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

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).

Trade-offs

❌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 28.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

2023

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 28.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980M: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980M is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, Unknown of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

GeForce GTX 980M

2014

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 28.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($250 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980M: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980M is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 40W instead of 100W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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 28.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌150% higher power demand at 100W vs 40W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, Unknown of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 980M better than Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,353 vs 7,000 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer GeForce GTX 980M is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014 and a 4nm process instead of 28nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

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

GeForce GTX 980M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 980M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and you are getting 5.0% higher G3D Mark. Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS make more sense than GeForce GTX 980M?

Yes. Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still fine for 1080p, but 1440p and especially 4K require more compromise. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (40W vs 100W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $250 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 980M. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 980M currently gives you 5.0% higher G3D Mark. Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS 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 980M Benchmark Check

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
1080p
low	81 FPS	99 FPS
medium	69 FPS	86 FPS
high	58 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	40 FPS
1440p
low	71 FPS	88 FPS
medium	62 FPS	76 FPS
high	46 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	32 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	29 FPS
medium	24 FPS	27 FPS
high	16 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
1080p
low	162 FPS	111 FPS
medium	136 FPS	77 FPS
high	112 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	36 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	76 FPS
medium	89 FPS	46 FPS
high	71 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	49 FPS	35 FPS
medium	41 FPS	23 FPS
high	38 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	13 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
1080p
low	331 FPS	315 FPS
medium	265 FPS	252 FPS
high	221 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	158 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	236 FPS
medium	199 FPS	189 FPS
high	165 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	158 FPS
medium	132 FPS	126 FPS
high	105 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	69 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
1080p
low	148 FPS	159 FPS
medium	123 FPS	131 FPS
high	108 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	116 FPS
medium	94 FPS	97 FPS
high	83 FPS	84 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	67 FPS
medium	52 FPS	54 FPS
high	40 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M and Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

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.

Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS

The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is manufactured by Qualcomm. It was released in October 26 2023. The boost clock speed is 1500 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 40W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,000 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 versus the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS's 7,000 — the GeForce GTX 980M leads by 5%. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1,536 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1500 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
G3D Mark Score	7,353+5%	7,000
Process Node	28 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	1536	1536
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1500 MHz+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 980M gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS has 0 MB. The GeForce GTX 980M offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 135 GB/s (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS) — a 18.5% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s+19%	135 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12.1 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs ES 3.2. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5+41%	ES 3.2
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs Adreno VPU (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs Adreno VPU. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	Adreno VPU
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	Adreno VPU
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS's 40W — a 85.7% difference. The Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1W (Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 4.6 TFLOPS). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.