GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs Quadro P5200 Max-Q

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 Quadro P5200 Max-Q 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 Quadro P5200 Max-Q: 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

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Quadro P5200 Max-Q across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌100% higher power demand at 200W vs 100W.

Quadro P5200 Max-Q

2018

Why buy it

✅54.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅GeForce GTX 980M SLI is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Quadro P5200 Max-Q is the less risky modern option long term.
✅Draws 100W instead of 200W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Quadro P5200 Max-Q is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 54.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 980M SLI instead at 12,523 vs 12,308, 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 P5200 Max-Q is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 16nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Quadro P5200 Max-Q makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 980M SLI vs Quadro P5200 Max-Q 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.

Quadro P5200 Max-Q

The Quadro P5200 Max-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 21 2018. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1316 MHz to 1569 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,308 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI scores 12,523 and the Quadro P5200 Max-Q reaches 12,308 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is built on Maxwell while the Quadro P5200 Max-Q uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 2,560 (Quadro P5200 Max-Q). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1569 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
G3D Mark Score	12,523+2%	12,308
Architecture	Maxwell	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	3072+20%	2560
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1569 MHz+39%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Quadro P5200 Max-Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Quadro P5200 Max-Q carries 4 GB. GeForce GTX 980M SLI gives you 100% 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 980M SLI and 256-bit on the Quadro P5200 Max-Q.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 12.1 (Quadro P5200 Max-Q). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.1
OpenGL	4.4	4.5+2%
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs NVENC 5.0 (Quadro P5200 Max-Q). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 (2x) vs PureVideo HD VP7. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Quadro P5200 Max-Q).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
Encoder	NVENC 4.0 (2x)	NVENC 5.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6 (2x)	PureVideo HD VP7
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI draws 200W versus the Quadro P5200 Max-Q's 100W — a 66.7% difference. The Quadro P5200 Max-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 500W (Quadro P5200 Max-Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Quadro P5200 Max-Q
TDP	200W	100W-50%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	62.6	123.1+97%