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NVIDIA Announces GeForce GTX 980 GPU For High-End Gaming Notebooks

Posted by samzenpus on from the running-the-numbers dept.

MojoKid writes: NVIDIA is taking things is a slightly different direction today, at the ultra-high-end of their mobile graphics offering, introducing a "new" mobile GPU implementation, that's not really a mobile part at all, the GeForce GTX 980. Notice, there's no "M" on the end of that model number. NVIDIA is betting that the enthusiasts that are most likely to buy a notebook with a GeForce GTX 980 in it are savvy enough to understand the difference. Through some careful binning and optimization of the components that accompany the GPU, including the memory, voltage regulation module, and PCB, NVIDIA was able to take the full desktop GeForce GTX 980 GPU and cram it into mobile form factors. The mobile flavor of the GeForce GTX 980 features selectively binned GPUs that are able to achieve high frequencies at lower-than-typical voltages. And those GPUs are paired to 7Gbps GDDR5 memory and a heat sink with up to 2X the capacity of typical solutions. Notebooks powered by this GPU will be unlocked, and fully overclockable.The performance of the GeForce GTX 980 will also allow notebooks powered by the GPU to push multiple screens or power VR gear. NVIDIA was demoing a GTX 980-powerd Clevo notebook at an event in New York, connected to a trio of 1080P monitors, running GTA V at smooth framerates.

5 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. The only Gaming Notebooks are P&P by sinij · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The only Gaming Notebooks that should exist are Pen&Paper.

    Why would anyone game on a ultra-light budget-oriented laptop that has no way to provide adequate cooling or power to game?

    1. Re:The only Gaming Notebooks are P&P by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 2

      Most home users aren't the sort who buy dedicated PC gaming machines, though. I have a work laptop, that's relatively new and light - but all it needs to run is office/exchange/web browser and anything else corporate decides they need me using. I'm not worried about how many frames of Crysis3 it can push, or how it handles the latest Call of Duty Advanced Modern Black Ghost Ops running at 4k resolution.

      I used to have a 'gaming' laptop, because I traveled a lot, and still wanted to play games. A desktop isn't really an option when you're away from home more often than not. That said, the moment I was back in a stable environment, I splurged on a monster gaming desktop with top of the line video cards and a massive monitor, because laptops just don't provide anywhere near a satisfying experience. I also bought a much more modest laptop, that while it had enough to do some basic stuff (play an MMO, web browse, etc) when I went on a trip, it also didn't weigh so much that I would up wanting to kill myself when trying to lug it through an airport.

      The only way I'd consider going back to a "gaming" laptop is if I was on the road 24/7 again. It's just not worth the cost, because you'll get far more bang for your buck with a desktop as a gamer.

  2. "High-End Gaming Notebook" by NotDrWho · · Score: 2

    I know those words, but in that context they make no sense.

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    1. Re:"High-End Gaming Notebook" by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, it will have zero battery life, need to be thicker to hold the cooling gear and huge video card, and need an external monitor to save weight.

      They'll also remove the keyboard and touchpad to prevent overheating.

      Essentially it will ship as a big black box about 18"x18"x8". ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  3. To everybody bashing gaming laptops... by c.r.o.c.o · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Until very recently I was traveling for work every week, and the gaming laptop on which I am typing this post saved my sanity and liver in plenty of hotel rooms. It is a Clevo P150SM-A, weighing in at about 12lbs including AC adapter. It was not fun lugging it around airports twice a week while waiting for connecting flights. But it did the job, and I could play Fallout, Skyrim, Bioshock, Dying Light and many other games at very respectable frame rates. Even now that my traveling days are done, I am sitting on my balcony with a cup of tea, enjoying the end of the Canadian summer. I can also set it up in my living room while my significant other is watching TV.

    I had gaming desktops for about a decade, and I just got tired of being stuck at the same desk in the evenings, while spending my mornings at a different desk in the office.

    I am aware that a laptop's performance will never come close to that of a desktop. But if you cannot understand why someone will make that trade-off, don't click reply.

    All that said, I am surprised nobody mentioned the significant issue that Nvidia has with the Windows 10 upgrade. NBR is full of reports of black screens after upgrading, and the cause seems to be the Nvidia driver overwriting the LCD EEPROM. It seems Alienwares are particularly affected, with a few Clevos as well.