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 Quadro RTX 3000 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 Quadro RTX 3000: 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

✅Costs $251 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 48.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Draws 220W instead of 260W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro RTX 3000 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 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.

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Why buy it

✅96.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 980 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Quadro RTX 3000 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌
45.7% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 13.6 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌18.2% higher power demand at 260W vs 220W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro RTX 3000 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 96.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 980 instead at 11,077 vs 10,858, 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?

Quadro RTX 3000 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 6 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 72 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 to buy today. It is $251 cheaper on MSRP at $549 vs $800, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 48.7% (20.2 vs 13.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. 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, Quadro RTX 3000 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 980 vs Quadro RTX 3000 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.

Quadro RTX 3000

The Quadro RTX 3000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,858 points. Launch price was $9,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the Quadro RTX 3000 reaches 10,858 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Quadro RTX 3000 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4,608 (Quadro RTX 3000). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 16.31 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 3000). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1770 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
G3D Mark Score	11,077+2%	10,858
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2048	4608+125%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	16.31 TFLOPS+227%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1770 MHz+46%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	128	288+125%
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	4.5 MB+500%
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The Quadro RTX 3000 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
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 Quadro RTX 3000 carries 6 GB. Quadro RTX 3000 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 256-bit on the Quadro RTX 3000. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 6 MB (Quadro RTX 3000) — the Quadro RTX 3000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB+200%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.1 (Quadro RTX 3000). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.0. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1+10%	1.0
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 7th Gen NVENC (Quadro RTX 3000). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro RTX 3000).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
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

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the Quadro RTX 3000's 260W — a 16.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (Quadro RTX 3000). 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	Quadro RTX 3000
TDP	220W-15%	260W
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+21%	41.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 980 came in at $549, while the Quadro RTX 3000 launched at $800. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 980 was 31.4% cheaper ($251 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 13.6 (Quadro RTX 3000) — the GeForce GTX 980 offers 48.5% better value. The newer card here is Quadro RTX 3000 (2018 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Quadro RTX 3000
MSRP	$549-31%	$800
Performance per Dollar	20.2+49%	13.6
Codename	GM204	TU102
Release	September 19 2014	August 13 2018
Ranking	#245	#78

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