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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
71.2% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$379 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 35.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $379 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 1070

2016

Why buy it

✅9.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $270 less on MSRP ($379 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 68.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 35.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($379 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

GeForce GTX 1070

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅9.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $270 less on MSRP ($379 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 68.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 35.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($379 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1070 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
71.2% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$379 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 35.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $379 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 1070 better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1070 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 9.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 1.5% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2015, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the safer long-term GPU choice because it gives you the stronger overall hardware and feature outlook for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce GTX 1070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce GTX 1070 is about $270 cheaper on MSRP at $379 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 9.1% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (13,507 vs 13,711). It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 68.7%. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the more forward-looking alternative, so it still has a real case if you care more about future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does GeForce GTX 980 Ti make more sense than GeForce GTX 1070?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It makes more sense if your priority is future-proofing and staying closer to $649 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 1070. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 1070 currently gives you a lower G3D Mark (13,507 vs 13,711) and 9.1% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 68.7%.

Games Benchmarks

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 9800X3D 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 980 Ti Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
1080p
low	80 FPS	143 FPS
medium	69 FPS	128 FPS
high	56 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	123 FPS
medium	62 FPS	103 FPS
high	45 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	65 FPS
medium	24 FPS	57 FPS
high	16 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce GTX 1070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
1080p
low	186 FPS	210 FPS
medium	164 FPS	176 FPS
high	133 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	132 FPS
medium	104 FPS	106 FPS
high	82 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	61 FPS
medium	50 FPS	51 FPS
high	46 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	41 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce GTX 1070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
1080p
low	617 FPS	608 FPS
medium	494 FPS	486 FPS
high	411 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	304 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	456 FPS
medium	370 FPS	365 FPS
high	308 FPS	304 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	228 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	304 FPS
medium	247 FPS	243 FPS
high	206 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	152 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce GTX 1070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
1080p
low	232 FPS	395 FPS
medium	197 FPS	332 FPS
high	161 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	328 FPS
medium	156 FPS	275 FPS
high	123 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	178 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	177 FPS
medium	83 FPS	139 FPS
high	67 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	104 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce GTX 1070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce GTX 1070

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 points. Launch price was $649.

GeForce GTX 1070

The GeForce GTX 1070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 10 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1506 MHz to 1683 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,507 points. Launch price was $379.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the GeForce GTX 1070 reaches 13,507 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1070 uses Pascal, both on 28 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 1,920 (GeForce GTX 1070). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 6.463 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1070). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1683 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
G3D Mark Score	13,711+2%	13,507
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Pascal
Process Node	28 nm	16 nm
Shading Units	2816+47%	1920
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	6.463 TFLOPS+7%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1683 MHz+57%
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	176+47%	120
L1 Cache	1 MB+43%	0.7 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 1070 has 8 GB. The GeForce GTX 1070 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 256 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1070) — a 31.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Bus width: 384-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1070) — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s+31%	256 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+50%	256-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1070). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC 6th gen (GeForce GTX 1070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 3rd gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce GTX 1070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 6th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 3rd gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce GTX 1070's 150W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GTX 1070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 1070). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce GTX 1070
TDP	250W	150W-40%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	90.0+64%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the GeForce GTX 1070 launched at $379. The GeForce GTX 1070 costs 41.6% less ($270 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 35.6 (GeForce GTX 1070) — the GeForce GTX 1070 offers 68.7% better value. The GeForce GTX 1070 is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2015).