The GPD Win 3 is two times more expensive than a Playstation 5. Is it really worth it?

The latest Indiegogo project from GPD occupies a unique niche in the PC space that major PC manufacturers have yet to tackle. Both Lenovo and Dell have shown off similar prototypes, but none have made as much traction as the GPD Win 3. Part game console, part laptop, and part tablet, the $800 USD Win 3 has no real equal at the moment meaning comparisons against traditional Windows laptops, gaming consoles, and tablets are inevitable.

The $800 price point may seem shocking at first especially when compared to the Nintendo Switch or Playstation 5, but it's quite fair in our opinion considering the docking capabilities and hardware involved. Users should keep in mind that the system not only comes with the same 11th gen Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 processors as found on expensive Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13 9310, Asus ZenBook, or HP Spectre, but it is also able to run said processors at similar clock rates. In other words, the Win 3 is as fast as the latest flagship Ultrabooks of 2021 — an impressive feat for any handheld.

The Thunderbolt 4 port is the one feature of the Win 3 that ties it all together. The port accepts external 4K monitors, eGPUs, docking stations, mice, keyboards, and other devices to effectively turn the Win 3 into a docked laptop with the same horsepower as an Intel Evo Ultrabook. It's recommended that users connect devices with Power Delivery passthrough in order to charge the Win 3 simultaneously. Our tests with a generic Baseus docking station and external monitor would work without any issues after adjusting the automatic font scaling.

Users who have no interest in the docking capabilities of the Win 3 will likely find the asking price exorbitant as much of its value lies in the handheld gaming form factor, laptop-class CPU, and Thunderbolt port. Exploiting all three will be key to making the system worth its high price of entry.