Gaming laptop GPUs are generally power limited, causing performance losses versus desktops. A new mod called Nvpwr Control aims to boost NVIDIA's RTX 50-series laptops by raising power targets using baked-in policies not available to consumers.

The developer reverse-engineered NVIDIA's power management path. The mod supports the RTX 5070 Ti, 5080, and 5090. 140 W TGP 5070 Ti GPUs can reach 180 W. The 5070 Ti has the most robust support; RTX 5080 and 5090 support is experimental. Purportedly, the RTX 5080 and 5090 can reach 225 W, but with risks and caveats.

The tool only works on NVIDIA driver version 616.92, and the developer warns users should "not assume compatibility with other NVIDIA driver versions." Installing requires temporarily disabling Windows Driver Signature Enforcement, which may present security risks.

Another issue: increasing power limits on a mobile RTX 50-series GPU may push past the limits of space-constrained cooling solutions in gaming laptops.