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

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌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 59.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Radeon RX 5300

2020

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 59.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs Unknown 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.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

GeForce GTX 980M

2014

Radeon RX 5300

2020

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 59.0 vs 0 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs Unknown 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.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌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 59.0 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5300 better than GeForce GTX 980M?

Yes. Radeon RX 5300 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 7,606 vs 7,353 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 5300 is a 2020 card with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, 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?

Radeon RX 5300 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 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?

Radeon RX 5300 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $129 MSRP. Radeon RX 5300 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 5300 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $129 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 3.4% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $129 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980M is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below an unclear MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Radeon RX 5300 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Radeon RX 5300 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
1080p
low	81 FPS	89 FPS
medium	69 FPS	79 FPS
high	58 FPS	63 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	52 FPS
1440p
low	71 FPS	79 FPS
medium	62 FPS	68 FPS
high	46 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	43 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	39 FPS
medium	24 FPS	36 FPS
high	16 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	21 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Radeon RX 5300

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
1080p
low	162 FPS	122 FPS
medium	136 FPS	91 FPS
high	112 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	42 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	81 FPS
medium	89 FPS	55 FPS
high	71 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	29 FPS
4K
low	49 FPS	36 FPS
medium	41 FPS	26 FPS
high	38 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Radeon RX 5300

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
1080p
low	331 FPS	342 FPS
medium	265 FPS	274 FPS
high	221 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	257 FPS
medium	199 FPS	205 FPS
high	165 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	171 FPS
medium	132 FPS	137 FPS
high	105 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	74 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Radeon RX 5300

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
1080p
low	148 FPS	247 FPS
medium	123 FPS	191 FPS
high	108 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	192 FPS
medium	94 FPS	148 FPS
high	83 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	98 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	93 FPS
medium	52 FPS	71 FPS
high	40 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	48 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open Radeon RX 5300

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon RX 5300

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.

Radeon RX 5300

The Radeon RX 5300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 28 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1327 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,606 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 and the Radeon RX 5300 reaches 7,606 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5300 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5300). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5300). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1645 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
G3D Mark Score	7,353	7,606+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1536+9%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.659 TFLOPS	4.632 TFLOPS+179%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1645 MHz+46%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	96+9%	88
L2 Cache	2 MB+33%	1.5 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5300 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 980M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 980M gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5300 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
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)

The GeForce GTX 980M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5300 has 3 GB. The GeForce GTX 980M offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 168 GB/s (Radeon RX 5300) — a 5% advantage for the Radeon RX 5300. Bus width: 256-bit vs 96-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 1.5 MB (Radeon RX 5300) — the GeForce GTX 980M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
VRAM Capacity	4 GB+33%	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	168 GB/s+5%
Bus Width	256-bit+167%	96-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+33%	1.5 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5300). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5300). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 5300).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	Radeon RX 5300
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 5300's 100W — a 0% difference. The Radeon RX 5300 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 350W (Radeon RX 5300). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 180mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.