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

✅Costs $6,450 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $6,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1187.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $6,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 220W instead of 260W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro SSG across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon Pro SSG

2016

Why buy it

✅47.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
1174.9% HIGHER MSRP
$6,999 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($6,999 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌18.2% higher power demand at 260W vs 220W.

GeForce GTX 980

2014

Radeon Pro SSG

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $6,450 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $6,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1187.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 1.6 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs $6,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 220W instead of 260W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅47.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 3.0 (2014−2019) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Pro SSG across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
1174.9% HIGHER MSRP
$6,999 MSRPvs$549 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.6 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($6,999 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌18.2% higher power demand at 260W vs 220W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon Pro SSG better than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. Radeon Pro SSG is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 47.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data, 1% higher PassMark G3D performance, and 8 GB vs 4 GB of VRAM. It also comes from 2016 instead of 2014, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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

GeForce GTX 980 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of FSR upscaling. 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 Pro SSG is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon Pro SSG is about 1174.9% more expensive on MSRP at $6,999 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 47.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (10,972 vs 11,077). GeForce GTX 980 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

When does GeForce GTX 980 make more sense than Radeon Pro SSG?

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 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 lower power draw (220W vs 260W), future-proofing, and staying closer to $549 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of Radeon Pro SSG. The trade-off is that Radeon Pro SSG currently gives you a lower G3D Mark (10,972 vs 11,077) and 47.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. GeForce GTX 980 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

Radeon Pro SSG Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
1080p
low	82 FPS	121 FPS
medium	71 FPS	103 FPS
high	60 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	59 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	98 FPS
medium	63 FPS	81 FPS
high	47 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	43 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	43 FPS
medium	24 FPS	37 FPS
high	17 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	22 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon Pro SSG

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
1080p
low	182 FPS	235 FPS
medium	156 FPS	204 FPS
high	128 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	166 FPS
medium	102 FPS	139 FPS
high	83 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	87 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	95 FPS
medium	49 FPS	79 FPS
high	47 FPS	66 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon Pro SSG

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
1080p
low	478 FPS	494 FPS
medium	399 FPS	395 FPS
high	332 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	247 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	370 FPS
medium	299 FPS	296 FPS
high	249 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	185 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	247 FPS
medium	199 FPS	197 FPS
high	154 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	123 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon Pro SSG

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
1080p
low	153 FPS	243 FPS
medium	127 FPS	211 FPS
high	110 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	143 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	185 FPS
medium	96 FPS	164 FPS
high	84 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	106 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	105 FPS
medium	53 FPS	88 FPS
high	41 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon Pro SSG

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and Radeon Pro SSG

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.

Radeon Pro SSG

The Radeon Pro SSG is manufactured by AMD. It was released in July 26 2016. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1050 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,972 points. Launch price was $9,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the Radeon Pro SSG reaches 10,972 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon Pro SSG uses GCN 3.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4,096 (Radeon Pro SSG). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 8.602 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro SSG). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1050 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
G3D Mark Score	11,077	10,972
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048	4096+100%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	8.602 TFLOPS+73%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz+16%	1050 MHz
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	128	256+100%
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	1 MB+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 980 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon Pro SSG relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Pro SSG has 8 GB. The Radeon Pro SSG offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4 MB (Radeon Pro SSG) — the Radeon Pro SSG has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.1 (Radeon Pro SSG). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 6.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	6+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon Pro SSG). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon Pro SSG).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	VCE 4.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	UVD 7.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the Radeon Pro SSG's 260W — a 16.7% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (Radeon Pro SSG). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon Pro SSG
TDP	220W-15%	260W
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C-6%	85°C
Perf/Watt	50.4+19%	42.2

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 launched at $549 MSRP, while the Radeon Pro SSG launched at $6999. The GeForce GTX 980 costs 92.2% less ($6450 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 1.6 (Radeon Pro SSG) — the GeForce GTX 980 offers 1162.5% better value. The Radeon Pro SSG is the newer GPU (2016 vs 2014).