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

✅12.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
132.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 48.2 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Radeon RX 5600 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $370 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 128.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.2 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980 Ti across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

Radeon RX 5600 XT

2020

Why buy it

✅12.6% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $370 less on MSRP ($279 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 128.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 48.2 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($279 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
132.6% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$279 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 48.2 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $279 MSRP).
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980 Ti across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than Radeon RX 5600 XT?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce GTX 980 Ti averages 12.6% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,711 vs 13,453 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 980 Ti is a 2015 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 5600 XT is a 2020 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. 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?

Radeon RX 5600 XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm 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 GTX 980 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is about 132.6% more expensive on MSRP at $649 MSRP versus $279 MSRP, and you are getting 12.6% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 1.9% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 5600 XT really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Radeon RX 5600 XT make more sense than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. Radeon RX 5600 XT 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 newer architecture, lower power draw (150W vs 250W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $279 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 980 Ti. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 980 Ti currently gives you 1.9% higher G3D Mark and 12.6% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. Radeon RX 5600 XT still holds the G3D-per-dollar lead, so the performance win comes with a real value premium.

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

Radeon RX 5600 XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
1080p
low	80 FPS	93 FPS
medium	69 FPS	82 FPS
high	56 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	46 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	80 FPS
medium	62 FPS	69 FPS
high	45 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	36 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	32 FPS
medium	24 FPS	29 FPS
high	16 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	19 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open Radeon RX 5600 XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
1080p
low	186 FPS	225 FPS
medium	164 FPS	194 FPS
high	133 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	149 FPS
medium	104 FPS	124 FPS
high	82 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	81 FPS
medium	50 FPS	69 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	39 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open Radeon RX 5600 XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
1080p
low	617 FPS	605 FPS
medium	494 FPS	484 FPS
high	411 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	303 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	454 FPS
medium	370 FPS	363 FPS
high	308 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	303 FPS
medium	247 FPS	242 FPS
high	206 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	151 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open Radeon RX 5600 XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
1080p
low	232 FPS	247 FPS
medium	197 FPS	210 FPS
high	161 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	145 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	192 FPS
medium	156 FPS	170 FPS
high	123 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	105 FPS
medium	83 FPS	88 FPS
high	67 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open Radeon RX 5600 XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and Radeon RX 5600 XT

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.

Radeon RX 5600 XT

The Radeon RX 5600 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 21 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1130 MHz to 1560 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,453 points. Launch price was $279.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the Radeon RX 5600 XT reaches 13,453 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5600 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5600 XT). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 7.188 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5600 XT). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1560 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
G3D Mark Score	13,711+2%	13,453
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2816+22%	2304
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	7.188 TFLOPS+19%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1560 MHz+45%
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	176+22%	144
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5600 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation. 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 980 Ti lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 980 Ti gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5600 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
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 (Radeon RX 5600 XT). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
DirectX	12.1	12
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 VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5600 XT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5600 XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	Radeon RX 5600 XT
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the Radeon RX 5600 XT's 150W — a 50% difference. The Radeon RX 5600 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5600 XT). 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	Radeon RX 5600 XT
TDP	250W	150W-40%
Recommended PSU	600W	450W-25%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	89.7+64%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5600 XT launched at $279. The Radeon RX 5600 XT costs 57% less ($370 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 48.2 (Radeon RX 5600 XT) — the Radeon RX 5600 XT offers 128.4% better value. The Radeon RX 5600 XT is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2015).