Nvidia’s New 10 Series Beefs Up Laptop Gaming

Nvidia released a new line of mobile graphics cards this week that boast exceptional performance in a more portable format than before. The new 10 series cards boast powerful specs that make top tier gaming settings possible for laptops. Laptops have never been able to match their desktop counterparts for gaming power, but these new cards close the gap considerably. The 10 series mobile cards are reported to perform within 10% of their desktop equivalents.

The mobile GTX 1080 is based on similar 16nm Pascal architecture as the desktop version. It also offers the same 2560 CUDA cores, 256-bit memory, and 8GB GDDR5X ram at 10GHz. It will support all functions other Pascal cards support, including Simultaneous Multi-Projection and G-sync. The only significant difference between the mobile and desktop versions of the card is the clock rate; The mobile version running at 1556MHz versus the desktops 1607MHz. The primarily detractor for the mobile cards are the thermal constraints of laptops according to Nvidia. The 1070 and 1060 also show strong similarities between the mobile and desktop variations. Perhaps this is why Nvidia is choosing to drop the “M” designation from the new line of cards for laptops.

Comparison Chart from ArsTechnica

Nvidia says that their new cards are VR ready, promise 30% more battery life, and (in some systems) be capable of outputting at 1080p at 120Hz for ultra smooth display.

In the past, gamers who opted for mobility often sacrificed a lot of power in favor of carrying a reasonable load. Putting a card like a GTX 980 in laptop made systems bulky and heavy, defeating the purpose of buying a gaming laptop. Nvidia’s new 10 series is a sign that that will not be the case for much longer. They are putting a lot of power into smaller packages which will allow gamers more mobility without sacrificing performance. The GTX 1080 and 1070 will likely still only fit in larger laptops, but are an improvement both in size and performance over the 980.

The GTX 1060 is the most promising option for gamers on the go. Nvidia has managed to cram all that power into an impressively small package. Nvidia showed off a 14” Razer Blade and 15” MSI GS63 Stealth Pro running with the new GTX 1060 cards. These laptops are smaller and lighter, making it easier to transport them around for things like travel or class. The 1060 is easily supporting 2017 titles such as Overwatch at 1080p at over 60FPS on maximum settings.

Courtesy of Nvidia

The 10 series is currently available in systems from several manufacturers including MSI and ASUS with more on the way in the coming months. Check with Nvidia to find a retailer.