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 $150 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 Ti across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 39.5 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

2023

Why buy it

✅110.5% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 87.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.5 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($799 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm 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 4070 Ti

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $150 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $799 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅110.5% more average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 87.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 39.5 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($799 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4070 Ti across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 39.5 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $799 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 4070 Ti better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti averages 110.5% more FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 31,578 vs 13,711 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation, 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 4070 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2015, 130.3% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 12 GB instead of 6 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

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

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is about 23.1% more expensive on MSRP at $799 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 110.5% more estimated average FPS across 46 tracked games in our benchmark data and 130.3% 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

GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low	80 FPS	188 FPS
medium	69 FPS	171 FPS
high	56 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	135 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	151 FPS
medium	62 FPS	125 FPS
high	45 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	102 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	92 FPS
medium	24 FPS	79 FPS
high	16 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low	186 FPS	664 FPS
medium	164 FPS	539 FPS
high	133 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	496 FPS
medium	104 FPS	400 FPS
high	82 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	269 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	250 FPS
medium	50 FPS	211 FPS
high	46 FPS	187 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	159 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low	617 FPS	921 FPS
medium	494 FPS	742 FPS
high	411 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	569 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	720 FPS
medium	370 FPS	578 FPS
high	308 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	498 FPS
medium	247 FPS	403 FPS
high	206 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	296 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
1080p
low	232 FPS	879 FPS
medium	197 FPS	731 FPS
high	161 FPS	664 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	600 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	706 FPS
medium	156 FPS	585 FPS
high	123 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	477 FPS
medium	83 FPS	408 FPS
high	67 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	324 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

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 4070 Ti

The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 3 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2310 MHz to 2610 MHz. It has 7680 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 285W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 60 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 31,578 points. Launch price was $799.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 versus the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 31,578 — the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti leads by 130.3%. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 7,680 (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 40.09 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 2610 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
G3D Mark Score	13,711	31,578+130%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	2816	7680+173%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	40.09 TFLOPS+562%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	2610 MHz+143%
ROPs	96+20%	80
TMUs	176	240+36%
L1 Cache	1 MB	7.5 MB+650%
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is support for DLSS 3.5 + 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 RTX 4070 Ti supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 Ti is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has 12 GB. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 336 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 504 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti) — a 50% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 48 MB (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	12 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth	336 GB/s	504 GB/s+50%
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	48 MB+1500%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). 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 4070 Ti
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
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 (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti draws 250W versus the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 285W — a 13.1% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 700W (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 285mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	GeForce RTX 4070 Ti
TDP	250W-12%	285W
Recommended PSU	600W-14%	700W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	285mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	70°C-18%
Perf/Watt	54.8	110.8+102%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti launched at $799. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti costs 18.8% less ($150 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 39.5 (GeForce RTX 4070 Ti) — the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti offers 87.2% better value. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2015).