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

2014

Why buy it

✅9.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
268.5% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.2 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌193.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 75W.
❌16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 161.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 220W, a 145W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

GeForce GTX 980

2014

GeForce GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

✅9.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 161.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980: it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.
✅Draws 75W instead of 220W, a 145W reduction.
✅Measures 229mm instead of 267mm, a 38mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
268.5% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$149 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 20.2 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌193.3% higher power demand at 220W vs 75W.
❌16.6% longer card at 267mm vs 229mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 980 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce GTX 980 better than GeForce GTX 1650?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 9.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 40.8% higher PassMark G3D performance. It also comes from 2014 instead of 2019, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce GTX 1650 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2014 and a 12nm 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 980 is the smarter buy by a wide margin. GeForce GTX 980 is about 268.5% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and you are getting 9.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 40.8% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 1650 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 1650 make more sense than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. GeForce GTX 1650 is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (75W vs 220W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $149 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 980. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 980 currently gives you 40.8% higher G3D Mark and 9.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce GTX 1650 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 980 Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 1650 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	82 FPS	94 FPS
medium	71 FPS	83 FPS
high	60 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	58 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	87 FPS
medium	63 FPS	74 FPS
high	47 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	50 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	41 FPS
medium	24 FPS	39 FPS
high	17 FPS	27 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	182 FPS	136 FPS
medium	156 FPS	113 FPS
high	128 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	79 FPS
medium	102 FPS	62 FPS
high	83 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	35 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	36 FPS
medium	49 FPS	27 FPS
high	47 FPS	21 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	15 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	478 FPS	323 FPS
medium	399 FPS	283 FPS
high	332 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	225 FPS
medium	299 FPS	202 FPS
high	249 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	130 FPS
medium	199 FPS	117 FPS
high	154 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce GTX 1650

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
1080p
low	153 FPS	261 FPS
medium	127 FPS	211 FPS
high	110 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	201 FPS
medium	96 FPS	158 FPS
high	84 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	113 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	99 FPS
medium	53 FPS	74 FPS
high	41 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	51 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce GTX 1650

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX 1650

GeForce GTX 980

The GeForce GTX 980 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1064 MHz to 1216 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,077 points. Launch price was $549.

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 7,869 — the GeForce GTX 980 leads by 40.8%. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 1650 uses Turing, both on 28 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 896 (GeForce GTX 1650). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1665 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
G3D Mark Score	11,077+41%	7,869
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Turing
Process Node	28 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	2048+129%	896
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS+67%	2.984 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1665 MHz+37%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128+129%	56
L1 Cache	768 KB	896 KB+17%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) — a 75% advantage for the GeForce GTX 980. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 980 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+75%	128 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 (GeForce GTX 1650). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
DirectX	12.1	12
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4+33%	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 4th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 4th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce GTX 1650's 75W — a 98.3% difference. The GeForce GTX 1650 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 300W (GeForce GTX 1650). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 267mm vs 229mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX 1650
TDP	220W	75W-66%
Recommended PSU	500W	300W-40%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	None
Length	267mm	229mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70°C-13%
Perf/Watt	50.4	104.9+108%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 launched at $549 MSRP, while the GeForce GTX 1650 launched at $149. The GeForce GTX 1650 costs 72.9% less ($400 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 161.4% better value. The GeForce GTX 1650 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2014).