Mini PCs don’t often make it onto a photography site, but the GMKtec EVO-X2 earns its place. It packs AMD’s flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 — the “Strix Halo” chip — into a compact desktop box, and the combination of a serious integrated GPU, a huge pool of fast unified memory and a dedicated AI engine makes it a genuinely interesting proposition for photographers and video editors who want a small, capable editing machine that can also run AI tools locally. You can find full details on the official GMKtec EVO-X2 product page.
The spec sheet is what makes it stand out. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 brings 16 Zen 5 cores and 32 threads clocking up to 5.1GHz, paired with a Radeon 8060S integrated GPU built on RDNA 3.5 with 40 compute units — integrated graphics that punch up towards discrete RTX 4060/4070 territory, which is remarkable for a machine this size. Add an XDNA 2 NPU rated at up to 50 TOPS and up to 128GB of LPDDR5X memory running at 8000MHz, and you have a compact box that handles high-resolution photo editing, timeline-heavy video work and local AI without breaking a sweat.
That local-AI angle is the headline. Because the memory is shared between CPU, GPU and NPU, the 128GB configuration can load genuinely large models — GMKtec cites it running a 235-billion-parameter model locally — which is the sort of thing that normally demands a far larger, pricier workstation. For creators experimenting with on-device AI for culling, editing or generative tools, keeping it all local (and private) is a real draw. Storage runs to dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots, and connectivity covers Wi-Fi 7, USB4, 2.5GbE and multi-display 4K/8K output.
It isn’t for everyone, and it’s worth being straight about that. Pricing starts around the $1,499 mark and climbs steeply for the 128GB model, integrated graphics still won’t fully replace a discrete-GPU tower for the heaviest 3D or sustained video rendering, and this is Windows mini-PC territory rather than a Mac alternative for everyone. But as a compact, power-efficient machine that doubles as an editing rig and a local-AI workstation, the EVO-X2 is one of the most capable small-form-factor options out there — and one we’d be keen to test.
GMKtec EVO-X2: Specifications
Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores / 32 threads, Zen 5, up to 5.1GHz, 80MB total cache). Graphics: AMD Radeon 8060S (RDNA 3.5, 40 compute units). AI: XDNA 2 NPU, up to 50 TOPS. Memory: 64GB or 128GB LPDDR5X at 8000MHz (unified). Storage: dual M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 slots (expandable). Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB4, 2.5GbE LAN, SD 4.0 card reader, multi-display 4K/8K output. Operating system: Windows 11 Pro. Power modes: Quiet, Balanced and Performance (up to around 140W).
GMKtec EVO-X2: Price and availability
The GMKtec EVO-X2 is available now in several memory and storage configurations, starting at around $1,499 for the 64GB model, with the 128GB version priced higher (around €1,999 depending on configuration). UK pricing varies by configuration and retailer — check GMKtec for current pricing.
