- Cinebench scores place this handheld alongside full-sized AMD workstations in performance
- GPD WIN 5 detachable battery design reduces weight and improves portability
- Dual-fan cooling keeps the 70W chip running without immediate throttling concerns
When a portable machine starts outperforming a workstation, the line between compact gaming devices and full-fledged PCs begins to blur.
The GPD WIN 5 from Shenzhen GPD Technology represents such a shift, packing desktop-grade performance into a frame that still fits comfortably in one hand.
Yet, despite the impressive numbers, it also invites questions about practicality, heat management, and whether such power truly makes sense for professionals and gamers alike.
Pushing the boundaries of portable gaming performance
The GPD WIN 5 integrates AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, a 16-core, 32-thread chip capable of boosting up to 5.1GHz.
This chip rivals high-end desktop systems, and it is one of the best AMD CPUs for compact systems, excelling in high-performance mini PCs and thin laptops that need strong AI support with an integrated GPU.
Paired with the Radeon 8060S GPU, built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture with 40 compute units, this combination pushes the device well beyond the limits of most handheld systems.
The GPD WIN 5 supports quad-channel LPDDR5X memory and offers SSD storage options up to 4TB, with expansion through a new Mini SSD slot.
These specifications place it close to workstation territory in terms of multitasking and data throughput.
Cinebench R23 results suggest the GPD WIN 5 surpasses AMD’s 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX workstation CPU, making it a capable PC for video editing.
Still, even with its benchmark success, relying on a handheld device for sustained rendering or editing tasks may stretch beyond its intended scope.
The GPD WIN 5 features a 7-inch 120Hz full HD display that balances portability with smooth, detailed visuals for gaming and editing.
For users who demand both mobility and performance, the WIN 5’s configuration appears to challenge conventional ideas about what the best gaming PC should look like.
However, this level of processing power in such a small enclosure naturally raises concerns about thermals, fan noise, and sustained load stability.
To address weight and heat, GPD introduced a detachable battery system, a unique approach that allows users to remove the heaviest component while maintaining external power through a cable.
This feature effectively lightens the unit during handheld play, although it introduces awkward cable placement and setup complexity.
For cooling, it uses a dual-fan system designed to manage the high 70W power output while maintaining stability under heavy workloads despite the compact form.
Via PC Watch (originally in Japanese)
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The post This tiny gaming PC packs a workstation’s punch and questions whether desktops are still worth keeping around first appeared on TechToday.
This post originally appeared on TechToday.