Abstract
- The GPD Duo dual-screen laptop computer enhances productiveness, however notable flaws inhibit its full potential.
- It is cumbersome and heavy, however versatile orientation choices with touchscreen and pen assist make it a robust instrument.
- The GPD Duo presents wonderful show high quality and efficiency, however has poor software program stability and a horrible trackpad.
Efficient multi-display multitasking at residence or the workplace is comparatively straightforward, however, when on the go, not a lot. The GPD Duo goals to spice up your cell productiveness with a robust dual-screen laptop computer. Sadly, notable points maintain again its potential.
GPD DUO
The GPD Duo is a robust dual-screen laptop computer with distinctive options, however suffers from poor software program integration and selection of choose {hardware} parts.
- Twin shows are productive
- Shows are good high quality
- Contact and pen enter
- Video enter for high show
- Versatile orientations
- Horrible trackpad and fingerprint reader
- Cumbersome and heavy
- Unfriendly preliminary setup and updates
- Unstable at instances
- No pen included
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Value and Availability
The GPD Duo is accessible from Amazon and direct from GPD in a wide range of configurations beginning at $1750, excluding sale pricing. The configuration on this overview, which encompasses a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, 64GG LPDDR5X RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 2280 storage, is $2,200, excluding sale pricing.
Included within the field is the laptop computer, 100W USB-C AC adapter, USB-C to USB-C cable, and paperwork.
Design and {Hardware}: Cumbersome and Complete
The massive upside to the GPD Duo is its built-in 13.3-inch twin shows. Whereas there are many add-on cell screens that connect to an present laptop computer show, it is undeniably handy to have the second show completely connected, eliminating setup and cables. In fact, with this comfort comes some bulkiness at 13 inches thick when folded and a weight of over 7 kilos.
As a result of the second show is hinged, it may be folded utterly again, so the GPD Duo can be utilized as a single-screen laptop computer. This flexibility permits the GPD Duo for use in several orientations, with the second show dealing with out in direction of the viewers or folded in to make use of the laptop computer like a pill because of its touchscreen and pen assist for each shows.
There’s some wobble on the highest display screen when the laptop computer is totally open, except you employ the built-in kickstand. Even with the kickstand prolonged, the GPD Duo can be utilized in your lap, though it does restrict the angles the place the decrease display screen will be positioned.
The white backlit chiclet keyboard feels fairly good, with dependable presses from its fairly well-spaced keys. It is not my favourite laptop computer keyboard, nevertheless it meets expectations, not like the trackpad.
Apart from being on the small facet at roughly 4.3-inches diagonal, attempting to click on on a nook of the trackpad requires much more strain than it ought to and simply feels terrible. It tracks OK and helps the standard multi-finger gestures like pinch-to-zoom, however total, it is one of many worst trackpads I’ve utilized in latest reminiscence.
There are many helpful, high-performance ports, beginning with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the correct facet, that are subsequent to an influence button that features an embedded fingerprint reader. On the left facet is a mix 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack, a full-size SD card slot, a USB-C 4.0 DP port that helps as much as 8K 60Hz output, a USB-C 4.0 port that helps throughput of as much as 40GB/s, and a pinhole reset button.
On the rear is an RJ45 Ethernet port, Oculink port, and a full-size HDMI 2.1 output. The second show has a bodily management for brightness and a USB-C port that helps DisplayPort Alt Mode for video enter. Which means that the second show can be utilized for video output from appropriate units, however doesn’t assist audio. Whereas the dearth of audio is one thing of a adverse, having the choice of utilizing the second show independently with one thing apart from the laptop computer stays a novel worth proposition.
It is also value noting that the keyboard, trackpad, and laptop computer case are all fingerprint magnets. Surprisingly, when utilizing the 2 shows as touchscreens, they appear extra proof against fingerprints than the remainder of the laptop computer.
Sights and Sounds: A Feast for the Eyes, Not Ears
Each shows are Samsung OLED panels with a 2,880 x 1,800 decision and 255 PPI pixel density. The brightness, element, and shade are wonderful, with 100% of the Adobe RGB and 133% of the sRGB shade gamuts. Every show solely has a 60Hz refresh price, however since this isn’t a gaming laptop computer, it is not notably vital for both one to be any sooner, notably with a 1ms response time.
Default scaling is 200% in Home windows 11, which I discovered a bit too giant. As a substitute, 175% gave me a bit extra room to work with out making the textual content too small at every panel’s native decision.
Whereas there may be little or no to complain about with such high quality shows, there are nonetheless just a few points to notice. For one, due to the restricted tilt vary of the underside show when additionally utilizing the highest show, the previous is much extra more likely to decide up reflections. The second is that, as a result of the highest panel counts as an exterior DisplayPort show, when the laptop computer goes to sleep, it disconnects every time. On wake, it reconnects, and you may want to maneuver your home windows again onto its display screen in the event you’re utilizing it as an prolonged show relatively than a reproduction or second display screen solely.
Each panels additionally function 10-point contact enter, and 4,096 ranges of strain sensitivity from Microsoft Pen Protocol-compatible pens. Sadly, no pen is included, however I used to be in a position to seamlessly use the identical pen from my Microsoft Floor Guide 3. Because of its versatile orientations, the GPD Duo makes for a superb touch- and pen-input platform.
The built-in webcam, which is on the high of the underside show, is fairly primary and does not assist Home windows Good day login. It maxes out at a decision of two,560 x 1,440 at 60 Hz and does a superb job below completely different lighting situations. The built-in stereo microphone data clearly, however has minimal background noise isolation capabilities. Aside from some angle limitations when utilizing the kickstand, it is a webcam I might haven’t any drawback utilizing for many video conferencing wants.
The audio system endure a bit from an absence of bass, to allow them to sound flat at instances, however readability, separation, and encompass sound simulation are wonderful. Even at 100% quantity, which may fill a small room, there’s solely slight muddiness. Apparently, I did not discover an enormous distinction with quantity ranges previous 60%, so you’ll be able to usually high on the market to prioritize readability.
Benchmarks, Video games, and Total Efficiency: Buggy and Productive
You may inform the GPD Duo shouldn’t be essentially focused on the North American mass market, as a result of each the handbook and the preliminary Home windows 11 setup default to Simplified Chinese language. In fact, it is simple sufficient to flip to the English part and choose the third possibility after Deutsch on the Home windows 11 setup, nevertheless it seems that this lack of streamlining extends past the primary boot.
For example, when you get into Home windows 11, you are solely initially supplied an area account. If you wish to use Home windows 11 to its fullest, you may have to arrange a linked Microsoft account like some other Home windows laptop computer.
Sadly, out of the field, my GPD Duo did not work with my Wi-Fi community. To bypass this, I needed to join the laptop computer by way of Ethernet, which did enable it to achieve an Web connection, however then common Home windows updates did not work. As a substitute, I needed to go to the official GPD Firmware & Drivers site and use Rufus to flash the AI 9 HX 370 ISO file replace to a 64GB USB drive, then comply with the directions to overwrite the prevailing 2TB drive. Whereas this did resolve most of my software program points, that is maybe the most important of the numerous examples, of how this gadget shouldn’t be actually appropriate for a mainstream viewers.
Even making use of GPD’s personal common updates, my laptop computer nonetheless often crashes after going to the Home windows 11 desktop. Perhaps a future replace will repair this, however after many months of utilization, I am not notably hopeful.
The mix energy button and fingerprint reader can also be unreliable, at the very least for the latter operate. It normally works OK as soon as I am in Home windows, however once I energy on, it typically fails to learn any of my registered fingers to truly login, forcing me to sort my pin code. The fingerprint reader is extra frustration than comfort.
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Exterior its poor Home windows 11 integration and stability, as anticipated for a laptop computer with these specs, efficiency is superb. It breezes by way of Microsoft Workplace, Adobe Photoshop, and extra with out subject. Particularly with the twin shows, when the GPD Duo works, it’s nice for productiveness, which is borne out with extra goal benchmarks.
PCMark 10, which measures full system efficiency for contemporary workplace wants utilizing assessments primarily based on real-world purposes and actions, gave a rating of seven,291. That is higher than 87% of all outcomes, beating out a 2023 gaming laptop computer at 7,066, and never too far behind a 2023 gaming PC at 9.483.
Whereas the GPD Duo shouldn’t be a gaming laptop computer, it will possibly definitely run many fashionable video games at cheap body charges at 1,920 x 1,080 (1080p) or 2,560 x 1,440 (1440p). The older Time Spy DirectX 12 gaming benchmark provides a graphics rating of three,528 and CPU rating of 10,591, with a mixed rating of three,920. That is higher than solely 9% of all outcomes, above a 2023 workplace laptop computer at 1,671, and under a 2023 finances gaming PC at 10,069. Nonetheless, this nonetheless interprets to cheap efficiency in lots of video games, particularly these which can be a bit older. For example, in GTA V, you would possibly count on better than 150 FPS at 1080p with Extremely settings, whereas in Battlefield V, you would possibly count on better than 40 FPS at 1440p with Extremely settings.
In fact, whilst you can all the time try to tweak settings in GPD’s included Movement Assistant software program to eke out a bit extra gaming efficiency, the DUO can make the most of an eGPU because of its built-in Oculink port. All kinds of eGPU docking stations can be found, together with one from GPD themselves, the G1 2024, which retails for $700. Any such resolution additional reduces the portability of an already cumbersome laptop computer, however having the choice to take gaming and graphical efficiency to the following stage must you wish to is healthier than not.
Wi-Fi and Ethernet efficiency had been wonderful and each inside the anticipated vary on my TP-Link Deco BE22000 Wi-Fi 7 system. Over Wi-Fi, I averaged 19 ms ping, 1,200 Mbps obtain, and 18 Mbps add. On Ethernet, I averaged the identical ping and add, however with a fair higher obtain pace of two,100.
GPD guarantees as much as 14 hours of battery life from the 80Wr battery in the event you flip off the second show, flip down the brightness on the first show, and restrict utilization to gentle actions like internet looking or watching movies. Extra realistically, you may get about 5–10 hours, with use of the second show trending in direction of the decrease finish of that estimate. Because of PD fast charging, you’ll be able to restore roughly half the battery’s capability in round half-hour in the event you use the included AC adapter or equal.
Ought to You Purchase the GPD Duo?
When the GPD Duo works, it is a fantastically productive setup because of its high-quality twin shows. Sadly, this laptop computer is extra experiment than a valued companion. It has unstable interactions with the Home windows 11 working system, poor fingerprint recognition, a very horrible trackpad, and is cumbersome.
In case you’re a technical person who’s in a position to manually set up the varied GPD-supplied updates, a few of which require booting from a flash drive, and do not thoughts the occasional instability or different niggling points, then you definately would possibly be capable to get some good utilization out of what is a cheap, and highly effective, touchscreen- and pen-based dual-display laptop computer. For the remainder of us, nevertheless, this can be a idea we will solely hope will be repackaged by another firm in a extra streamlined method, even when it is at a barely larger value level. There’s simply an excessive amount of potential right here to waste so many good concepts on a not-quite-there energy laptop computer.
GPD DUO
The GPD Duo is a robust dual-screen laptop computer with distinctive options, however suffers from poor software program integration and selection of choose {hardware} parts.
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