The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 is one of the well-known GPUs released by Nvidia over the years. Nowadays, it’s somewhat old and obsolete, but it certainly was an excellent and powerful card at the time of release.
Like the other GTX cards, the Nvidia GeForce 1080 was quite pricey as well.
Now, while a lot of people know and recognize the GeForce 1080 to be a desktop GPU, they may be unaware of the mobile version of this same card. Yes, that’s right. There is a mobile version of the GTX 1080.
In this review, that is what we will be discussing.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile: How is it Different?
The main difference between the normal GTX 1080 and its mobile version is the size and performance capability.
Normally, the mobile versions of larger GPUs are made to be used in (as the name indicates) mobiles and smaller devices like laptops. As such, their sizes are smaller, and they can be lacking in performance and functionality as compared to larger cards.
In the particular case of the GeForce 1080, one big difference that you can understand to get perspective is the absence of display support in the mobile version.
In the normal desktop version of the GPT, there are around 4 – 5 ports in the card for connecting monitors. One of them is the standard HDMI while the others include the DisplayPort 1.4, etc.
But things aren’t like that in the mobile version. While the GPU still drives the graphics and deals with the display, it doesn’t add a whole bunch of ports to the existing ones on the laptop.
Moving on in this review, we will look at the different specs of this card along with its pros and cons at the end.
The GTX 1080 Mobile Version: Specifications
1. Processor Specifications
The processor specifications that we’re referring to here include the technical details about the number of transistors, process size, and so on.
- Process size: 16nm
- Number of transistors: 7.2 million
- Architecture
To explain, the process size of a GPU refers to the size of the transistors on the silicon wafer of the processor. The smaller the size, the more transistors can fit onto the silicon. And subsequently, the better the performance of the processor gets.
Similar is the case with the number of transistors. The more transistors there are in a processor, the better it works. In the case of transistors, more is better.
2. Memory
After the processor details, the next important specifications that we’re going to discuss are the memory-related ones.
- Memory type: GDDR5X
- Memory size: 8GB
- Bandwidth: 320.3 GB/s
In layman’s terms, the more memory a card has, the faster it is able to transfer data to the processor. 8 gigabytes of RAM is pretty decent, even nowadays i.e., 7 years after this card.
3. Clock speeds
The clock speed of a GPU is basically the speed at which it runs. In the simplest of terms, the higher the clock speed, the faster the cores of a GPU work. And considering that, “the more, the better” is the case with clock speeds.
GPUs typically have two clock speeds. One is the normal one at which the card usually runs. The other is the overclocked speed that the GPU jumps to when the performance demand rises.
The clock speed is one of the obvious places where the mobile version of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 falls behind its desktop version. Here are the details:
- The base clock of the mobile version is 1557 MHz whereas the normal version runs at a 1607 MHz
- The overclocked speed is 1734 MHz – which we have largely found to be the same in both cards during our research
What is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile Good For?
The mobile version of the card is made for smaller devices like laptops and mobiles, etc. This alone aptly conveys the fact that it is not up for the same type of stuff as its actual desktop version.
Nevertheless, considering the excellent specs – that we’ve described above – it’s safe to say that the Nvidia GTX 1080 can handle heavy software without breaking a sweat. It supports advanced rendering techniques like ray tracing, etc.
That being said, the GTX 1080 can be comfortably used for other graphics-intensive activities other than gaming (the stuff that it is largely advertised for everywhere).
For example, if you happen to be a CAD designer or something, you can use the GTX 1080 for your everyday work needs without any problems.
But the performance and efficacy of the card in running these types of software largely depend on the device it is housed in and the way it is used. For example, if you buy a small and compact laptop with this card installed in it, you will have to set up a proper airing and ventilation system to avoid heating issues.
And just as heating issues can impede the performance of the GPU, the same goes for the other components in the system. Synergy is key. The GPU will run well if it has other decent components to complement it.
Should I Buy a Device with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080?
It depends.
You should keep in mind that the GeForce GTX 1080 is not the cheapest card around, and the device that comes pre-equipped with it will likewise be expensive.
If you regularly deal with software and apps that require a lot of graphic processing power, you should go for such a device. But if you are just looking to buy something for everyday office use, etc., you can settle for something less powerful and costly.
Conclusion
In a lot of online GPU reviews, you’ll find a whole bunch of technical specifications – many of which are not very meaningful to the less knowledgeable end consumers. While we have mentioned those for the benefit of the knowledgeable ones, our review was more geared toward explaining the utility and suitability of this card.