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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile: 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile 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 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌528.6% higher power demand at 220W vs 35W.

RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile

2024

Why buy it

✅39.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 35W instead of 220W, a 185W reduction.

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?

RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 39.4% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.8% in PassMark G3D (11,162 vs 11,077), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile 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 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025), 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 16 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 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, RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 980 vs RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile 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.

RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile

The RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 26 2024. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 2025 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 35W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,162 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile reaches 11,162 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 2,048 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 8.294 TFLOPS (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2025 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
G3D Mark Score	11,077	11,162
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	2048	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	8.294 TFLOPS+67%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	2025 MHz+67%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128+100%	64
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB	12 MB+500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile is support for DLSS 4 Multi 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 RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile supports the newer DLSS 4 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile carries 8 GB. RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile 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 128 GB/s (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980 and 64-bit on the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 MB (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile) — the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
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	12 MB+500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 (12_2) (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
DirectX	12.1	12 (12_2)
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 8th Gen NVENC (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs H.264,H.265 (HEVC),AV1,VP9 (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265 (HEVC),AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile's 35W — a 145.1% difference. The RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
TDP	220W	35W-84%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	50.4	318.9+533%

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile (2024 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile
MSRP	$549	—
Codename	GM204	AD107
Release	September 19 2014	February 26 2024
Ranking	#245	#254

Search GeForce GTX 980 on Amazon

Search RTX 500 Ada Generation Mobile on Amazon

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.