Khadas Mind Graphics 2 and Mind xPlay display + keyboard review - Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and first try

Khadas has sent us the Mind Graphics 2 dock, Mind xPlay portable display and keyboard, as well as the Mind 2 mini PC for review. In the first part of the review, I’ll start by listing specifications, an unboxing of all three packages, a teardown of the graphics dock, and a first try of the xPlay and Mind Graphics 2 with the mini PC.

While the Mind 2 will be used for testing, I won’t go into details here since it’s quite similar to the Mind 2 AI Maker Kit we reviewed last year. Instead, in the next parts, I’ll do a review of the xPlay with it, the first-generation Mind, and maybe another platform with USB-C video output. I’ll follow that by detailed testing of the Khadas Mind 2, including graphics and AI performance with the built-in NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB card, and check all its features. I should also be able to complete the review of the Creality Sermon S1 3D scanner since the Mind 2 and Graphics 2 dock combo will meet, or even exceed, the high hardware requirements of the scanner for acceptable performance (frame rate).

Khadas Mind xPlay specifications

I previously mentioned the xPlay when the Mind mini PC was introduced, but never looked at it in detail. Let’s do that now.

xPlay specifications:

Mind xPlay Portable Display
- Display
  - 13-inch LCD with 2880 × 1920 resolution
  - Refresh Rate – 60Hz
  - Color Gamut – 100% sRGB
  - Brightness – 500 nit
- Audio
  - Dual microphone with a pickup range of about 2 meters
  - Stereo speakers (2x 2W)
- Camera – 2 MP webcam
- USB
  - 1x USB-C input port
  - 1x USB-C output port
- Expansion – Custom Mind Link interface for Khadas mini PCs
- Misc
  - Power, Volume Up/Down buttons
  - Magnetic keyboard port
  - Adjustable Stand – 0°–120°
- Battery & Power
  - Power Input: 20V/5A (max) via USB-C or Mind Link
  - Battery – Capacity: 4,150 mAh; energy: 47.94 Wh
- Dimensions – 290.5 × 199.95 × 9.5 mm
- Weight – 820 grams
Mind xPlay Keyboard
- Designed for the Mind xPlay Portable Display
- Connection to xPlay – Magnetic attachment
- Keyboard Layout – 79 keys; note: I can only see “Global” and “Korean” options
- Touchpad – High-precision touchpad (polling rate > 120 Hz)
- Key Functions – Copilot key and Custom key tos witch work modes, set key combinations, or launch files and apps
- Dimensions – 293 × 215 × 6 mm
- Weight – 340 grams

Khadas Mind Graphics 2 specifications

Just launched earlier this year, the Mind Graphics 2 dock is newer.

Mind Graphics 2 specifications:

Graphics Card – NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Blackwell GPU with 16GB GDDR7 VRAM, up to 180W power
Storage – Full-size SD 4.0 card reader up to 200 MB/s
Video Output
- 2x HDMI 2.1b ports up to 4K @ 480Hz or 8K @ 165Hz
- 1x DisplayPort 2.1b port up to 4K @ 480Hz or 8K @ 165Hz
- Multiple display support
  - Up to 3x independent displays at 4K 165Hz
  - Up to 2x independent displays at 4K 360Hz or 8K 100Hz
  - Up to 4x independent displays when including the Mind 2/2s mini PC’s HDMI port
Audio
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Dual microphone
- Stereo speakers
Networking – 2.5GbE RJ45 port
USB
- USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps) port; note: usable as Thunderbolt 3/4/USB4 eGPU port when the Mind 2 is not connected through the Link connector.
- USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10 Gbps) port with PD output up to 5V/3A
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) USB ports
Expansion – Custom Mind Link (PCIe Gen4 x8) interface for Khadas mini PCs
Misc
- Fingerprint reader (press to mute)
- Volume buttons
Power Supply – Integrated 350W GaN PSU
Dimensions – 199 x 133 x 100 mm
Weight – 3 kg

Khadas Mind xPlay, Mind Graphics 2, and Mind 2 unboxing

I received three packages for the Mind Graphics, Mind xPlay, and the Mind 2 mini PC.

Let’s have a quick look at the Mind 2 package. We’ll find the Mind 2 mini PC with two USB-C ports, HDMI video output, and two USB ports, a 65W USB PD power adapter, and a USB-C to USB-C cable for power.

The “K1018” computer/portable workstation features an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 16-core Meteor Lake processor paired with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD preloaded with Windows 11.

The Mind Link can be found on the bottom side, protected by a rubber cover. The Link connector is used to communicate with accessories such as the xPlay display or Mind Graphics 2 dock.

Let’s now check out the xPlay stored in a hard black foam box.

The package includes the xPlay portable display itself, a QWERTY (Global) keyboard with touchpad and magnetic attachment, user manuals, and a blue sheet telling users to upgrade the firmware of the Mind 1/2/2s to ensure compatibility. I didn’t have to do that with a brand new Mind 2, but I might have to with the Mind mini PC whose firmware I haven’t upgraded for a couple of years…

The keyboard is really thin (6mm).

The display is pretty slim as well (9.5mm), and one side features speaker holes and two USB-C ports (left: input port to connect to a host; right: output port to connect an additional USB-C display), and the other side only has holes for the second speaker.

The top of the display comes with volume -/+ buttons and the power button…

…while the bottom features the keyboard port.

The back of the display features the Khadas Mind connector (male) and a few internal magnets to connect and secure the Mind 2 mini PC. It’s protected by a rubber cover that’s pretty easy to lose…

Finally, let’s switch to the Mind Grraphics 2 eGPU module. The sticker on the back shows it features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB graphics card and the model number is A1026.

Inside the package, we’ll find the dock itself (pretty heavy at 3kg), a power cord for your country (I selected EU), a user manual, and the same “update your firmware” sheet as found in the xPlay.

The Mind 2 mini PC will be placed on top of the dock, where we can find a male Mind Link connector.

The front panel features a 3.5mm audio jack, a 10 Gbps USB-C port, an RGB LED, and a full-size SD card reader.

The rear panel comes with the AC connector, a 2.5GbE port, a DisplayPort & two HDMI video outputs, a 40 Gbps USB-C port (to use the dock as an eGPU with any machine with a spare Thunderbolt/USB4 port), and two USB 3.2 ports, plus an Unlock button.

One of the side features the volume buttons and a fingerprint scanner that’s also used to mute the dock. Overall, the design feels very much “premium”.

Khadas Mind Graphics 2 teardown

The Mind Graphics 2 eGPU dock is not designed to be opened, and regular users should not attempt to open it. Some may want to change or retrieve the graphics card inside, but Khadas clearly states it cannot be replaced or upgraded.

I started the teardown by removing the screws holding the rear panel plate.

That’s a start, but it doesn’t show much, so I removed six additional screws, and I was still unable to remove the internal hardware. At this point, I peeked under the rubber pads on the bottom and noticed two additional screws on each pad…

… and under each plastic part, one more screw.

Still no luck moving anything around, so I used a metal tool to remove the front cover, slightly damaged it in the process, but got access to more of the internals, including what looks like a speaker box.

I had to remove a few more screws before being able to access the internals. I first thought the two black boxes connected to the Mind Link PCB would be speakers, but upon further inspection, they are clearly not. We can see a custom cooling solution with two large fans and a heatsink.

We’ll also find the power supply on the other side. It’s a 350W-rated SOY-2001750 PSU from Shenzhen SOY Technology outputting 20A DC up to 17.5A from a 100-2401V 50/60Hz AC input.

The design is highly integrated and also feels premium on the inside. I’ll stop the teardown here before I break anything…. It’s clearly not made to be disassembled. I reassembled everything and managed to *only* lose one screw.

Getting started with the xPlay display/keyboard and Mind Graphics 2 dock

Let’s have a quick try to make sure everything (still) works. I’ll start with the xPlay portable display. I installed the Mind 2 on the back, adjusted the handle to my liking, and connected the 65W USB PD power adapter provided with the mini PC.

I then attached the keyboard through its magnetic attachment, and could boot Windows 11 after pressing the power button on the display (that part is important). I also heard the Windows 11 installation assistant voice through the built-in speakers. I played around with the touchpad and keyboard a bit, and everything worked so far. Note there’s no touchscreen function.

Finally, I moved the Mind 2 mini PC to the Graphics Mind 2 dock, and connected the xPlay to one of the USB-C ports on the Mind 2. Since the mini PC has a small built-in battery, there’s no need to turn it off and on when switching accessories. At first, the display was blank, and I thought something was wrong since nothing happened after pressing the button on the mini PC or dock. I eventually heard the voice of the Windows installation assistant through the dock’s speakers, and understood I had to press the power button on the display itself for this to work.

Most other USB-C displays I’ve tested so far just automatically turn on when connected to the host. But I understand why this may not be the case with the xPlay display since it’s also used to power on/off the Mind 2.

That will be all for today. This will keep me busy for a while, with three more parts for the review with the xPlay, dock, and 3D scanner.

I’d like to thank Khadas for sending the Mind 2 mini PC, xPlay portable display and keyboard, and the Mind Graphics 2 dock for review. You’ll find the mini PC for about $1,099.00 on AliExpress and the Khadas store in its Intel Core 7 155H/32GB/1TB configuration, the Mind xPlay kit goes for $399 on AliExpress/Khadas store, and the Mind Graphics 2 dock sells for $1349 (AliExpress or Khadas Store).

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.