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Nothing to see here — Nvidia "Max-P" is just a regular non Max-Q GPU

Nothing to see here — Nvidia "Max-P" is just a regular non Max-Q GPU (Image source: Nvidia)
Nothing to see here — Nvidia "Max-P" is just a regular non Max-Q GPU (Image source: Nvidia)
Samsung recently divulged the name "Max-P" to describe the GTX 1060 GPU in its upcoming Odyssey Z gaming laptop before quietly removing the word. However, we can confirm that "Max-P" is simply a standard GPU without the Max-Q designation. The GTX 1050, 1050 Ti, 1060, 1070, and 1080 found on most gaming laptops are all technically "Max-P" graphics cards so long as they are not Max-Q GPUs.

When Intel lifted the curtains off its Coffee Lake-H platform, the reveal was accompanied by a host of new laptops sporting Coffee Lake-H CPUs. One of these systems was the Samsung Odyssey Z that boasted a hexa-core 8th gen Core i7 CPU and a 6 GB "Max-P" GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. The manufacturer later pulled the suspect "Max-P" term from its marketing as confirmed by a report from AnandTech.

Major outlets like Hexus have reported on the "Max-P" designation as if it could be another Nvidia GPU series separate from the current Max-Q series and standard non Max-Q series. However, we can confirm through our own sources that a "Max-P" GPU is simply a standard non Max-Q GPU that we are all already familiar with. The "Max-P" term is only used internally between OEMs to differentiate between Max-Q and non Max-Q GPUs and it was never meant for marketing purposes. Thus, Samsung later pulled the "Max-P" moniker from its Odyssey Z specifications. Nonetheless, it's still a safe bet to say that the super-thin notebook will ship with a standard 6 GB GTX 1060 and not the GTX 1060 Max-Q variant as found on the HP Omen 15t or Dell Inspiron 15 7577.

The term "Max-Q" has its roots in engineering where efficiency is often represented by the variable "Q". Nvidia Max-Q GPUs prioritize performance-per-Watt (or efficiency) while standard "Max-P" GPUs prioritize raw performance at a lower performance-per-Watt. In general, users can expect a 10 to 15 percent decrease in overall gaming performance when moving from a "Max-P" GPU to its Max-Q equivalent.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 04 > Nothing to see here — Nvidia "Max-P" is just a regular non Max-Q GPU
Allen Ngo, 2018-04-29 (Update: 2018-04-29)