There is no shortage of Windows tablets on the market. But for some reason, finding one with an AMD processor inside is difficult. There are many 2-in-1 laptops with Ryzen power, and AMD’s efficient APU designs are an ideal choice for portable gaming gadgets like the Steam Deck. But apart from the ROG Flow Z13 surface style, I don’t remember seeing an AMD tablet on the shelf. But things are about to change thanks to the new design of Minisforum.
If that name doesn’t sound familiar, you might want to check it out. This China-based boutique manufacturer started its business just five years ago, specializing in tiny desktop PCs that punch above their weight and are easy to work with. This includes several SFF Ryzen designs, which offer an alternative to Intel’s standard NUC (which has been lately somewhat besieged). The V3 will be the company’s first tablet design — even its first laptop design, if you take the broad definition of Surface style — arriving next year.
Miniforum
But that’s not the amazing thing about Minisforum V3. No, being a 14-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard and stylus in the box, it’s a fairly rare large-scale device aiming at the same type of buyers who choose premium laptop designs. And it offers premium power too. According to the press release, the tablet will be powered by an AMD Ryzen “Hawk Point” APU. Which, technically, doesn’t exist yet. Chip market observers expect this to be part of the Ryzen 8000 series, the successor to the current 7000 family of laptop chips. Integrated graphics based on RDNA 3.5 on a Zen 4 architecture basis are expected.
Other notable specs for the Minisforum V3 (according to Liliputing) include QHD resolution, 50 watt-hour battery, finger sensor, Windows Hello compatible IR camera, dual USB 4 ports, USB-C input that allows the gadget to double as a portable monitor, four speakers, and a full-size display player of SD cards. Pricing wasn’t revealed, as the hardware is far from finalized… which isn’t surprising. However, if you’ve been waiting for a big, powerful Windows tablet without the typical Intel internals, it might be worth waiting a little longer.
