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

✅Costs $351 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.1 vs 14.0 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RadeonT RX 6850M XT across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 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.
❌51.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 165W.

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

✅43.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 165W instead of 250W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌
54.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$649 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $351 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 51% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.1 vs 14.0 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅43.7% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 165W instead of 250W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RadeonT RX 6850M XT across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 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.
❌51.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 165W.

Trade-offs

❌
54.1% HIGHER MSRP
$1,000 MSRPvs$649 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is RadeonT RX 6850M XT better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. RadeonT RX 6850M XT is clearly the better overall GPU here. RadeonT RX 6850M XT averages 43.7% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,992 vs 13,711 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RadeonT RX 6850M XT is a 2022 card with FSR upscaling, 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?

RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 28nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the smarter buy by a wide margin. RadeonT RX 6850M XT is about 54.1% more expensive on MSRP at $1,000 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 43.7% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 2.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 980 Ti really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is 2015 hardware with 6 GB of VRAM, 13,711 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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

RadeonT RX 6850M XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	80 FPS	179 FPS
medium	69 FPS	159 FPS
high	56 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	122 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	145 FPS
medium	62 FPS	117 FPS
high	45 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	97 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	87 FPS
medium	24 FPS	73 FPS
high	16 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	52 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	186 FPS	446 FPS
medium	164 FPS	365 FPS
high	133 FPS	296 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	243 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	281 FPS
medium	104 FPS	229 FPS
high	82 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	126 FPS
medium	50 FPS	107 FPS
high	46 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	69 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	617 FPS	630 FPS
medium	494 FPS	504 FPS
high	411 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	315 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	472 FPS
medium	370 FPS	378 FPS
high	308 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	315 FPS
medium	247 FPS	252 FPS
high	206 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	157 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
1080p
low	232 FPS	630 FPS
medium	197 FPS	504 FPS
high	161 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	315 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	472 FPS
medium	156 FPS	378 FPS
high	123 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	315 FPS
medium	83 FPS	252 FPS
high	67 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	157 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RadeonT RX 6850M XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and RadeonT RX 6850M 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.

RadeonT RX 6850M XT

The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2321 MHz to 2581 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,992 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the RadeonT RX 6850M XT reaches 13,992 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RadeonT RX 6850M XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 2,560 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 13.21 TFLOPS (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 2581 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
G3D Mark Score	13,711	13,992+2%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2816+10%	2560
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	13.21 TFLOPS+118%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	2581 MHz+140%
ROPs	96+50%	64
TMUs	176+10%	160
L1 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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 RadeonT RX 6850M XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
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 980 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the RadeonT RX 6850M XT has 12 GB. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.2 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+300%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs VCN 3.0 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	VCN 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the RadeonT RX 6850M XT's 165W — a 41% difference. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 500W (RadeonT RX 6850M XT). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RadeonT RX 6850M XT
TDP	250W	165W-34%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	54.8	84.8+55%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the RadeonT RX 6850M XT launched at $1000. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti costs 35.1% less ($351 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 14.0 (RadeonT RX 6850M XT) — the GeForce GTX 980 Ti offers 50.7% better value. The RadeonT RX 6850M XT is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2015).