NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 SLI (Laptop) vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16G

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 SLI (Laptop)

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 SLI is a high-end DirectX 12-compatible graphics solution for laptops, consisting of two GeForce GTX 980 cards. Each card has a 28 nm GM204 GPU based on the Maxwell architecture with similar specifications as the desktop GeForce GTX 980. The clocks for the SLI-setup are usually identical to a single GTX 980.

With SLI, each card renders a single frame (AFR mode). Therefore, it may suffer from micro-stuttering in low fps ranges of 30 fps. This happens because of different time-spans between two frames (e.g., irregular delays between sequential frames).

The performance is on a level with the two desktop GTX 980 cards in SLI. Due to the different cooling solutions, the long-term performance may be slightly lower compared to a well cooled desktop, but Nvidia assures there will only be small degrades in performance. As with all SLI combinations, the performance depends on the driver support for the used benchmark and game. In our tests with an MSI GT80S, the 980 SLI was the fastest graphics solution for laptops. The 980M SLI was 17% slower, a single 980 26% slower. Therefore, the 980 SLI for laptops offers enough performance for all demanding games from 2015 in high details and 4K resolution.

The core features are also the same as the desktop 980, so expect support for DirectX 12 (FL 12_1). There will be no support for the new H.265 video engine as found on the desktop GTX 950.

The power consumption of a single card is a lot higher than other mobile graphics cards like the GeForce GTX 980M (100 Watt TDP). According to Nvidia, the TDP of the reference design is still 165 Watt like in the desktop version. So, the TDP of the SLI combination may be as high as 330 Watt. Therefore, only big laptops with efficient cooling methods can house the GeForce GTX980 for laptops.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-end desktop graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It uses the AD104 chip and offers 7,168 cores and 12 GB GDDR6X graphics memory (192-bit bus with 21 Gbits).

The performance of the RTX 4070S lies between the older RTX 4070 and RTX 4070 Ti in the top class of high-end GPUs in 2024. Compared to AMD GPUs, the 4070 Super is similar fast as the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. This makes the GPU best suited for QHD and maximum details of demanding games (such as Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, Allan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2033 or F1 23). Less demanding games can also be played smoothly in 4K (AC Mirage, Cod MW 3, ...).

The AD104 chip is produced at TSMC in 5 nm (4N with EUV) and is specified with a TGP (Total Graphics Power) of 200 watts.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16G

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is a mid-range desktop GPU and is manufactured using the 5 nm process at TSMC. In addition to the 8 GB model, there is now also a 16 GB model, which is primarily intended to offer noticeable added value for performance-hungry games. With the two GeForce RTX 4060 models, Nvidia is rounding off its current Ada-Lovelace line-up towards the mid-range. The chip used here is the AD106. This combines 4,352 memory units and 16 GB GDDR6 are available here. The memory interface is 128 bits, resulting in a memory bandwidth of 288 GB/s.

Features

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is not deprived of the features already introduced with the high-end models of the Ada-Lovelace generation, such as DLSS 3.0 with frame generation. This clearly sets the new mid-range model apart from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and can gain a clear advantage in games that offer these features.

Performance

Without DLSS, the performance is comparable to that of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB. Compared to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB can deliver around 10 percent more performance. Compared to AMD, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is slightly ahead of the Radeon RX 7600. The 16 GB VRAM is noticeable in some games. Sometimes we see significantly better frame rates in games where 8 GB VRAM is not enough. Nvidia has succeeded in its goal of creating a good gaming GPU for 1080p gaming and with 16 GB of RAM, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is the more interesting of the two RTX 4060 Ti models. Unfortunately, Nvidia charges a hefty premium for the larger VRAM. This does not necessarily make it easier for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB to position itself on the market.

Power consumption

The power consumption of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is specified by the manufacturer as 165 watts (TDP). This is 5 watts more than the 8 GB model. In order not to have to supply the graphics chip with less energy, an increase in power consumption was unavoidable. Compared to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, however, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB is still significantly more economical.