The GPD Win Max 2021 is a handheld gaming PC that’s also a tiny laptop with an 8 inch display and a QWERTY keyboard that’s just (barely) big enough for touch typing. That keyboard helps set it apart from other recent devices in this category including the ONEXPLAYER and the upcoming Steam Deck.

First announced in May as an update over last year’s Win Max, the new model also stands out in that it’s the only handheld gaming PC available with a choice of Intel or AMD processors. The Win Max 2021 is up for pre-order for $999 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and it should ship to backers in September.

While there’s always some risk involved with crowdfunding, GPD has been using Indiegogo to generate buzz during product launches for years and the company has yet to fail to ship a product (although that doesn’t always mean that the hardware is problem-free when it does ship).

This time the company is also offering a couple of interesting options. Not only can backers choose between models with Intel Core i7-1195G7 or AMD Ryzen 7 4800U processors, but folks who already have a 1st-gen Win Max can also save some money by purchasing a mainboard that can be used to perform a DIY upgrade.

While the $669 price for that mainboard (which includes the processor, 16GB of LPDDR4x-4266 memory and updated ports) is lower than the price of a brand new computer, it is still more expensive than even the priciest Valve Steam Deck. On the bright side, it’ll ship a lot sooner.

To see how the Win Max 2021 stacks up against the competition, check out Liliputing’s  handheld gaming PC comparison. And here’s a run-down of key specs for GPD’s latest handheld:

GPD Win Max 2021 Specs
Display8 inches
1280 x 800 pixels
189 ppi
90% DCI-P3 wide color gamut
500-nits brightness
10-point capacitive multitouch input
Gorilla Glass
CPUIntel Core i7-1195G7
AMD Ryzen 7 4800U
GPUIntel Iris Xe 96 eu (1.4 GHz)
AMD Radeon Vega 8
TDPAdjustable: 20W, 25W or 28W
Memory16GB LPDDR4-4266
Storage1TB M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD
Ports2 x Thunderbolt 4 (Intel) / USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (AMD)
2 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x Gigabit Ethernet
1 x 3.5mm audio
InputTouchscreen display
Backlit QWERTY keyboard
Trackpad
Game controllers
Battery 57 Wh
Charging65W USB-C
CoolingDual heat pipes
Dual fans
9-hole vent
WirelessWiFi 5
Bluetooth 4.2
MaterialsABS Plastic & magnesium alloy
Dimensions207 x 145 x 26mm
8.1″ x 5.7″ x 1″
Weight790 grams
1.7 pounds

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11 replies on “GPD Win Max 2021 handheld gaming PC with Intel or AMD up for pre-order through Indiegogo”

  1. Steam Deck has Pause/resume sleep feature just like a switch has so you can start and play games without wasting a second. Does GPD have those features? do you have to exit the game and shut down if you are not playing, and then if you want to play, you have to open steam and do all those things?

  2. With the Steam Deck on the Horizon, a high price tag and recent issues with the GPD Win 3 I don’t think this will be as popular as the previous products

  3. The IGG is off to a bad start. There were only 300 backers in the first 24 hours. Compare that to the last few with 1000+ backers in the same period.

    GPD’s worsening reputation is probably contributing:
    1. Continued 10% rate of defective IGG units and components being swapped with inferior ones without notifying backers.
    2. GPD not doing much or even ignoring the issues.
    3. The existence of the Steam Deck from a more reputable company: Valve.

    Some may even consider buying a Steam Deck from a reseller to get it in non-yet served countries would be a better choice.

    1. Even were it not for what you said, there’s four other factors affecting this:

      1) Even if GPD can’t afford to sell these for less, that’s still a whopping $999 USD for the device and $669 for the board.

      2) This is ‘only’ a refresh with a much newer Intel CPU/GPU (plus for this version a second Thunderbolt 4 port) or an AMD APU, not a wholly new device or at least a refresh with ergonomic improvements-for-some. (Admittedly I presume that this last part is why the “DIY upgrade” option is possible.)

      3) It’s not a ‘no downsides except price’ upgrade over the Win Max 2020… instead of risking “components being swapped with inferior ones without notifying backers” happening again, GPD’s apparently admitted up-front that the 2021 board will only have Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 instead of the 2020 version’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. I’ve also read claims that it MAY (this part isn’t confirmed) have a slower microSD card reader too…

      4) Word had been going around even before the Win Max 2021 was announced (much less the Steam Deck) that GPD execs had been planning a Win Max 2 to be released in 2022, so there’s some people who admitted that they’re waiting for that instead.

        1. GPD’s doomed. Doomed!

          BTW, I’ll be importing the Steam Deck into my country. Decided to pass on the Win Max when the Deck was announced. Either way, I won’t get any real warranty support anyway.

        2. Nah, like I said above the Win Max 2021 is ‘just’ a refresh… no changes on the outside for people who already didn’t want the previous Win Max for reasons besides the CPU/APU (e.g. too heavy, didn’t like the button/stick placement, don’t need that many ports or a physical keyboard while using it handheld, didn’t need 1 TB of internal storage, or even the previous Win Max’s IGG price of $779 was too high for you)… and it might get superseded by next year’s model anyway… none of which are signs of GPD being in trouble.

  4. It’s directly competing with the Steam Deck, and losing.
    That keyboard is as comfortable as possible given the form-factor, but still not worth using if you’re typing it for work. And that gamepad is pretty decent, but probably a little cramped compared to the sDeck. The price, which is over double, really seals the deal.

    Only thing that’s going for this is; GPD is reliable to ship a unit (not vapourware/scam), and TWO is having a TB4 port for eGPU. Not that it makes sense for eGPUs considering the expensive Boxes, and the scarce dGPU cards.

    1. Let’s not forget the QC is lacking in GPD products. The thing is that Steam Deck is not available worldwide, at least for now which gives a chance to compete.

    2. well. it catering to niche market as usual. Niche market as is people like me that like to have gamepad ready for gaming and keyboard ready for work and some gaming too on the umpc.

      I chose win max (not 2021) because of the keyboard, but I found the touchpad and the LAN plug surprisingly very helpful too.
      I dont care much for aya neo and others that looks like switch because I like gpd win series because the keyboard.

      it’s been a bless to have a keyboard ready when u play games that required it. for example : citra. having that F3 (or what other function key that I forgot) to swap between screens ready is very useful. well maybe others can map it to a button, but still have it ready without having to do anything is very helpful.
      not to mention the backlight that helped when I need to find some keys to type in the dark when my kids sleeping.

      even the touchpad is very helpful even with the awkward position. I found it even easier to use than to use the analog as a mouse.

      and the Lan plug. I never thought I needed it. For some reason, even my 5G wifi didnt work so fast when copying data. it’s like around 10-20 MBps when I copy data between my win max (wifi) and my pc (gigabit lan). Which is weird cause my wifi router said to be able to handle even until >1600 mbps, and even halfing that, it should be able to handle 800mbps. which means I should see at least close to 80-100 MBps. Then come the Lan, I plug my gigabit cable to the win max, and voila, I transfer about 80-90 MBps now. Very2 helpful considering I transferring files frequently everyday.

      it’s some little tidbit here and there, that u think u dont need but really2 helpful on the win max. It’s almost perfect as an umpc.
      But yeah, the win max 2021, as tempting as it is with the upgraded processor, but everything else is the same, which makes it a downgrade instead of an upgrade. The price moved up alot, and the battery stays the same. Even with my win max now I really2 wish the battery would be at least double. If I want to play AAA games on max speed, it will only last for about 1.5 hours. Now with faster processor and higher TDP, I can imagine the battery would be dead only about 1 hour or less. And no, I dont want to use power bank, as I’m afraid I’d kill the battery much faster than it should be, and umpc with a dead battery is trash.

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