What the EVO-X3 is
GMKtec lists the machine with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores, 32 threads, up to 5.1 GHz boost), Radeon 8060S graphics with 40 compute units, and a 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU. It ships with Windows 11 Pro, Ubuntu or Linux. GMKtec's listing also claims up to 126 TOPS of total AI performance. Wccftech says that combined figure puts the machine within Copilot+ requirements.
The review unit has a 2 TB SSD. It is the successor to the EVO X2, and Wccftech says the chassis changed from a box to a slimmer, taller vertical design.
One correction to the review's text matters. Wccftech describes the Strix Halo cores as "Zen 5C" in one paragraph, but AMD, GMKtec and other coverage describe them as 16 Zen 5 cores. The review's own pros list also says "Full-Fat Zen 5 Cores". Treat Zen 5 as the correct label.
Cooling and power modes
The headline change is thermal. Wccftech reports three fans, two on the back and one on the front. They sit on a triple-heat-pipe heatsink that is said to sustain up to 140 W. GMKtec's own listing agrees: triple heat pipes and triple cooling fans.
The BIOS exposes a "Power Mode Select" setting with three profiles, according to the review:
| Mode | Power target |
|---|---|
| Quiet | 54 W |
| Balanced | 85 W |
| Performance | 140 W |
GMKtec's listing matches these numbers: Silent 54 W, Balanced 85 W, Performance peak 140 W. Regional listings differ slightly. The UK page gives Performance up to 120 W with a peak of up to 140 W, and the German page says 115 W with a peak up to 140 W. Check which spec applies to your region before you buy.
AMD's default TDP for this chip is 55 W. Wccftech notes that, so 140 W is a vendor-configured ceiling and not the chip's stock behavior.
The review also says:
- The BIOS is "very barebones", with no extra CPU overclocking.
- Memory speed options only go below the factory 8000 MT/s.
- A UMA setting lets you set a custom GPU frame buffer.
- Fan control is available in the BIOS and through a physical fan-mode button.
Memory: 96 GB of "VRAM" with caveats
The 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 is soldered on, and GMKtec labels it non-upgradeable. Wccftech says up to 96 GB can be assigned to the integrated GPU, and the UK listing makes the same claim: up to 96GB can be allocated as GPU memory for local AI workloads.
That 96 GB is carved out of shared system memory. It is not a separate pool of dedicated graphics memory. That is why the machine appeals to local-LLM users: large models that would overflow a typical consumer GPU's VRAM can fit. You pay for it by giving up that memory for everything else. Wccftech cites a 256-bit bus and up to 256 GB/s of bandwidth.
Benchmarks
Wccftech compares the X3 mostly against GMKtec's own EVO X2, tested at 120 W and 54 W. Its summary says the 140 W mode brought a further 10–15% CPU uplift and 5–10% in gaming. The details show the gains are uneven.
- Blender: at 140 W the X3 scored 243, 172 and 133 samples per minute on Monster, Junkshop and Classroom. The X2 at 120 W scored 231, 155 and 125. The review calls this up to 11% faster.
- Cinebench 2024: the single-core scores are tied at 116. The multi-core scores are 1,933 for the X3 and 1,910 for the X2. That is a gap of about 1%.
- Cinebench 2026: the X3's single-thread score is 463 against the X2's 490, so it is slightly lower. Multi-core is 7,830 against 7,190.
- Geekbench 6: the X3 gets 2,976 single-core and 20,245 multi-core. The X2 at 120 W gets 2,932 and 20,968, so the X3 loses the multi-core test.
- 3DMark Time Spy: 11,150 against 11,148, effectively a tie.
- Fire Strike and Night Raid: the X2 scores higher overall in both.
The honest reading is that 140 W helps in some sustained multi-threaded work and barely moves graphics synthetics. The 10–15% figure is the reviewer's summary, not a guarantee. Run-to-run variation and test choice matter.
Gaming
All of these results are at 1080p and most use upscaling or frame generation:
- Cyberpunk 2077 at Medium with balanced upscaling: 145.56 FPS. With frame generation: 261.97 FPS.
- Forza Horizon 5 at Medium with Quality upscaling: 205 FPS.
- Borderlands 4 at High with Quality upscaling: 64.17 FPS.
- Metro Exodus at Extreme: 44.74 FPS.
Don't read the frame-generation figures as native performance. Wccftech also admits that ray-tracing performance is "a bit lacking" because RDNA 3.5 hasn't had a major update.
Local AI
Wccftech ran models in LM Studio. Results varied widely with model size:
| Model | Tokens/s | Time to first token |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen3-VL 30B | 82.33 | 0.15 s |
| GPT-OSS 20B | 67.51 | 0.23 s |
| GPT-OSS 120B | 34.37 | 2.07 s |
| Llama 3.3 70B | 5.14 | 17.02 s |
The pattern fits the hardware. Mixture-of-experts models, which activate only part of their weights per token, run briskly. Dense models around 70B run slowly because memory bandwidth is the limit. Some mid-sized models show long first-token waits, for example 38.09 s for Qwen3.8 27B and 31.35 s for Gemma4 31B. Quantization, runtime and prompt length weren't detailed, so don't treat these as universal numbers.
Wccftech also notes that the system ships with GMKtec's own AI software, including Claw, Herdsman AI and an AI PC app with a model store, and that software is configured per region.
Ports and storage
- Rear: one USB4 Type-C at 40 Gbps, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 2.5GbE, OCuLink and DC-in.
- Front: a power button, a combo audio jack, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A and USB 2.0 Type-A.
- Storage: two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 slots. GMKtec lists a maximum total storage of 16 TB (8 TB × 2).
The OCuLink port carries PCIe Gen4 x4 for an external GPU. The USB4 situation is a step back: the X3 has one USB4 port, where the X2 had two. If you want eGPU, a fast external drive and a dock at the same time, plan around that.
GMKtec lists Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The UK listing mentions WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 2.5G LAN, USB4, HDMI 2.1 and dual 8K display output. Wccftech's own port inventory doesn't describe the wireless card, so the Wi-Fi 7 claim rests on GMKtec's specs.
Temperatures
The review's thermal numbers don't add up. The temperature chart lists the X3 at 41°C idle, 80°C gaming and 68°C peak, a peak below the gaming figure. The conclusion says maximum temperatures stay in the low 80s, with mostly sub-75°C readings. The cons list says the machine can exceed 80°C under load.
Take the written conclusion as the better guide: expect the low 80s at full tilt. Treat the table's three numbers as unreliable until Wccftech clarifies them.
Price and alternatives
Wccftech lists the EVO X3 at $3,799.99, and GMKtec's own listing carries a price in that range. The reviewer says the 64 GB EVO X2 cost $1,499 last year, and blames rising memory and component prices for the jump. He compares the X3 to Nvidia's DGX Spark at $4,999 for the 64 GB variant, and to AMD's Ryzen AI Halo at $3,999 for 128 GB. That framing favors the GMKtec, so weigh it as the reviewer's opinion. Wccftech also carries an Amazon purchase link for the system. Prices move quickly in this market, so verify the figure at checkout.
Who should buy it
It suits you if:
- You want to run large local models on Windows 11 Pro or Linux without a discrete GPU.
- You want a small box that also handles content creation and 1080p gaming.
- You value the OCuLink option for a future external GPU.
Look elsewhere if:
- You need more than one USB4 port.
- You need upgradable RAM, since it is soldered.
- You are sensitive to heat or noise, given the low-80s peaks.
- Your workloads are mostly single-threaded or graphics-bound, where the jump over the X2 is marginal.
The review supports a narrow conclusion. The EVO-X3 is a fast, compact local-AI workstation whose upgraded cooling unlocks a 140 W mode. Its gains over the X2 are real but uneven, and its price and single USB4 port are the trade-offs. Wccftech tested a single review unit, so independent tests will help confirm its thermal and sustained-performance claims.