- Cinebench results place this handheld alongside full-size AMD workstations in performance
- GPD WIN 5 removable battery design reduces weight and improves portability
- Dual fan cooling keeps the 70W chip running without immediate throttling issues
As a laptop begins to outcompete 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.
But despite the impressive numbers, it also invites questions about practicality, thermal management, and whether such power really makes sense for pros and gamers alike.
Exceeds the limits 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.
Competing with high-end desktop systems, this chip 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 unit well beyond the limits of most handheld systems.
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 specs put it close to workstation territory in terms of multitasking and data throughput.
Cinebench R23 results suggest that the GPD WIN 5 outperforms AMD’s 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX workstation CPU, making it a suitable PC for video editing.
Still, even with its benchmark success, reliance on a handheld device for sustained rendering or editing tasks can stretch beyond its intended scope.
The GPD WIN 5 features a 7-inch 120Hz full HD display that balances portability with smooth, detailed images for gaming and editing.
For users who demand both mobility and performance, WIN 5’s configuration seems to challenge conventional ideas of what the best gaming PC should look like.
But this level of processing power in such a small case naturally raises concerns about thermals, fan noise, and sustained load stability.
To address weight and heat, GPD introduced a removable battery system, a unique approach that allows users to remove the heaviest component while maintaining external power through a cable.
This feature effectively eases the device during handheld gaming, although it introduces awkward cable placement and setup complexity.
For cooling, it uses a dual fan system designed to manage the high 70W power while maintaining stability under heavy workloads despite the compact form factor.
Via PC clock (originally in Japanese)
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