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GPD Win MAX 2021 vs GPD Win 3 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S

In this blog post we will be comparing the i7-1195G7 models of the GPD Win MAX 2021 vs GPD Win 3 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S. We will be comparing each device’s features, running a series of system and gaming benchmarks and discussing which gaming handheld is best suited for your needs.

ONEXPLAYER 1S vs GPD Win MAX 2021 vs GPD Win 3 Video

Technical Specifications

CPU11th Gen. Intel Core i7-1195G7 @ 5.0 GHz
GPUIntel Iris Xe Graphics 1.40 GHz
RAM/STORAGE16GB LPDDR4x @4266MHz / 1TB M.2 NVMe
TDPGPD Win 3 & ONEXPLAYER: 20W
GPD Win MAX 2021: 22W
BATTERY OVER 3 HOURSGPD Win 3: 20% used
GPD Win MAX 2021: 22% used
ONEXPLAYER 1S: 24% used
GPD Win MAX 2021, GPD Win 3, ONEXPLAYER 1S Technical Specs

Essentially every model uses the same i7-1195G7 processor with a max frequency of 5 GHz. As standard each model comes with 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 1TB SSD.

There are two main differences in the models. Both the Win 3 and ONEXPLAYER have WiFi 6 and Bluetooth, while the MAX 2021 has WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2. Though this is apparently being changed to WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5 before release.

The main difference is the default TDP. The Win 3 and ONEXPLAYER have a default of 20 Watts, and the MAX 2021 has 22 Watts. This does mean that the MAX will run faster but also uses a little more battery. You can of course increase the TDP on the other two devices to match or even go higher.

On the subject of battery, we performed a quick test with the battery usage sitting idle on the desktop for three hours. The GPD Win 3 had the least drain with 20% used, followed by the MAX 2021 at 22% and ONEXPLAYER 24% usage. 

GPD Win MAX 2021 vs GPD Win 3 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S

GPD Win 3 vs GPD Win MAX 2021 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S
GPD Win 3 vs GPD Win MAX 2021 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S

GPD Win MAX 2021

The GPD Win MAX 2021 measures approximately 8.1 x 5.7 x 1 inches when closed. It weighs around 790 grams. (20.7 cm x 14.5 x 2.6 cm)

It features an 8 inch IPS touch enabled screen and has a default resolution of 1280×800. There are left and right analogue sticks, classic D-Pad, gaming buttons and left and right shoulder and trigger buttons.

GPD Win MAX 2021 Keyboard
GPD Win MAX 2021 Keyboard

The main draw to the Win MAX 2021 is that it has the largest keyboard of the three devices. While not full size, it is very comfortable and can very easily be used for long periods of time. Another nice feature is the built in HDMI output to connect to a display, something the other two models do not have and require a dock or hub to do. There is also the trackpad which has clickable areas for left and right mouse operation.

GPD Win 3

Next a closer look at the Win 3. It is the smallest of the handhelds measuring 7.8 x 3.6 x 1 inches (19.8 x 9.2 x 2.7 cm) in size and weighing 550 grams.

GPD Win 3
GPD Win 3

The screen is a 5.5” display with a native resolution of 1280×720. It has all the same gaming controls as the MAX with the addition of a front facing fingerprint sensor.

Like the Win MAX it also has a keyboard, it slides out from the screen and is far smaller. It is touch sensitive and not clicky like the MAX. It’s OK for brief usage.

ONEXPLAYER 1S

Last but not least is the ONEXPLAYER 1S. It is the largest and heaviest of the three, measuring 11.3 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches ( 28.8 x 13 x 2.1 cm) and weighing 820g. 

ONEXPLAYER 1S
ONEXPLAYER 1S

The screen is a 8.3 inches IPS display, with a native resolution of 2560×1600. Like the other two models, it has all your usual controls with the addition of three extra buttons; a desktop button, on-screen keyboard and a turbo mode button. On the back you can find the combined power and fingerprint sensor.

There is no keyboard on the ONEXPLAYER 1S, but it does have a useful on-screen keyboard which you can use to quickly type. However, an official keyboard addon is available to purchase seperately. 

System Benchmarks 

Now on to the benchmarks. As mentioned in the technical specs, the Win MAX 2021 does have the higher 22 Watt default TDP compared to the 20 Watts on the Win 3 and ONEXPLAYER. The Win MAX 2021 has a 2 Watts advantage and potentially 10% higher performance. As we are testing out of the box so to speak, we will keep the TDP to 22 and also show adjusted scores in the summary.

PassMark

PassMark runs a series of benchmarks to test the performance of the CPU, GPU, RAM and storage speed. These are artificial tests which push each area to their maximum.

The GPD Win Scores 3,8,78 with around the average rating for the five test areas.

GPD Win 3 PassMark Score
GPD Win 3 PassMark Score

And the GPD Win MAX 2021 scores 3,728 with around the average ratings for the five test areas.

GPD Win MAX 2021 PassMark Score
GPD Win MAX 2021 PassMark Score

The ONEXPLAYER 1S scores 3,988, with around average for the first four tests but with a noticeably higher disk speed.

ONEXPLAYER 1S PassMark Score
ONEXPLAYER 1S PassMark Score

The ONEXPLAYER comes out on top here mainly due to the faster disk speed which has bumped up the score.

PCMark

PCMark runs a series of benchmark tests to see the performance of more day to day tasks you may be doing while not gaming on your handheld console. These include tasks such as web browsing, media consumption, image and video editing for example.

The GPD Win 3 scores 5,384

GPD Win 3 PCMark Score
GPD Win 3 PCMark Score

The GPD Win MAX 2021 scores 5,499

GPD Win MAX 2021 PCMark Score
GPD Win MAX 2021 PCMark Score

The ONEXPLAYER 1S scores 5,250.

ONEXPLAYER 1S PCMark Score
ONEXPLAYER 1S PCMark Score

There is not a massive difference between the three devices here. They will all perform your day to day tasks just fine.

3DMark

3DMark runs a series of tests for the CPU and GPU to see how they work together. This gives us a more accurate look at each Windows handheld to see their performance.

The GPD Win 3 scores 1,588

 GPD Win 3 3DMark Score
GPD Win 3 3DMark Score

The GPD Win MAX 2021 scores 1,393

GPD Win MAX 2021 Score
GPD Win MAX 2021 Score

The ONEXPLAYER 1S scores 1,818

ONEXPLAYER 1S Score
ONEXPLAYER 1S Score

The ONEXPLAYER 1S has a considerably higher score than the other two. We ran the benchmarks again for the other two and got roughly the same scores as before.

Gaming Benchmarks

For the gaming benchmarks we are running each game at the same graphics settings and resolution to ensure a more accurate comparison. The GPD Win MAX and Win 3 run at 1280×800 and 1280×720 respectively, while the ONEXPLAYER’s native 2560×1600 is far higher and uses more resources.

Forza Horizon 4

For this test we are running Forza Horizon 4 at 1280x720p with the default Ultra settings and a target frame rate of 60 FPS.

The GPD Win 3 scores 41 FPS

GPD Win 3 Forza Horizon 4 Score
GPD Win 3 Forza Horizon 4 Score

The GPD Win MAX 2021 scores 43 FPS

GPD Win MAX 2021 Forza Horizon 4 Score
GPD Win MAX 2021 Forza Horizon 4 Score

The ONEXPLAYER 1S scores 40 FPS

ONEXPLAYER 1S Forza Horizon 4 Score
ONEXPLAYER 1S Forza Horizon 4 Score

The scores here are again pretty close to each other.

Street Fighter V

For Street Fighter V we are running the first match of the benchmark. 

Street Fighter V GPD Win 3 vs GPD Win MAX 2021 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S
Street Fighter V GPD Win 3 vs GPD Win MAX 2021 vs ONEXPLAYER 1S

The GPD Win 3 scores an average of 35 FPS over the course of the match. The GPD Win MAX 2021 scores an average of 40 FPS. And the ONEXPLAYER 1S scores an average of 44 FPS over the course of the match.

Here we can see some large differences between the frame rates. The ONEXPLAYER has 9 FPS more than the Win 3 which is quite a gap at 22% 

Final Fantasy XIV

And we finish the benchmarks with the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark running at 1920×1080 at High settings.

Final Fantasy XIV Scores ONEXPLAYER 1S vs GPD Win 3 vs GPD Win MAX 2021

The GPD Win 3 scores 4,029. The GPD Win MAX 2021 scores 4,377. And the ONEXPLAYER 1S scores 4,297. There is not a great deal of difference in scores here, around 6%.

Benchmark Summary

GPD WIN 3GPD WIN MAX 2021ONEXPLAYER 1S
PASSMARK38783728 (3355)3988
PCMARK53845499 (4949)5250
3DMARK15881393 (1253)1818
FORZA HORIZON 441 FPS43 FPS (36 FPS)40 FPS
STREET FIGHTER V35 FPS40 FPS (36 FPS)44 FPS
FINAL FANTASY XIV42094377 (3939)4297
*Scores in brackets are -10% adjusted scores for 20W TDP

So as you can see from the results there is a mix of highest scores between the GPD Win MAX 2021 and ONEXPLAYER 1S, with the GPD Win 3 scores working out on average between the handheld PC’s. 

But do keep in mind that the GPD Win MAX 2021 was running at 22 Watts compared to 20 on the Win 3 and ONEXPLAYER. The adjusted scores can be found in brackets. With the adjusted scores, the order would be different with the Win 3 beating the MAX 2021.

ONEXPLAYER 1S
ONEXPLAYER 1S

The ONEXPLAYER 1S clearly wins in terms of performance, with the two GPD devices coming in second place.

So which device is best for you? Ultimately it is down to personal preference as we discussed in our previous Win 3 vs ONEXPLAYER video and blog post. Is portability important to you, something that can literally fit in a coat pocket with the Win 3 and pull out and play at any time. Or having to carry a bag for the MAX and ONEXPLAYER.

GPD Win MAX 2021
GPD Win MAX 2021

Another thing to consider is the screen size. The Win 3 from GPD screen size is quite small, it can be hard to read text at times, with the larger screen on the other two devices it is far easier to read small text. And not forgetting the Win MAX has built in HDMI and a usable keyboard without the need for a docking station.

GPD Win 3
GPD Win 3

All three devices have their positives and negatives. Whichever one you would buy you know you would be getting a great performing handheld console. So my main considerations would be Performance first, Portability along with screen size and features, and Comfortability. I chose the ONEXPLAYER in my previous post and I am sticking with my decision, followed closely by the Win MAX as the keyboard and HDMI output is great. Let us know in the comments what you would choose. What is your main deciding factor?

We hope you have found this blog post useful to learn more about the three models and see how they compare with each other. You can find out more information and buy your favourite from the GPD Win 3, GPD Win MAX 2021 and ONEXPLAYER 1S from their respective links.

Bringer of videos, text and images! AKA the social media guy at DroiX. Massive retro gaming fan and collector, with a far too large collection of consoles and computers from 1970's to modern.