Alienware Graphics Amp + EVGA GTX 980Ti 6GB Superclocked+ worth it?

EVGA's new superclocked 980ti looks really sweet and I was considering getting a 4k monitor finally and I was wondering if a configuration like this is worth it considering you get a slight lose on performance when using the Amplifier when compared to a regular pc.

 

Def worth it. My laptop has 980m and I have GTX980 (no Ti) in my Graphics Amp. the GA 980 makes everything much smoother and better when playing games. Specially if Gsync is on.

I honestly would just stick to the Built-in 980m if I could enable Gsync on it to my external monitor (ROG Swift) but that's not possible so I use the GA. All of my games run great on the built in 980m minus gsync.

 

Thanks, now I just need to find a good deal!

 

I'm glad this topic came up because I've be looking at the Graphics Amp along with an Alienware 15. I'm sorta debating right now on whether it's worth it to get the 980M in the laptop if it's going to be plugged into the Amp most of the time anyway, or if I should just stick with a 970M for mobile gaming and get a beefier desktop card for the Amp.

Thoughts?

 

When I bought my 15 the price difference between the 970m and the 980m version was about $300 and following the recommendation on the Notebookcheck review I ended up with the 970m version. They said the $300 dollar difference is not worth it since both can run a desktop card via the amp and the fps difference in some games was even less than 10 fps. If a 10~15 fps difference in games is worth the extra cash for you then go for it. I think the GTX980m version is more like for people who don't wanna know about the amp at all and want reliable performance for 3+ years of use and probably a must if you are getting the 4k version and considering playing at native resolution.

 

Thanks for the feedback. That's sorta what I thought too. Thanks for validating

 

Buyer beware.

I can't even get the AGA to run with my EVGA 980Ti despite multiple support calls.

 

Early on, some people encountered problems overclocking the 970m, seen here, here and here.
Not sure if the VBIOS has been unlocked since then, but 180w adapters probably had something to do with the locking.

The premium for a 980m is less to baulk at, when you think of it as a "1080m" with light overclocking.

 

I don't really think people should be overclocking mobile gpus...

 

Please keep us posted if you can make it work, have they told you about replacing your AGA?

 

Agreed - most people want quick results, without careful thermal and power limit testing, so it's not for most people. Then again, we're not "most people".

An AW15/17R2 has sufficient thermal headroom on A00; power is the main concern here, namely whether you have enough for both CPU and GPU. The 180w adapter is barely sufficient, so 240w is a must for any overclocking at all.

As for whether GPUs are safe to overclock... Nvidia already does that with GPU boost, the question is whether you can stretch it a little more. Unlike Clevo with an unlocked vbios, we are locked to 135 for the core (which is quite acceptable, aka "1080m").

The main risk as usual, is being careless: ramping clocks up too fast, applying more voltage for fun, and ignoring warning signs such as artifacting on the screen.

Edit: installed basic Firestrike for kicks (driver 353.62):
Score of 8367 with default clocks (similar to an overclocked "960 Ti")
Score of 9017 overclocked 135/200 (almost reaching a desktop 970)

So it's not going to beat an actual 980Ti, but means anything less is not cost-effective.
Especially with HBM GPUs around the corner, it might pay off to actually wait for them,
unless you can't wait to game at 4K (even below 60fps) or need GSync.

 

I was able to get the AGA/980Ti working.

However, it was despite Dell. The recent 355.60 driver appears to solve my issue. Dell sent me a beta build of 353.84 that did not work once you rebooted the laptop.

I am using with an external monitor. The 980Ti has survived multiple reboots and a power off. Fingers crossed.

 

Great to hear that m8, how good is the performance in games of that beast of a card?!, at what resolution are you playing?

 

Performance is good.

I am running with 2560x1440@60Hz. Believe it or not, my 2009 iMac is my external monitor. They work as a display for any DisplayPort device.

Firestrike with the 980m: 8405

Firestrike with the 980Ti: 11745

I am using GeForce Experience to set options in everything I am playing and the slider is max or nearly maxed in everything. (GTAV, Project Cars, Witcher 3, etc.)

My 980Ti is an EVGA with stock clocks.

 

I am glad to hear the EVGA 980ti fits in the graphics amp. I was reading a few days ago that most cards are too large or tall to fit. I just bought the
AW 15 with the 4k screen with the 970. I am considering buying the graphics amp and 980ti

 

Where did you read that? the GA fits most if not all graphics cards! I have the reference GTX 980 there and it has more room that could fit about another half of a reference 980. I don't think there are any cards that are longer than 1.5 reference 980.

 

The review was found on Amazon when I was looking for prices. The poster is Tyler W dated 5/11/15. He has wrote several paragraphs on the amplifier. In short, he states he tried a 970 video card that was 5.5 inches tall and it was too tall for the case. He then tried another 970 that was 5 inches tall and that was the sweet spot.