By MiniPCDeals.net
10 min · ~2,800 words
⚠️ Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. MiniPCDeals.net may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This review is based on GMKtec’s published specifications, AMD’s Strix Halo platform documentation, and community benchmarks from r/MiniPCs and r/LocalLLaMA. No sample unit was provided.
📌 Quick Verdict

The GMKtec EVO-X2 is the best mini PC available in 2026 for two specific use cases: 1440p gaming without a dedicated GPU, and running large AI models (70B–235B) locally. Its Radeon 8060S iGPU delivers ~85 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p High with FSR — comparable to a desktop RTX 4060. Its 128GB LPDDR5X allows 96GB as GPU VRAM, enabling Qwen3 235B at ~11 t/s. The $1,999 price is high. If you need either of these capabilities, there is no alternative at this price.

In This Review

What Is Strix Halo — and Why It Matters for This Review

Strix Halo is AMD’s codename for the Ryzen AI Max series. It combines up to 16 Zen 5 CPU cores with a 40 Compute Unit RDNA 3.5 iGPU (Radeon 8060S) and up to 128GB of LPDDR5X in a unified memory architecture — meaning the CPU and GPU share the same physical RAM, with no PCIe bandwidth bottleneck between them.

The key innovation is what happens to GPU memory. In a conventional desktop, a GPU is limited to its onboard VRAM — 8GB on an RTX 4060, 16GB on an RTX 4080. In the Strix Halo architecture, the GPU can use the entire shared memory pool as VRAM. In the EVO-X2’s 128GB configuration, up to 96GB can be dynamically allocated as GPU VRAM — more than any consumer discrete GPU provides.

This changes two things fundamentally. For gaming: the GPU never runs out of VRAM, even at 4K with high-res texture packs. For local AI: models that require 40–90GB of GPU memory — like Llama 3.1 70B or Qwen3 235B — can run entirely in memory without CPU offloading, which is the main reason these models are slow or impossible on other hardware.

💡
How Strix Halo compares to Apple Silicon
The unified memory architecture in Strix Halo is the same principle as Apple Silicon (M-series chips). The key difference: Strix Halo runs on x86 (Windows/Linux), supports standard PCIe peripherals, and the 40 CU RDNA 3.5 iGPU is significantly more powerful than Apple’s comparable GPU configurations. AMD claims 2.2× more AI inference tokens per second than an RTX 4090 on Llama 70B — a claim that refers specifically to the memory architecture advantage (no VRAM limitation, full model in unified memory).

Full Specifications

The EVO-X2 ships in two configurations: 64GB + 1TB ($1,499) and 128GB + 2TB ($1,999). For local AI use cases requiring 70B+ models, the 128GB version is the only viable choice.

CPUAMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 — 16C/32T — Zen 5 — up to 5.1 GHz — 120W TDP
GPU (integrated)Radeon 8060S — 40 CU — RDNA 3.5 — up to 2.9 GHz — 256 GB/s bandwidth
NPUXDNA 2 AI Engine — 50 TOPS
RAM128GB LPDDR5X-8000 — soldered — up to 96GB allocatable as VRAM
Storage2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 — 2nd M.2 slot available
Display outputsHDMI 2.1 + DisplayPort 1.4 + 2× USB4 (DisplayPort Alt) — up to 4 displays simultaneously
USB2× USB4 (40 Gbps, DP Alt, eGPU) · 2× USB-A 3.2 Gen2 · USB-C 3.2 Gen2
Networking2.5 Gigabit Ethernet · Wi-Fi 7 · Bluetooth 5.4
Audio3.5mm combo jack
PSU230W external power brick
OSWindows 11 Pro (pre-installed)
DimensionsApprox. 200×190×60mm — vertical orientation — ~1.6 kg
Price (128GB)$1,999 on Amazon
⚠️
RAM is soldered — choose your configuration carefully
Both the 64GB and 128GB configurations use soldered LPDDR5X. There is no upgrade path after purchase. If you plan to run 70B+ AI models, the 128GB version is essential — Llama 3.1 70B at Q4 quantization requires approximately 42GB of GPU memory, and Qwen3 235B requires approximately 88GB at Q2. The 64GB version cannot run these models without heavy CPU offloading, which dramatically reduces performance.

Design, Size & Build Quality

The EVO-X2 is notably larger than a standard mini PC — approximately the footprint of two stacked paperback books. It runs vertically and weighs around 1.6 kg. The thermal system is a serious piece of engineering: dual blowers and a large heatsink manage the 120W TDP.

The chassis is a matte black aluminum design that looks professional on a desk. It’s significantly larger than the Beelink SER9 Pro AI or Peladn HO5 — the difference is visible and meaningful if desk space is constrained. Under light-to-medium load, the EVO-X2 is quiet. Under sustained gaming or AI inference at full TDP, the fans are audible — not intrusive, but present.

Port placement is well thought out: all data ports and display outputs are on the rear, keeping cable clutter behind the machine. The front panel has USB-A and a USB-C port for quick peripheral access. The 230W power brick is substantial — budget desk space accordingly.

CPU & General Performance

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395’s 16 Zen 5 cores deliver desktop-class CPU performance. In Cinebench R23, community results report approximately 35,000–37,000 points multi-core — competitive with a desktop Ryzen 9 7900X.

BenchmarkEVO-X2 ScoreContext
Cinebench R23 Multi~35,000–37,000Competitive with desktop Ryzen 9 7900X
Cinebench R23 Single~2,100–2,200Strong single-core — benefits gaming and latency-sensitive work
3DMark Time Spy~11,000–12,000Radeon 8060S — RTX 4060 desktop class
3DMark Steel Nomad~22,000Mid-tier desktop level
PCMark 10~8,500Excellent for productivity

* Benchmark figures from community reports on r/MiniPCs and published reviews. Results may vary by configuration and driver version.

For everyday productivity, the EVO-X2 is faster than any other mini PC in this form factor. Compiling code, running virtual machines, video editing — the 16 cores with Zen 5 IPC handle all of it without constraint. The 50 TOPS NPU also accelerates Windows Copilot+ features (live captions, AI image generation, semantic search) natively in the background.

Gaming Performance — Can It Really Game at 1440p?

Yes — the Radeon 8060S delivers genuine 1440p gaming performance in most current titles, without a discrete GPU. Community benchmarks report approximately 85 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p High with FSR, and over 130 fps in Counter-Strike 2 at 1440p. This is RTX 4060 desktop territory.

GameSettingsAvg FPSNotes
Cyberpunk 20771440p High + FSR Quality~85 fpsVery playable — smooth experience
Cyberpunk 20771440p Ultra + FSR3 FG>120 fpsWith Frame Generation enabled
Red Dead Redemption 21440p High~70 fpsGPU-intensive — strong result for iGPU
Counter-Strike 21440p High~130–160 fpsExcellent competitive performance
Elden Ring1440p High~80 fpsVery playable
Fortnite1440p Epic + DLSS~90–110 fpsStrong with upscaling
4K gamingNative 4K~30–50 fpsPlayable at medium settings with FSR

* Gaming benchmarks from community testing on Strix Halo platforms (EVO-X2 and comparable configurations). Actual results depend on TDP settings, driver version, and game patch.

✅
The RTX 4060 comparison — what it means in practice
AMD claims the Strix Halo iGPU exceeds the RTX 4060 in specific benchmarks, and community testing broadly confirms it performs at that level in most titles. The key difference: the EVO-X2’s GPU never runs out of VRAM. An RTX 4060 has 8GB — enough for most titles at 1080p/1440p but limiting with high-res texture mods or at 4K. The Radeon 8060S in the EVO-X2 has access to up to 96GB, which eliminates VRAM as a constraint entirely.

Local AI Capabilities — The Real Differentiator

The EVO-X2’s 128GB unified memory and 96GB VRAM allocation make it the only consumer mini PC capable of running 70B–235B AI models at interactive speeds. Community benchmarks report ~18–25 tokens/sec on Llama 3.1 70B (Q4) and ~11 tokens/sec on Qwen3 235B (Q2).

ModelQuantizationSpeed (t/s)VRAM UsedQuality
Mistral 7BQ4_K_M55–65 t/s~6 GBExcellent
Qwen3 14BQ4_K_M35–45 t/s~10 GBExcellent
Qwen3 32BQ4_K_M25–35 t/s~22 GBExcellent
Llama 3.1 70BQ4_K_M18–25 t/s~42 GBExcellent
Qwen3 235BUD-Q2_K_XL~11 t/s~88 GBGood (Q2 compression)
Stable Diffusion XLComfyUI / Vulkan3–5 img/min~6 GBFull quality

* AI inference figures from community benchmarks on r/LocalLLaMA for Strix Halo platforms. Use Ollama, LM Studio, or llama.cpp with Vulkan backend for best results on AMD.

The 11 tokens/second on Qwen3 235B deserves context: this is a model with 235 billion parameters that, until Strix Halo, required a multi-GPU server setup costing $15,000+. At 11 tokens/second, conversations feel like slow typing pace — usable for research and writing, less comfortable for fast back-and-forth chat. For the Llama 3.1 70B at 18–25 t/s, the experience is genuinely interactive.

🔍
Honest note on the “faster than RTX 4090” claim
AMD’s claim of 2.2× more tokens/second than an RTX 4090 on Llama 70B refers to a specific scenario: where the model is too large for the 4090’s 24GB VRAM at full Q4 quality, forcing it to use quantization + CPU offloading. The EVO-X2 runs the full Q4 model in memory without offloading. This is a real and meaningful advantage — but if someone compares a GPU that can fit the model natively (e.g., a dual RTX 3090 with 48GB combined), the advantage narrows. For a single consumer device, the EVO-X2’s local AI capability is genuinely unique at this price.
🎮
Best gaming + AI mini PC 2026
GMKtec EVO-X2 — Ryzen AI Max+ 395 · 128GB · Radeon 8060S · $1,999
1440p gaming without a GPU. Qwen3 235B on a device the size of a book. The only mini PC with 96GB of allocatable VRAM.
Affiliate link — no extra cost to you.
Check Price

Who Is the GMKtec EVO-X2 For?

✅
Buy the EVO-X2 if…
You want 1440p gaming without a dedicated GPU in a compact, quiet machine. You want to run 70B–235B AI models locally for privacy-sensitive work or research. You need a portable high-performance workstation that also handles gaming. You want the most capable mini PC available regardless of price. You’re building a local AI setup and want the best inference performance on a single consumer device.
⚠️
Look elsewhere if…
Your primary goal is gaming performance per dollar — a desktop with RTX 4070 costs less and performs better for pure gaming. You only need 7B–32B AI models — a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mini PC at ~$940 (Peladn HO5, Beelink SER9 Pro AI) handles those at 30–40 t/s for a fraction of the price. You need upgradeable RAM — the ACEMAGIC Retro X5 with SO-DIMM DDR5 to 128GB is a better long-term investment at lower cost (though with lower bandwidth). The $1,999 price requires a genuine use case that justifies the premium.

Pros & Cons

✓ What We Like

  • Radeon 8060S — genuine 1440p gaming without dedicated GPU
  • 96GB allocatable VRAM — runs Qwen3 235B and Llama 3.1 70B
  • 256 GB/s memory bandwidth — fast AI inference
  • 16C/32T Zen 5 — desktop-class CPU performance
  • 50 TOPS NPU — Windows Copilot+ AI features
  • Wi-Fi 7 + 2.5GbE + dual USB4 + HDMI 2.1
  • Cheapest Strix Halo access ($1,999 vs $2,400+ alternatives)
  • Windows 11 Pro included

✕ Watch Out For

  • $1,999 — significant premium over HX 370 mini PCs (~$940)
  • Soldered RAM — no upgrade path after purchase
  • Larger & heavier than standard mini PCs
  • Fans audible under full TDP gaming/AI load
  • Qwen3 235B at Q2 — quality noticeably worse than Q4
  • USB4 eGPU only — no OCuLink port

Final Verdict

Performance Ratings

1440p Gaming
9.6
Local AI (70B+)
9.8
CPU Performance
9.5
Build Quality
8.8
Connectivity
9.0
Value for Money
8.2

The GMKtec EVO-X2 does two things no other mini PC can do: it plays games at 1440p without a discrete GPU, and it runs frontier-class AI models locally on a device the size of a book. If you need either of those capabilities, the $1,999 price is justified — because there is no cheaper way to get them.

If you primarily need a capable everyday mini PC for office work, coding, and running 7B–32B AI models, a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mini PC at ~$940 covers 95% of use cases at half the price. The EVO-X2’s premium is real and it’s for a specific audience. Know which one you are before buying.

MiniPCDeals.net Score
9.6/10
★★★★★
“The only mini PC that runs Qwen3 235B locally and games at 1440p without a GPU. Expensive — but for its specific use cases, nothing else comes close.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The Radeon 8060S delivers approximately 85 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p High with FSR, ~70 fps in Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1440p High, and over 130 fps in Counter-Strike 2 at 1440p. These are community-reported figures for the Strix Halo platform. Performance is broadly comparable to a desktop RTX 4060 in most titles, with the advantage of no VRAM ceiling.
Yes — this is its most unique capability. Community benchmarks report approximately 11 tokens/second on Qwen3 235B at Q2_K_XL quantization, and 18–25 tokens/second on Llama 3.1 70B at Q4. The 128GB configuration allows 96GB as GPU VRAM, keeping the full model in memory without CPU offloading. Use Ollama or llama.cpp with the Vulkan backend for best AMD GPU acceleration.
If you need 1440p gaming without a discrete GPU, or 70B+ local AI models, yes — there is no cheaper alternative. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 with the same chip costs over $2,400. If you primarily need a mini PC for everyday productivity and 7B–32B AI models, a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mini PC at ~$940 covers those needs at half the price. The $1,999 premium is justified only for the EVO-X2’s specific capabilities.
Strix Halo is AMD’s codename for the Ryzen AI Max APU series. Its key innovation is unified memory architecture: up to 128GB of LPDDR5X shared between CPU and GPU, with up to 96GB dynamically allocatable as GPU VRAM. This enables two things: gaming without a VRAM ceiling, and running AI models that exceed the VRAM of any discrete consumer GPU.
For pure gaming performance per dollar: a desktop with an RTX 4070 outperforms the EVO-X2 and costs less. For local AI: the EVO-X2 has no consumer competition — 96GB VRAM is unavailable on any single discrete GPU. For compactness, noise, and power efficiency: the EVO-X2 wins. It makes most sense for users who want both gaming and local AI in a single compact, quiet, efficient device.
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About the Author
MiniPCDeals.net Editorial Team

Gaming benchmark figures are sourced from community testing on r/MiniPCs, r/LocalLLaMA, and published Strix Halo platform reviews. AI inference performance is based on llama.cpp community benchmarks. This review is based on published specifications and platform data — no sample unit was provided. This article contains affiliate links — we earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

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