GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

2015Core: 1064 MHzBoost: 1216 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018Core: 1168 MHzBoost: 1284 MHz
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GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

2015

Why buy it

  • Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 580 2048SP across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 16 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 33.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

2018

Why buy it

  • 23.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (16 GB vs 4 GB).
  • GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 16 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 23.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.6% in PassMark G3D (7,633 vs 7,366), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 580 2048SP is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 16 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 580 2048SP makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 580 2048SP Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 21 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1064 MHz to 1216 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,366 points. Launch price was $395.82.

AMD

Radeon RX 580 2048SP

The Radeon RX 580 2048SP is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 15 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1168 MHz to 1284 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,633 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) scores 7,366 and the Radeon RX 580 2048SP reaches 7,633 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Raw compute: 4.358 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 5.259 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1284 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
G3D Mark Score
7,366
7,633+4%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
GCN 4.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
2048
2048
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.358 TFLOPS
5.259 TFLOPS+21%
Boost Clock
1216 MHz
1284 MHz+6%
ROPs
64+100%
32
TMUs
128
128
L1 Cache
768 KB+50%
512 KB
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580 2048SP is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 580 2048SP leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 580 2048SP carries 16 GB. Radeon RX 580 2048SP gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580 2048SP.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
16 GB+300%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s
224 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 12 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (2nd Gen) (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 580 2048SP).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
Encoder
NVENC (2nd Gen)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC (2nd Gen)
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,VP9
H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 580 2048SP's 150W — a 40% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 450W (Radeon RX 580 2048SP). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
TDP
100W-33%
150W
Recommended PSU
350W-22%
450W
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
8-pin
Length
241mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
75°C-6%
Perf/Watt
73.7+45%
50.9
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon RX 580 2048SP (2018 vs 2015).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Radeon RX 580 2048SP
MSRP
$229
Codename
GM204
Polaris 20
Release
September 21 2015
October 15 2018
Ranking
#314
#334

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