GPD WIN Mini 2024 Review

The GPD WIN Mini 2024 has arrived, bringing with it the latest in handheld gaming PC technology powered by the AMD Ryzen 8840U. In this review, we’ll examine its features and see how it stands against the GPD WIN 4 2024.

GPD WIN Mini 2024 Review Video

Unboxing the GPD WIN Mini 2024

As always, we start the GPD WIN Mini 2024 review with the unboxing. First out of the box is an envelope containing the user guide in English and Chinese. Next, we have the GPD WIN Mini 2024 itself; we will take a closer look at it shortly. Underneath, there is a USB Type-C charge cable and a charger with the correct adapter for your country.

Device Overview

Next in our GPD WIN Mini 2024 review, we examine the handheld gaming PC closely. The GPD WIN Mini 2024 measures around 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.02 inches (16.8 x 10.9 x 2.6 cm) and weighs 520g. The lid flips up to reveal a 7” LTPS touchscreen display with a 1920×1080 resolution and a variable refresh rate of 60Hz and 120Hz. This native landscape panel ensures compatibility with older games.

The lower half features standard gaming controls, including hall effect analogues and a backlit QWERTY keyboard. While the keyboard is compact and not comparable to a laptop-sized keyboard, it is usable with thumb or one-finger typing. The buttons require some pressure to press, so it isn’t ideal for long typing sessions, but it works well for brief messages and logging into games or websites.

Along the top, the device includes shoulder and trigger buttons, a USB 4 port, and a USB Type-C port. The USB 4 port can connect to an eGPU such as the GPD G1. There is also a toggle switch for changing between gamepad and mouse input, a micro SD card slot, and a USB A port for peripherals. The OcuLink port from last year’s model is missing in the 2024 version.

Technical Specifications

System Benchmarks

As part of our GPD WIN Mini 2024 review, we ran various system benchmarks to compare with the GPD WIN 4 2024 handheld gaming PC, which also features the 8840U processor, as well as some previous generation 7840U series portable gaming PCs.

PCMark

PCMark tests the day-to-day and productivity tasks. It’s in the higher end of the results, although slightly lower than the GPD WIN 4 2024.

• Score: 6,841.

3DMark

3DMark is an industry standard for benchmarking the CPU single and multi-core performance. For Time Spy we get a performance of 2,953 with the GPD WIN Mini, which is ever so slightly lower than expected. For Night Raid we see scores on the lower end of the scale. And for Fire Strike we again see slightly lower than expected scores.

• Time Spy: 2,953 (7,705 with the GPD G1).
• Night Raid: 25,859 (31,602 with the GPD G1). Slightly lower scores than expected.
• Fire Strike: 6,893 (18,297 with the GPD G1). Also, slightly lower than expected.

Cinebench

Single-core performance matches the Win 4 2024, but there is a drop in multi-core performance. Overall, this is a good score.

• Single-Core: 1,717
• Multi-Core: 11,554.

Thermals and Fan Noise

Powering the device is a 44.24Wh battery, which in our tests running Cinebench on a loop lasted around 1 hour 38 minutes, about 18 minutes longer than the Win 4. Expect around 6-8 hours of average usage. In our fan noise and temperature tests, while running Cinebench, the highest fan noise recorded was 68dB, and the highest temperature reached was 59 °C.

Gaming Benchmarks

We performed gaming benchmarks at 1080P and 720P resolutions and at various TDP settings (5, 10, 15, 20, and 28W) to get a range of results for comparison. Although missing an OcuLink port, we connected an eGPU via the USB 4 port and ran brief tests with the GPD G1 2024.

Forza Horizon 5

Running on Very Low graphics settings. Good results at 720P, but performance drops at higher TDP compared to the GPD Win 4 2024. At 1080P, average frames per second are lower.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Running on the Lowest graphics settings. Lower frames per second at 1080P compared to the Win 4 2024, improving as TDP decreases.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare III

Running on Minimal graphics settings with no FSR enabled. Very good results overall.

Street Fighter VI

Running on the highest graphics settings. Lower performance at 1080P 28W TDP compared to the GPD WIN 4 2024 and even the original GPD WIN Mini compact gaming PC. The difference is only a frame or two but noticeable.

Gaming Performance and Emulation

In this part of our GPD WIN Mini 2024 review, we tested gaming performance, showing a few games running at their best settings to maintain above 60 FPS or at least 30 FPS. Check out the footage in the video above.

No GPD WIN Mini 2024 review is complete without emulation tests. The 8840U CPU shows performance increases for up to 64bit systems, allowing for lower TDP than the 7840U portable gaming PCs from last year. Newer systems see some improvements, but they often rely more on the GPU.

Final Thoughts

We sum up our GPD WIN Mini 2024 review with our final thoughts on this mobile gaming PC. The GPD WIN Mini 2024 is an intriguing handheld. When compared to the WIN 4 2024, the Mini generally shows lower performance. A more balanced performance would have made the Mini a more viable option. We are still awaiting the GPD WIN MAX 2 2024, which we anticipate will offer similar or better performance than the Win 4. Keep an eye out for that review and comparison.

Despite a slightly lower performance in comparison to the WIN 4, the GPD WIN Mini 2024 remains a great alternative to other similar handheld gaming PCs. If you are looking for something larger than the Win 4 and smaller than the Win MAX 2 2024, it is the perfect solution. It remains one of my favourite handhelds for this reason. That wraps up our GPD WIN Mini 2024 review. Let us know in the comments what you think of the GPD WIN Mini 2024. Is it worth upgrading to, or should you give this generation a miss?

You can learn more and order the GPD WIN Mini 2024 here.