GeForce GTX 480M: AVADirect’s W880CU Is Packing The Heat
With the launch of its GeForce GTX 480M, Nvidia’s Fermi architecture takes center stage in high-end gaming notebooks. But is the notoriously-hot GPU able to compete against AMD's Mobility Radeon HD 5870? AVADirect gives us the answer with its new W880CU.
Inside The W880CU
Removing the battery reveals the second hard drive bay and a Mini PCIe card bay with a mirror-finished cover that, in turn, reveals the type of camera used for today’s photographs.
The larger cover hides the first hard drive, factory-installed wireless modules, two mid-sized cooling fans, and a fairly elaborate heat-pipe arrangement. Notice that the component on the right uses both fans and has two-thirds the total number of heat pipes.
A look at the size of Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 480M gives us some clue as to why the majority of system cooling serves this part. At barely more than half the size of the GPU, Intel’s Core i7-820QM also gets by without active cooling for its memory.
Also seen above are the CastleNet BTC04R Bluetooth module, Intel Ultimate-N 6300 Wi-Fi card, and a pair of Kingston’s KVR1333D3S9/K2 memory modules.
Matching the performance configuration of its previous machines for today’s tests required AVADirect to include a Corsair Nova series 128 GB SSD, in addition to the previously-mentioned CPU and RAM. A full range of alternative components allow AVADirect customers to seek even higher performance, or lower cost.
One might think that a notebook with a bigger screen and higher-wattage graphics solution might come with a larger battery, but Clevo picked the same 3800 mAh capacity for the W880CU as previously tested in its 15.4” W860CU.
Gaming is going to require a wall connection, and that’s where the W880CU is really upsized. At 6.7” long, 3.3” wide and 1.7” thick, its 180 W power brick is at least thinner than its masonry namesake.
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Tamz_msc ....all of these notebooks must be plugged into a power outlet before gaming commences.
I think that sums it up. -
sprunth That's a crazy heat pipe setup...Reply
Agree on the naming thing on the last page, that would be helpful. -
Maziar Great review.Reply
Before its launch,it was rumored that it will have a much higher power consumption than 5870M, but now it seems they are close -
"Notice that the component on the left uses both fans and has two-thirds the total number of heat pipes" Ummmmm if I'm looking at the picture correctly the GPU and the majority of the heat pipes are on the Right, you may want to retype that.Reply
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Plyro109 The funny thing is, AMD actually DID use the naming scheme you like in their LAST generation of mobile GPU's. The Mobility 4850 matched the standard 4850's number of stream processors, albeit with lower clock speeds. Same with the Mobility 4870 and Mobility 4870x2.Reply
They changed it in response to Nvidia's naming scheme, which is a shame. I liked the matching of desktop/laptop performance to names, too. :/