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In an embarrassment for Nvidia, the cheaper GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q can outperform some GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q laptops

Embarrassingly for Nvidia, the cheaper GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q can perform faster than some GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q laptops
Embarrassingly for Nvidia, the cheaper GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q can perform faster than some GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q laptops
These latest GeForce Super Max-Q laptops offer just marginal advantages over regular Max-Q laptops at best or they can even perform slower at worst.

A couple of months ago prior to the launch of the mobile GeForce Super Max-Q series, we warned that the performance gaps between mobile GeForce GPUs and GeForce Max-Q GPUs were already so minor that the GeForce Super Max-Q series would risk overlapping with existing SKUs. Sure enough, now that we've tested a handful of Super Max-Q laptops, some are already performing slower than their older non-Super counterparts.

The most recent example is the 2020 Razer Blade Pro 17 which can be configured with either the RTX 2070 Max-Q or RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. Even the base RTX 2070 Max-Q, however, is able to marginally outperform most RTX 2070 Super Max-Q and RTX 2080 Super Max-Q laptops currently available including the Aorus 17G, Gigabyte Aero 17, or MSI GS66. The only exception thus far is the Acer Predator Triton 500 and its RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU, but the performance advantage is still merely a few percentage points over our RTX 2070 Max-Q according to 3DMark.

If laptops with the older RTX 2070 Max-Q or RTX 2080 Max-Q have the potential to outperform their newer Super Max-Q variants, then it calls into question if the Super Max-Q series was ever needed in the first place. It's becoming clearer that the Super Max-Q series was designed to be Nvidia's stopgap before eventually launching the much more powerful Ampere family of GPUs.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
22326 Points +5%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
21191 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
21121 Points 0%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
21004 Points -1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
20914 Points -1%
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
20117 Points -5%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
18992 Points -10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (11563 - 21191, n=31)
17489 Points -17%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
8379 Points +4%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
8065 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7829 Points -3%
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
7618 Points -6%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7468 Points -7%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7358 Points -9%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
7084 Points -12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (5948 - 8065, n=28)
6745 Points -16%
2560x1440 Time Spy Score
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
8236 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
8066 Points -2%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
8043 Points -2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7650 Points -7%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
7633 Points -7%
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
7475 Points -9%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
7272 Points -12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (5989 - 8236, n=28)
6746 Points -18%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
18947 Points +2%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
18852 Points +2%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
18678 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
18582 Points 0%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
18543 Points
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
17585 Points -5%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
17312 Points -7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (10797 - 18543, n=33)
15754 Points -15%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
5086 Points +7%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
4742 Points
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
4693 Points -1%
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
4657 Points -2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
4477 Points -6%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
4411 Points -7%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
4280 Points -10%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (3240 - 4742, n=23)
3838 Points -19%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
30456 Points +10%
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
28900 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
28555 Points +3%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
27955 Points +1%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
27694 Points
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
26855 Points -3%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
25135 Points -9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (14723 - 27694, n=31)
22548 Points -19%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED XB-8DE51B0SP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
16347 Points +5%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
16311 Points +5%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
16266 Points +5%
MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i9-10980HK
15792 Points +1%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-10875H
15564 Points
MSI GS66 10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
13592 Points -13%
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-70N3
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10750H
12708 Points -18%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  (9107 - 17603, n=30)
12665 Points -19%
Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
  (120 - 132.3, n=6)
126.3 fps 0%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
126 (108.2min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
  (115 - 128, n=6)
120 fps -5%
X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
  (82.3 - 90, n=6)
87.5 fps +3%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
85.3 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
  (76.8 - 87.6, n=6)
82 fps -4%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
  (74.3 - 96, n=11)
85.3 fps +5%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2070 Max-Q 300 Hz
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
80.9 (75min - 90max) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
  (62.7 - 92.5, n=10)
75.1 fps -7%

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 06 > In an embarrassment for Nvidia, the cheaper GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q can outperform some GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q laptops
Allen Ngo, 2020-06-28 (Update: 2020-06-30)