NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS vs NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT

NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS

The Nvidia GeForce 9700M GTS is a graphics adapter for laptops and based on the G94 core (like the 9800M GTS) and features 48 shader processors (in difference to the 9700M GT which is based on the G96 with 32 shaders).

Because of the additional shaders, the 9700M GTS is faster than the GT (altough the slower core clock). Therefore, DirectX 10 games of 2008 should all be playable in medium to high details. Crysis for instance, ran with 30 fps in medium details and 1024x768. Therefore, it should be fluently playable with low-medium detail settings. Less demanding games should run in high detail settings.

As all cards with DirectX 10 capabilities, the GeForce 9700M GTS renders the 3D images using "Unified Shaders". There don't exist any more dedicated pixel- and vertex shaders but 48 so called stream processors make the graphic work (which has been done by pixel and vertex shaders in former days). Furthermore, the shader units are higher clocked than the chip.

An advantage of the GeForce 9000 series is the integrated PureVideo HD video processor. It is able to help with the decoding of H.264-, VC-1-, MPEG2- and WMV9 video material in HD quality and eases the CPU.

In conjunction with the Nvidia 9100M G integrated graphics, the 9700M GTS supports Hybrid-SLI (only HybridPower). HybridPower is a technique to choose between the integrated and dedicated graphics core, if performance or battery runtime is needed. This works only in Windows Vista. Up to now the user has to use a tool to switch between the GPUs. Later Nvidia wants to switch automatically in the drivers. GeForceBoost is not supported with this card, as there would be no performance gain to combine the integrated GPU with the 9700M GTS.

Currently there is no desktop graphics adapter that is technically compareable with the 9700M GTS. Performance-wise the card should lie somewhere between the desktop 9500 and 9600 series.

NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT

The Nvidia GeForce 9700M GT is a DirectX 10 graphics card for notebooks and successor to the 8700M GT. Technically, the 9700M GT is a higher clocked version of the 9600M GT. It is produced in 65nm (allows higher clock rates with the same current consumption) and features a new PureVideo HD video processor (VP3) and HybridPower support.

In conjunction with the Nvidia 9100M G integrated graphics, the 9700M GT supports Hybrid-SLI (only HybridPower). HybridPower is a technique to choose between the integrated and dedicated graphics core, if performance or battery runtime is needed. This works only in Windows Vista. Up to now the user has to use a tool to switch between the GPUs. Later Nvidia wants to switch automatically in the drivers. GeForceBoost is not supported with this card, as there would be no performance gain.

As the 9600M GT and 8700M GT, the 9700M GT features 32 stream processors that do the graphic work of the vertex- and pixel-shaders (which are higher clocked than the core with 1550 MHz).

The performance of the 9700M GT is clearly above the 9600M GT because of the high clock speed (highest current clockspeed of the 9000M series). Still demanding DirectX 10 games, like Crysis wont run fluently with high details and high resolutions. 

Compared to desktop graphics cards, the 9700M GT is similar to the GeForce 9500GT (which also descends from the G96 core).