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 115W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,353 vs 19,548).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + 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 65.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅+165.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown 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 (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌15% higher power demand at 115W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 980M

2014

GeForce RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 115W, a 15W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+165.9% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs Unknown 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 (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (7,353 vs 19,548).
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + 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 65.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌15% higher power demand at 115W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 4060 better than GeForce GTX 980M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 4060 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 19,548 vs 7,353 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 4060 is a 2023 card with DLSS 3.5 + 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?

GeForce RTX 4060 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, 165.9% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 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 4060 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 4060 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $299 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 165.9% 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 4060 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 4060 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	105 FPS	167 FPS
medium	90 FPS	152 FPS
high	75 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	91 FPS	137 FPS
medium	80 FPS	114 FPS
high	59 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	28 FPS	86 FPS
medium	27 FPS	74 FPS
high	18 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	16 FPS	55 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 4060

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	172 FPS	392 FPS
medium	145 FPS	334 FPS
high	119 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	211 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	240 FPS
medium	93 FPS	209 FPS
high	73 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	51 FPS	119 FPS
medium	42 FPS	98 FPS
high	38 FPS	82 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	63 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 4060

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	331 FPS	812 FPS
medium	265 FPS	642 FPS
high	221 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	535 FPS
medium	199 FPS	443 FPS
high	165 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	365 FPS
medium	132 FPS	297 FPS
high	105 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	186 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 4060

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
1080p
low	148 FPS	746 FPS
medium	123 FPS	613 FPS
high	108 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	594 FPS
medium	94 FPS	486 FPS
high	83 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	330 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	358 FPS
medium	52 FPS	308 FPS
high	40 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	220 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 4060

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M and GeForce RTX 4060

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 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 19,548 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 165.9%. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 28 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 2460 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
G3D Mark Score	7,353	19,548+166%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	28 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	1536	3072+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.659 TFLOPS	15.11 TFLOPS+811%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	2460 MHz+118%
ROPs	64+33%	48
TMUs	96	96
L1 Cache	0.56 MB	3 MB+436%
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060 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 980M lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 supports the newer DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
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 980M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 4060 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 4060 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 272 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4060) — a 70% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4060. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	272 GB/s+70%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	24 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
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 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 4060's 115W — a 14% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 550W (GeForce RTX 4060). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 4060
TDP	100W-13%	115W
Recommended PSU	350W-36%	550W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	0mm	240mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	73°C
Perf/Watt	73.5	170.0+131%