GeForce GTX 980M vs Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980M

2014Core: 1038 MHzBoost: 1127 MHz
Similar parts
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VS

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

2023Boost: 1500 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 980M vs Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

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 vs Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS: 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

2014

Why buy it

  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 28.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
  • 150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

2023

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 28.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • GeForce GTX 980M is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, Unknown 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?
GeForce GTX 980M is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 5% in PassMark G3D (7,353 vs 7,000), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. GeForce GTX 980M still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 980M vs Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 980M

The GeForce GTX 980M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1038 MHz to 1127 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,353 points.

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is manufactured by Qualcomm. It was released in October 26 2023. The boost clock speed is 1500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,000 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 versus the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS's 7,000 — the GeForce GTX 980M leads by 5%. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1,536 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1500 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
G3D Mark Score
7,353+5%
7,000
Process Node
28 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
1536
1536
Boost Clock
1127 MHz
1500 MHz+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 980M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 980M gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 135 GB/s (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS) — a 18.5% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980M. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980M and 128-bit on the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
160 GB/s+19%
135 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12.1 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs ES 3.2. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
DirectX
12.1
12.1
Vulkan
1.1
1.3+18%
OpenGL
4.5+41%
ES 3.2
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs Adreno VPU (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs Adreno VPU. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
Encoder
NVENC 2.0
Adreno VPU
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
Adreno VPU
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS's 40W — a 85.7% difference. The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1W (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
TDP
100W
40W-60%
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Perf/Watt
73.5
175.0+138%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS (2023 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX 980MQualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
MSRP
$250
Codename
GM204
Release
October 7 2014
October 26 2023
Ranking
#344
#482

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