NVIDIA unveils two new GeForce GTX notebook GPUs

NVIDIA has introduced the GeForce GTX 970M and GeForce GTX 980M notebook GPUs, both of which leverage its new 10th-generation Maxwell graphics architecture.

Source: NVIDIA blog. 4K resolution through
Maxwell's DSR technology.

Maxwell solves some of the most complex lighting and graphics challenges in visual computing, with twice the energy efficiency of the previous generation, the company said in a blog post. 

The GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 GPUs provide 30% more anti-aliasing performance at the same quality with NVIDIA Multi-Frame Anti-Aliasing (MFAA). They also support Voxel Global Illumination (VXGI) technology, which better depicts indirect lighting – including diffuse lighting, specular lighting and reflections. This enables gaming GPUs to deliver real-time dynamic global illumination for the first time.

Both GPUs deliver a higher fidelity gaming experience even on standard 1080p displays. Maxwell’s Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) technology can render games at 4K or other high-end resolutions, after which they are scaled down to the native resolution on the notebook’s display. This results in images that are higher quality than rendering directly to 1080p.

Gaming on batteries is becoming a reality, NVIDIA added. Collaborations with OEMs to enhance on-battery performance has resulted in more systems achieving playable frame rates on battery, NVIDIA said. The next evolution of NVIDIA BatteryBoost also works towards this, setting a maximum frame rate from 30 to 60 frames per second (FPS). The driver-level governor then takes over, running system components including the CPU, GPU and memory at the optimum efficiency required for a smooth, playable experience. 

Another big update is an improved governor to enhance battery savings. New features to GeForce Experience include allowing gamers to set specific game settings for use while on battery, along with a one-click optimise-for-battery button.

Over a dozen SKUs are now available with GeForce GTX 980M and 970M. MSI for instance offers the GT72, GS70 and GS60 models, while Asus has the G751. Gigabyte Auros X7 and P35 models feature the new GPUs, while boutique vendors AVADirect, MainGear and OriginPC are also selling gaming machines containing the GPUs.