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WTF?! Flagship gaming laptops are expected to balance portability with high-end performance, usually with acceptable compromises compared to desktops. Throwing that idea out the window, one modder has responded to criticism of Nvidia's mobile RTX 4090 by installing the full desktop GPU into a "notebook" that, surprisingly, still fits in a backpack.
A tinkerer on the Chinese video platform Bilibili recently demonstrated a custom notebook featuring full-blown desktop chips. Threatening to defeat the purpose of a laptop, the chunky device includes a real GeForce RTX 4090 – not the mobile chip Nvidia passed off as a 4090 last year.
Although TechSpot's review of the mobile RTX 4090 acknowledged that it earns the laptop GPU performance crown, easily surpassing the notebook 3080 Ti, it can hardly be called a 4090. With specs closer to the desktop 4080 and performance resembling the 3090, the mobile flagship is significantly slower than the desktop 4090.
The modder addressed the discrepancy by customizing a generic OEM laptop chassis that allows users to replace the motherboard and supports socketable CPUs. Alongside a blower-style 4090, the system includes an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D – also a top-end part – 32 GB of 6800 DDR5 RAM, and large speakers in the bottom section.
Impressively, the flagship GPU comfortably maintains its desktop performance levels in this unusual environment, as tests show that it reaches its full 450W TDP. The card achieves a 28,490 score in 3DMark Time Spy, a 99.2 stability rating, and maintains temperatures in the 70s Celsius under load. More benchmarks are forthcoming.
Although the 7cm (2.75-inch) thick laptop still fits in a backpack, carrying the 15-pound rig in a suitcase is probably healthier. The primary downside is that the notebook requires a wall outlet since no laptop battery can sustain the RTX 4090 for any reasonable amount of time. While it might be usable in fewer environments than conventional laptops, the custom monster is nonetheless easier to transport than most desktops, particularly those with flagship components.
Meanwhile, details surrounding mobile variants of Nvidia's next-generation Blackwell GPUs remain scarce, but the company is expected to unveil them at CES alongside the desktop lineup. It won't be surprising if the laptop RTX 5090 suffers from a large performance gap compared to its desktop namesake, which might outperform the 4090 by 70 percent, but the discrepancy could be narrower with the mid-range parts. PC vendor Hasee recently stated that the mobile RTX 5060 should resemble the 4070 while drawing less power.