GPD Win Max 2 review: when portability meets performance

GPD Win Max 2 has come a long way from the Shenzhen-based company’s first handheld almost a decade ago, targeting gamers and some professionals who seek a compact but still powerful portable device. While there are two versions including the slimmer Ryzen 5 8640U variant, the flagship 2024 model here comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U at its heart, paired with 32GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD, ticking most of the boxes you’d expect, but not entirely without caveats.

It’s especially difficult to stand out in today’s crowded handheld market. Valve has the affordable corner covered even with its flagship Steam Deck OLED, while Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally muscle in on the more enthusiast range. Fortunately, GPD Win 2 carves out its own niche, taking the form of something closer resembling a compact laptop than the bulky builds of its more gaming-centric competitors. It’s this very unconventional design that broadens its user base with lightweight productivity alongside its gaming chops.

Specs

AMD Ryzen 7 8840U provides great foundations, running at a zippy 5.1GHz and gobbling anywhere between 15-30W, placing it in the same ballpark as most others that have come across our desk. It features a built-in Radeon 780M iGPU that’s fairly scalable and you can connect an external GPU via Oculing (SFF-8612) with the support of the GPD G1 eGPU, pushing it past even GeForce RTX 3070.

A 2TB M.2 2280 SSD is already on the upper end of what most portables provide for a primary drive, but there’s no doubt you’ll fill it up quickly with the size of today’s games. GPD gives you the option to install a second, smaller NVMe with a spare M.2 2230 slot so long as you don’t mind whipping out a screwdriver and diving under the hood.

While you can get up to 64GB, the 32GB of memory in our sample unit is plenty for most tasks including basic video editing, which I wouldn’t recommend on such a dinky 10.1in screen. But what’s small in stature is still punchy with a 2560×1600 resolution ten-point touchscreen beneath tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

	GPD Win Max 2 (2024)
Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 8840U
Graphics	AMD Radeon 780M iGPU
Memory	Up to 64GB LPDDR5X RAM (32GB in our sample)
Storage	Up 4TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD (2TB in our sample) SD and microSD slots
Screen	10.1in IPS 2560×1600 touchscreen (ten-point) Corning Gorilla Glass 5 4096-lever pressure sensitivity 299 ppi 400 nit brightness 80.2% DCI-P3 wide color gamut 90% screen ration
Battery	67Wh battery
Connectivity	1x USB 4.0 Type-C (100W PD fast charge) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (100W PD fast charge) 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 OCuLink for eGPU support HDMI 2.1
Wireless	WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 Optional 4G LTE module (sold separately)
Features	Hall Sensor joysticks Six-axis gyroscope Two mappable back buttons Fingerprint sensor Four AAC stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra support Built-in 2 million pixel camera (1612×1212)
Operating system	Windows 11 Home 64-bit

You get a pre-installed Windows 11 Home 64bit, with the option to install either Steam or GPD OS. GPD OS provided by Official Manjaro ARM developer Furkan Kardame. It’s similar to the Linux-based SteamOS for WIN Max 2 and WIN 4 devices. This version is Linux Kernel 6.0, based on Manjaro desktop and Steam OS game modes.

Let’s see how this baby behaves in real-life scenarios.

Design and build quality

GPD Win Max 2 arrives in an unsuspecting plain white box. It doesn’t make a brilliant impression, but it served its purpose well, as the device was intact and ready to launch. A sticker on the side provides config information, so you can be sure you have the right CPU, RAM, and SSD.

Besides the main device, you’ll only get the essentials inside the package. There is a manual in both Chinese and English, a USB Type-C 100W charger to help you juice the device, and a disposable screen protector to keep it nice and shiny while shipping.

Win Max 2 has a compact chassis that feels robust and well-crafted due to its all-metal unibody. Its pretty dinky at just 227x160x23mm (8.94×6.3×0.9in), and not too heavy at 1,005g (2.31 lbs) thanks to a touch of aviation-grade ABS mixed in with aluminum-magnesium alloy, maintaining a trim 1,005g.

To my eye, the 10.1-inch IPS display (with a resolution of up to 2560×1600 and a 16:10 aspect ratio) offers good visuals and vibrant colors, making it suitable for gaming, media consumption, and productivity tasks. A 2MP high-refresh-rate camera is also available if you fancy a quick video call.

The QWERTY keyboard and Precision TouchPad are generally comfortable for extended use, although there is a learning curve to its size. People with big palms, like me, need to be prepared to make some typos in the beginning before getting into the rhythm. It’s reminiscent of old BlackBerry smartphones before the touchscreen boom in that respect. Fortunately, it’s a cinch to use in the dark as there are two levels of backlight control.

The integrated gamepad controls allow an easy transition between gaming and professional work. Hall Sensor joysticks are a notable upgrade over traditional potentiometer sticks, eliminating drift to ensure longevity, which is essential for serious gamers who’ll go to town on GPD Win 2.

You’ll need to be careful storing the device as the reset button sits on the left side and power button on the front, making them a little exposed compared to a traditional laptop. The bonus of keeping the power button accessible is that it features a built-in fingerprint reader, although it’s disappointly inconsistent in practice. Four built-in speakers grace the sides and front of the device for crisp sound and there’s a combo 3.5mm jack ready and waiting for your headset or microphone.

The main connections rest on the rear, with the USB 4 Type-C clearly marked to differentiate it from the accompanying USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C. Both feature 100W power delivery, but it’s the difference between 40Gb/s and 10Gb/s respectively when transferring files or hooking up an external drive.

The remaining two USB 3.2 ports are on the right side, but they don’t share the same level of convenience being Type-A. It’s a common joke that you need to turn a USB-A twice before it finally slots in but with GPD Win 2, third time’s the charm because they’re upside down compared to a standard laptop. Confusing with my muscle memory but old habits die hard.

Expandability is the name of the game here, allowing you to go beyond what’s included in the package. There’s an Oculink port on the back for an eGPU to push frame rates to the next level and space for an optional 4G LTE module or second M.2 2230 NVMe drive on the bottom. Pop in an HDMI cable for an external display and this could be a fully-fledged desktop replacement.

Peformance

The 2024 model I have to hand features the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U (8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.1 GHz), while the 2025 refresh introduces the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, pushing performance even further thanks to the usage of a 12 cores/24 thread CPU and the AMD Radeon 890M iGPU. Still, this sample should be enough for the majority of the users.

When you boot GPD Win Max 2, you’ll first need to finish the Windows 11 installation by setting the language/keyboard layout, etc. Then, it’s important to check the CPU-Z to see if everything is showing what it should:

The LPDDR5 RAM provided here works at 6400 MHz, with CL17/15/17 timings.

Benchmarks

Now it’s time to put the device to the test using an assortment of synthetic benchmarks.

Benchmark	Score
CPU-Z	639.2 single thread 4,936.9 multi thread
Cinebench 2024	98 single-core 708 multi-core
Cinebench R23	1,525 single-core 10,446 multi-core
AIDA64	50,447MB/s read 92,880MB/s write 69,498MB/s copy 123.8ns latency
AS SSD	4,019.02MB/s seq. read 3,511.04MB/s seq. write
PCMark 10	5,784
3Dmark Firestrike	7,234
3DMark Night Raid	26.657
3DMark Steel Nomad	2,592
3DMark TimeSpy	3,056

Although GPD doesn’t list the make and model of the storage drive, we can see in AS SSD software that it’s Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 2 TB. All is well here, too, with strong sequential read and write speeds for a mid-tier Gen4 M.2.

We’re used to compact NVMe powerhouses these days but it’s still astounding how far we’ve come over the past decade.

AIDA64 resuls are fine, especially the write speed, which is good for the GPD Win Max 2 memory.

Gaming

GPD Win Max 2 shines in gaming benchmarks, handling even modern titles with respectable performance at 1080p. The small form factor isn’t always ideal, but ditching the mouse and keyboard has its benefits when you’re out and about with no desk to lean on.

	Frame rate Min / Avg
Forza Horizon 5 FHD, Medium, 8x MSAA, DX12	30 / 38fps
Fornite FHD, Medium, DX12	51 / 76fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider FHD, High	28 / 44fps
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered FHD, Low, FSR 2.1 (Quality)	38 / 51fps
Street Fighter 6 FHD, Low, internal resolution:4	57 / 61fps

Forza Horizon 5 is notably tough on the system but animation remains consistent enough to play, even if I’d prefer closer to 60fps. For that coveted number, you’d need to drop the details settings to Low and decrease the MSAA. The same goes for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which leaves enough wiggle room to bump up frame rates with a little tinkering.

Zipping through New York City skylines and beating up baddies in Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is rather enjoyable with enough performance to keep those Spidey Senses tingling.

As a competitive shooter, Fortnite certainly benefits from a good old mouse and keyboard rather than the analogue sticks, but it keeps surprisingly good pace. Even with lows of 51fps, there was no noticeable stutter.

Street Fighter 6 comes the closest to a stable 60fps with silky smooth gameplay. You can concentrate on your combos rather than stutters that would otherwise lose you the fight.

Screen

The 10.1in display on GPD Win Max 2 pulls double duty. Not only does it need to sit there and look pretty with its 2560×1600 resolution, it needs to play nice with navigation being a ten-point touchscreen. Fortunately, it’s responsive to the touch and sometimes surprisingly useful in a daily use, which I didn’t expect.

Reflections are prominant, especially if you have your back to the window or flaring sun, which isn’t very pleasant. On the other side, thanks to the glossy screen coating we’ve celebrated on similar gaming monitors, the colours are enjoyable, and the blacks are deep and not washed out. Of course, IPS only goes so far, as it’s not the same level as an OLED panel but it’s punches above its weight.

Vitals

With a basic BIOS, there’s not much to swap or change. It’s all pretty much good to go.

Battery life

Featuring a 67Wh battery, the device performs commendably for casual use, delivering up to 14 hours of office work. This translates to between 3-8 hours in a typical usage and around 5 hours of gaming. Heavy gaming scenarios that take up significant GPU load, such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon: Forbidden West, or Red Dead Redemption 2, make it drop to 1.5–2 hours.

This isn’t a device you want to tether given its portability, but it thankfully doesn’t stay stuck to a cord for long. Rapid charging with the full 100W PD charger ensures efficiency, with 50% charge achievable in just 20 minutes, making it ideal for users always on the go.

Temperature

The thermals are shown in the FLIR picture under full load. The cover doesn’t heat up more than about 40 degrees Celsius. At the vent, you can see around 50-55 degrees Celsius.

Looking towards our monitoring program, HWInfo shows the CPU reaching up to 80C, while the GPU sits at a respectable 64C. Not bad considering it’ll sit in the palm of your hand.

Noise

During a typical office scenario, noise levels are around 31-32dBA (with 30dBA reference for the background). It’s 40-45dBA during a moderate load, which isn’t too bothersome, but cranking it up reaches around 55dBA for the full load scenario, becoming slightly annoying over a longer one-hour-plus period.

Conclusion

GPD Win Max 2 (2024) makes its definition of a portable gaming PC, offering plenty of power beneath its pint-sized portability. It’s not without its quirks, such as a wonky fingerprint reader and some strange USB arrangements, but there’s plenty to marvel at.

Its glossy screen isn’t the most inspired owing to reflections as you brave the bright outdoors, but it offers contrast and colours comparable to screens sitting on far more expensive devices. I’d have liked to have seen OLED or a higher refresh rate, but this leaves room for a future generation.

You can connect multiple monitors and increase your desktop space if you want. GPD Win Max 2 can be a handheld console and a mini laptop. Whether you’re a gamer, a professional, or someone who needs a powerful device, this is a good option. The built-in controllers are high quality, and only the action buttons might be too small for some. You get a Hall sensor joystick, a QWERTY keyboard with two levels of backlighting, and also the possibility to expand the storage and graphics via Oculink eGPU.

The SD/MicroSD readers are convenient for when you want to download the pics taken during photo sessions using its built-in 2MP camera. As for the speakers, they give enough clarity for daily operations, like watching videos, but it’s worth tempering expectations as integrated solutions only offer so much.

You can game for hours on end thanks to its 67Wh battery complete with 100W fast charging, however you’ll need to be selective of what you play. Achieving more than 1.5-2 hours of battery life is hard under heavier titles, during which time you’ll bare the brunt of a loud 55dBA fan running at 100%. Regardless of what you boot, you can at the very least rest assured the cooling system keeps thermals in check, preventing throttling.

GPD Win Max 2 has gone through a few different revisions, and you can currently get the identical 2025 model with 1TB of storage for $1,079. It’s a fair chunk of change but worth consideration, taking the size/performance ratio.