GeForce GTX 980M
Radeon RX 580X
GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon RX 580X 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 Radeon RX 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon RX 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
2014Why buy it
- ✅Draws 100W instead of 185W, a 85W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 580X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 32.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
Radeon RX 580X
2018Why buy it
- ✅35.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 32.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅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 RX 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.
- ❌85% higher power demand at 185W vs 100W.
Quick Answers
Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon RX 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 RX 580X
The Radeon RX 580X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1257 MHz to 1340 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,495 points.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 and the Radeon RX 580X reaches 7,495 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 580X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 580X). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 6.175 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580X). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1340 MHz.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 7,353 | 7,495+2% |
| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 1536 | 2304+50% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.659 TFLOPS | 6.175 TFLOPS+272% |
| Boost Clock | 1127 MHz | 1340 MHz+19% |
| ROPs | 64+100% | 32 |
| TMUs | 96 | 144+50% |
| L1 Cache | 576 KB | 576 KB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 580X is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 980M does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 980M gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 580X leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | Upscaling support | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | FSR Frame Generation |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | NVIDIA Reflex | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 980M has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 580X carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 580X 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 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 580X) — a 60% advantage for the Radeon RX 580X. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980M and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 580X.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 160 GB/s | 256 GB/s+60% |
| Bus Width | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 2 MB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 580X). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12.1 | 12 (FL 12_0) |
| Vulkan | 1.1 | 1.3+18% |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.6+2% |
| Max Displays | 4 | 4 |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580X). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 580X).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 2.0 | VCE 3.4 |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP6 | UVD 6.3 |
| Codecs | MPEG-2,H.264 | H.264,H.265/HEVC |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 580X's 185W — a 59.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 500W (Radeon RX 580X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 241mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 100W-46% | 185W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W-30% | 500W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | 8-pin |
| Length | 0mm | 241mm |
| Height | 0mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 2 |
| Perf/Watt | 73.5+81% | 40.5 |
Value Analysis
The newer card here is Radeon RX 580X (2018 vs 2014).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 980M | Radeon RX 580X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $229 |
| Codename | GM204 | Polaris 20 |
| Release | October 7 2014 | April 11 2018 |
| Ranking | #344 | #337 |
Affiliate Disclosure
ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar GPU comparisons based on GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon RX 580X
