Radeon Pro Vega 48 vs GeForce GTX 980

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.

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

Performance Per Dollar Radeon Pro Vega 48

#11

Quadro RTX 4000 (móvel)

MSRP: $900|Avg: $300

133%

#16

Radeon PRO W7500

MSRP: $429|Avg: $401

124%

#18

Radeon Pro V520 MxGPU

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $340

122%

#19

RTX A2000 12GB

MSRP: $449|Avg: $380

122%

#20

Radeon Pro Vega 56

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

121%

#21

RTX A2000

MSRP: $450|Avg: $320

119%

#23

Intel Arc Pro B60

MSRP: $500|Avg: $450

110%

#24

Radeon PRO W7600

MSRP: $599|Avg: $599

110%

#25

RTX 2000 Ada Generation

MSRP: $625|Avg: $750

110%

#26

Radeon Pro Vega 48

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

100%

#27

Radeon Pro 5700 XT

MSRP: $500|Avg: $280

99%

#28

Quadro P5200

MSRP: $500|Avg: $240

93%

#29

Radeon PRO W7700

MSRP: $999|Avg: $999

92%

#30

Radeon PRO W6600

MSRP: $649|Avg: $649

92%

#32

Radeon AI PRO R9700

MSRP: $1299|Avg: $1450

88%

#33

Radeon Pro Vega 64

MSRP: $599|Avg: $114

86%

#38

Radeon PRO W6600X

MSRP: $699|Avg: $699

75%

#41

Quadro RTX 3000 (móvel)

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

72%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon Pro Vega 48 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 980 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.7% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 980 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
Performance	✅Leading raw performance (+1.7%)	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.7%)
Longevity	GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) (14nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	Standard Buffer (0 MB)	✅ More VRAM (+100+%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (267mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 980 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $50 versus $450 for the Radeon Pro Vega 48, it costs 89% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 784.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+784.6%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($450)	✅More affordable ($50)

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.

Radeon Pro Vega 48 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 980 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon Pro Vega 48 and GeForce GTX 980

Radeon Pro Vega 48

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 19 2019. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1200 MHz to 1300 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,270 points.

GeForce GTX 980

The GeForce GTX 980 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1064 MHz to 1216 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,077 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 11,270 and the GeForce GTX 980 reaches 11,077 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is built on GCN 5.0 while the GeForce GTX 980 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980). Raw compute: 7.987 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980). Boost clocks: 1300 MHz vs 1216 MHz.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
G3D Mark Score	11,270+2%	11,077
Architecture	GCN 5.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	3072+50%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	7.987 TFLOPS+60%	4.981 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1300 MHz+7%	1216 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	192+50%	128
L1 Cache	768 KB	768 KB
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 comes with 0 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 980 has 4 GB. The GeForce GTX 980 offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) — the Radeon Pro Vega 48 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	256-bit+100%
L2 Cache	4 MB+100%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 4.0 (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980). Decoder: UVD 7.0 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
Encoder	VCE 4.0	NVENC 3.0
Decoder	UVD 7.0	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 draws 30W versus the GeForce GTX 980's 220W — a 152% difference. The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 980). Power connectors: Integrated vs 2x 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
TDP	30W-86%	220W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	500W
Power Connector	Integrated	2x 6-pin
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	375.7+645%	50.4

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon Pro Vega 48 launched at $450 MSRP and currently averages $450, while the GeForce GTX 980 launched at $549 and now averages $50. The GeForce GTX 980 costs 88.9% less ($400 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 25.0 (Radeon Pro Vega 48) vs 221.5 (GeForce GTX 980) — the GeForce GTX 980 offers 786% better value. The Radeon Pro Vega 48 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2014).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 48	GeForce GTX 980
MSRP	$450-18%	$549
Avg Price (30d)	$450	$50-89%
Performance per Dollar	25.0	221.5+786%
Codename	Vega 10	GM204
Release	March 19 2019	September 19 2014
Ranking	#241	#245