new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014

  new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014

  new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014

Nvidia is in the process of rolling out its GeForce GTX 800M-series graphics modules. Despite the new name, we're still looking at GK104-based GPUs. One thing is for sure, though: the processor is running faster than ever. We benchmark three models.

Sometimes it feels like desktop gamers get all of the cool toys, while the notebook guys get hand-me-downs. Rare is it that a new graphics processor debuts in the mobile space. There's just so much more involved when you bring technology down into limiting form factors and power budgets.
It really comes as no surprise, then, that we're on a third generation of mobile products with Nvidia's GK104 in the mix. After all, that was quite the efficient GPU when it launched more than two years ago. Today it remains viable as the engine driving Nvidia's highest-end GeForce GTX 800-series modules. Let's take a look at some of the brand's specs:

Nvidia GeForce GTX 880M Comparative Specs
	Desktop GTX 780	Notebook GTX 880M	Notebook GTX 780M	Notebook GTX 680MX	Desktop GTX 680
Shaders	2304	1536	1536	1536	1536
Texture Units	192	128	128	128	128
Full Color ROPs	48	32	32	32	32
Graphics Clock MHz (Boost)	863 (900)	954 (993)	771 (797)	720	1006 (1058)
Texture Fillrate	166 Gtex/s	122.1 Gtex/s	105.3 Gtex/s	92.2 Gtex/s	128.8 Gtex/s
Memory Clock	1502 MHz	1250 MHz	1250 MHz	1250 MHz	1502 MHz
Memory Bus	384-bit	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit	256-bit
Memory Bandwidth	288 GB/s	160 GB/s	160 GB/s	160 GB/s	192 GB/s
Graphics RAM	3 GB GDDR5	8 GB GDDR5	4 GB GDDR5	4 GB GDDR5	2 GB GDDR5
Die Size	551 mm²	294 mm²	294 mm²	294 mm²	294 mm²
Transistors (Billion)	7.1	3.54	3.54	3.54	3.54
Process Technology	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm

The original GeForce GTX 680M appeared to be an underclocked GeForce GTX 670; Nvidia quickly augmented performance through an updated GeForce GTX 680MX.
Here's the thing: you have a certain amount of freedom to ramp up clock rate and voltage on a graphics card designed for a desktop PC. Transitioning to a mobile form factor limits flexibility immensely. Sure, we've seen some huge desktop replacements with big graphics power inside. But both AMD and Nvidia are trying to enable technologies that make maximum performance available when it's needed, then scaling back as much as possible when it isn't.

Like the GeForce GTX 780M, Nvidia's recently-introduced 880M lifts all eight SMX units from the GK104 processor. Whereas the 780M operated at a 771 MHz base clock rate, however, the 880M starts at 954 MHz. Nvidia gives it a typical GPU Boost rating of 993 MHz. Both of those figures are far closer to the desktop GeForce GTX 680 (even if the new mobile flagship carries over the 780M's slower GDDR5-5000 data rate).
At least on the specification side, there's little more than this frequency increase to discuss. Memory density doubles, but without the large jump in GPU spec needed to push similarly-increased display resolutions. So, we have to hope that the latest GK104s coming out of TSMC are running faster at lower voltages to keep power and heat under control.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M Comparative Specs
	Desktop GTX 770	Notebook GTX 870M	Notebook GTX 770M	Notebook GTX 670MX	Desktop GTX 670
Shaders	1536	1344	960	960	1344
Texture Units	128	112	80	80	112
Full Color ROPs	32	32	24	24	32
Graphics Clock MHz (Boost)	1046 (1085)	941 (967)	706 (797)	600	915 (980)
Texture Fillrate	134 Gtex/s	105.4 Gtex/s	64.9 Gtex/s	48 Gtex/s	102.5 Gtex/s
Memory Clock	1753 MHz	1250 MHz	1002 MHz	700 MHz	1502 MHz
Memory Bus	256-bit	192-bit	192-bit	192-bit	256-bit
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	120 GB/s	96 GB/s	67.2 GB/s	192 GB/s
Graphics RAM	2 GB GDDR5	6 GB GDDR5	3 GB GDDR5	3 GB GDDR5	2 GB GDDR5
Die Size	294 mm²	294 mm²	221 mm²	221 mm²	294 mm²
Transistors (Billion)	3.54	3.54	2.54	2.54	3.54
Process Technology	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm

Moving down the stack, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 870M gives mobile users the same seven SMX units from the desktop GeForce GTX 670. The previous two generations (GeForce GTX 770M and 670MX) were both based on GPUs with five SMX blocks instead.

The new GeForce GTX 860M offers an even bigger surprise, also utilizing the GK104 graphics processor. In this implementation, however, it includes six functional SMX units, yielding 1152 CUDA cores, similar to Nvidia's GeForce GTX 760 card. Of course, it operates at far lower base and typical GPU Boost frequencies, and is complemented by slower GDDR5-5000 memory on a narrower 128-bit bus. But that's all in the name of pulling power lower and making the 860M work in a line-up of other GK104-driven modules.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M Comparative Specs
	Desktop GTX 760	Notebook GTX 860M	Notebook GTX 765M	Notebook GTX 660M	Desktop GTX 660
Shaders	1152	1152	768	384	960
Texture Units	96	96	64	32	80
Full Color ROPs	32	16	16	16	24
Graphics Clock MHz (Boost)	980 (1033)	797 (915)	797 (863)	835	980 (1033)
Texture Fillrate	94 Gtex/s	76.5 Gtex/s	54.4 Gtex/s	26.7 Gtex/s	78.4 Gtex/s
Memory Clock	1502 MHz	1250 MHz	1002 MHz	1250 MHz	1502 MHz
Memory Bus	256-bit	128-bit	128-bit	128-bit	192-bit
Memory Bandwidth	192 GB/s	80 GB/s	64 Gb/s	80 GB/s	144.2 GB/s
Graphics RAM	2 GB GDDR5	4 GB GDDR5	2 GB GDDR5	2 GB GDDR5	2 GB GDDR5
Die Size	294 mm²	294 mm²	221 mm²	118 mm²	221 mm²
Transistors (Billion)	3.54	3.54	2.54	1.3	2.54
Process Technology	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm

There's a caveat, though. Nvidia specifies its GeForce GTX 860M with two completely different GPUs. The same we received, of course, employs GK104. But you'll also find GeForce GTX 860Ms based on the GM107 found in the GeForce GTX 750 Ti. That’s kind of like reserving a 16-hand gelding for your day at the ranch and arriving to find a Shetland pony.
Of course, it's hard to say how both versions compare without having them both on-hand for testing. The GM107-based version is configured to run at similar clock rates as the card we tested in GeForce GTX 750 Ti Review: Maxwell Adds Performance Using Less Power, albeit with a slightly lower memory frequency. Meanwhile, GK104 is pared way back.

Without performance data to look at, we have to hope that Nvidia is realizing similar results from GK104 and GM107. If it's not, the most we can do right now is make you aware of the two different versions of GeForce GTX 860M.

معلومات حول الموضوع

العنوان : new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014
الوصف :   new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014   new GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, And 860M 2014 Nvidia is in the process of rolling ou...
تقييم الموضوع : 4.5
الكاتب : غير معرف