As a laptop reviewer, I often encounter situations like this. What’s interesting is that even laptops with the same specifications have significant differences in performance. So, why can’t performance be judged based on specifications alone? How can we properly predict the actual performance of a laptop?
Why laptop performance varies
Even products with the same specifications may have differences in performance due to many factors. Representative examples are the differences in CPU and GPU power, and the size and thickness of laptops.
First, taking GPU power settings as an example, laptops equipped with external graphics cards may have different total graphics power (TGP) settings. OEMs like NVIDIA and AMD allow laptop manufacturers to set TGP within certain ranges. For example, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card can be set to a TGP between 40W and 140W.
The advantage is that the manufacturer can set the TGP. This is because you can find and set the optimal power for each laptop type, power supply, display, battery, cooling hardware, etc.
In general, the higher the TGP, the faster the performance because the laptop’s GPU can operate at higher clock speeds. When comparing two gaming laptops equipped with the same video card, the one with a higher TGP often shows a higher average fps in games.
Of course there are exceptions, but you get the general gist. In other words, lower-tier graphics cards with higher wattages sometimes perform better than higher-tier graphics cards with lower wattages.
On Nvidia GPUs, Dynamic Boost settings can also affect performance. When this feature is activated, it supplies additional power to the graphics card for certain tasks, widening the performance gap between models.
How Laptop Size Affects Performance
Laptop size and thickness play an important role in performance by affecting thermal headroom, or internal space that can manage heat. If heat is not managed properly, a throttling phenomenon that slows down processing speed may occur.
In general, larger laptops have more space for cooling hardware than smaller laptops, so they can dissipate heat more efficiently. They can be equipped with more fans, air outlets, cooling chambers, etc. or use larger cooling components.
This allows them to reach higher clock speeds than smaller, thinner laptops, maintain those speeds, and operate reliably for long periods of time. Small laptops require a lot of research and development to design heating systems efficiently, and each component must be carefully selected to prevent overheating. In some cases, parts need to be made thinner or designed more carefully.
PCWorld’s reviews evaluate laptop performance through several tests. For gaming laptops, the processing performance of graphics-intensive tasks is checked through the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark and game benchmark. We also run a self-designed encoding test with the free encoding tool HandBrake to see how well the laptop prevents throttling. In these tests, larger laptops often show better results than smaller laptops with the same specifications.
For example, a PCWorld review compared the 14-inch Acer Nitro 14 with the 16-inch Acer Nitro V16 and found the difference size has in performance. These two laptops are equipped with the same AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, but the 16-inch model performed better in the Tomb Raider game benchmark and PCWorld Handbrake test.
How to Predict Your Laptop’s Performance
Even considering power settings and size factors, it is difficult to know exactly how a laptop will perform until it is actually tested. So before purchasing a laptop, we recommend that you read laptop reviews that thoroughly test CPU and GPU performance. These reviews also compare performance with other laptops, which will be helpful when choosing a brand.
editor@itworld.co.kr
Source: www.itworld.co.kr
