GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon RX 480

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

2014Core: 705 MHzBoost: 876 MHz
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 480

2016Core: 1120 MHzBoost: 1266 MHz
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GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon RX 480 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 TITAN Z vs Radeon RX 480 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 TITAN Z vs Radeon RX 480: 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 TITAN Z

2014

Why buy it

  • 2.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2014 hardware with 12 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1209.6% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,999 MSRPvs$229 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.9 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • 150% higher power demand at 375W vs 150W.
  • 11.3% longer card at 267mm vs 240mm.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $2,770 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1170.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 37.3 vs 2.9 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
  • Draws 150W instead of 375W, a 225W reduction.
  • Measures 240mm instead of 267mm, a 27mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX TITAN Z across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 3.1% in PassMark G3D (8,811 vs 8,546), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX TITAN Z is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 12 GB vs 8 GB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 480 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,770 cheaper on MSRP at $229 vs $2,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1170.2% (37.3 vs 2.9), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon RX 480 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX TITAN Z has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX TITAN Z vs Radeon RX 480 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX TITAN Z

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 28 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 705 MHz to 876 MHz. It has 5760 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,811 points. Launch price was $2,999.

AMD

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 8,811 and the Radeon RX 480 reaches 8,546 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z is built on Kepler while the Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 5,760 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 480). Raw compute: 5.046 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480). Boost clocks: 876 MHz vs 1266 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
G3D Mark Score
8,811+3%
8,546
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 4.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
5760 ×2+150%
2304
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.046 TFLOPS ×2
5.834 TFLOPS+16%
Boost Clock
876 MHz
1266 MHz+45%
ROPs
48 ×2+50%
32
TMUs
240 ×2+67%
144
L1 Cache
240 KB
576 KB+140%
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 480 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 480 carries 8 GB. GeForce GTX TITAN Z gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s x2 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) — a 1213.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the GeForce GTX TITAN Z and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 480. L2 Cache: 1.5 MB (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 480) — the Radeon RX 480 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
VRAM Capacity
12 GB+50%
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
336 GB/s x2+31%
256 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit x2+50%
256-bit
L2 Cache
1.5 MB
2 MB+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 12.0 (Radeon RX 480). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
DirectX
12
12.0
Vulkan
1.0
1.3+30%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st gen (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480). Decoder: NVDEC 1st gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480).

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
Encoder
NVENC 1st gen
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC 1st gen
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z draws 375W versus the Radeon RX 480's 150W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon RX 480 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 700W (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 500W (Radeon RX 480). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
TDP
375W
150W-60%
Recommended PSU
700W
500W-29%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
8-pin
Length
267mm
240mm
Height
111mm
95mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
80°C-6%
85°C
Perf/Watt
23.5
57.0+143%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX TITAN Z came in at $2999, while the Radeon RX 480 launched at $229. On MSRP, Radeon RX 480 was 92.4% cheaper ($2770 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.9 (GeForce GTX TITAN Z) vs 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) — the Radeon RX 480 offers 1186.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 480 (2016 vs 2014).

FeatureGeForce GTX TITAN ZRadeon RX 480
MSRP
$2999
$229-92%
Performance per Dollar
2.9
37.3+1186%
Codename
GK110B
Ellesmere
Release
May 28 2014
June 29 2016
Ranking
#300
#305

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