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 vs GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) 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 vs GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel): 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

2014

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌91.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 115W.

GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)

2019

Why buy it

✅41.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 115W instead of 220W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 41.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 980 instead at 11,077 vs 10,676, 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?

GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 12nm process instead of 28nm, and 30 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce GTX 980 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce GTX 980 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 980

The GeForce GTX 980 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. 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 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,077 points. Launch price was $549.

GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)

The GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 29 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 960 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,676 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) reaches 10,676 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4.608 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
G3D Mark Score	11,077+4%	10,676
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2048+7%	1920
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS+8%	4.608 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1216 MHz+1%	1200 MHz
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	128+7%	120
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	1.9 MB+153%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel). Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel). L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)) — the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	336 GB/s+50%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.1 (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.1
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs NVENC 7.0 (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP9. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 7.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	PureVideo HD VP9
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)'s 115W — a 62.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
TDP	220W	115W-48%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	50.4	92.8+84%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel) (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 2060 (móvel)
MSRP	$549	—
Codename	GM204	TU106
Release	September 19 2014	January 29 2019
Ranking	#245	#236

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