Image: GMKTec
Mini PCs are all the rage right now. And why not? They often use laptop hardware — which has become ridiculously powerful — in a smaller, cheaper, more efficient form factor than a full-power desktop. Before you get another laptop, you should really consider a mini PC.
That said, you can now order a mini PC with AMD’s latest and greatest laptop CPU: the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. At least, if you live in China.
Yeah, sorry to get your hopes up to the billions of other people on the planet, but this one is coming from GMKTec, a brand that serves China first and foremost. But this company also has a presence in the west and a few fans of its hardware, plus an official US store, so we might see its new EVO-X1 design show up here before too long. And given what it’s offering, you may want to keep an eye out for it.
The spec list, according to sources compiled by VideoCardz.com, is a doozie. You get the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (ugh, what a beach ball of a product name) with its 12-core design and integrated Radeon 890M graphics. You get 32GB of DDR5 RAM, two PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives, and support for USB4 and dual monitors via HDMI and DisplayPort. But on the front is a super-special OCuLink port, giving immediate access to some beefy external graphics if you need it.
All of this is crammed into a tiny case that’s just 0.7 liters in volume and 4.3 inches on its longest side. Despite these diminutive dimensions, it can send up to 70 watts of TDP to the Ryzen 370 thanks to a custom vapor chamber cooling setup. According to the specs, it’ll keep the SSD and RAM frosty, too, allowing for better performance than we’ve seen from similarly equipped laptops so far. That’s the claim, anyway — we’d need to get our hands on it to verify.
When can you get one? If you’re in China, the EVO-X1 should launch by the end of the month for 5,300 RMB (about $733 USD). That’s pricey for a mini-PC, especially if you have to supply your own storage and operating system. But considering the cutting-edge hardware, it might be worth considering. Keep an eye on the GMKTec global store to see if this thing pops up, though it seems unlikely to do so before 2025.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he’s the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop “battlestation” in his off hours. Michael’s previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he’s covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he’s always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.
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