GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon RX 6500

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 6500 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 RX 6500: 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

✅32.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅More future proof: Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 38.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: Unknown architecture on Unknown node gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce GTX 980M 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. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 6500 instead at 7,610 vs 7,353, 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?

Radeon RX 6500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce GTX 980M is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 6500 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 Radeon RX 6500 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 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 and the Radeon RX 6500 reaches 7,610 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score	7,353	7,610+3%

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6500 is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 6500 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500) — a 11.1% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980M. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 980M and 64-bit on the Radeon RX 6500.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s+11%	144 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+100%	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 172mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	0mm	172mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	73.5	101.5+38%