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 980M

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 160W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 2060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅83.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Turing (2018−2022) on 12nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌60% higher power demand at 160W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 980M

2014

GeForce RTX 2060

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 160W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

✅83.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 40.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (6 GB vs 4 GB).
✅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 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 6 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 40.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $349 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌60% higher power demand at 160W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce RTX 2060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 2060 averages 83.3% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 14,114 vs 7,353 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 2060 is a 2019 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 980M is a 2014 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 2014, 91.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 6 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) 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 2060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 2060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $349 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 83.3% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 91.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980M is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around an unclear 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 980M Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 2060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	81 FPS	108 FPS
medium	69 FPS	98 FPS
high	58 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	69 FPS
1440p
low	71 FPS	95 FPS
medium	62 FPS	83 FPS
high	46 FPS	69 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	47 FPS
medium	24 FPS	43 FPS
high	16 FPS	31 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	27 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 2060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	162 FPS	290 FPS
medium	136 FPS	247 FPS
high	112 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	192 FPS
medium	89 FPS	164 FPS
high	71 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	49 FPS	108 FPS
medium	41 FPS	91 FPS
high	38 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 2060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	331 FPS	635 FPS
medium	265 FPS	508 FPS
high	221 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	476 FPS
medium	199 FPS	381 FPS
high	165 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	238 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	318 FPS
medium	132 FPS	254 FPS
high	105 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	159 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 2060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
1080p
low	148 FPS	428 FPS
medium	123 FPS	354 FPS
high	108 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	357 FPS
medium	94 FPS	302 FPS
high	83 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	204 FPS
medium	52 FPS	166 FPS
high	40 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	119 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 2060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 980M

The GeForce GTX 980M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1038 MHz to 1127 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,353 points.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 14,114 — the GeForce RTX 2060 leads by 91.9%. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 2060 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1,920 (GeForce RTX 2060). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 6.451 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 2060). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1680 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
G3D Mark Score	7,353	14,114+92%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	1536	1920+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.659 TFLOPS	6.451 TFLOPS+289%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1680 MHz+49%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	96	120+25%
L1 Cache	0.56 MB	1.9 MB+239%
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

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

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	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)

The GeForce GTX 980M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 2060 has 6 GB. The GeForce RTX 2060 offers 50% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 336 GB/s (GeForce RTX 2060) — a 110% advantage for the GeForce RTX 2060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 3 MB (GeForce RTX 2060) — the GeForce RTX 2060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	6 GB+50%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	336 GB/s+110%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) 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 980M	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 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs NVENC (Turing) (GeForce RTX 2060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC (Turing). Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1 (GeForce RTX 2060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 2060
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	NVENC (Turing)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC (Turing)
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,H.265,VP9,VP8,MPEG-2,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 2060's 160W — a 46.2% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 500W (GeForce RTX 2060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 229mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.