In May this year, GPD first teased the GPD Duo dual-screen OLED laptops, followed by a full specs reveal in September. GPD Duo's complete Indiegogo campaign has launched, with a confirmed November 22 cutoff date on the campaign that also marks the earliest possible "November 2024" shipping date.
In addition to solidifying the release window, GPD has also added a second Ryzen 7 8840U model to the lineup of GPD Duo laptops (compared to just one Ryzen 7 8840U model and two Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 models prior), giving users a complete suite of options—especially those who don't want to pay the Ryzen AI 9 premium.
If you're paying close attention, you'll realize that the pricing difference between the Mid-Range Ryzen 7 model and the cheapest Ryzen AI 9 model is about $200. Based on our knowledge of both CPUs, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 beats its prior-generation competition in single-core performance. Regarding CPU-bound performance characteristics, the GPD Duo models have more in common than they don't, but Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is undoubtedly a better workhorse than the last-gen Ryzen 7 8840U.
GPD Duo Specifications and Pricing
The comparison gets interesting in the respective iGPUs of the GPD Duo models, particularly at this price point and in this form factor. The last-gen Radeon 780M was the fastest iGPU of its generation, far outstripping the performance of other iGPU solutions and providing clean gaming experiences for handhelds targeting 1200p like the Asus ROG Ally. The newer Radeon 890M is 15% faster than that and is generally on par with desktop GPUs of yesteryear, even up to the GTX 1070 or GTX 1650.
If the budget is not a concern, you should opt for one of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 models. However, suppose you're the type of enthusiast who wants to pair a laptop or gaming handheld with a powerful eGPU docking station for the best in both worlds of performance and portability. In that case, these GPD Duo models support the superior OCuLink eGPU connectivity standard. So, if you plan to use an eGPU with this device anyway, you could save some money by opting for one of the Ryzen 7 models instead of the Ryzen AI 9 models.
Besides that, the GPD Duo looks like a laptop with plenty of potential, particularly for users who can use its dual OLED displays and super-flexible form factor for productivity and creative use. Hardcore gamers would likely be served better by other devices but may also enjoy the unconventional form factor and vivid, high-fidelity OLED panels on show.
