Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 and AMD SmartShift Max is one of the latest features to come to their latest GPUs. These 2 enables notebooks feature a hardware boosting interface between the Processor and Graphics with machine learning algorithms on their own way. Lets understand what are these two technologies are and how it works.
Dynamic Boost is a technology from NVIDIA . They have launched its newer version as Dynamic Boost 2.0 with some changes.
AMD SmartShift is by AMD and have launched 2 new variants of the Smart Shift technology with different functionalities.
What is Dynamic Boost 2.0?
Dynamic Boost 2.0 is the second generation technology, successor to the Nvidia Dynamic Boost. In order to know what Dynamic Boost 2.0 is, we first have to understand what Dynamic Boost is.
The CPU & GPU have their own thermal designs, i.e. they require a specific power to run at a specific clock speed. The thermal design of the laptop computers is always higher than both CPU and GPU but not more than both CPU & GPU combined. Earlier, both CPU & GPU worked independently having their own power supply. Which means the CPU would get specific power even if it’s idle and the laptop wasn’t able to supply full power to the GPU even if it required. Nvidia Dynamic Boost solves this problem.
In the first iteration, the GPU could draw power from CPU’s power supply when it is at critical performance bottleneck. It was first introduced in Nvidia’s RTX 20 series cards and was automatic i.e. the user didn’t need enable it. The problem with it was that only GPU could draw power from CPU’s power reserve and not vice versa.
Image source : PCMag
Nvidia solved this problem by introducing their second iteration of Dynamic Boost i.e. the Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 with their RTX 30 series cards. With Dynamic Boost 2.0, both CPU & GPU can draw power from each other’s power reserve when needed and when their counter component is sitting idle. With this not only GPU, but also CPU can benefit with this technology. It is a two way system. This is also automatic.
All RTX 30 series cards laptops could benefit from it no matter which CPU you are using whether Intel or AMD CPUs. Nvidia claims up to 16% performance boost in the games with this technology. But even NVIDIA’s own test only got 12% boost.
Pros:
· Smartly shifts power between CPU & GPU.
· Both CPU & GPU benefit from it unlike Dynamic Boost 1.0, where only GPU gets power boost.
· Prevents bottlenecking for both CPU and GPU.
· Works with any CPU (AMD or intel).
· Additional performance boost.
Cons:
· Only works with Nvidia RTX 30 Series GPUs.
What is AMD SmartShift
SmartShift is AMD’s technology similar to Nvidia’s Dynamic Boost 2.0. It also smartly shifts power between CPU & GPU depending upon the power required by the respective components. It was first introduced with AMD 4000 series CPUs. AMD claims upto 14% extra performance with SmartShift enabled. However, it worked only with certain games.
With their AMD 6000 series CPUs, AMD announced the successor to the SmartShift i.e. SmartShift Max. AMD claims that the SmartShift Max can provide upto 2X better performance in games than its predecessor. Also, SmartShift Max now support more games than before. But the problem with AMDs SmartShift is that it only works on laptops with both AMD CPU and AMD GPU unlike Nvidia’s Dynamic Boost which can support any CPU.
Last year we only got one machine with both AMD CPU and GPU was Dell G15 Special Edition which implemented the SmartShift technology. This year we got some of the laptops under AMD Advantage Edition name we hope these all will implement AMD SmartShift.
Pros:
· Smartly shifts power between CPU & GPU.
· 2X more performance & more games than SmartShift.
· Up to 14% performance boost.
Cons:
· Only supported on AMD CPU and AMD GPU Laptops.
· Not all games are supported.
It also has a new variant which is AMD SmartShift Eco. It is designed to save more battery power and gives you better backup. The idea is when you have an AMD CPU and GPU powered laptop and you are running on battery power then AMD SmartShift Eco smartly moves all graphics intensive tasks to integrated GPU and again switches back to discrete GPU once you connect your laptop to main power supply. This move may give you little less gaming performance but serves more backup on battery power.
Comparison Chart
DYNAMIC BOOST 2.0 | SMARTSHIFT MAX |
WORKS WITH BOTH INTEL AND AMD CPU. | WORKS ONLY WITH AMD CPU AND AMD GPU. |
WORKS WITH ONLY RTX 30 SERIES CARDS. | WORKS WITH RYZEN 6000 SERIES CPU. |
UPTO 16% GAME PERFORMANCE BOOST.* | UPTO 14% PERFORMANCE BOOST. ** |
TWO WAY POWER MANAGEMENT COMPARED TO ONE WAY OF THE PREDECESSOR. | 2X UPLIFT IN GAMING PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO SMARTSHIFT. |
CONCLUSION
So, which one is better? Well, both have their advantages and disadvantages. But we think that the Nvidia’s Dynamic Boost 2.0 takes a lead here and there are mainly two reasons for that. First, Dynamic Boost 2.0 works with any CPU whether it be Intel or AMD which SmartShift Max works with only AMD CPU & AMD GPU. Second, the SmartShift only works with certain games.
*Compared to Non-Dynamic Boost.
** The performance data is of SmartShift.
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