At a look
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Excellent mixture of CPU, GPU, and NPU
- Performance at desktop workstation stage
- Versatile use: from AI workloads to content material creation and gaming
- Buttons for fan management and efficiency
- Very quick LPDDR5X RAM—128GB!
- Significantly smaller footprint than basic towers
Cons
- Relatively excessive value
- Possibly outsized for a lot of utilization situations
- Only one Ethernet port
Our Verdict
The GMKtec EVO-X2 is not any unusual mini PC, however a powerful all-rounder – a compact workstation with desktop energy, together with a strong built-in GPU and a devoted NPU. It’s at present top-of-the-line choices for customers who demand efficiency and nonetheless wish to save house. If you’re searching for graphics, AI, or multitasking efficiency in a small case, you’ll get virtually all the things a big PC can – with a way more space-saving design. Its excessive value is the one actual downer.
Price When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
$1699.99
Best Prices Today: GMKtec EVO-X2
GMKtec EVO-X2: The specs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Max 395 (16 cores, 32 threads, as much as 5.1 GHz), 16 MB L2 cache, 64 MB L3, 120 watts TDP in steady operation, as much as 140 watts for a short while
- Graphics: Radeon 8060S (RDNA 3.5, 40 cores), most supported decision: 7,680 × 4,320 pixels @ 60Hz
- NPU: XDNA 2, 50 TOPS (as much as 126 TOPS in complete)
- Memory: 128 GB LPDDR5X 8,000 MHz from Samsung, hard-soldered
- Internal storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, Crucial P3 CT2000 PCIe M.2 2280 (second M.2 2280 slot, expandable to 2 x 8 TB)
- Front connections: 2 × USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 × USB Type-C (USB 4.0), 1 × audio combo jack (3.5 mm jack), 1 × SD card reader (SD 4.0, helps SDXC)
- Rear connections: 1 × DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3, 1 × HDMI 2.1, 1 × USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 2 × USB-A 2.0, 1 × USB Type-C (USB 4.0), 1 × audio (3.5mm CTIA), 1 × DC-in, 1 × RJ45 LAN
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 (MT7925), LAN 2.5 Gbit/s (8125BG), Bluetooth 5.4
- Dimensions: 193 × 186 × 77 mm (W × D × H)
- Weight: 3.6lbs
With the EVO-X2, the Chinese producer GMKtec is as soon as once more launching a mini PC that’s clearly positioned within the high-end phase and claims to push the boundaries of compact desktop techniques even additional. While many mini PCs are primarily designed for house saving, vitality effectivity, or workplace duties, GMKtec takes a special strategy: most efficiency within the smallest of areas.
The EVO-X2 mustn’t solely grasp basic workloads with ease, but additionally deal with demanding AI processes, content material creation, and even gaming because of fashionable Ryzen AI expertise.
For a mini PC, the EVO-X2’s proximity to the basic desktop efficiency class is exceptional and reveals how effectively AMD’s present APU structure works together with quick RAM and optimized energy administration.
GMKtec EVO-X2: Design
The indisputable fact that the GMKtec EVO-X2 just isn’t a typical mini PC is clear from the scale of its packaging, which is greater than twice the scale of normal mini PCs. And sure, at round 3.6lbs, the EVO-X2 is an actual brick, because the comparability with the Sapphire Edge AI 370, essentially the most compact mini within the check to this point, reveals.
Christoph Hoffmann
With dimensions of 7.6 inches in width, 7.3 inches in depth, and a top of 3.03 inches, the EVO-X2 is a big, flat mini PC in a type of sandwich development. The measurement and weight convey stability and worth—this alone makes the pc appear like a critical desktop alternative in miniature kind.
Christoph Hoffmann
The steel housing with CNC jet-oxidized floor has a black heart part and all-round air flow slots. The design permits the PC for use horizontally or vertically, though the association of the rubber ft and cooling openings are extra in favor of upright use. The screws for opening the housing are additionally positioned underneath the glued rubber. This complicates upgrading a bit.
Christoph Hoffmann
The design supplies ample quantity for cooling the Ryzen AI Max 395, however the EVO-X2 can nonetheless be simply positioned on the desk or hidden underneath a monitor stand.
The EVO-X2 does with out apparent visible gimmicks comparable to RGB LEDs, however nonetheless glows a delicate blue from the air flow slots.
In addition to the same old connections on the entrance and rear (see under), the “Fan Mode” button on the bevelled edge stands out. Behind this can be a switchable fan management, which can be utilized to regulate the quantity and cooling efficiency to your individual necessities. With different mini PCs, the corresponding setting must be activated within the BIOS.
Christoph Hoffmann
Depending on the mode, the cooling system both works significantly quietly for easy duties or considerably extra powerfully when most efficiency is required—for instance when gaming, rendering, or dealing with AI workloads. This permits the consumer to determine for themselves whether or not the mini PC ought to run as quietly as potential or make the most of its cooling to the max in an effort to keep increased clock charges for longer.
The P-Mode (Performance Mode) can be obtainable. A efficiency profile of the GMKtec EVO-X2 is activated on the contact of a button, which units the Mini-PC to most pace in three phases.
When switching, small icons (inexperienced, orange, and crimson) are displayed on the display screen. The system will increase its efficiency limits for the CPU, GPU, and NPU in order that increased clock charges will be maintained for longer. At the identical time, the cooling system works extra aggressively to reliably dissipate the extra waste warmth.
In apply, this implies noticeably extra energy for gaming, rendering, coding or AI calculations – however with barely increased noise ranges and vitality consumption. P-Mode is subsequently very best if you wish to make the most of the complete efficiency of the EVO-X2. In the benchmarks (see under), we examined it in the usual settings and in efficiency mode.
GMKtec EVO-X2: Features
The EVO-X2 comes with a powerful {hardware} mixture that clearly exceeds what you’ll count on from a standard mini PC. At its coronary heart is the AMD Ryzen AI Max 395, which is already manufactured in 4 nm, has 16 cores and 32 threads and clocks at as much as 5.1 GHz.
The built-in Radeon 8060S relies on AMD’s RDNA 3.5 structure and has 40 compute items. Thanks to the effectivity and shader optimizations from AMD’s present cellular high-end GPUs, it delivers surprisingly excessive computing and rasterisation efficiency regardless of its compact thermal finances.
Together with the quick LPDDR5X reminiscence, the 8060S performs nicely above earlier built-in Radeon generations and achieves body charges in lots of fashionable video games that had been beforehand reserved for devoted pocket book graphics playing cards such because the Nvidia RTX 4070.
Christoph Hoffmann
There can be an NPU for AI masses with 50 TOPS in order that AMD’s XDNA-2 engine will be utilized to its full potential—complete efficiency of as much as 126 TOPS in keeping with the producer. The NPU processes fashions immediately on the system and thus noticeably reduces the load on the CPU and GPU, which not solely brings effectivity positive aspects, but additionally permits secure efficiency throughout longer inference (AI coaching) classes.
Demanding AI workflows specifically, comparable to picture and video evaluation, mannequin quantisation or native LLM utilization, profit significantly from this, because the NPU has been specifically optimized for these computationally intensive, extremely parallelizable duties.
The mannequin we examined has 128GB of Samsung LPDDR5X RAM with 8,000 MHz (K3KLALAOEM-MGCV). In addition, there’s a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (Crucial P3 CT2000 PCIe M.2 2280). This mixture turns the EVO-X2 right into a critical workstation base.
Christoph Hoffmann
The GMKtec EVO-X2 affords versatile connectivity that simply helps each fashionable shows and quick peripherals. Via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB4, picture alerts as much as 8K at 60 Hz will be output, which qualifies the mini PC for high-resolution multi-monitor set-ups.
Wi-Fi 7 with the RZ717 module and a 2.5 Gbit LAN port can be found for the community connection, supplemented by Bluetooth 5.4 for wi-fi equipment. The energy provide delivers 19.5 volts at 11.8 amps and is subsequently designed for prime load peaks.
Christoph Hoffmann
On the entrance, there are two USB-A 3.2 Gen2 ports, a 3.5 mm audio socket, a USB-C port with USB4 for information charges of as much as 40 Gbit/s, an SD card reader (SD4.0/SDXC), and buttons for energy, fan lighting, and energy mode switching.
At the rear, the EVO-X2 additionally affords DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbit/s), two USB-A 2.0 ports, one other USB-C port with USB4 functionality, a 3.5 mm audio connection, the DC energy enter, and the two.5 Gbit LAN port.
Christoph Hoffmann
In quick, the tools and interfaces are on a par with desktop workstations—and in a housing that’s nonetheless compact and unobtrusive.
GMKtec EVO-X2: Operating system
The EVO-X2 comes with Windows 11 Pro, which is robotically activated on-line after the primary begin. The fundamental setup is accomplished in only a few minutes; we then up to date the system from Windows model 24H2 to 25H2.
Christoph Hoffmann
Important observe: After the preliminary set up of Windows 11, quite a few drivers are required, above all of the AMD drivers for the Radeon graphics card and the chipset.
This ensures that the Mini-PC runs underneath optimum circumstances and that every one parts can develop their full efficiency.
Christoph Hoffmann
Pre-installed underneath Windows 11 is GMKtec’s personal software program in English. Numerous AI fashions will be loaded through the built-in app retailer, and when testing the EVO-X2, it shortly turns into clear what GMKtec means by the knowledge on LLM help: the mini PC is designed to run giant AI fashions immediately on the system—with out the cloud.
When geared up with 128GB of RAM, native LLMs with greater than 100 billion parameters will be loaded with relative ease. For on a regular basis use, which means extra complicated AI duties that might in any other case solely be potential on highly effective workstations can be utilized immediately on the EVO-X2. The {hardware} supplies the required reserves for this, and it’s exactly this that clearly units the mini PC aside from the entry-level or workplace phase.
GMKtec EVO-X2: Performance
The EVO-X2 excels significantly the place intensive computing masses are required as our benchmark values clearly present. In PCMark 10, the system achieves a complete of 8,953 factors within the default setting, with 11,559 in “Essentials”, 10,853 in “Productivity” and 15,527 in “Digital Content Creation”.
The leads to efficiency mode: 9,078 factors total with 11,325, 11,153 and 16,074 within the sub-disciplines. This clearly locations the EVO-X2 within the higher phase of typical mini PCs—even the aggressive values of units such because the Minisforum AI X1 Pro with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 are noticeably decrease at 7,400 factors (PCMark 10).
Christoph Hoffmann
Compared to present desktop PCs, the EVO-X2 comes surprisingly near full-fledged mid-range workstations: Many techniques with Ryzen 7 or Core i7 desktop processors solely obtain comparable total scores in PCMark. The excessive rating within the “Digital Content Creation” space specifically reaches a stage that’s in any other case normally reserved for PCs with a devoted GPU or a considerably bigger efficiency finances.
For a mini PC, the EVO-X2’s proximity to the basic desktop efficiency class is exceptional and reveals how effectively AMD’s present APU structure works together with quick RAM and optimized energy administration.
The 3DMark profile checks additionally present sturdy CPU efficiency throughout all thread units: 9,875 factors at most thread utilization or 9,719 (16 threads) and 8,348 (8 threads) are significantly putting. These values are nicely above what typical laptop computer APUs obtain and place the EVO-X2 within the efficiency class of recent mid- to upper-range desktop processors.
Christoph Hoffmann
In direct comparability, the multi-thread efficiency is extra in keeping with CPUs comparable to a Ryzen 7 7700 or an Intel Core i7 of the 13th/14th technology, whereas the effectivity stays noticeably increased. This is exceptional for a mini PC—it’s nicely outdoors the same old cellular limits and really comes near the throughput efficiency of full desktop techniques in lots of situations. In comparability: The Minisforum AI X1 Pro achieves 8,292 factors whereas the Sapphire Edge AI 370 reaches 8,808 factors.
Christoph Hoffmann
In Time Spy, the EVO-X2 achieves 10,697 factors (graphics 10,779, CPU 10,256), with an estimated 105 FPS in gaming mode—a transparent indication of great gaming and 3D efficiency. The Sapphire Edge AI 370 achieves slightly below a 3rd of the values (3,764 factors), whereas the Geekom IT15 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H achieves 4,244 factors.
In the sport Tomb Raider – Definitive Edition, the EVO-X2 achieved an impressively clean efficiency for a mini PC with 10,767 rendered frames and a mean of 69 FPS, with hardly any drops even in action-packed scenes.
Christoph Hoffmann
The Crystal DiskMark values of over 7,000 MB/s (learn) and over 6,200 MB/s (write) additionally emphasize the pace of the built-in SSD—very best for big recordsdata, initiatives, and quick loading instances.
Christoph Hoffmann
However, the AI efficiency is especially exceptional: in Geekbench AI Pro, the system delivers 6,393 factors in Single Precision, 2,399 in Half Precision and an excellent 11,315 factors in Quantised Score. In efficiency mode, the values enhance solely barely to 6,436, 2,401 and 11,337. These benchmarks point out that the EVO-X2 just isn’t solely excellently fitted to basic desktop workloads, but additionally for contemporary machine studying and AI duties and thus outperforms the category of many conventional mini PCs.
Christoph Hoffmann
The energy of the EVO-X2 is clearly noticeable in on a regular basis gaming and content material creation: video enhancing, picture processing and 3D rendering run easily and shortly. Even demanding video games on excessive settings are not any downside – the built-in GPU delivers efficiency at laptop computer graphics card stage (similar to cellular high-end playing cards), so that you don’t essentially want an exterior GPU in case you’re not aiming for optimum element ranges.
Is the GMKtec EVO-X2 value it?
Overall, the EVO-X2 delivers a mixture of CPU, GPU, and AI efficiency that’s at present top-of-the-line within the mini PC class. In its compact format, it strikes a steadiness between mini PC and compact desktop workstation—and delivers what many different mini PCs provide solely inadequately or under no circumstances.
Compared to different present mini PCs with AI or performance-focussed processors, the EVO-X2 stands out with its well-balanced options. Mini-PCs with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 such because the Minisforum AI X1 Pro and Sapphire Edge AI 370 fall noticeably in need of the highest efficiency of the EVO-X2, regardless of the Ryzen AI 9 being a strong processor.
In phrases of AI and gaming efficiency, the EVO-X2 is subsequently extra comparable with compact workstation PCs than with typical mini PCs. Only full-fledged desktop PCs with devoted GPUs and extra highly effective, typically extra power-hungry processors can outperform it in high-end workloads. But for a mini PC, the Ryzen AI Max 395 is a powerful step ahead—a future-orientated alternative that meets or exceeds the present necessities in lots of respects.
In on a regular basis use, the EVO-X2 masters multitasking, parallel workflows, AI inference, and graphically demanding processes with ease. For customers who wish to run video enhancing, 3D modelling, AI initiatives, or just video games at a excessive stage, the EVO-X2 is at present one of the thrilling choices within the mini format. However, it comes at a excessive value—our check system prices round $2,100 full value.