GeForce GTX 980
VS
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980

2014Core: 1064 MHzBoost: 1216 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

2023Core: 2310 MHzBoost: 2535 MHz

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

#4
GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#16
Radeon RX 7600S
MSRP: $269|Avg: $250
83%
#19
Radeon RX 5600
MSRP: $229|Avg: $150
74%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is significantly newer (2023 vs 2014). The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 980 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 57.1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (8 GB vs 4 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 980.

InsightGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-57.1%)
Leading raw performance (+57.1%)
Longevity
🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
🏆Elite Architecture (Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) / 5nm)
Ecosystem
Supports FSR Upscaling
✨ DLSS 3/4 + Frame Gen Support
VRAM
❌ Less VRAM capacity
🎮 High Capacity (8 GB)
Efficiency
⚡ Higher Power Consumption
💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit
Standard Size (267mm)

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

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.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2535 MHz. It has 4352 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 34 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,400 points. Launch price was $399.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 17,400 — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU leads by 57.1%. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4,352 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 22.06 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2535 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
11,077
17,400+57%
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2048
4352+113%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.981 TFLOPS
22.06 TFLOPS+343%
Boost Clock
1216 MHz
2535 MHz+108%
ROPs
64+33%
48
TMUs
128
136+6%
L1 Cache
0.75 MB
4.3 MB+473%
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is support for DLSS 3 Frame Gen. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 980 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
DLSS 3.5
Frame Generation
FSR 3 (Compatible)
DLSS 3.0 (Native)
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 32 MB (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) — the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s
256 GB/s+14%
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
32 MB+1500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
DirectX
12.1
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.1
1.4+27%
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 Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 3.0
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU's 160W — a 31.6% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
TDP
220W
160W-27%
Recommended PSU
500W-23%
650W
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
Mobile
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
50.4
108.8+116%
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
MSRP
$549
Avg Price (30d)
$50
Codename
GM204
AD106
Release
September 19 2014
May 18 2023
Ranking
#245
#59