Nvidia's RTX Spark targets handheld gaming, bypasses generative AI for DLSS 4.5
Nvidia unveiled RTX Spark, a new System-on-Chip (SoC) combining a Grace CPU and Blackwell RTX GPU, which will begin shipping in laptops later this year. While Nvidia emphasizes its AI capabilities, the article highlights its potential to significantly enhance performance for PC gaming handhelds and thin-and-light laptops, particularly through its support for DLSS 4.5 upscaling technology.
Key Takeaways
- RTX Spark integrates a 20-core Nvidia Grace CPU and a Blackwell RTX GPU with 6,144 CUDA cores, comparable to a GeForce RTX 5070 desktop GPU.
- The SoC uses Nvidia's NVLINK for high-speed data transfer between CPU and GPU, exceeding traditional PCI Express connections.
- RTX Spark is the first laptop SoC to support DLSS 4.5, including Multi-Frame Generation, Super Resolution, and Ray Reconstruction, but not DLSS 5's generative AI.
- Current PC gaming handhelds, like Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck, primarily use AMD Ryzen SoCs and FSR upscaling, lacking native DLSS support.
- A ComputerBase survey found respondents preferred DLSS 4.5 over FSR 4 and native rendering in six different games.
Why It Matters
Nvidia's entry into the SoC market with RTX Spark could intensify competition in portable gaming. Its focus on DLSS 4.5 for performance rather than DLSS 5's generative AI, addresses early consumer backlash and positions RTX Spark as a direct alternative to AMD's FSR-based handhelds. This pushes hardware development for gaming on the go, potentially enabling higher framerates and graphics quality on smaller devices. The key signal to watch will be the initial pricing and battery life metrics of RTX Spark-powered laptops and eventual handhelds as they enter the market.
Read full article at pcworld.com
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