Benchmarking GPD Win Mini 2024

CPU, memory and GPU

Elaborating the subject of the most powerful clamshell handheld of 2024 it is interesting to compare the performance of the GPD Win Mini with other UMPCs of the second epoch.

Here is provided a comparison of CPU, GPU and memory performance: Benchmarking UMPCs of the second epoch. The results of GPD Win Mini are very impressive.

In addition to testing the Win Mini at the maximum TDP value of 28W, it is also interesting to measure the performance depending on the TDP. The corresponding test results are provided below.

What conclusions can be drawn from the charts? The performance of memory and one processor core has practically not increased since 10 watts. TDP value of 20W is almost a performance limit for multithreaded CPU mode and the GPU. In the case of portable use, it makes no sense to increase the TDP above 20W.

Default SSD

The comparison of SSD performance with other UMPCs has already been provided at the link above. In this comparison, the GPD Win Mini was used with the Patriot VP4000 Mini 1TB, instead of the standard SSD from the manufacturer (KIOXIA KBG50ZNS512G 512 GB). It is interesting to compare the speeds of these two drives in the Win Mini.

Test results of the default SSD (KIOXIA KBG50ZNS512G):

Test results of Patriot VP4000 Mini 1Tb:

As you can see, in terms of operating speeds, the default SSD shows quite good results. It will be difficult to achieve significantly higher values on the Win Mini.

Handhelds in use #5

The fifth issue of the series ‘Handheld in use’ shows the following devices:

ClockworkPi uConsole
Palm Tungsten T3
Planet Computers Cosmo Communicator
Sharp PC-1600
Sharp Mobilon HC-4100
Hewlett-Packard 100lx
Hewlett-Packard 320lx
Hewlett-Packard 360lx
Hewlett-Packard Jornada 710
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia N900
Sony VAIO VGN-UX1XRN
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Noname P8 (UMPC)

The previous posts from this series:

Handhelds in use (April of 2021).
Handhelds in use #2 (August of 2022).
Handhelds in use #3 (January of 2023).
Handhelds in use #4 (January of 2024).

Public exhibition of handheld computers

The year 2024 has become very significant for my collection of handheld computers.
For over 5 years now, I have been exposing computers in private display cabinets at my home. But on October 12, 2024, a permanent public exhibition opened for the first time, featuring a part of my collection.

The exhibition includes many exhibits, from programmable calculators manufactured in 1976 and pocket versions of the IBM PC to modern smartphones. This allows us to trace how handheld computers, which 40 years ago seemed like a fantasy, have become everyday objects.

The Museum of Computing Engineering in the Gallery Krasnokholmskaya invites you to take a fascinating dive into the history of computer technology development. You can find the Gallery’s address, opening hours, and contact information on the website: https://kholmy.vzmoscow.ru/techmus.

If you are interested in a private tour of the collection, please contact me directly via the following email: Vitaly Minko.

The most powerful 7-inch clamshell UMPC of 2024

The GPD Win Mini 2024 is the most powerful 7-inch clamshell handheld as of 2024.

Let’s take a look at the specifications:

Screen: 7-inch, Native Landscape Orientation, 1080P, supports VRR
CPU: AMD R7-8840U
GPU: AMD Radeon 780M
DDR: 32GB , LPDDR5
Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD
Wireless Network: Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth: 5.2
USB4: × 1, 40Gbps

The second generation of the Win Mini differs from the first generation by having a USB A connector and a native landscape orientation of the screen (which ensures compatibility with many older games).

The device is capable to replace a modern mid-level desktop computer. And the performance of the integrated graphics is close to GTX1650. Surprisingly, the GPS With Mini is good enough for "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle", which does not run on the GTX 1080 due to the lack of hardware support for ray tracing.

In the following posts, we will conduct a series of tests and look at the device’s performance in more detail.

Despite the impressive performance, the Win Mini also has weaknesses. In terms of the quality of the case, the One-Netbook OneGX1 Pro is still my favorite UMPC.

Brilliant SONY VAIO UX series

One of the most outstanding UMPCs of the first era is the SONY VAIO UX. It is insanely technological, powerful, and comfortable. A real masterpiece of technological art.

At the same time, SONY VAIO UX is quite a reliable device. They fail noticeably less frequently than many other UMPCs of the first era. Despite this, it is useful to have a spare copy in the collection.

NoName P8 – a remarkable UMPC

The P8 is a modern 8-inch UMPC from an unknown manufacturer. It has a swivel hinge display and is convertible into a tablet. The device is sold on Aliexpress under a variety of little-known brands. The device is notable for the fact that at its price of $250, it offers an interesting specification. There are no completely failed characteristics. For specifications, see the item description.

In terms of build quality, the device is, of course, inferior to the flagship devices from One-NetbooK. But in general, the quality is quite good and no worse than, for example, the Fujitsu U810. See the photos in the gallery below.

And in terms of performance, the P8 even surpasses some competitors, which are many times more expensive. For details, see Benchmarking NoName P8.

This price-performance ratio makes the NoName P8 stand out from the modern line of UMPC devices.

Visiting BBS using WiModem232

I’m glad to present you a portable setup, that lets you visit old-school BBS servers on a native old-school handheld on the go.

Hand386 – 386-based handheld from 2023

Hand386 is a unique handheld. It’s quite modern: the device was released in 2023. But at the same time it’s based on a rare Intel 386 compatible CPU.
From the practical standpoint, the device has a decent keyboard, genuine OPL3 sound chip and a high-quality screen, which makes Hand386 a good choice for playing non-demanding DOS games.

3D printed battery cover for Hewlett-Packard 100LX/200LX

One of the most typical hardware failure of HP 100lx/200lx is a broken battery cover latch. That’s why a spare 3D printed battery cover would be a good option even if your current battery cover is intact. A free 3D model of the battery cover is available on Thingiverse. However, I was not satisfied with the quality of this model, therefore I’m glad to present you a custom (improved) version.