GeForce GTX 980
VS
RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

GeForce GTX 980 vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980

2014Core: 1064 MHzBoost: 1216 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1155 MHzBoost: 2550 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

#25
Radeon RX 7600M XT
MSRP: $329|Avg: $300
240%
#28
Radeon RX 6650M XT
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
230%
#30
Radeon 8050S
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
219%
#31
Radeon RX 8050S
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
217%
#39
Radeon RX 7700S
MSRP: $449|Avg: $350
186%
#39
100%
#42
Radeon RX 6600S
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
175%
#43
Radeon RX 8060S
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
172%
Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is significantly newer (2023 vs 2014). The RTX 500 Ada Generation 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.7% 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 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Performance
Lower raw frame rates (-0.7%)
Leading raw performance (+0.7%)
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
Normal Efficiency
Normal Efficiency
Case Fit
Standard Size (267mm)

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and RTX 500 Ada Generation 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

RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1155 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 12800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 100 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,153 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU reaches 11,153 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12,800 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 65.28 TFLOPS (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2550 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
11,077
11,153
Architecture
Maxwell 2.0
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
28 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2048
12800+525%
Compute (TFLOPS)
4.981 TFLOPS
65.28 TFLOPS+1211%
Boost Clock
1216 MHz
2550 MHz+110%
ROPs
64
176+175%
TMUs
128
400+213%
L1 Cache
0.75 MB
12.5 MB+1567%
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation
FSR 3 (Compatible)
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has 8 GB. The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 128 GB/s (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 72 MB (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
8 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
224 GB/s+75%
128 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+300%
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
72 MB+3500%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.2 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
DirectX
12.1
12.2
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 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). 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,AV1 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 3.0
8th Gen NVENC
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 250W — a 12.8% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
220W-12%
250W
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
80°C
Perf/Watt
50.4+13%
44.6
💰

Value Analysis

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980RTX 500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
MSRP
$549
Avg Price (30d)
$50
Codename
GM204
AD102
Release
September 19 2014
August 9 2023
Ranking
#245
#16