GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon Pro 580X

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 Radeon Pro 580X 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 vs Radeon Pro 580X: 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

✅Draws 100W instead of 150W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro 580X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 12.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $600 MSRP).

Radeon Pro 580X

2019

Why buy it

✅32.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 12.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($600 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅GeForce GTX 980M is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Radeon Pro 580X is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌Older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
❌50% higher power demand at 150W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Pro 580X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 32.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.5% in PassMark G3D (7,540 vs 7,353), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon Pro 580X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2014. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Pro 580X makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon Pro 580X Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon Pro 580X

The Radeon Pro 580X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 18 2019. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,540 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 and the Radeon Pro 580X reaches 7,540 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon Pro 580X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 2,304 (Radeon Pro 580X). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 5.53 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro 580X). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
G3D Mark Score	7,353	7,540+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1536	2304+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.659 TFLOPS	5.53 TFLOPS+233%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1200 MHz+6%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	96	144+50%
L1 Cache	576 KB	576 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 980M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon Pro 580X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro 580X carries 8 GB. Radeon Pro 580X 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 and 128-bit on the Radeon Pro 580X.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12.0 (Radeon Pro 580X). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
DirectX	12.1	12.0
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon Pro 580X). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon Pro 580X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	VCE 3.4
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	UVD 6.3
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Radeon Pro 580X's 150W — a 40% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 350W (Radeon Pro 580X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
TDP	100W-33%	150W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	73.5+46%	50.3

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Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon Pro 580X (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon Pro 580X
MSRP	—	$600
Codename	GM204	Polaris 20
Release	October 7 2014	March 18 2019
Ranking	#344	#339

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