that performed well / were playable

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

• 1080p, medium, FSR 3.1 Quality, motion blur off
• ~40 FPS in an intensive area
• Mostly GPU-bound and stable; minor artifacts (pixelation around moving characters)
• Recommendation: Yes (especially for single-player on medium)

Silent Hill F (UE5)

• 1080p, native res, TAA, shadows medium, screen-space reflections
• ~40 FPS, occasionally dipping into the 30s
• Visual drawbacks (popping, weaker ambient occlusion), but better optimization than expected

Borderlands 4

• Not good (see cons)

GTA V Enhanced

• 1080p, high settings (no motion blur)
• 60+ FPS average, though not as impressive as expected
• Tradeoffs noted with TAA vs sharpening/FSR (FSR causes FPS drops)
• Recommendation: For better look/smoothness, play the Legacy version instead

Helldivers 2

• 1080p, Steam Deck preset (mixed low / low-medium)
• ~47 FPS average, 1% lows around 39
• Generally stable and smooth enough; not always 60+ but playable

Cyberpunk 2077 (2.31)

• Runs “pretty well” at 1080p medium, but 1% lows/stutter are severe when driving
• Fix: Lock FPS to 30 FPS using RivaTuner (removes instability; feels “console-like”)
• Lower settings + unlocked can help smoothness; locking to 45 is possible
• FSR 2.1 Quality: closer to “~60 feel,” but with quality degradation and not full stability
• FSR Frame Generation: described as working for the first time here and dramatically improves smoothness/input lag, but with artifacts/duplicated frames
• Suggested approach: lowest settings + frame generation, optionally quality FSR when baseline FPS is higher

Marvel Rivals

• 1080p, FSR Quality, lowest settings → drops from 60 FPS
• UE5 competitive shooter performance is underwhelming
• Frame gen adds input lag and may not feel like a true FPS uplift
• Recommendation: Prefer other games (Counter-Strike 2 / Overwatch 2 expected to run better)

Hollow Knight: Silksong

• 1080p max ~300+ FPS (near constant), occasional higher readings (500+ mentioned)
• Essentially a non-issue for this iGPU

Dying Light: The Beast

• 1080p, “TAA on quality” and lowest (some medium)
• Mostly 30+ FPS, but the video argues 30 FPS doesn’t feel great for FPS gameplay

Counter-Strike 2

• 1080p, low settings, medium textures, no FSR
• Emphasized as CPU-heavy; expectations for higher FPS weren’t met
• 1% lows called “lackluster” (numbers not clearly stated)

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

• 1080p low + FSR 3.1 Quality
• Usually ~60 FPS average, dips in forests but stays mostly solid
• Recommendation: Good fit; FPS-lock suggestion (maybe ~55)

Red Dead Redemption 2

• 1080p, performance-favor settings with textures at Ultra
• 40+ FPS most of the time; possible dips toward 30s in intensive areas (Strawberry Town mentioned)
• A couple frame-time spikes; overall playable

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

• 720p, FSR3 Quality + low preset
• Typically ~40 FPS, drops below 30 when disabling FSR
• Looks soft/pixelated due to FSR; concluded as too intensive overall for this iGPU
• Can be “playable” with major compromises (smaller monitor helps)

Games with major issues (cons)

Borderlands 4

• 720p, low, TSR Quality (chosen because it looks better than FSR here)
• 30+ FPS most of the time and acceptable with upscaling
• But: stutters are “so awful”; shooting feels bad due to low frame rate/input feel
• Recommendation: Do not recommend (prefer Borderlands 3/2, or wait for upgrades / external GPU)
• Notes: frame generation depends on FSR (only available with FSR), and input lag worsens even when smoother

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (UE5)

• 1080p low, FSR Balanced
• Visuals: “trash/ghosting” (worst ghosting seen), pixelation/softness; internal res too low
• Fix: Lock FPS to 30 FPS to reduce micro-stutter; improves flat frame-time
• Mentions trying XSS Quality—reduces ghosting somewhat but looks softer/weirder
• Recommendation: Only if you want a 30 FPS locked experience despite poor image quality; otherwise skip

Stalker 2

• 720p lowest + FSR quality
• ~40 FPS expected, but called a “blurry terrible optimized mess”
• Recommendation: Do not play on a mini PC/iGPU for a satisfying experience (only “playable” with heavy compromises)

Overall pros (unique points)

• Good cooling and acoustics for the performance level; sustains ~54W without loud fans
• Excellent port selection, including rare SD card reader and multiple modern display/network options
• Decent 1080p medium performance in some games (The Last of Us Part II, Silent Hill F, GTA V Enhanced)
• Workable for many titles using appropriate presets/upscaling and/or FPS locking
• Frame generation can work well in Cyberpunk 2077, improving responsiveness significantly

Overall cons (unique points)

• Weak price/performance for gaming: $999 considered too high vs laptops with dedicated GPUs
• Many UE5/AAA titles are poorly optimized or stuttery (Borderlands 4, Oblivion Remastered, Stalker 2)
• Stutter / bad 1% lows in several demanding games (especially Cyberpunk without FPS lock)
• Image quality tradeoffs: upscaling introduces ghosting/pixelation, plus weapon/vehicle artifacts and soft/blurry visuals
• Input lag concerns when using frame generation (and sometimes even after smoothing)

Comparisons made

• Radeon 780M vs Radeon 890M: GTA V Enhanced expected a bigger gain; 890M is only somewhat better (~60+ but not “groundbreaking”)
• Radeon 890M vs external upgrade options: demanding titles (e.g., Borderlands 4) may be better with an external GPU for stability
• GTA V Enhanced vs Legacy version: Legacy preferred for sharper visuals and smoother 60+ (avoids TAA penalty)
• Game-by-game comparisons: UE5 competitive/AAA generally worse; more optimized/non-UE5 titles do far better (e.g., Hollow Knight: Silksong)

Numerical highlights mentioned (FPS / power / settings)

• Sustained CPU power for cooling: ~54W
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered: ~40 FPS at 1080p medium + FSR 3.1 Quality
• Silent Hill F: ~40 FPS, sometimes 30s
• Borderlands 4: 30+ FPS at 720p low, but stutters ruin feel
• GTA V Enhanced: 60+ FPS, minima around low 40s during a benchmark segment; benchmark ended at 58
• Helldivers 2: ~47 FPS average, 1% lows ~39
• Cyberpunk 2077: unstable without lock; 30 FPS lock fixes stability; target 45 possible; frame gen improves smoothness
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: ~60 FPS average, dips in forests
• Red Dead Redemption 2: 40+ FPS, potential drops into 30s
• Stalker 2: ~40-ish FPS, but described as unacceptably blurry/poorly optimized
• Avatar FoP: ~40 FPS at times at 720p with FSR3; disabling FSR can go below 30

Unique points list (all distinct product-related mentions)

1. Mini PC model: GeekCom A9 Max with Ryzen AI 9 HX370 and Radeon 890M iGPU
2. CPU: 12 cores / 24 threads (4 performance + 8 e-cores)
3. RAM: 32GB DDR5-5600, upgradable to 128GB
4. Storage: 2TB SSD, upgradable to 8TB
5. Cooling improved vs prior GeekCom models; fan stays quiet
6. Cooling supports sustained 54W
7. Port abundance praised; includes rare front/rear USB and side SD card reader
8. Video ports: 2× HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz), 2× USB4 Type-C (display out)
9. 2× 2.5GbE LAN
10. Missing front USB-C mentioned as a wish (for controllers)
11. Price is $999 and considered overpriced; discounted possible
12. Works well for many indie/optimized/esports games
13. Struggles with most recent AAA UE5 titles (needs 720p/low)
14. Cyberpunk 2077: FPS lock to 30 fixes stutter; FSR frame generation improves responsiveness
15. Borderlands 4: smoothness doesn’t compensate for stutter/input feel
16. Oblivion Remastered: extreme ghosting; 30 FPS lock makes it playable but visuals remain poor
17. GTA V Enhanced: playable and smooth; Legacy version preferred
18. Stalker 2: “not meant” for iGPU; looks bad even when playable
19. RDR2 playable at 1080p with compromises
20. Avatar FoP: can reach ~40 FPS, but is too soft/pixelated/too intensive overall

Speaker/role notes

• Single primary speaker (Chris) drives all testing and conclusions.
• No separate speakers provide distinct opinions beyond brief in-video character dialogue/jokes.

Verdict / recommendation

Recommendation is mixed:

• The GeekCom A9 Max (Radeon 890M iGPU) can run many titles at 1080p with compromises, and some games are genuinely smooth—especially with FPS locking and, in Cyberpunk, FSR frame generation.
• However, the $999 price and frequent stutter/ghosting in many UE5 AAA games makes it a specific-use purchase: best for indie, esports, and older/optimized titles, and less ideal for demanding modern AAA unless you’re willing to drop to 720p/lowest or use an external GPU.