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Nvidia’s new laptop GPU is actually a desktop GPU

Nvidia’s new laptop GPU is actually a desktop GPU

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One of NVIDIA's best desktop graphics cards is coming to laptops. The GTX 980 — not to be confused with the similarly named mobile GPU, the GTX 980M — will be crammed into an upcoming crop of high-end gaming laptops.

NVIDIA promises its new mobile chip and its desktop variant are one and the same in regards to power, providing a 30 percent performance bump above the company's previous best mobile GPU. That means the latest AAA video games, including Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Batman Arkham Knight, should run at max settings on the go. And for future games that will push the system, the GTX 980 laptops will allow for overlocking, memory speed adjustment, and fan control — though only within some restrictions determined by NVIDIA and its OEMs, companies like MSI and ASUS that manufacture the GPUs and the laptops powered by them.

For the gamer who wants it all and more

The GTX 980 laptops will run 2048 CUDA cores at over 1GHz, with a memory bandwidth of 224GB per second. Which is a lot. To accommodate the GTX 980, the laptops will be at least 17 inches or larger. Outrageous variations include an SLI model from MSI, a water-cooled model from Asus, and other laptops with 4K screens, not yet tied to a specific manufacturer.

All of the GTX 980 laptops are Oculus certified, making them some of the most VR-friendly laptops coming to market. Which is to say, as far as laptops go, NVIDIA's GTX 980s could accomplish the rarest of feats: remain impressive a year from now.