GPD Win 5 flagship handheld produces some truly monstrous FPS based on initial impressions

The top tier Win 5 handheld is packing the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and its integrated GPU proves a serious big hitter in games like Returnal.

GPD Win 5 flagship handheld produces some truly monstrous FPS based on initial impressions
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Tech Reporter
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TL;DR: We've been treated to a first look at the GPD Win 5 handheld, powered by the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, thanks to a YouTuber - and it doesn't disappoint. Compared to a rival handheld using the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the Win 5 managed to hit double the frame rate (nearly) in Returnal thanks to its seriously powerful integrated graphics.

We've caught a first impression of the GPD Win 5 and the seriously pricey handheld has proved to be seriously powerful to match its costly nature.

This comes to us courtesy of The Phawx on YouTube who has the flagship GPD Win 5, which has the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (top-tier Strix Halo) chip as its engine. (A lesser version of the GPD Win 5 runs with the Ryzen 385 SoC, but the YouTuber wasn't sent that model sadly).

As Tom's Hardware reports, The Phawx compared the Max+ 395-toting handheld to a rival with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 inside, and found there was a big difference in terms of performance, with the integrated Strix Halo GPU really flexing its muscles.

When running Returnal the GPD Win 5 managed not far off double the frame rate compared to the HX 370 portable, hitting an impressive 80 FPS versus 45 FPS. That's with both handhelds using 25W, we should clarify.

God of War: Ragnarok averaged 85 FPS on the GPD Win 5 versus 67 FPS on the rival handheld, not nearly such a big margin of victory but still a clear enough win (at the same 25W power usage for both devices).

However, cranking the power limit much higher on the Win 5 sees some monstrous frame rates recorded - and diminishing returns on power usage kick in way earlier with the HX 370 (at 18W in fact, compared to 45W for Strix Halo, we're told).

A powerful portable

In summary, there's much more room to put pedal to the metal with the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 should you wish to throw caution to the wind in terms of battery life, and some games see huge benefits from the integrated graphics of the Strix Halo chip. Heavily GPU-bound titles like Returnal witness the biggest performance benefits.

It's an interesting first look at the undoubted power on tap with the GPD Win 5 in its Max+ 395 top tier incarnation, and it'll definitely be illuminating to check out how the lesser variant runs with the 385 chip.

The biggest drawback with the GPD Win 5 is, of course, the colossal price tag: even the cheapest version tips the scales at just over $1400 in the US, and you're looking at $1650 for the Strix Halo base version (on IndieGoGo).

In other words, you could buy a good desktop gaming PC or laptop for the money being demanded here. Still, if you want the best in portable gaming, this device looks seriously promising indeed based on this first look.