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NVIDIA Drops Pascal Desktop GPUs Into Laptops With Mobile GeForce GTX 10-Series (hothardware.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the shrinking-down-to-size dept.

MojoKid writes: NVIDIA's new Pascal core graphics architecture is being driven throughout the company's entire product portfolio, as is typically the case. Today, NVIDIA brings Pascal to notebooks with the introduction of the NVIDIA Mobile GeForce GTX 10-Series. What's interesting is that the first laptop-targeted GPUs are actually quite similar to their desktop counterparts. In fact, all three of the Mobile GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics processors NVIDIA is announcing today come sans the traditional "M" tacked on the end of their model numbers. As it turns out, the migration to a 16nm manufacturing process with Pascal has been kind to NVIDIA and the Mobile GeForce GTX 1080 and Mobile GeForce GTX 1060 have nearly identical specs to their desktop counterparts, from CUDA core counts, to boost, and memory clock speeds. However, the Mobile GeForce GTX 1070 actually has a few more CUDA cores at 2048, versus 1920 for the desktop GTX 1070 (with slightly lower clocks). By tweaking boost clock peaks and MXM module power requirements, NVIDIA was able to get these new Pascal mobile GPUs into desktop replacement class machines and even 5-pound, 15-inch class standard notebook designs (for the 1060). In the benchmarks, the new Mobile GeForce GTX 10-Series blows pretty much any previous discrete notebook graphics chip out of the water and smooth 4K or 120Hz gaming is now possible on notebook platforms.

42 comments

  1. The Jensen and Wirth book is still handy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's a good thing I still have my Pascal User Manual and Report. After all these years it may come in handy again!

    1. Re:The Jensen and Wirth book is still handy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      program first(input,output);
      BEGIN
                writeln("First Post!")
      END.

    2. Re:The Jensen and Wirth book is still handy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I will be waiting for their modula-2 gpu.

  2. Where am I being shafted? by dohzer · · Score: 1

    So where am I being screwed?
    Is the mobile version running a lot slower, or is the desktop version just rubbish?

    1. Re:Where am I being shafted? by jawtheshark · · Score: 3, Informative

      ... on battery life, mostly ;-)

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    2. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being shafted? Hardly. But your power and financial costs will increase, and these models will be less performant than desktop GPU models. Keep in mind this isn't going in MacBooks, since their hardware architecture people refuse to do anything but AMD -- so you're looking at Dells, etc. Most of these systems have dual video cards -- one for basic display needs, and one for high intensity gaming. Still, when using the latter you can expect your battery life to be poor. Previous mobile cards, I think, focused on power savings -- dual cards have replaced this need.

    3. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You won't be able to upgrade your gaming laptop advertised as "having an upgradeable MXM GPU" to this new mobile GPU.

    4. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      ... by being told you need 4K on a laptop.

    5. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One of the benefits of the newer smaller architecture is much lower power requirements and that means less heat generated. Unlike previous generations of mobile GPUs which were a whole model behind in power based on the name, this generation should be within 10% of the desktop versions if not identical in performance (stock, reference design).

      The biggest limitations of buying the laptop is lack of upgrade options, and voltage limited overclocking (which is understandable on the limited power supplies of a laptop form factor). Most third party GPU designs include more available watts from the PSU and larger cooler designs giving more overhead to overclocking (assuming you win the silicon lottery).

      This is simply advancement in technology allowing these chips to fit into smaller spaces, not a loss in functionality as the desktop versions are very much not rubbish and are a very nice leap from the previous generation in performance and capabilities.

    6. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, Apple switches about once every generation between AMD and nVidia, probably to be in a better bargaining position.

    7. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1440p would have been more than sufficient for these screen sizes and frame rates in gaming would be better as well. At least if you play at 1080p on these screens the game will upscale to 4k with minimal distortion, unlike doing the same with 1440p which may have been their thinking.

    8. Re:Where am I being shafted? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      Unlike previous generations of mobile GPUs which were a whole model behind in power based on the name, this generation should be within 10% of the desktop versions if not identical in performance (stock, reference design).

      Yeah, because they're apparently practically the same thing. 10% less performance for 15% less power? Perfectly possible. Meanwhile, have you wondered what it takes to dissipate ~200W of heat flow from a laptop?

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    9. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      5 pound laptop, that's quite hefty. Might as well stick to desktop and have upgradeable stuff

    10. Re:Where am I being shafted? by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      > Keep in mind this isn't going in MacBooks, since their hardware architecture people refuse to do anything but AMD

      Thankfully there is an eGPU (External GPU) solution. Check out this benchmark! .. it uses all these at the same time:

      * Mac Pro 8-Core CPU
      * 2x GTX 970
      * 2x AMD FirePro

      But yeah, it does suck that Apple abandoned nVidia. Hopefully the next generation of MBP will address that.
       

    11. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is a pretty large market segment of non-geeks that doesn't need a portable computer but doesn't want to dedicate a place in the home for a desktop computer.
      They buy a laptop with the intention of putting it away when they don't use it.
      Somewhere along the way they never really realize that it is inconvenient to move it around and it is left plugged in on the same table permanently. Causing more clutter than a desktop computer would have.

      It doesn't make sense, but you can't convince those people to just buy a "real" computer. It requires too much dedication to mentally set aside a place in the home for a computer.

    12. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Urban+Nightmare · · Score: 1

      This is true. We use a 19" laptop in our living room to watch netflix and stuff on instead of having a real tv. When we are done with it we close the lid and it lives in our coffee table. We have dedicated gaming machines and a xbox on the downstairs TV and I have a desktop in my den but for my wife and the kids they like being able to put the computer away when not in use.

    13. Re:Where am I being shafted? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      on battery life, mostly ;-)

      What?! You can use them on batteries?! I thought they were PCs with built in UPSes so you can go from wall socket to wall socket, or shut it down gracefully in the event of a blackout...

      They are mobile computers in that they have everything you need built in, and a UPS to help you move it from socket to socket...

    14. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Carewolf · · Score: 1

      So where am I being screwed?
      Is the mobile version running a lot slower, or is the desktop version just rubbish?

      You will not be screwed, just burned badly by a 200W GPU in a too slim ultrabook.

    15. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With lots of aluminum and noisy fans, same as they've always done with bulky gaming laptops.

      Fortunately this new generation is under 200W of heat flow, in the case of the 1060, its 120W TDP. That should make for much smaller and thinner gaming laptops with more performance than we've seen in a laptop before.

      Even the mighty 1080 is 180W, compared to 250W for a 980ti. but we can still expect the form factor for those to be more in the "lug able" category rather than portable.

    16. Re:Where am I being shafted? by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      Does anyone use the high-power graphics when on battery? My laptop is old, ca. 2009, but the HDMI port can only be driven by the high-power graphics chip. About the only time I use it is when I'm watching Netflix on a hotel TV, so it's plugged in. After all, if I wanted performance, I wouldn't be using a seven-year-old laptop.

      But, if you're okay with the limitations, it's perfectly capable of doing anything the average person would need a computer for while on the road. You're not going to crunch a big set of numbers with it, but for the average task that requires a more capable device than a tablet, it's perfect. After I was able to flash a Galaxy SII into working condition while in Kenya, I decided that I was never leaving home without it again. Too many tasks require a real general-purpose computer.

    17. Re:Where am I being shafted? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      So where am I being screwed? Is the mobile version running a lot slower, or is the desktop version just rubbish?

      The GTX 1080 "mobile" solution reportedly has a TDP of 150W, the desktop version 180W so first of all it won't be in any ordinary laptop. It's a basically a die harvested version, presumably at a solid premium so price-wise I'm guessing you'll pay considerably more for the mobile version. What it does say is that nVidia could make a bigger more bad-ass card but we already knew that, but $/transistor hasn't improved as much as watt/transistor. The GTX 1080 has 7.2 billion transistors vs the GTX 980's 5.2 billion. The Tesla X that will probably be re-released as the 1080 Ti at some point has 12 billion transistors vs the 980 Ti's 8 billion.

      If you overclock the future 1080 Ti by 10% (as far as I know they gimped that for the Titan X) you'd already hit the 300W ATX limit. We know though that they could make a GP100 size consumer card, 15.3 billion transistors in 610 mm^2 and probably a 350W+ TDP. However it'd be twice the size of the 1080 and with worse yields you'd probably be looking at a $1500 price tag. It's the kind of GPU you'd pair with Intel's $1700 ten core extreme edition CPU, for people who have enough money to just not care. Not that I really care at this point, my friends and I are having the most fun in Overwatch at the moment and that you can play on almost anything.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    18. Re:Where am I being shafted? by EndlessNameless · · Score: 2

      With most graphics cards, you can cut power consumption by 30%-50% if you're willing to lose 10%-20% performance. Just drop the frequency and voltage a bit.

      Desktop parts are tuned toward the higher end of what the hardware can handle. You've got the power and cooling to support it, and you need to win the performance.

      Most people are interested in overclocking, further showing that the chip and board designers are right in choosing to sacrifice efficiency for more performance. For the desktop market.

      If they tune down a bit instead, they can probably fit into the massive gaming laptops without too many compromises. Gaming laptops usually have larger fans, thicker chassis, heatpipes for CPU and GPU, and extensive ventilation.

      These full-sized GPUs will never fit into an ultrabook, but I know for a fact that the MSI and Asus gaming laptops move a lot of air. I think they move more than the Founder's Edition cooler, although they are cooling more than just the GPU and VRAM.

      --

      ---
      According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
    19. Re:Where am I being shafted? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      I was counting in the CPU as well. Perhaps even the SSD/HDD, if it needs a few watts.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
  3. Laptop, prepare for lift off. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is really hot news.

  4. Pascal, Already Got It on my old Laptop by syntap · · Score: 1

    I really wish companies wouldn't re-use terms that were common for some other major product or service in, say, the last 100 years. Every time I see these NVIDIA news posts I think "woot, finally get to use Pascal again, er... oh."

    I know, get off my lawn, etc etc.

    1. Re:Pascal, Already Got It on my old Laptop by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      Also, don't name your product "android" unless it's an actual humanlike robot. Ditto for "hoverboard" etc. And don't even get me started about "bandwidth".

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  5. NVIDIA Next Gen Pascal Architecture by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    will be called Turbo Pascal

    1. Re:NVIDIA Next Gen Pascal Architecture by dreamchaser · · Score: 1

      I wish I had mod points.

      +1, Nostalgic

    2. Re:NVIDIA Next Gen Pascal Architecture by Lieutenant_Dan · · Score: 1

      Yes, and it will allow games to run in "Protected Mode".

      --
      Wearing pants should always be optional.
    3. Re:NVIDIA Next Gen Pascal Architecture by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

      I want it to be called Modula. Then, Oberon or bust.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    4. Re:NVIDIA Next Gen Pascal Architecture by TheCreeep · · Score: 1

      I'd go for something edgier, like Blaze Pascal

  6. VR to notebooks by DiniZuli · · Score: 1

    I think the most interesting thing is it will bring VR to notebooks - most current notebooks doesn't work with VR, even if the GPU is strong enough to support it. Problem with VR on current notebooks:
    “The problem is that even if the dedicated card generates an image, the integrated card is what outputs that image to a monitor,” Lyons told me. “With VR, that monitor is your headset. Unfortunately integrated cards just aren’t powerful enough to output images to a VR headset without latency. There are workarounds to make VR work on a laptop with Optimus, but since the HDMI port is connected to the integrated card there is no way to bypass it.”
    https://www.rockpapershotgun.c...

    Problem solved with geforce 10 series notebooks \o/
    https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/...

  7. Re:Let's see the Nvidiots defend THIS one by Ecuador · · Score: 1

    Defend? Is this some kind of subtle troll that pretends to misunderstand that this is a great thing for Nvidia? Great also for consumers, actually, as traditionally laptops get very weak graphics cards, but on this round they can get up to the high-end desktop equivalents. Of course they are expensive and their power profile will only fit on desktop replacement type laptops, but still it is nice to have the option. And I assume this means that AMD will also be able to fit their (less expensive) Polaris desktop chips in laptops, so should be something interesting for a lower price tier as well.

    --
    Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
  8. Drivers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'd be happy if Nvidia just made stable drivers. Every time I do an update it corrupts something else and it takes half a day to sort it all out.

    1. Re:Drivers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never had a problem with them. The last time I installed AMD's driver package (just about a week ago) to get my brother up and running with my old 7950 there was some problem that caused it to have a focus stealing error dialogue box to pop up about every five seconds. This was on a brand new install of windows 10 build 1607. 1607 had been out for about two weeks since this driver was released so I naively assumed there wouldn't be a problem. It's like AMD doesn't even bug test their software before releasing it into the wild. I was able to work around the problem, but I had to uninstall plays.tv and the gaming evolved app.

  9. Re:Let's see the Nvidiots defend THIS one by EvilSS · · Score: 1

    Can't wait for them to start yapping. What mental gymnastics will they use this time?

    I don't think anyone is going to be able to beat your gold medal winning mental gymnastics on this one.

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  10. Mac mini? by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    Skylake and Mobile GTX-1060, maybe?

    NVIDIA Mobile GeForce GTX 1060:
    GPU Core: GP 106
    TDP: Approx 75 Watts
    1280 Cores
    1400MHz Base, 1670MHz Boost Clock
    Memory: 6GB GDDR5
    Memory IF 192-Bit, 8Gps Datarate

    Yikes, 75 watts. Never mind, there's no way Apple's going to use this in anything but the iMacs.

  11. they need to change the name by slashdice · · Score: 2

    It's like when somebody names their daughter Chlamydia because it sounds nice and they have no idea it might mean something else.

    --
    Copyright (c) 1990 - 2014 Dice. All rights reserved. Use of this comment is subject to certain Terms and Conditions.
  12. games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it will allow games to run in "Protected Mode".
    http://sabt-sherkat.net/

  13. it's the current year by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    update your sig, Dice doesn't own this site anymore

  14. Drop that name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Really, joking aside, it's stupid to give something like that the name of a programming language. If this were a totally unrelated field or consumer market, e.g., "Pascal Vegetable Slicer" then fine; but it's not. Change the fucking name.