GMKtec EVO-X1 challenges Minisforum EliteMini AI370 with an OCuLink port

GMKtech has officially teased its first-ever Strix Point mini PC at the GITEX exhibition. It's confirmed to feature the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the same as the APU inside the recently announced Minisforum EliteMini AI370. However, unlike Minisforum's offering, it comes with an OCuLink port.

To compare, the EliteMini AI370 has a USB4 port, which has a lower bandwidth rating than OCuLink, making it a less ideal option for eGPU setups. Of course, the GMKtec EVO-X1 isn't the only Strix Point mini PC with an OCuLink port. The Aoostar GEM10 370 also comes with that port, but it's still exclusive to the Chinese market.

Besides that, in the official teaser picture, the EVO-X1 looks a little larger than an average mini PC. While GMKtec didn't share anything about it, it's possible that the company has integrated a robust cooler inside to make the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 run at higher TDPs. That would eventually make the Radeon 890M iGPU offer great gaming performance.

The company has also confirmed that the mini PC will feature LPDDR5X-7500 memory but didn't share anything about the maximum RAM and storage support (1 TB WD_Black PCIe 4.0 SSD curr. $72.99 on Amazon). As for the other specs, they are still under wraps, but more details should emerge soon.

Minisforum recently confirmed the international price of the EliteMini AI370, which is lower than the starting tag of Beelink SER9. If GMKtec keeps the pricing of the EVO-X1 competitive, possibly a little lower than the EliteMini AI370, then it would be a great pick as a Strix Point mini PC. However, the chance of that happening is low, as GPD has previously claimed that AMD is charging manufacturers more for its Zen 5 chips compared to the Zen 4 APUs.