GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 6500

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 6500 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 6500: 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

✅46.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 38.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: Unknown architecture on Unknown node gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 46.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 6500 instead at 7,610 vs 7,366, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 6500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 6500 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) vs Radeon RX 6500 Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) scores 7,366 and the Radeon RX 6500 reaches 7,610 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score	7,366	7,610+3%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6500 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500) — a 55.6% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980 (móvel). Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+56%	144 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+100%	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (2nd Gen) (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
Encoder	NVENC (2nd Gen)	None
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	VCN 3.0
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 6500
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	—	172mm
Height	—	112mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	73.7	101.5+38%