- GMKtec EVO-X3 ditched flat mini PC designs for a vertical tower design
- Ryzen AI Max+ 395 survives despite newer silicon
- 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 retains the same silicon used in its predecessor, the EVO-X2, which AMD CEO Lisa Su personally signed as a sign of approval.
However, GMKtec has made significant changes to the chassis, completely abandoning the flat square case typical of most mini PCs.
A tower-style redesign built to address old complaints
The EVO-X3 trades the EVO-X2’s flat footprint for a tall, triple-fan tower that looks more like a steel-wrapped graphics card than a conventional mini PC.
Despite the added height, the footprint remains compact, comparable in size to a PS4 console in an upright position, and GMKtec says the redesign balances performance, efficiency and thermal stability in continuous professional workloads.
Reviewers had criticized the EVO-X2 primarily for build quality issues, citing a cheap-looking case, difficult internal access, and persistent fan noise under load.
This likely influenced the design changes in the EVO-X3, although it remains to be seen if the new chassis actually solves those problems.
GMKtec crushed enthusiasts’ expectations when it rejected AMD’s new Ryzen AI Max+ 495 chip in favor of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 silicon.
The processor combines CPU, GPU, and a large NPU with a 50 TOPS rating, comfortably above the 40 TOPS threshold required for Microsoft’s Copilot+ designation.
The EVO-X3 will be available in two storage configurations (2 TB or 4 TB) and both versions carry the same 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory.
The device will also feature two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 slots, allowing the total storage to scale up to 8TB in any configuration.
GMKtec includes its proprietary Claw+Wrangler suite directly into the EVO-X3, a local inference toolset built for one-click configuration and 24-hour AI agents.
The company claims that the 128GB memory configuration can run models with up to 235 billion parameters entirely on the device, and none of that inference relies on cloud servers, meaning there are no token fees or user data leaving the machine.
A sharp price increase for a familiar chip
GMKtec lists pre-launch prices at $3,600 for the 128GB and 2TB configuration, rising to $3,849 for the 4TB version, both described as discounted starting figures.
Early access registration opened on June 22, offering an additional $20 discount, with the global release and shipping date set for July 6.
For comparison, the EVO-X2 launched at $1,999 with 64GB of memory and a 1TB drive, making the jump considerable even considering the EVO-X3’s larger memory and storage allocations.
It’s an even bigger jump over the EVO-X1, the model that kicked off GMKtec’s mini PC line in late 2024, priced close to $900 with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor.
This means that GMKtec has roughly quadrupled the price of its mini PC in two years, a jump of about 300% from the EVO-X1’s original $900 price tag.
It’s even a big jump from where GMKtec’s mini PC lineage began with the EVO-X1 in late 2024, a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 machine priced close to $900.
The EVO-X3 will face direct competition from other Strix Halo devices that have the same 128GB memory limit, including the MINIX ER939-AI Pro and ONEXStation.
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