Categories: Reviews

Nvidia GeForce GTX 980MX – Explained

Vital Aspects

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 980MX is currently nearing its end-of-life stage, and experts anticipate that it will become obsolete in the coming years.
The GeForce GTX 980MX is part of NVIDIA’s proprietary mobile graphics chipsets. However, the fully unlocked GeForce GTX 980 outpowers it as a less powerful variant.
The 980MX actively supports compatibility with OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, Vulkan 1.3, CUDA 5.2, and Shader Model 6.4.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 980MX Graphics Chipset

NVIDIA developed the GeForce GTX 980MX as a specialized graphics chipset exclusively designed for laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices. Please note that this chipset lacks the power of the fully unlocked GeForce GTX 980, specifically engineered for desktop computers.

The GeForce GTX 980MX could be a good choice for upgrading the graphics performance of your older laptop. It will provide a significant boost compared to the integrated graphics usually found in older laptops.

For desktop computers or newer laptops, there are typically more powerful graphics options available. It’s important to consider the specific requirements of your computer setup before deciding on a graphics chipset.

In summary, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980MX is a suitable choice for upgrading older laptops. However, for desktop setups or newer laptops, there are likely better options available that provide higher performance.

Here are some of the key specs of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX:

GPU: Maxwell 2.0
Manufacturing process: 28 nm
CUDA cores: 1664
Texture units: 104
ROPs: 64
Memory: 8 GB GDDR5
Memory speed: 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective)
Base clock speed: 1050 MHz
Boost clock speed: 1178 MHz
Power draw: 148 W

The Evolution of the GTX 980MX: Key Facts to Remember

The initial launch of this chipset took place on June 1, 2016. The chipset’s construction utilizes the 28-nanometer semiconductor manufacturing process and has the GM204 graphics processor as its foundation. The GPU variant for the 980MX goes by the name N16E-GXX-A1. It provides DirectX 12 support, allowing the chipset to handle modern games efficiently.

The 980MX comes with built-in support for OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, Vulkan 1.3, CUDA 5.2, and Shader Model 6.4, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of graphics-related software.

In contrast to the fully unlocked GTX 980, the designers of the 980MX intentionally made it operate without requiring additional power connectors. It caps the power consumption at a maximum of 148 W. As a mobile-oriented graphics solution, it lacks display connectivity options and instead relies on the host device’s output capabilities.

To establish a connection with the system, the 980MX utilizes a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The 980MX has a default clock speed of 1050 MHz, but it can boost up to 1178 MHz. The memory clock operates at 1500 MHz, contributing to overall performance.

The GTX 980MX utilizes GDDR5 VRAM and boasts a comfortable 8 GB of dedicated video memory. Additionally, the chipset incorporates a 256-bit memory bus width, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s.

One notable distinction between the GTX 980MX and the GTX 980 lies in the number of shading units unlocked within the chipset. While the fully unlocked 980 features 2048 enabled shaders, the 980MX only has 1664 shaders. Nevertheless, it compensates with 104 texture mapping units and 64 render output units. Thus, losing the locked shader units does not result in a complete loss. They made the decision to lock a portion of shader units to help the chipset achieve its target shader counts.

Is It Possible to Run The Nvidia GeForce GTX 980MX in SLI Configuration?

NVIDIA developed SLI, a technology that enables multiple graphics cards to collaborate in a single system, enhancing graphical performance. It works by dividing the rendering workload between the cards, thus increasing overall graphics processing power.

The paragraph states that the GTX 980MX chipset, unfortunately, does not possess the necessary capability to support SLI configuration. In other words, the designers of this particular chipset have designed it to function as a standalone component within a laptop and have not provided it with the necessary compatibility to work in conjunction with another GTX 980MX chip in an SLI setup. Therefore, you cannot utilize multiple GTX 980MX chips concurrently to take advantage of SLI technology.

To overcome this limitation and utilize SLI technology with your graphics card, the paragraph suggests acquiring a GTX 980M SLI card instead. The GTX 980M SLI card, a different variant of the graphics chipset, has a specific design to support SLI. It incorporates two GTX 980M chips that manufacturers permanently configure for SLI, ensuring seamless and optimized collaboration in an SLI configuration. This allows the GTX 980M SLI card to provide native SLI functionality without any compatibility issues.

In summary, the paragraph states that although the GTX 980MX chipset lacks support for SLI configuration, you can utilize the benefits of SLI technology by acquiring a GTX 980M SLI card, which features two GTX 980M chips permanently configured for SLI.

Considering the GTX 980MX: Is It a Valuable Investment? Is It Worth Purchasing?

Currently, we do not recommend the purchase of a GTX 980MX. This particular chipset has reached its end-of-life stage, and we anticipate it will become obsolete in the next few years. Moreover, there are newer cards available within the same price range that receive firmware updates for a longer duration. If you’re considering an upgrade, it would be more beneficial to opt for one of these newer cards, as they are likely to provide better long-term performance.

Another factor to consider is that the GTX 980MX is a mobile chipset, which imposes limitations and prevents its usage in desktop computers. To use this chipset, you would need a laptop with a compatible non-proprietary motherboard that allows for the installation of the chipset without a pre-soldered GPU on the board.

In summary, even if the GTX 980MX were a recent and powerful card, most contemporary computer builders would not find it useful. Unless you specifically need to upgrade a gaming laptop, it is unlikely that you have a compatible system to make use of this chipset.

Even for gaming laptop upgrades, there are newer and superior mobile chipsets available in the market. Therefore, there is no need to purchase a chipset that will effectively become outdated in a few years when a simple software update could render it obsolete.

Conclusion

While the GeForce GTX 980MX once significantly impacted the realm of laptops, its prime days have long passed. Therefore, it would be wiser to consider investing in a more recent graphics card to avoid the risk of obsolescence. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge and admire the dedication and expertise that went into its architecture. The advancements achieved with the 980MX played a vital role in shaping the design and structure of contemporary mobile chipsets.

Consequently, even if you decide not to acquire a 980MX, its legacy lives on in the modern chipsets that incorporate the engineering breakthroughs derived from their predecessors.