GMKtec launched its Evo-X5 Pro, a new agentic AI mini-PC, priced at $6,799 for the 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD model and $7,099 for the 4TB SSD variant. This release positions GMKtec directly against competitors like Acemagic's F9A and Minisforum's MS-S1 Max-P495, all using AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 processor.
AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495, part of the Gorgon Halo family, is the company's highest-performing mobile CPU. It features 16 full-size Zen 5 cores and 32 threads, operating with a 3.1 GHz base clock and a 5.2 GHz boost clock. The chip includes 64MB of L3 cache and maintains a 55W power budget, serving as a mobile counterpart to the Ryzen 9 9950X.
The Evo-X5 Pro's memory configuration includes 192GB of LPDDR5X-8533 RAM, which is integrated directly onto the motherboard using eight 24GB chips. This capacity exceeds the 128GB found in Nvidia's GB10 chip and AMD's previous Strix Halo chips, providing an advantage for local AI model processing.
Memory costs are a key factor in these high-end systems. Contract prices for DRAM increased by 63 percent this quarter, driven by demand from AI applications. The LPDDR5X memory used in these AI mini-PCs competes for wafers with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) modules, increasing supply pressures.
This trend directly impacts pricing across the AI hardware segment. Nvidia, for example, raised the price of its DGX Spark by $700 in February without any specification changes, reflecting the pass-through of increased memory costs to consumers. Previous generation AMD Strix Halo boxes started at $3,999 in June for pre-orders, indicating a substantial price jump for the new Gorgon Halo generation.
The GMKtec Evo-X5 Pro includes a vapor chamber cooling system alongside three fans—one 80 x 80 x 15mm fan and two 80 x 80 x 30mm fans—to manage thermal loads. The system supports three performance profiles for the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495: silent mode at 54W, balanced mode at 85W, and a performance mode that allows for 120W sustained power and 160W peak power.
Competitors' offerings show the market's premium pricing for this technology. Minisforum's MS-S1 MAX-P495, also equipped with the Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 and 192GB of memory, launched at $7,399. Other Gorgon Halo mini-PCs from Shenzhen-based manufacturers average around $6,500, establishing a narrow price band for these specialized devices.
These prices reflect the cost of integrating advanced mobile processors and extensive high-speed memory for agentic AI workloads. The market for these mini-PCs targets users requiring substantial local computational power for AI tasks, rather than relying solely on cloud infrastructure.
