I do think the GTX 580M provides the best overall user experience with support for Optimus switchable graphics as well the potential future-looking graphics performance seen in our Ultra quality settings test of Battlefield 3. The NVIDIA Verde driver program is also a benefit over what AMD has traditionally done in the mobile market. The NVIDIA driver team has been releasing mobile-compatible driver updates on a much more regular basis than AMD has been and in most cases are running version-for-version with the desktop parts. A quick check as of this writing shows the 285.64 driver that has been released for the desktop GPUs is also available for notebooks - if you are serious mobile gamer that cares about day-of releases (like getting BF3 running at its best as soon as its out) then this is a serious concern, right?

NVIDIA is asking for $300 more for the GTX 580M than AMD is asking for the HD 6990M. That is a significant difference in a gaming notebook that you can get for a little as $1799. NVIDIA claims that features like Optimus, the improved driver support, 3D Vision (optional) and PhysX (returning to the scene with Batman: Arkham City) can justify that kind of price difference. I am not sure most of our readers would agree with that but if you are a high-end mobile gamer it is possible that those kinds of added benefits really do matter to you.

When it really comes down to it, I feel that most gamers will pick the Radeon HD 6990M that comes with similar performance levels at a much lower price (at least on the M17x). For all we know, AMD might be losing money on this part and undermining the market as a whole but most consumers don't really care about that kind of stuff. To them it is about performance and about value. For those gamers that are NVIDIA fans or really do put a lot of weight on the idea of Optimus technology, day-of-release driver updates and the specific hardcore features mentioned above, the GTX 580M will provide the best overall experience, but just be prepared to pay for it.