The OneXFly Apex has an optional external liquid cooling tower to help keep things chill, which kinda defeats the point of a handheld gaming PC if you ask me
Hoses. Just what I always wanted.
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When is a gaming handheld not a gaming handheld? Well, I'd argue it's when you need to strap a bunch of external devices to it in order to get the most out of it, which is exactly what's happened to the Strix Halo-powered OneXPlayer OneXFly Apex.
It's a seriously impressive-looking device on paper, with what initially appears to be a relatively slim 8-inch form factor, given the massive Ryzen AI Max 395 APU tucked inside (via Videocardz). However, as our Jacob found when he reviewed the Asus ROG Flow Z13 with the also-chonky Ryzen AI Max 390 chip at its core, it's not easy to make a portable device with one of AMD's mega-APUs without making some compromises.
In the case of the ROG Flow Z13, one of those compromises was a massive power brick. In the OneXFly Apex, that appears to have translated to a swappable 85 Wh external battery pack, which is very reminiscent of the GPD Win 5, another Strix Halo-powered handheld with an extra juice box.
Article continues belowTo be fair, the OneXFly Apex's solution looks a whole lot neater, as it clicks into the back of the chassis in a way that means you might not notice it at first glance—although I'd be willing to bet you'd likely notice the weight. It's not just an external battery that seems to be required to get the most out of the Ryzen AI Max 390, though, as the Apex is the first gaming handheld we've seen with an external liquid cooling solution.
How does that work, I hear you cry. Well, with a chonky connector and a couple of liquid cooling tubes attached to an external cooling tower, that's how. The chip is said to be capable of a sustained 80 W TDP in pure handheld mode, and can potentially reach a massive 120 W TDP with the cooling device attached. Yes, it's optional, thankfully, although you'll likely be leaving a fair amount of performance on the table without it.
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