Now, this is an article I wasn’t expecting to write any time soon, but I am extremely glad I am. Until now, the ASUS ROG Ally has been the only handheld PC with a Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) screen, which helps make it feel extremely smooth in games where the framerate can dip. It’s a fantastic tool to use, and I find it essential when I need to play games that require some form of compromise. Now, we have a second competitor in this field, and while it is a bit more expensive, there are a lot of benefits!
GPD has announced its newest device. A refresh of the GPD WIN Mini, their clamshell designed handheld PC, and it has some awesome new features that start to make it a bit more appealing to me than some other handhelds on the market. While it has some great improvements across the board, such as the introduction of the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U APU, there are some tradeoffs to note.
The biggest boost comes from the 8840U, which may have a bit more difference than expected. On paper, the 8840U doesn’t bring with it much of a difference in terms of performance from the 7840U since they both use the same iGPU (780M Graphics), but in tests that Cary Colomb (The Phawx) did, it seems that the 8840U performs a bit better at lower Watt rates. Based on the test that he posted on X (Twitter), the new APU outperforms all of its competitors, which include the Steam Deck APU (Van Gogh):
While it might be minimal changes, it definitely counts! Pairing this with the awesome clamshell design, ergonomic grip, and the new 7-inch VRR 120Hz screen, the new GPD WIN Mini has a lot going for it. But there are some issues that I could see as well.
First, the Oculink port is gone. While you can use eGPUs with the USB4 port, they only support 40Gbps bandwidth instead of the 63Gbps that Oculink does. It may not be much of an issue in the end, but I do like taking full advantage when I can. Second, the battery is around 44.24Wh. This is less than the AYANEO FLIP DS, which we reviewed, and that already had some pretty low battery life overall. With Windows being on this handheld, I wouldn’t expect a long battery life for portable play.
Is this still a great deal? I would say so. The upgrades and possibilities are wonderful, and coupled with a VRR 120Hz screen and significantly better design (that only weighs 520g), this is a fantastic alternative handheld for the ROG Ally that I would easily trade for. Now, it is a bit expensive with the base price point starting at $879, but it does come with 32GB RAM, which is great for games that really need it (I’m looking at you Returnal).
You can check out the GPD WIN Mini 2024 model for yourself over on Indiegogo. The campaign isn’t live just yet, but it more than likely will be very soon.
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