Verdict
Ranked #3 of 5Aggregated review·4 sources·updated August 3, 2026

GMKtec EVO-X2

Averaged from 4 published ratings
The verdict

If the requirement is fitting a 120B-parameter model locally, the GMKtec EVO-X2 is the 128 GB-class mini PC to buy. PCWorld praised its 'excellent combination of CPU, GPU, and NPU performance at desktop workstation level' and scored it 4.5/5. The XDNA 2 NPU contributes 50 TOPS toward a 126 TOPS platform total once the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and the Radeon 8060S iGPU are counted. With 128 GB of LPDDR5X at 256 GB/s it loads GPT-OSS 120B Q4 with room to spare and runs 70B-class models at 6-8 tokens/sec for a single user. Memory is soldered, and a single 2.5G Ethernet port limits clustering.

GMKtec EVO-X2

Full review

128 GB of LPDDR5X at 256 GB/s

The whole case for this box is memory. 128 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 across a 256-bit bus yields 256 GB/s of bandwidth, which is what lets it load GPT-OSS 120B Q4 at around 70 GB with headroom left over. Single-user Llama-3-70B Q4_K_M decode lands in the 6-8 tokens/sec range, while an 8B model at the same quant runs 35-50.

Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and a 50 TOPS NPU

The processor is AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395: 16 cores, 32 threads, a top clock of 5.1 GHz, paired with the 40-core Radeon 8060S iGPU. The XDNA 2 NPU contributes 50 TOPS on its own and 126 TOPS platform-wide once CPU and iGPU are folded in, the same figure Beelink markets on the GTR9 Pro because it is the same Strix Halo silicon.

Desktop workstation power in 7.6 inches

PCWorld's Christoph Hoffmann called it 'a compact workstation with desktop power' rather than an ordinary mini PC, and the 7.6 x 7.3 x 3.03-inch chassis slides behind a monitor or under a riser. Tom's Hardware found performance holds steady under sustained load, and IGN placed the Radeon 8060S in the region of a mobile RTX 4050 to 4060 for gaming.

Removable top panel, but soldered memory

IGN praised the removable top panel for putting the full-size M.2 slot within easy reach, so storage is upgradeable. Memory is not: the LPDDR5X is soldered, unavoidable at this bandwidth but permanent. Dedicated fan-mode buttons on the case are a small piece of control most mini PCs omit, and internal service work beyond the SSD is harder than it should be.

A single 2.5GbE port where the GTR9 Pro has dual 10GbE

Networking is the clearest gap in the specification: one 2.5G Ethernet port. For a single workstation that is fine, but for anyone planning to cluster boxes or pull models off a fast NAS, the Beelink GTR9 Pro's dual 10GbE is the better fit. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 round out connectivity, both a generation behind current parts.

Oversized if your model fits in 64 GB

The honest caveat is that 128 GB is more memory than most local-LLM users need. If your working model lives in 70B Q4, a Mac mini M4 Pro is faster per dollar. The EVO-X2 earns its price only when the model genuinely will not fit in 64 GB, and at that point it is the cheapest route to running one on Linux or Windows.

Strengths

  • +128 GB LPDDR5X unified memory at 256 GB/s — fits 120B-class models locally
  • +AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU (126 TOPS platform total CPU+GPU+NPU)
  • +Supports multiple open-source AI models and popular development frameworks (Ollama, llama.cpp, MLC)
  • +Roughly half the price of an Nvidia DGX Spark for similar 128 GB-class local-LLM work

Watch-outs

  • Memory is soldered — no future RAM upgrades
  • Single 2.5G Ethernet port limits AI clustering compared to the Beelink GTR9 Pro
  • Possibly oversized for users who don't need 120B-class model headroom

How it compares

The GMKtec EVO-X2 is the best-value 128 GB box for local-LLM users whose models outgrow 64 GB. Its 128GB of unified memory at 256 GB/s fits 120B Q4 models the Mac mini M4 Pro cannot, far cheaper than the Mac Studio M4 Max. It shares the same Strix Halo silicon as the Beelink GTR9 Pro and Framework Desktop, so all three deliver effectively identical throughput; the EVO-X2 wins on price and fan-control buttons but loses dual 10GbE to the Beelink GTR9 Pro and the open, repairable chassis to the Framework Desktop. Pick it for the cheapest path to 128 GB of model headroom.

Rating sources

Our 4.4 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.

How it compares

See all 5
Mac mini M4 Pro 64 GB
#1 · Top Score

Mac mini M4 Pro 64 GB

The Mac mini M4 Pro is the value Apple pick: at 273 GB/s it has higher bandwidth than the 256 GB/s Strix Halo boxes (GMKtec EVO-X2, Beelink GTR9 Pro, Framework Desktop) for single-user 70B inference, but it is capped at 64 GB, so it cannot hold the 120B-class models those 128 GB machines fit. The Mac Studio M4 Max doubles both its bandwidth and memory ceiling for roughly the price increase. Pick the Mac mini M4 Pro if your models top out near 70B and you want Mac polish and silence at a lower price than the Mac Studio M4 Max; step up to a 128 GB box if you need more headroom.

Apple Mac Studio M4 Max
#2

Apple Mac Studio M4 Max

The Mac Studio M4 Max posts the highest memory bandwidth in this group at 546 GB/s, roughly double the Mac mini M4 Pro (273 GB/s) and the GMKtec EVO-X2 and Beelink GTR9 Pro (256 GB/s), which is why it generates tokens fastest on 70B models. Its memory ceiling of 128 GB matches the Strix Halo boxes for model size but at far higher bandwidth and price. Choose it over the Mac mini M4 Pro when you need both more than 64 GB and the fastest Apple inference; choose a GMKtec EVO-X2 or Framework Desktop instead if you want 128 GB on Linux or Windows at a fraction of the cost.

Beelink GTR9 Pro
#4

Beelink GTR9 Pro

The Beelink GTR9 Pro shares the same AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 silicon and 128GB of unified memory at 256 GB/s as the GMKtec EVO-X2 and Framework Desktop, so the three deliver effectively identical local-LLM throughput (~6-8 tokens/sec on 70B Q4). It differentiates on networking and chassis: dual 10GbE ports for AI clustering plus an industrial metal case. Beelink released firmware updates in Nov 2025 and Q1 2026 that mitigated NIC-related BSOD issues, though a hardware-level issue was acknowledged as unfixable. If you do not need the 10GbE, the GMKtec EVO-X2 saves money for the same performance, and the Framework Desktop offers a more open platform. Versus the Mac mini M4 Pro it doubles memory headroom; versus the Mac Studio M4 Max it is far cheaper but much lower bandwidth.

Framework Desktop (Ryzen AI Max+ 395)
#5

Framework Desktop (Ryzen AI Max+ 395)

The Framework Desktop runs the same AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 silicon and 128GB of unified memory as the GMKtec EVO-X2 and Beelink GTR9 Pro, so it fits the same 120B-class models at the same roughly 256 GB/s bandwidth, well below the Mac Studio M4 Max. It differentiates on platform and ethos: an open, repairable chassis running Windows or Linux, which the macOS-only Mac mini M4 Pro and Mac Studio M4 Max cannot match. Versus the GMKtec EVO-X2 it trades some plug-and-play convenience for Framework's documentation and customizable tile front; versus the Beelink GTR9 Pro it gives up dual 10GbE networking. Choose it for the most open 128 GB local-LLM box.

GMKtec EVO-X2
4.4/5· $1,999.99
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