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 3050 A Laptop GPU 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 3050 A Laptop GPU: 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 3050 A Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌69.2% higher power demand at 220W vs 130W.
❌26600% longer card at 267mm vs 1mm.

GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅15.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 130W instead of 220W, a 90W reduction.
✅Measures 1mm instead of 267mm, a 266mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

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 3050 A Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 15.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.5% in PassMark G3D (11,240 vs 11,077), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 20 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

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 3050 A Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU 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 3050 A Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1552 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,240 points. Launch price was $249.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU reaches 11,240 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 9.098 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	11,077	11,240+1%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2048	2560+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	9.098 TFLOPS+83%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1777 MHz+46%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128+60%	80
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	2.5 MB+233%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
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)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 64-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+75%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12_2 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
DirectX	12.1	12_2
Max Displays	4	0

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs NVENC 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 7th Gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU's 130W — a 51.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 1mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
TDP	220W	130W-41%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	1mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	50.4	86.5+72%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU (2022 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 A Laptop GPU
MSRP	$549	—
Codename	GM204	GA106
Release	September 19 2014	January 4 2022
Ranking	#245	#211

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