A notebook optimized for games is easy to produce, many people think: buy a very powerful GPU, add a powerful CPU, a lot of RAM, and it’s ready to hit the store shelves. But this is not the case, as there are many other aspects in the multifactorial equation. Examples include the cooling, the screen, the input devices – and of course the software support, the exploitation of which awaits the user. Especially if you don’t have a big enough wallet to buy a notebook equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 or 4090!
Let’s take that as an example ASUS TUF Gaming F16 notebook’s latest 2024 model: also available with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and 4060 Laptop GPU, with Core i7-13650HX processor, 16 GB DDR5-4800 memory, 1 TB PCIe SSD and 16″ FHD+ or QHD+ display completes. The starting price for this machine is HUF 434,000, so we are still well below the half-million mark, in the middle category of gamer notebooks, which can be said to be quite favorable compared to the knowledge hidden in the machine. Of course, this also includes the fact that, in addition to the basic hardware (CPU+GPU+RAM+SSD), the surround is also completely adequate: the display, for example, offers a 165 Hz update and G-Sync, so the display can be completely continuous.
The panels offer 100 percent sRGB coverage and provide accurate colors even without calibration (delta E < 3), so the notebook can also be used for graphics work in addition to gaming, but for this area of use it is worth choosing the QHD+ (2560x1600 pixels) version. The input devices are also fine, we get a basically comfortable, Aura Sync compatible keyboard and touchpad. Of course, it is definitely better to use an external keyboard and mouse while playing, but the universal usability of the TUF F16 is greatly enhanced by the fact that the keyboard also has a numeric section. The WASD keys have been highlighted, but we have to make a compromise with the cursor movers.
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There is no shortage of connectors either: two Type-C, two Type-A, one HDMI, a 3.5 mm jack and a wired Ethernet are lined up on the sides of the machine. The Type-A ports offer USB 3.2 Gen 1 speed, one of the Type-Cs hides a Thunderbolt 4 interface, the other a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface – and next to the latter, there is also DisplayPort with G-Sync and USB-PD. Supporting this is beneficial because it further improves the portability of the TUF Gaming F16: the 90 Wh battery provides a long operating time under normal use, but if it runs out, it can also be charged with a modern USB-PD adapter, there is no need to carry the large factory charger .
All of this sounds good on its own, but it wouldn’t be worth much if ASUS and NVIDIA engineers hadn’t paid attention to detail. For example, despite the powerful hardware, if the cooling system is not able to keep it cool, no game will run normally even with the most powerful graphics card and processor. There is no such problem here, the solution with two fans, five heat pipes and four cooling fins is more than enough, so it is not necessary to limit the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 or 4060, both can work with up to 130 watts TBP (with Dynamic Boost, i.e. when the CPU is not operating close to its maximum, which is typical for games, for example).
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All in all, the TUF Gaming F16 is a promising and demanding gamer notebook, which is worth the price, but the optional hardware has limitations, and for example, those who buy it with the 2560×1600 pixel display, or those who use it in esports, will struggle without knowing the options offered by NVIDIA. to achieve the ideal display speed. Of course, there is always the possibility to run the games with some very stupid quality settings, but why would we do that when there are technological solutions available, such as NVIDIA’s DLSS based on artificial intelligence, which is not 2-5 percent, but much higher can result in a proportional speed increase.
(source: NVIDIA)
We already wrote about the operation of DLSS, i.e. Deep Learning Super Sampling, in detail when it was introduced, but briefly summarizing the essence is that the card calculates the image to be displayed in a lower resolution, and then this lower resolution image is scaled up with the help of the previously trained AI to the final resolution. This AI runs on the Tensor Core cores on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX cards and, on the one hand, performs the mentioned upscaling, and on the other hand, in the case of moving images, it also generates additional images by taking into account the motion vectors (i.e. the displacement of the image), thereby improving the continuity of the display. DLSS 3 supplements all this with AI-based image generation, and DLSS 3.5 speeds up the computationally intensive process of ray tracing, also using artificial intelligence.
(source: NVIDIA) (+)
The AI required for the operation of DLSS is trained on the DGX-based supercomputer operated by NVIDIA, not on our graphics card, but the end result, i.e. the already working artificial intelligence, runs locally, not via the Internet. This means that in order to use DLSS, the respective games must be prepared – which more than 500 titles has already happened. Depending on the settings, the speed increase can be up to 20-50%, so it is quite a serious acceleration.
Anyone who not only plays in a “home environment”, but also participates in online tournaments and esports events, knows that under these conditions even more important is the extremely high rendering speed, since rankings and monetary rewards can also depend on the completely continuous, uninterrupted image. In addition, this is not enough in itself, it is also important that the control keeps up with all of this – that is, when the button is pressed, the shot takes place in the game as soon as possible, or the player’s character reacts immediately when the mouse is moved.
This can be called more simply that the computer must be responsive in order not to stand in the way of success. To increase responsiveness, NVIDIA a Reflex technology offers, which is practically an SDK aimed at game developers, which can be used to reduce the delay between button presses and screen changes. Minimizing this is of course the most important thing in action-packed titles like Fortnite, Valorant, CoD or, say, CS2.
(source: NVIDIA) (+)
In the case of CS2, for example, the delay of the entire process can be reduced by up to 35% in particularly graphics-intensive moments. By the way, this technology is also compatible with older GeForce series, all the way back to the 900 series. To turn on NVIDIA Reflex, like DLSS, you can find the option in the game settings, so you don’t have to search in the NVIDIA Control Panel. NVIDIA also allows you to measure latency with the Reflex Latency Analyzer program for some G-Sync compatible displays.
Source: prohardver.hu
