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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

Why buy it

✅17.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
284% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
❌257.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 70W.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $480 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 201.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 70W instead of 250W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

✅17.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $480 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 201.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 70W instead of 250W, a 180W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
284% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
❌257.1% higher power demand at 250W vs 70W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than GeForce RTX 3050 6GB?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 980 Ti averages 17.4% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,711 vs 10,749 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 980 Ti is a 2015 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is a 2024 model from an older generation with DLSS Super Resolution. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2024 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is about 284.0% more expensive on MSRP at $649 MSRP versus $169 MSRP, and you are getting 17.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 27.6% higher G3D Mark. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce RTX 3050 6GB make more sense than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (70W vs 250W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $169 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 980 Ti. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 980 Ti currently gives you 27.6% higher G3D Mark and 17.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce RTX 3050 6GB still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	80 FPS	85 FPS
medium	69 FPS	72 FPS
high	56 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	74 FPS
medium	62 FPS	64 FPS
high	45 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	30 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	27 FPS
medium	24 FPS	25 FPS
high	16 FPS	17 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	186 FPS	174 FPS
medium	164 FPS	149 FPS
high	133 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	129 FPS
medium	104 FPS	106 FPS
high	82 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	74 FPS
medium	50 FPS	62 FPS
high	46 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	617 FPS	484 FPS
medium	494 FPS	387 FPS
high	411 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	363 FPS
medium	370 FPS	290 FPS
high	308 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	181 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	242 FPS
medium	247 FPS	193 FPS
high	206 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	121 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
1080p
low	232 FPS	243 FPS
medium	197 FPS	210 FPS
high	161 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	185 FPS
medium	156 FPS	166 FPS
high	123 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	104 FPS
medium	83 FPS	87 FPS
high	67 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 10,749 — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti leads by 27.6%. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1470 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
G3D Mark Score	13,711+28%	10,749
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2816+22%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	6.774 TFLOPS+12%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1470 MHz+37%
ROPs	96+200%	32
TMUs	176+144%	72
L1 Cache	1 MB	2.3 MB+130%
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Bus width: 384-bit vs 96-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+100%	168 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+300%	96-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (7th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (7th Gen)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB's 70W — a 112.5% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs None. Card length: 267mm vs 160mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 3050 6GB
TDP	250W	70W-72%
Recommended PSU	600W	300W-50%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	None
Length	267mm	160mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	153.6+180%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB launched at $169. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB costs 74% less ($480 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 201.4% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the newer GPU (2024 vs 2015).