According to a blog post from GPD, some revisions are headed our way later this month for two devices: the GPD Win 4 and the GPD G1. The GPD Win 4 will mainly receive a higher-specced Ryzen 7 8840U processor versus its current 7840U, but besides adding some AI hardware, the CPUs should perform nearly identically. The move to update the GPD Win 4 with the Ryzen 7 8840U also aligns with GPD's stated plans to do so back in December.
The original blog post from GPD primarily focuses on the changes coming up for the GPD G1, which is GPD's lightweight external GPU. The new GPD G1 revision will support higher refresh rates over HDMI and 65 Watt charging through USB4, and it will include a physical power switch for toggling between a "Silent" 60 Watt TGP mode and a "Balanced" 100 Watt TGP mode.
According to GPD, the five-watt bump to the USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 charging port on the GPD G1 was so that the device could appropriately charge specific devices with higher power demands, like certain Microsoft Surface and Lenovo laptop models. The Watt bump to the USB4/Thunderbolt 4 charging port on the GPD G1 allowed the device to charge specific devices with higher power demands appropriately, like certain Microsoft Surface and Lenovo laptop models. In any case, these changes should make the GPD G1 much better for gaming on the go, particularly with the addition of a Silent mode for slightly less demanding titles or battery power consumption.
Meanwhile, the news of a GPD Win 4 revision bumping the Ryzen 7 7840U to a Ryzen 7 8840U is...mostly expected. Both CPUs use the same Radeon 780M iGPU that powers the ASUS ROG Ally, Ayaneo Flip DS, and other high-end PC handhelds that outstrip Steam Deck in raw power (and price). Barring the additional onboard AI hardware somehow being leveraged by FSR upscaling updates, the Ryzen 7 8840U is unlikely to impact gaming performance versus the 7840U.
Compared to the more conventional gaming-focused PC handhelds from other vendors, the GPD Win 4 is unique because it also leverages a full pull-out keyboard alongside its gamepad controls. The GPD Win 4 also offers an optical finger-mouse on the right-hand side of the device, which is functionally similar to the Steam Deck trackpads but much more compact.
These aspects make it appropriate for some on-the-go computing and could even be used for in-game communication or hotkeys for those who like putting extra buttons to work. There are some extra programmable back buttons, too. In other words, this month's Win 4 Ryzen 7 8840U revision should be a welcome change to the 6-inch GPD Win 4— just not a significant bump to the spec if you already have a 7840U Win 4.
