I spent the past evening at a student-focussed event hosted by Nvidia and MSI, and one thing’s for sure: gone are the days when buying a laptop meant you had a severely downgraded experience compared to the desktop equivalent. Modern laptops, and the graphics cards contained within, are just as capable as those in mainstream desktop machines. These capabilities are being highlighted at a workshop dubbed ‘Kickstart your Career,’ and some lesser-known capabilities of modern laptop GPUs will be showcased in the process.
Though it was quite a few years ago now, I have vivid memories of certain struggles with my own STEM degree studies. For instance, fighting to find a spot in one of the high-end PC labs so I could finish my end-of-year project. How much easier would it have been if I could just take my project home and finish it on a laptop in the privacy of my own room. The laptop form factor is also ideal for students who need to move around between campus, student accommodation and then back to their parents’ home for the summer.
Modern laptops equipped with powerful GPUs can do some fairly remarkable things. For instance, the Unity game engine is often perceived as being a very sluggish piece of software. One of the laptops being shown off during the event shows Unity objects being added and changed, then switched over to an in-game view to see how the objects would appear. This is done in real-time, with not a stutter to be seen.
As access to high-speed internet has become increasingly common, many students have taken to engaging in live-streaming in their spare time. Some of a more creative bent have gone the extra mile and developed sophisticated V-Tuber avatars to use. Here modern GPUs can also provide some assistance. The Nvidia App has several tools which can improve the streaming experience. For instance, the ‘Auto Frame’ feature enables the camera to follow your face if you move out of shot. Those who are involved in V-Tubing will certainly be able to appreciate this feature.
Virtual backgrounds have become common in video chat software, but few can offer the ability to fix your lighting. Lighting is fairly critical when livestreaming, but it can be very hard to get right. Finding space for a ring light in a small space or on a crowded desk isn’t always easy. The MSI x Nvidia event demonstrates how the ‘Virtual Key Light’ feature can be used to hugely improve the lighting for a face camera. The downside is that this feature does require quite a lot of GPU grunt to accomplish, so cannot be run alongside AAA games or other GPU-intensive apps. As an alternative, there is a ‘Video Noise Removal’ option that can improve the results in low-light situations, but doesn’t require the same level of GPU power.
Much of the marketing around laptops tends to focus on gaming. This is understandable, as performance figures from games are an easy-to-understand metric. The MSI x Nvidia event was created to show how powerful Nvidia GPUs like the GeForce RTX 5070 can perform just as well as a tool for study and creativity as it can for gaming.
That said, when you are all caught up with your studies, and it’s time to relax, a new MSI laptop can work just as well as a portable battle station, as the event demonstrates with four wireless controllers and a game of Party Animals running from a single laptop. This is something that is easy to imagine being replicated in many dorm rooms.
The MSI x Nvidia Student Careers Workshop is taking place today at the Impact Hub in London Euston. If you fancy popping along, the event is free entry and will feature talks, demonstrations and hands-on opportunities. These will cover a range of disciplines including 3D design, fashion and video game development.
The event will run from 9am until 5pm on Tuesday 30th September and is a great opportunity for students to get a feel for how this technology can affect student life and future careers. Further details on the event can be found at the EventBrite page.
