For Christmas, we tend to give lots of generous gifts. Among the things that many of us want is a new laptop, preferably for gaming, that is as powerful and versatile as possible. If you also want it to be energy efficient and not very large or heavy, consider one equipped with a graphics card from the GeForce RTX 40 series, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. Read this article to see why it’s worth buying a laptop with an Nvidia RTX 4000, what are the technologies and the most important benefits offered by these graphics cards, and where to find Christmas deals with the most diverse and interesting laptops:

Over 500 games and applications are compatible with NVIDIA RTX technologies

NVIDIA launched its first RTX series graphics cards in 2018, starting with GeForce RTX 2080, followed by GeForce RTX 2070 and 2060 — these introduced features such as real-time ray tracing and the original generation of DLSS. It didn’t take long for the first games compatible with these technologies to appear. That’s when we first had the chance to enjoy ray tracing and DLSS in titles such as Battlefield V or the superb Metro Exodus, which is one of my all-time favorite games. Since then, NVIDIA has continued improving both the following graphics cards and the technologies offered by the RTX family. Game developers have also been quick to respond positively to these developments. Thus, on December 4th, 2023, NVIDIA announced that 500 games and applications support the company’s technologies, in one form or another, in newer or older versions. This would be in vain if gamers did not use the features offered by the NVIDIA RTX graphics cards. But that does happen, and the adoption rate is impressive. For example, 97% of Cyberpunk 2077 players who have a GeForce RTX 40 series graphics card enable ray tracing effects and/or DLSS, while 99% of Alan Wake 2 players and 96% of Diablo IV players do the same.

NVIDIA RTX technologies in Cyberpunk 2077

I am convinced that the number of games and apps compatible with NVIDIA RTX features will continue to grow, making the user experience even better.

DLSS 3.5 with ray reconstruction takes ray tracing effects to a new level

Version 3.5 for DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) introduces new tools in NVIDIA’s kit, designed to enhance performance for GeForce RTX graphics cards. The Ray Reconstruction feature significantly improves image quality for all GeForce RTX graphics cards by using artificial intelligence to generate additional pixels in scenes with intensive ray tracing. DLSS replaces manually tuned noise-canceling functions with an intelligent network trained by an NVIDIA supercomputer, which produces higher-quality pixels between the sampled rays. If everything seems too technical and difficult to understand, a video demonstration can help. Watch the clip below for a sample from Cyberpunk 2077 and how DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction significantly improves graphic quality.

Thanks to DLSS 3.5, NVIDIA maintains its supremacy in rendering ray tracing effects in games at excellent quality.

DLSS Frame Generation - exclusive for the GeForce RTX 40 series

A technology included under the DLSS umbrella is Frame Generation. It enhances the performance obtained by a graphics card from the GeForce RTX 40 series using artificial intelligence algorithms to generate more frames in games. Thus, it can easily reach a doubling of the number of frames rendered on the screen. This technology is especially helpful when you have a laptop or a PC with a weaker processor, which limits performance in some games. DLSS Frame Generation is available only on video cards from the RTX 40 series; you can’t use it on GPUs from the previous series. To get an idea of the positive impact of this technology, watch the video below:

Low Latency with NVIDIA Reflex

Like all smart technologies, Frame Generation also has a drawback: while it significantly increases the number of frames rendered by the graphics card, it can also increase latency in games, which can be problematic, especially in highly competitive online games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, PUBG, or Counter-Strike 2. In such games, you want every mouse movement and command to be reflected in the game instantly, without any lag. NVIDIA includes Reflex in its technology package to counteract the problems that may arise because of latency. Reflex works in tandem with your graphics card and system processor to reduce the number of queued frames and increase the number of frames actually rendered, thus reducing the time required to display images corresponding to your in-game actions. You can see a demo of the impact of NVIDIA Reflex in the following clip, using the game God of War:

Useful features for content creators

GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards offer valuable tools and technologies for content creators. If you enjoy streaming while gaming, you can take advantage of the latest generation of NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC), which provides compatibility for video encoding in the AV1 format and is known for its efficiency compared to traditional H.264 encoding.

Moreover, these graphics cards are excellent for activities such as 3D rendering, video editing, or graphic design. They are seamlessly integrated with professional solutions such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Maya, Blender, Davinci Resolve, and Enscape. And if you perform highly advanced calculations in solutions like Matlab, the GeForce RTX 40 series graphic cards are considerably faster than the competition.

To give you a better idea of their positive impact, here's a comparison of the rendering times achieved in Blender on laptops equipped with an Intel Core i9 13900HK processor and various graphics cards from the series 40 versus a MacBook Pro M2 Max and MacBook Pro M2 Pro.

Rendering in Blender using laptops with GeForce RTX 40 series

Max-Q for thinner, quieter, and more energy-efficient laptops

A few years ago, traditional gaming laptops had the drawback of being massive, heavy, power-hungry, and rather noisy. To provide a better experience, NVIDIA developed a new range of artificial intelligence-based technologies designed to deliver the optimal power balance between the graphics card and processor, ensuring increased performance and optimized energy consumption. Max-Q also optimizes the power of laptops, preventing them from generating a disruptive level of noise when gaming. Just look at this 16-inch ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16, available on Amazon, and compare it with any gaming laptop from five years ago. It’s considerably smaller, more compact, sleek, and lightweight.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16

Where can you find laptops with the GeForce RTX 40 series?

Looking at the specifications of the GeForce RTX 40 series, it’s clear to me that they significantly increase the lifespan of a graphics card. This aspect is crucial, especially in the world of laptops, where you can’t upgrade just the graphics card as you would with a desktop PC. Among all the technologies presented, DLSS 3.5 can increase the viability of a graphics card for upcoming game releases. Therefore, even after 3-4 years with a laptop, thanks to DLSS, you can continue to enjoy good performance, even though the requirements of future games will change, demanding even more computing power.

If you want to learn more about laptops equipped with GeForce RTX 40 series graphics, NVIDIA has prepared a special portal detailing all their technologies and tools. You can find it here. I also recommend checking out Amazon, where you can find dedicated stores like the one made by MSI Gaming: GeForce RTX 40 series laptops. You’ll find special Christmas offers featuring various laptops at attractive prices. Take a look and let me know which laptop you like the most and why.