GPD WIN MAX 2 Review – AMD Ryzen 7 6800U AAA gaming mini laptop

You wait ages for the GPD WIN MAX 2 gaming mini laptop to arrive, and you get three come along at once! In our GPD WIN MAX 2 review we will be taking a look at three models of the handheld gaming PC, putting it through its paces with some system and games benchmarks. Then we finish with playing some games and emulators to see how well they perform.

GPD WIN MAX 2 Review Video

Unboxing the GPD WIN MAX 2 AMD

As always we start off with the unboxing. Lifting the lid reveals a screen protector and wipe to clean the screen before applying. Underneath is the GPD WIN MAX 2 gaming mini laptop itself. We will show it in more detail shortly.

There is a small box that contains the user manual, which is in Chinese and English languages.

And last but not least we have a charger and USB Type-C cable. We will include the correct adaptor for your country when ordering,

GPD WIN MAX 2 AMD Overview

The design has not changed since we reviewed the now discontinued Intel model a few months back. When folded, the GPD Win MAX 2 measures 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.9 (22.7 × 16.0 × 2.3 cm), and weighs 1005 grams.

On the back are Left & Right shoulder and trigger buttons. There is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB 3.2 port. Next is a HDMI port for connecting to a TV or monitor. There are two USB Type-C ports, one is USB 4 for connecting an external GPU (GPD G1 eGPU) for example. And above are the two slots where the controller covers are stored. 

On the left side are Micro and SD Card slots. And on the right side are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. On the front is a power button which has a built-in fingerprint scanner for fast logging into Windows 11. 

The display is a 10.1 inch touchscreen with a native resolution of 1920×1200, but it supports up to 2560×1600. Below the display is a 2MP high refresh rate camera which is good for video calls. There is a clickable touchpad for mouse style navigation.

Below is a QWERTY keyboard that has two levels of backlight control. There are two detachable covers which hide the gaming controls, so you can use your GPD Win MAX 2 as an mini laptop for work as an example. It’s a nice idea by GPD!

You have the usual gaming controls, dual clickable analogue hall sensor sticks, D-Pad and gaming buttons.  Let’s try them out while we go over the tech specs!

GPD WIN MAX 2 AMD Technical Specifications

CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor, it has 8 cores and 16 threads running up to 4.7Ghz at a default 28W TDP
GPU	AMD Radeon 680M with 12 cores running up to 2200Mhz
RAM	16GB or 32GB LPDDR5 6400 RAM
STORAGE	1TB or 2TB of m.2 PCIe 4 SSD
COMMUNICATIONS	WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 4G LTE module (sold separately)
BATTERY*	67Wh rechargeable battery Idle on desktop: 10 hours 50 minutes (7 hour 30 before battery saver started) Cinebench on full load: 2 hours 5 minutes
FAN NOISE*	63db
TEMPERATURE*	63°C

*In our fan noise and temperature tests we ran Cinebench for 10 minutes at the default 28W TDP and measured them both. We got a highest temperature of 63 degrees and highest fan noise at 63 dB. 

We left the MAX 2 running idle on the desktop with only BatteryMon , it run for 10 hours 50 minutes.The first 7 hours 30 minutes was before the battery saver kicked in, and the rest while on battery saver. When running Cinebench on full load at 28W TDP we got an impressive 2 hours and 5 minutes.

System Benchmarks

We continue our GPD WIN MAX 2 review with putting the three handheld gaming PC’s through its paces with some system benchmarks. We are testing at 30W TDP, it can go higher but the included software only allows up to 30. We may cover changing the TDP and graphics speeds in a separate article if there is enough interest, let us know in the comments.

PassMark

We start with PassMark which pushes the CPU, GPU, RAM and storage to their maximum in a series of tests. At 30W TDP we got similar scores of 6002, 5964 and 6179. The 2TB model has a higher score as it uses a different brand SSD, this may change in customer models and we will notify if it does.

PCMark

The PCMark benchmark has a series of more natural tests covering day to day tasks from web browsing to image processing. At 30W TDP we got scores of 6425, 6427 and 6421. All similar scores as we expected, you can see a breakdown of the benchmark tests below.

Cinebench

Next we have Cinebench which tests the CPU to see its performance with either single or multi-core tests. In our multi-core tests we got scores of 11501, 11507, 10991. The 32/2TB model lags behind here in the tests.

3DMark

The 3DMark benchmark tests the CPU and GPU to see how well they work together in video processing tasks. 

	Time Spy	Fire Strike	Night Raid
WIN MAX 2 16GB/1TB	2840	6823	24124
WIN MAX 2 32GB/1TB	2819	6770	23936
WIN MAX 2 32GB/2TB	2771	6681	23624

We can see the scores are fairly close to each other, but again we see that the 32GB/2TB model does fall behind in each of the three tests.

CrystalDiskMark

The CrystalDiskMark benchmark runs a series of tests on the storage to see its performance across different read/write patterns.

The two 1TB models have the same SSD and we see near identical scores for them both. The 2TB model does have a different brand and we get over 5000 MB/s a second. As we mentioned this was the brand we were supplied with by GPD, but this may change for the retail versions.

Gaming Benchmarks

As part of our GPD WIN MAX 2 review we will now run some gaming benchmarks to see how well they perform. From the system benchmarks, the 32GB/1TB performed the best overall so we will use this for the benchmarks. We are running the benchmarks at 800P resolution at 15W, 20W and 30W, with one additional test at 2560×1600 (1600p) at 30W. This is the highest resolution the display supports.

Forza Horizon 5

We are running Forza Horizon 5 at 800P on the Very Low graphics settings. 

At 15W TDP we get average frames per second of 96, at 20W we got 113 and at 30W we got 127. And at 1600P we got 69 frames per second.

It’s our highest FPS by far on a handheld, the next closest was the ONEXPLAYER Mini 5800U at 88 FPS.

Street FIghter V

We are running Street Fighter V at 800P on the Maximum graphics. AMD processors are generally lower scorers than Intel on this benchmark.

At 15W TDP we get the full 60 frames per second. You can run it around 1080P in the late 20’s before it starts to drop below 60. At 1600P resolution  at 30W we got 38 frames per second on average.

Final Fantasy XIV

For the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark we are running at 800P on the Maximum graphics settings. 

For 15W TDP we got a score of 7143, 20W we got 7908 and 30W 8614. All very good scores in the High category! At 1600P we got a still playable score of 3353.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

We are running Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 800P on the Low graphics settings. 

At 15W TDP we got an average frames per second of 71, at 20W we got 87 and at 30W we got 94. At 1600P at 30W we got a very impressive 48 FPS average, some previous handhelds were struggling to get that at 720P!

Cyberpunk 2077

We finish the benchmark tests with Cyberpunk 2077 which is a highly demanding game. We are running at 800P on the default Low graphics settings with High texture quality. 

For 15W we got an average FPS of 42.55, at 20W we got 49.28, and at 30W we got 57. All very good scores! At 1600P we got just 23 FPS which is still respectable considering the game demands and resolution.

Benchmark Summary and Comparison

30W TDP Comparison

Below are the system benchmark comparisons for 30W TDP. You can see on PassMark that the faster 2TB makes a difference in the score as it includes disk performance tests, But the 2TB model does fall behind in the other tests. The two 1TB models have very similar scores across the other tests.

Why does the 2TB model lag a little behind? We think the SSD may be using more PCIe lanes and drawing some power away from the processor and graphics resulting in slightly slower performance.

	WIN MAX 2 16GB/1TB	WIN MAX 2 32GB/1TB	WIN MAX 2 32GB/2TB
PASSMARK	6002	5964	6179
PCMARK	6425	6427	6421
3DMARK	2840	2819	2771
CINEBENCH	11501	11507	10991
CRYSTALDISKMARK	2091 / 1955 MB/s	2091 / 1961 MB/s	5225 / 4891 MB/s

15W, 20W & 30W TDP Performance

You can find in the table below the 32GB/1TB model 15W, 20W and 30W TDP results at 800P and 1600P resolutions. They are all very impressive and it definitely gives you options depending on the games you are playing whether to run low or high TDP and what screen resolution.

	15W TDP (800P)	20W TDP (800P)	30W TDP (800P / 1600P)
3DMARK	2135	2478	2819
FORZA HORIZON 5	96 FPS	113 FPS	127 / 69 FPS
FINAL FANTASY XIV	7143	7908	8614 / 3353
TOMB RAIDER	71 FPS	87 FPS	94 / 48 FPS
CYBERPUNK 2077	42.55 FPS	49.28 FPS	57 / 23 FPS

GPD WIN MAX 2 AMD vs Intel models

The below table shows the 30W benchmark results compared to the GPD WIN MAX 2 Intel processor model we reviewed a few months back. Despite the Intel running at a higher 35W TDP, the AMD has the higher results in all tests. This includes those that Intel processors would generally have higher scores on such as Final Fantasy XIV. It’s no wonder why the Intel model is now discontinued! You can compare the results with other previous generation handhelds on our handheld gaming PC benchmarks article.

	WIN MAX 2 AMD 6800U	WIN MAX 2 INTEL 1260P
PASSMARK	5964	4233
PCMARK	6427	N/A
3DMARK	2811150796491	1947 (35W TDP)
CINEBENCH	11507	6491
CRYSTALDISKMARK	2091 / 1961 MB/s	2090 / 1957 MB/s
FORZA HORIZON 5	127 FPS	59 FPS (35W TDP)
FINAL FANTASY XIV	8614	7038 (35W TDP)
TOMB RAIDER	94 FPS	50 FPS (35W TDP)
CYBERPUNK 2077	57 FPS	28.23 FPS (20W TDP)

The AMD model is to put it quite simply a beast! It has far higher performance than any of the previous handhelds from GPD, AYANEO and ONEXPLAYER.  If this is the first of next-generation handheld gaming PC’s to set the bar, then we can’t wait to see what the others can do.

You can order your GPD WIN MAX 2 here and use the discount code WINMAX25OFF on the checkout!

Gameplay Tests

Next in our GPD WIN MAX 2 review, some gameplay tests! For these we are running at a balanced 28W TDP at 800P with playable or as close to playable settings as we can.

Forza Horizon 5

We know Forza Horizon 5 runs at great speeds on the Very Low settings. We can crank it up to High graphics and for the most part we are getting in the 70 frame per second area. It does however dip below 60 occasionally when loading in new areas, so you might want to drop it down to a mix of Medium and High to keep it stable or you could limit to 30 FPS.

Doom Eternal

For Doom Eternal we have it set to the default High settings and are getting a pretty solid 60 plus frames per second. It may drop slightly below now and again but you wouldn’t notice unless the frame counter was showing.

Deathloop

After some playing around with the settings, I was not quite getting a solid 60FPS even at lower levels. So I decided to lock the frame rate to 30 and with this we could put the graphics settings up to Very High. Admittedly this is on the opening part of the game so you may need to drop the graphics down a level later in busier scenes, but even at High settings the game looks amazing!

Halo Infinite

We are running Halo Infinite on the default High graphics settings locked to 60 FPS and are for the most part getting over 60 with some dips you would barely notice. As an alternative you could go to the Medium graphics settings, or lock the frame rate to 30FPS.

Metal Hellsinger

On the recently released Metal Hellsinger we are running on the Medium graphics settings and are hovering around the 60 frames per second area. There were some occasional dips but nothing that affected the gameplay. Lower settings help keep it stable, or you can limit to 30 and crank the graphics up higher.

Emulator Tests

And now on to some emulator performance tests for our GPD WIN MAX 2 review. We won’t cover anything before Dreamcast era as it all runs perfect. Instead we will work our way through some of the newer systems to see how the GPD WIN MAX 2 handheld gaming PC gets on.

PlayStation 2 – PCSX2

As expected everything we tried works great on PlayStation 2. You can lower the TDP and/or increase the screen rendering for higher quality visuals. You should not have any issues at all with PS2.

PlayStation Portable – PPSSPP

We go straight to testing God of War to see if we get 60 frames per second. And with the MAX 2 it is no problem at all. Again you can lower the TDP or increase the rendering resolution for better visuals.

Dolphin

Both gaming consoles that the Dolphin emulator work just fine. We did not see any slowdowns at all with games running on both consoles. You can lower the TDP if needed to save some battery life.

Xbox OG – Xemu

This is a work in progress emulator so some games do have issues running. For games that are compatible you should see some decent results. Our go to game MASHED runs perfect in-game. Other games may work,  but due to emulator compatibility rather than the WIN MAX 2 performance, they will have issues as such as Soul Calibur II running slower despite there being plenty of resources available.

Citra

For the most part the 3D dual screen emulator Citra runs fine, but you will get some shader caching lags and slowdowns while playing. Once you play through, they do get less regular and you have a very playable game.

PlayStation Vita – Vita3K

The PlayStation Vita emulator Vita3K is still in active development but there are quite a few playable games. TxK runs perfectly for example and looks great on the large display. Street Fighter X Tekken, despite it saying 60 FPS, ran a bit slow for me so your experience with games may vary.

PlayStation 3 – RPCS3

PlayStation 3 emulation is overall very good and a decent number of games are fully playable. Depending on the game you may get some initial slowdowns while shader caching. If there are some problem games, you can try locking the frame rate to 30 to see if that helps.

Xbox 360 – Xenia

The Xbox 360 emulator Xenia is in active development and game compatibility is very much mixed. We got Sonic Racing working at a mostly solid 30 FPS which I believe the original run at. Other games will run fine or slower, but a decent number of XBLA titles worked great!

Ryujinx & Yuzu

Both Ryujinx and Yuzu emulators are still in active development so performance and compatibility can change from day to day. We tried a few different games and overall there is good performance. 

Final Thoughts

Overall the GPD WIN MAX 2 gaming mini laptop is very impressive! In the past year we have seen gradual increases in handheld performance, but the Ryzen 6800U blows the others away. There was amazing performance across the games and emulators we tried! And that’s before we have tweaked the power settings, plugged in an eGPU, or tried some VR gaming! We will save that for maybe another GPD WIN MAX 2 review article 🙂

Where to buy the GPD WIN MAX 2?

You can buy your GPD WIN MAX 2 here and use don’t forget to use the discount code WINMAX25OFF on the checkout (not applicable if there is a sale event running)! Or if this did not take your interest, you can browse our range of handheld gaming PC’s here.

And talking about not forgetting… that AYANEO, ONEXPLAYER and newcomer AOKZOE do have their own 6800U models available soon. We will have to wait a little longer until they become available to see if there are any performance differences, so keep an eye out for those reviews when we get them!