- GMKtec EVO-X3 ditched flat mini PC designs for a vertical tower layout
- Ryzen AI Max+ 395 survives despite newer silicon already out there
- Triple-fan cooling replaces the thermal approach used by the EVO-X2
GMKtec has detailed the EVO-X3, an AI mini PC workstation built around AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 ‘Strix Halo’ processor.
The company is retaining the same silicon used in its predecessor, the EVO-X2, which AMD CEO Lisa Su personally signed off on as a mark of approval.
GMKtec has made significant changes to the chassis, however, completely ditching the flat square case typical of most mini PCs.
A tower-style overhaul built to address old complaints
The EVO-X3 trades the flat footprint of the EVO-X2 for a large, three-fan tower that feels more like a graphics card wrapped in steel than a conventional mini PC.
Despite the added height, the footprint remains compact, comparable in size to a vertically seated PS4 console, with GMKtec claiming the redesign balances performance, efficiency and thermal stability during continuous professional workloads.
Reviewers had criticized the EVO-X2 primarily for build quality issues, citing a cheap case, difficult internal access, and persistent fan noise under load.
This likely influenced the EVO-X3’s design changes, but it remains to be seen whether the new chassis actually addresses these issues.
GMKtec has exceeded enthusiast expectations by rejecting AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max+ 495 chip in favor of Ryzen AI Max+ 395 silicon.
The processor combines CPU, GPU, and a large NPU rated at 50 TOPS, comfortably above the 40 TOPS threshold required for Microsoft’s Copilot+ designation.
The EVO-X3 will be available in two storage configurations – 2TB or 4TB – and both versions feature the same 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory.
The device will also feature two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 slots, allowing total storage to scale up to 8TB in either configuration.
GMKtec bundles its proprietary Claw+Wrangler suite directly on the EVO-X3, a local inference toolkit designed for one-click setup and around-the-clock AI agents.
The company says the 128GB memory configuration can run models with up to 235 billion parameters entirely on the device, and none of these deductions rely on cloud servers, meaning there are no per-token fees and no user data ever leaves the machine.
A sharp price rise for a familiar chip
GMKtec lists a pre-launch price of $3,600 for the 128 GB and 2 TB configuration, and $3,849 for the 4 TB version, both described as discounted debut figures.
Early Access registration opened on June 22, offering an additional $20 off, with the global launch date and shipping date both set for July 6.
For comparison, the EVO-X2 launched at $1,999 with 64GB of memory and a 1TB drive, making it a considerable jump even when factoring in the EVO-X3’s larger memory and storage capacities.
This is an even bigger jump from the EVO-X1, the model that launched GMKtec’s mini PC line in late 2024, priced at almost $900 with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor.
This means that GMKtec has almost quadrupled the price of its mini PC in two years, a jump of almost 300% from the EVO-X1’s original price of $900.
It’s even a leap forward from the start of GMKtec’s mini PC line with the EVO-X1 at the end of 2024, a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 machine priced at almost $900.
The EVO-X3 will face direct competition from other Strix Halo devices with the same 128GB memory cap, including the MINIX ER939-AI Pro and ONEXStation.
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