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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon PRO W6600M 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.
❌144.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 90W.

Radeon PRO W6600M

2021

Why buy it

✅46.2% 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: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 980

2014

Radeon PRO W6600M

2021

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.2 vs 0 G3D/$ ($549 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Why buy it

✅46.2% 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: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon PRO W6600M 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.
❌144.4% higher power demand at 220W vs 90W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon PRO W6600M better than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. Radeon PRO W6600M is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon PRO W6600M averages 46.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,407 vs 11,077 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon PRO W6600M is a 2021 card with FSR upscaling, while GeForce GTX 980 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 PRO W6600M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 7nm process instead of 28nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

Radeon PRO W6600M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon PRO W6600M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 46.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 3.0% higher G3D Mark. GeForce GTX 980 really only makes sense now as a very cheap stopgap or a used-market placeholder.

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

No, not for a fresh gaming build. GeForce GTX 980 is 2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM, 11,077 in G3D Mark, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That is simply too far behind to be an easy modern recommendation.

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 W6600M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
1080p
low	82 FPS	140 FPS
medium	71 FPS	118 FPS
high	60 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	71 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	112 FPS
medium	63 FPS	92 FPS
high	47 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	52 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	50 FPS
medium	24 FPS	43 FPS
high	17 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	28 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon PRO W6600M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
1080p
low	182 FPS	243 FPS
medium	156 FPS	206 FPS
high	128 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	134 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	170 FPS
medium	102 FPS	142 FPS
high	83 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	93 FPS
medium	49 FPS	78 FPS
high	47 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon PRO W6600M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
1080p
low	478 FPS	513 FPS
medium	399 FPS	411 FPS
high	332 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	257 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	385 FPS
medium	299 FPS	308 FPS
high	249 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	192 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	257 FPS
medium	199 FPS	205 FPS
high	154 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	128 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon PRO W6600M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
1080p
low	153 FPS	262 FPS
medium	127 FPS	231 FPS
high	110 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	157 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	199 FPS
medium	96 FPS	176 FPS
high	84 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	113 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	117 FPS
medium	53 FPS	99 FPS
high	41 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	60 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon PRO W6600M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and Radeon PRO W6600M

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 W6600M

The Radeon PRO W6600M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 8 2021. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1224 MHz to 2034 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,407 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the Radeon PRO W6600M reaches 11,407 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon PRO W6600M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 1,792 (Radeon PRO W6600M). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 7.29 TFLOPS (Radeon PRO W6600M). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2034 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
G3D Mark Score	11,077	11,407+3%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2048+14%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	7.29 TFLOPS+46%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	2034 MHz+67%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

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 W6600M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
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 W6600M has 8 GB. The Radeon PRO W6600M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.2 (Radeon PRO W6600M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 5.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	5+25%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon PRO W6600M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (Radeon PRO W6600M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	VCN 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the Radeon PRO W6600M's 90W — a 83.9% difference. The Radeon PRO W6600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (Radeon PRO W6600M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon PRO W6600M
TDP	220W	90W-59%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	80°C
Perf/Watt	50.4	126.7+151%