NVIDIA Launches The GTX 980 For Notebooks

Some laptop models that are set to make use of the GTX 980 include: Aorus X7 DT, Clevo P870DM, Clevo P775DM, MSI GT72, MSI GT80 and finally, Asus’ recently revealed GX700VO water-cooled laptop.

When it comes to changes, build 355.98 resolves the memory clock issue that reported as 0 MHz if P-state is P0 (occasionally same report with P2), and improves compatibility with Thunderbird client that was choppy when G-Sync windowed mode was enabled. Based only on the specifications of the GPUs above, you should expect to find platforms using the GTX 980 to run 20-30% faster than those shipping today with the GTX 980M. The power phses have been uprated too, with anywhere from four to eight dedicated phases exclusively for the GPU. The mainstream GeForce 860M is still found in many popular gaming laptops, including the Lenovo Y series and the HP Omen. I’m all for gaming notebooks, but that thing looks ridiculous.

Even crazier, Nvidia has also managed to convince OEMs to let users overclock the GTX 980 too. Further, the mobile CPU parts will also be overclockable through the BIOS. Most of the features and abilities of the desktop overclocking ecosystem carry over to the mobile GTX 980. The overall power target as well as voltage control will also continue to be locked down. To hit those overclocked speeds, users will be able to tweak the fan curve of the GPU (a first for laptops), as well as adjust the core clock and memory speeds. Each OEM will likely be building its own software package for control of fans and clock speeds, but you’ll be able to utilize MSI Afterburner or EVGA Precision X on day one.

Though announced today, select partners will be retailing GTX 980-toting models from next month onwards, replacing incumbent GTX 980M GPUs with this new, more powerful card. First, as we showed in the video above, running triple monitor NVIDIA Surround is now possible. The number of people that will actually integrate this configuration is going to limited, obviously, but for a performance demonstration it’s hard to beat.

Now, Nvidia is doing away with at least some of the remaining difference between laptop and desktop graphics cards by coming up with a version of its GeForce GTX 980 desktop GPU (or graphics processing unit) that will work in laptops, as well as with laptop processors, power supplies and motherboards. These new notebooks will meet the recommended specs for Oculus Rift. More notably, the GPU makes these the world’s first notebooks suitable for virtual reality; Oculus, for example, has pre-qualified the GTX 980 as a VR GPU. They should sell quite a few just for VR demos, I’d expect, along with the convenience of offering an all-in-one system for folks to buy if the VR insane really takes off.

There’s no word yet on pricing or availability for the new systems, but you should be prepared to pay a pretty penny. “In a notebook environment, OEMs like Asus and MSI are responsible for the safety and reliability and longevity of the entire system”.