author: ElMundo
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q two times slower than desktop version
If you want to choose a model equipped with a Max-Q version of the RTX 2080 chipset, you have to be ready for a significant drop in performance.
After a few months from the launch of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX family of desktop GPUs, the chipsets make their way to gaming laptops. Models from various manufacturers are now on sale, offering the RTX 2080 in two versions: standard and Max-Q, designed for smaller notebooks. In the case of the second variety, we were accustomed to a decrease in performance compared to the fully-fledged version due to lower heat dissipation capabilities and reduced energy demand. Usually, these differences did not exceed 10-15%. However, this is not the case with the latest top notebook chipset.
The desktop version of GeForce RTX 2080 has a 1515 MHz base core clock, while the standard version of the GPU for laptops is a bit slower with 1380 MHz clock. However, there is a huge difference between RTX 2080 and its Max-Q version – the latter’s clock is rated at only 735 MHz, more than 50% lower than its desktop counterpart.
This is very surprising given that other parameters, such as the number of CUDA cores, the memory bus and its timing, look the same for all three versions. It comes as no surprise that choosing a laptop with an RTX 2080 Max-Q chip will be associated with a much worse performance in games, which is worth paying attention to when deciding on the device we want to buy.