NVIDIA's GTX 980...For Notebooks

Gaming notebooks. Not all that long ago those two words were very much mutually exclusive since, in order to provide a modicum of gaming performance, a notebook needed to be upsized to ridiculous proportions. Even then, framerates were typically lackluster at best. NVIDIA is about to change that equation in a big way with their GTX 980, a graphics processor that’s making its way from desktop into the notebook space. It may not sound like a big deal but this one addition could turn the gaming notebook space on its head

Those supersized proportions for I just described above were typically needed in order to accommodate the large cooling assemblies necessary for the high end components that resided within the chassis. In addition, while it was certainly possible to game in an unplugged state, actually doing so resulted in sub-single hour battery life, major clock speed sacrifices or a combination of both. As the manufacturing process used on both CPUs and GPUs boosted overall efficiency and technologies like NVIDIA’s Optimus added situationally-aware battery saving optimizations, the dream of a truly portable high end gaming rig came tantalizingly close to reality.

Even with the advantages of a 28nm manufacturing process and advanced control over power management, today’s gaming notebooks still struggle to compete against even mid-tier desktops. During the age of 720P and 1080P notebook screens, somewhat hobbled performance was perfectly adequate for most games but with today’s mobile gaming stations moving to 1440P and even 4K displays additional horsepower is essential. This is where the new GTX 980 for notebooks gets factored into the equation. 

While I can talk all day about the disparity in performance between notebook and desktop graphics processors, the fact remains that NVIDIA’s current GTX 980M is in fact a highly potent gaming companion. Based off of the same –yet slightly cut down- GM204 core as the previously desktop-bound GTX 980, it offered some phenomenal potential. However, as you can see by its paper specifications, even the most efficient of today’s architectures have to make sacrifices in order to achieve passable TPD numbers for use in notebooks. In this case that meant lower overall core / memory frequencies and less primary GPU processing resources.

The new GTX 980 (note the lack of the “M” moniker) for notebooks goes about things quite differently. It utilizes a fully enabled GM204 core, 4GB of GDDR5 memory running at 7Gbps and is meant to fit snugly into the chassis of today’s gaming notebooks. That’s right; NVIDIA is introducing a full GTX 980 that can be shoehorned into a highly mobile platform.

The reasoning behind the variable TDP and core frequency numbers really boils down to the decisions of each system integrator. If a given notebook includes better cooling, it can effectively operate the GPU and associated components at higher speeds while slimmer designs should theoretically be able to handle a lower-clocked GTX 980. There are of course exceptions to these rules but regardless of how NVIDIA’s partners choose to handle this part, its base clock will remain at 1126MHz.

Once everything is said and done, NVIDIA expects the mobile GTX 980 to perform within just 5% of its desktop sibling. This should finally bring desktop-like performance into the hands of notebook gamers.

 NVIDIA was able to add this new generation of GTX 980 to their notebook stable in very much the same way AMD was able to achieve such high efficiency with their new R9 Nano. They have binned GM204 cores with an eye towards selecting the lowest TDP examples for use in their “new” product. While this may mean there will be less available cores, the GTX 980 for notebooks isn’t meant to move huge volumes so keeping the channel stocked shouldn’t be a problem.

Other than the obviously binned cores, this GTX 980 also has an advanced power delivery subsystem consisting of a four to eight-phase PWM that delivers 50% higher peak current than previous mobile designs. Supposedly the GPU will be available as either an MXM 3.0 add-in module or an integrated solution for direct-mount onto a notebook’s motherboard.