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 Ti vs RTX A2000 12GB 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 Ti vs RTX A2000 12GB: 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 Ti

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A2000 12GB across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
44.5% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

RTX A2000 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅6.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RTX A2000 12GB is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.1% in PassMark G3D (13,721 vs 13,711), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX A2000 12GB is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 26 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2015. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

RTX A2000 12GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $449 vs $649, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 44.6% (30.6 vs 21.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs RTX A2000 12GB Technical Specifications

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

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.

RTX A2000 12GB

The RTX A2000 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 23 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 3328 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 26 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,721 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the RTX A2000 12GB reaches 13,721 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX A2000 12GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 3,328 (RTX A2000 12GB). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 7.987 TFLOPS (RTX A2000 12GB). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
G3D Mark Score	13,711	13,721
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2816	3328+18%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	7.987 TFLOPS+32%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1200 MHz+12%
ROPs	96+100%	48
TMUs	176+69%	104
L1 Cache	1 MB	3.3 MB+230%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A2000 12GB carries 8 GB. RTX A2000 12GB gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 Ti and 128-bit on the RTX A2000 12GB.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.2 (RTX A2000 12GB). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
DirectX	12.1	12.2
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 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A2000 12GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (RTX A2000 12GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	7th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the RTX A2000 12GB's 70W — a 112.5% difference. The RTX A2000 12GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 500W (RTX A2000 12GB). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 167mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
TDP	250W	70W-72%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	167mm
Height	111mm	68mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	196.0+258%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti came in at $649, while the RTX A2000 12GB launched at $449. On MSRP, RTX A2000 12GB was 30.8% cheaper ($200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 30.6 (RTX A2000 12GB) — the RTX A2000 12GB offers 45% better value. The newer card here is RTX A2000 12GB (2021 vs 2015).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
MSRP	$649	$449-31%
Performance per Dollar	21.1	30.6+45%
Codename	GM200	GA106
Release	June 2 2015	November 23 2021
Ranking	#179	#177

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