The GPD WIN3 Mini Gaming Laptop is Too Good to Be True
Image credit: unsplashGDP has been known for its portable PC devices. This time they return with a Nintendo look-alike device that is still indeed a laptop. We are pretty sure that sounds interesting.
The GDP Win 3 device is a portable PC that has an integrated controller and a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen. It comes with a new screen design, which is a sliding screen. It also has a better processor than its predecessor, the Win Max. While the Win Max has the 10th Generation Ice Lake processor, GDP Win 3 has the 11th Generation Tiger Lake processor.
The specifications of this unique PC mirrors that of a high-end ultrabook. It has 16GB of LPDR4 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 3.0 SSD storage, which you can also switch to PCIe 4.0 as it is supported.
The GDP Win 3 price starts at $799 with a base model that has the Core i5 1135G7 Intel processor. There is also a more powerful model that comes at $899 which has the Core 17 1165G7 processor from Intel.
Build
The chassis of the GDP Win 3 has both magnesium alloy and ABS plastic. This chassis is sturdy both in looks and feel, but not without its issues. It has a small display, but it is quite bright and has great viewing angles. This display has game controllers on each side. It has a good analog stick that is clickable. On the left, there is a D-pad that looks like that of a PlayStation Vita with the start and select buttons and the LED status lights.
Over on the right, there are X, Y, A, and B buttons and a small Xbox button underneath the fingerprint reader. The fingerprint sensor is an easy and fast way to login to the laptop without sliding the screen to input PIN or password. The sensor uses Windows Hello biometric security.
There are the L1/R1 and L2/R2 buttons. The R2 and L2 buttons have analog triggers that allow you to slowly increase the speed when playing racing games.
On the left of the laptop, there is the microSD card reader and at the top, there is a headset jack, the USB 3.0 Type-A port, the volume, and the power buttons. At the bottom, there are speakers and a Thunderbolt-4 port that supports charging, video input, and data as well as other things.
Features
There is the USB-C 65W power adapter that can you can use for a quick charge. But there is also an option of a docking station that you can connect with the Thunderbolt port. This docking station is optional and it gives you a Gigabit Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a trio of USB-A ports.
Behind the laptop, there are programmable buttons. One on the right side and another on the left side. These buttons’ functions are yet to be ascertained. On the left of the Win 3, you will find a switch that toggles mouse mode and allows you to make use of the analog sticks to move a cursor on the screen.
For the cooling system, there are large vents on the top and the back of the laptop. And the fan can get noisy especially when playing a game that requires a lot from the computer.
Keyboard
The design of the Win 3 is quite different from that of the previous gaming laptops from GPD. The predecessors have a laptop-like clamshell look. Once the lid opens, you can see the gaming controllers and keyboard. However, the Win 3 has an upward sliding display that that reveals its touch capacitive keyboard.
The keyboard is smooth and flat. It lights up during use and there is a vibration when a key is touched. Since the keys cannot be felt, you can only stare are the screen when typing to know if you are typing correctly. The keyboard is not the best to use, as it becomes quite difficult when you want to use the shift keys or input symbols.
Performance
The Win 3 gives a great performance and it is the first PC that we have tested that comes with the 11th Generation Intel Core Tiger Lake processor. The Intel Iris Xe graphics combine with this processor to bring us the most powerful portable gaming computer.