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 RTX 2060 across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
86% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅16.6% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅16.6% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
86% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 40.4 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 2060 better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 2060 averages 16.6% more FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 14,114 vs 13,711 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 980 Ti is a 2015 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 12nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

GeForce RTX 2060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 2060 is about $300 cheaper on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 16.6% more estimated average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 91.4%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 980 Ti still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $649 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 2060 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 RTX 2060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	80 FPS	108 FPS
medium	69 FPS	98 FPS
high	56 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	69 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	95 FPS
medium	62 FPS	83 FPS
high	45 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	47 FPS
medium	24 FPS	43 FPS
high	16 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 2060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	186 FPS	290 FPS
medium	164 FPS	247 FPS
high	133 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	192 FPS
medium	104 FPS	164 FPS
high	82 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	108 FPS
medium	50 FPS	91 FPS
high	46 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 2060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	617 FPS	635 FPS
medium	494 FPS	508 FPS
high	411 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	476 FPS
medium	370 FPS	381 FPS
high	308 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	238 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	318 FPS
medium	247 FPS	254 FPS
high	206 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	159 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 2060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	232 FPS	428 FPS
medium	197 FPS	354 FPS
high	161 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	357 FPS
medium	156 FPS	302 FPS
high	123 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	204 FPS
medium	83 FPS	166 FPS
high	67 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	119 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 2060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce RTX 2060

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 RTX 2060

The GeForce RTX 2060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 7 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1365 MHz to 1680 MHz. It has 1920 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 160W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 30 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 14,114 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the GeForce RTX 2060 reaches 14,114 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	13,711	14,114+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2816+47%	1920
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	6.451 TFLOPS+6%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1680 MHz+56%
ROPs	96+100%	48
TMUs	176+47%	120
L1 Cache	1 MB	1.9 MB+90%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 2060 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 6 GB of video memory. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	336 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 2060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 43.9% difference. The GeForce RTX 2060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 72.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 2060
TDP	250W	160W-36%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	229mm
Height	111mm	113mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	72-15%
Perf/Watt	54.8	88.2+61%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 2060 launched at $349. The GeForce RTX 2060 costs 46.2% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 40.4 (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 offers 91.5% better value. The GeForce RTX 2060 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2015).