GMKtec EVO-X3 delivers powerful local AI, but needs software polish

The GMKtec EVO-X3 is a compact, upright mini PC built around AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. The system combines 16 Zen 5 CPU cores, Radeon 8060S graphics, a 50-TOPS XDNA 2 NPU, and 128GB of unified LPDDR5X memory.

During testing, it handled local chat, reasoning, image recognition, image generation, transcription, and coding models. Smaller language models responded quickly, while larger models produced more detailed reasoning and better-quality copy. These workloads could also run with Wi-Fi disabled, keeping prompts, photographs, audio recordings, and project files on the computer rather than sending them to a cloud service.

Conventional benchmarks were also strong, and the OCuLink connector adds flexibility for demanding graphics work. The tall metal enclosure is designed to stand upright and maintain airflow, while remaining relatively compact.

The software experience is less finished. Herdsman recognised the NPU but reported that Ryzen AI Max+ 395 was unsupported by its current runtime manifests. Installing Lemonade and its Ryzen AI runtime resolved the issue, with compatible models pushing NPU utilisation close to 100%.

At $3,799.99 for the 128GB/2TB configuration, the EVO-X3 is a powerful local AI workstation, but it requires knowledge of models, runtimes, servers, agents, and external applications. Its hardware is impressive; the bundled software still needs work.