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 4060 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 4060: 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

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
83.6% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$299 MSRP

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅95.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $250 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 224% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

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?

GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 95.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 76.5% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 11,077), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while GeForce GTX 980 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 28nm, and 24 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 RTX 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $250 cheaper on MSRP at $299 vs $549, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 224% (65.4 vs 20.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce RTX 4060 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 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 76.5%. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	11,077	19,548+76%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2048	3072+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+203%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	2460 MHz+102%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	128+33%	96
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	3 MB+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 980 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 carries 8 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 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 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 21.4% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 128-bit on the GeForce RTX 4060. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	272 GB/s+21%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
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) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). 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 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 62.7% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 73°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	220W	115W-48%
Recommended PSU	500W-9%	550W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	73°C-9%
Perf/Watt	50.4	170.0+237%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 came in at $549, while the GeForce RTX 4060 launched at $299. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 4060 was 45.5% cheaper ($250 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 223.8% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 4060
MSRP	$549	$299-46%
Performance per Dollar	20.2	65.4+224%
Codename	GM204	AD107
Release	September 19 2014	May 18 2023
Ranking	#245	#84

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