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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The GeForce GTX 980M is positioned at rank 53 and the Radeon RX 6500 is on rank 118, so the GeForce GTX 980M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 980M

#19

Radeon RX 5600

MSRP: $229|Avg: $150

91%

#43

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

192%

#45

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

174%

#46

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

174%

#50

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

158%

#51

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

157%

#53

GeForce GTX 980M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

100%

#54

GeForce GTX 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

98%

#57

GeForce 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

96%

#62

Radeon 820M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

95%

#65

GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

93%

#66

GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

93%

#68

GeForce GTX 850M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon RX 6500

#108

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

284%

#110

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

257%

#111

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

257%

#115

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

233%

#116

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

232%

#118

Radeon RX 6500

MSRP: $199|Avg: $150

100%

#119

GeForce 825M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

100%

#121

Radeon HD 6970M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $48

99%

#123

Radeon HD 6970M Crossfire

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#125

GeForce GT 550M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

98%

#131

GeForce GT 335M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The GeForce GTX 980M is significantly newer (2014 vs 0). The GeForce GTX 980M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon RX 6500 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon RX 6500 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.5% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 980M.

Insight	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.5%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3.5%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))	Legacy (Standard Node)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 980M offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $80 versus $150 for the Radeon RX 6500, it costs 47% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 81.2% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+81.2%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($80)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($150)

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 980M Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6500 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon RX 6500

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.

⚡

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%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6500 is support for FSR 3 / AFMF. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce GTX 980M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 6500
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)	FSR 3 (Native)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 / AFMF (Driver)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 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. Bus width: 256-bit vs 64-bit.

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

🖥️

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

🎬

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

🔌

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%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980M costs 46.7% less ($70 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 91.9 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 50.7 (Radeon RX 6500) — the GeForce GTX 980M offers 81.3% better value.