Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 is one of the latest features to come to Nvidia RTX 30-Series GPUs. But what is Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 and why should you care?
We’ve whipped up this guide to help you out with everything you need to know about Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 and more. And if you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, feel free to fire the questions over to us on Twitter.
What is Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0?
Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 is a new technology that helps to juggle the power supply for both the CPU and GPU.
Historically, the CPU and GPU have worked independently, benefitting from their own supply. However, this design has been accused of being inefficient for performance power, as there are many instances – particularly in gaming – where the GPU will require a lot of power, while the processor is idlily sitting by with access to an untapped power budget.
The first iteration of Nvidia Dynamic Boost addressed this issue by allowing the GPU to dip into a CPU’s power reserve whenever the component is at a critical performance bottleneck. This technology is automatic too, so you don’t need to go diving into performance settings yourself to find the right balance.
However, the first version of Nvidia Dynamic Boost was a one-way system, which meant the CPU couldn’t nab power from the GPU. Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 solves this issue, using multiple AI networks to allow power shifting from the CPU to the GPU and vice versa.
Nvidia Dynamic Boost 2.0 is only supported by Nvidia’s 30-Series GPUs and the new creation-focused A-Series GPUs right now, so the older RTX 20-Series graphics cards won’t offer the same functionality. It’s also not guaranteed to work with 30-Series laptops, as it’s dependent on whether the manufacturer enables this feature. So if you really want to make use of this technology, look for mention of this feature before hitting checkout.
The good news is Dynamic Boost 2.0 works with both AMD and Intel CPUs, so you won’t be restricted from benefiting from this innovation if you’re Team Blue or Team Red.
But how much of a performance gain do you get with Dynamic Boost 2.0? Not a lot to be honest. Nvidia claims you can get up to a 16% performance boost for game frame rates, but that looks to be absolute maximum.
Nvidia’s own testing suggests you get around a 12% performance boost for modern games, which equates to 6 extra frames per second for the likes of Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Still, you shouldn’t sniff at a free performance boost. It’s a welcome additional feature for Nvidia’s 30-Series GPUs, albeit one that probably isn’t game-changing enough to be a deal breaker when choosing between graphics cards or laptops.
It’s also worth pointing out that such Nvidia isn’t the only company offering such technology. AMD’s SmartShift technology essentially does the same thing, but only works when a computer is using both an AMD CPU and GPU in conjunction. That means if you’ve got an Intel processor, you’ll need an Nvidia 30-Series GPU to make use of this useful innovation.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
