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Buying the best gaming laptop can be quite an overwhelming process, but historically manufacturers have not always made it easy for consumers to compare between equals.
Two different laptops from, say, Asus and MSI, could pack an RTX 3060 as the GPU, but they perform very differently in the real world, thanks to different clock speeds and TGP (Total Graphics Power).
But now Nvidia has stepped in to make it easier for buyers to get the most bang for their buck. Previously, the company encouraged transparency of its partners’ GPU specifications, but is now actively enforcing it.
“We are asking OEMs to update their product pages with the Max-Q technology features for each GeForce laptop, as well as clocks and power, which communicates the expected performance of the GPU on that system.” explained an Nvidia spokesperson, speaking with The edge.
This is quite a major change, because GPU clock speed makes a big difference when it comes to frame rate, and not all RTX 30s are born equal. An RTX 3070 with a 115W TGP could easily outperform a 3080 limited to 80W, but potential buyers previously might not have been any wiser.
While some would argue that this development was long overdue, timing is especially important as Nvidia has recently tweaked the way it applies Max-Q labels to its mobile GPUs. Previously, the brand would indicate more efficient and weaker units intended for thinner and lighter laptops, but Nvidia has adjusted this, as told to our sister site Tom Hardware which now represents “a holistic set of platform technologies and a design approach to building powerful and slim notebooks.”
In other words, the Max-Q brand indicates the presence of efficiency-friendly features like Whisper Mode 2, Dynamic Boost 2, and Advanced Optimus rather than necessarily suggesting light performance.
A random check reveals that not all manufacturers have updated their listings at the time of writing, but both Asus and Gigabyte have started to adopt the new instructions with updated listings on their RTX 30 models. But even if the release is a bit slow, this is certainly a positive move and should make it easier to buy the right gaming laptop for your budget in the future.
