PASCAL Mobile GPU?

[Benadiction]

Hi there fellow humans,

Currently working overseas and looking at buying a super duper new tower when I get back to the UK in early 2018. However, until then I'm gaming on my current system as follows:

Vortex Series III: 17.3" Glossy Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-3820QM (2.70GHz) 8MB
Memory (RAM) 8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 4GB)
Graphics Card AMD® Radeon® HD 7970M - 2GB DDR5 Video RAM (PRE-ORDER, ETA END OF MAY)
Hard Drive: 750GB SEAGATE MOMENTUS XT HYBRID, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive SONY BD-5750H 6x BLURAY WRITER & CYBERLINK SOFTWARE

I currently have a 7970M and whilst I actually love the card when it works, I've ran into so many issues with certain games now that it's destroyed my 14 year faith in AMD.

I'm aware that the new Pascal GPU's are imminent and was wondering if mobile versions of these cards will be released soon too? If not am I right in thinking that the Nvidia GTX 980m is the current best GPU available for laptops?

Also with my current spec is it worth it/possible to fit one of these new mobile GPU's?

Guessing it might be worth doubling the RAM whilst I'm at it too?

Many Thanks

Ben

 

[Oussebon]

AMD have had a bit of a bad run with drivers, though in some of the most recent iterations so has Nvidia.

The Vortex III is a Clevo P170EM afaik. There's an old PCS thread where someone said a modded BIOS was available so that a 980M would work if installed: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php/t-37828.html

As for when pascal is coming for mobile, we don't know yet, but one user on Anandtech thinks it might be announced next month as apparently mobile Maxwell was only a month or so behind desktop Maxwell. And nobody tore him apart in the replies so it might be a sensible theory.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10304/nvidia-announces-the-geforce-gtx-1080-1070
Not sure if or how soon Pascal might work for that chassis, but even if it doesn't at least the 980Ms might be cheaper if you fancy some DIY and research into how that works.

As for doubling the RAM:
http://www.techspot.com/article/1043-8gb-vs-16gb-ram/page3.html
Probably not unless you know for a fact that you need it.

 

[Benadiction]

Oh really? I'll have to start reading up on that, the 980m sounds like a good shout. Though gaming is pretty much my only outlet whilst I'm stuck out here unless I get leave so will have to look into the BIOS exstensiveky so I don't brick it! Lol.

you're a legend, thank you very much. Any ideas where I can buy a 980m separately? I've been searching for suppliers online but can't seem to find anyone that will sell privately, also is there a manufacturer you'd suggest? There are so many, I've fancied MSI myself due to their afterburner software or does that work on all Nvidia cards?

 

[Oussebon]

Afterburner works with all consumer GPUs afaik, Nvidia and AMD, desktop and mobile, regardless of whether MSI makes them or not.

No idea how to get a 980M I'm afraid, the only mobile GPUs I ever see for sale are on ebay and go for hundreds and hundreds of dollars, often with no warranty. Swapping out laptop GPUs is well beyond my expertise I doubt I can give any more that's help than the above, but perhaps others know more

 

[Benadiction]

Oh right happy days! Looking like I'll just have to suck it up until I get back then, unless PCSpecialist can pull any upgrade options out of the bag for me.

Many thanks again!