GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

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 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 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 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU: 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 980M SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌17.6% higher power demand at 200W vs 170W.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅117.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 170W instead of 200W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 117.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.2% in PassMark G3D (13,170 vs 12,523), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 28nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce GTX 980M SLI

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1038 MHz to 1127 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,523 points.

GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 12 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,170 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M SLI scores 12,523 versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 13,170 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU leads by 5.2%. The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1777 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	12,523	13,170+5%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3072	3584+17%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1777 MHz+58%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980M SLI is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
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 980M SLI has 8 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU carries 6 GB. GeForce GTX 980M SLI gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU) — a 110% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980M SLI and 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+33%	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	336 GB/s+110%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.4	4.6+5%
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs NVENC (7th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 (2x) vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 4.0 (2x)	NVENC (7th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6 (2x)	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode),VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI draws 200W versus the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU's 170W — a 16.2% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
TDP	200W	170W-15%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	62.6	77.5+24%