GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3070

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 3070 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 3070: 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

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅203.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅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.
✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 203.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 77.1% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 12,523), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 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, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs GeForce RTX 3070 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 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M SLI scores 12,523 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 77.1%. The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is built on Maxwell while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	12,523	22,172+77%
Architecture	Maxwell	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	3072	5888+92%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1725 MHz+53%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 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 3070
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)

Both cards ship with 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 180% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980M SLI and 256-bit on the GeForce RTX 3070.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	448 GB/s+180%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). 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 3070
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 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 (2x) vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 4.0 (2x)	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6 (2x)	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI draws 200W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 9.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 242mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	200W-9%	220W
Recommended PSU	500W-23%	650W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	242mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	62.6	100.8+61%

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	GeForce RTX 3070
MSRP	—	$499
Codename	—	GA104
Release	October 7 2014	September 1 2020
Ranking	#263	#63

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