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 SLI

2014

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Radeon RX 5700M

2020

Why buy it

✅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.
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 980M SLI

2014

Radeon RX 5700M

2020

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅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.
✅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 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5700M better than GeForce GTX 980M SLI?

Yes. Radeon RX 5700M is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 12,669 vs 12,523 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 5700M is a 2020 card with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, while GeForce GTX 980M SLI 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 5700M 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 5700M can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around Unknown MSRP. Radeon RX 5700M is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 5700M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.2% higher G3D Mark. Moving to an unclear MSRP gets you newer hardware, and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980M SLI is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. 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 5700M 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 SLI Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5700M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
1080p
low	45 FPS	195 FPS
medium	37 FPS	181 FPS
high	27 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	36 FPS	163 FPS
medium	26 FPS	136 FPS
high	17 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	15 FPS	84 FPS
medium	12 FPS	71 FPS
high	7 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 5700M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
1080p
low	105 FPS	269 FPS
medium	79 FPS	224 FPS
high	59 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	59 FPS	160 FPS
medium	39 FPS	131 FPS
high	28 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	19 FPS	86 FPS
medium	13 FPS	70 FPS
high	11 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	8 FPS	40 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 5700M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
1080p
low	564 FPS	570 FPS
medium	451 FPS	456 FPS
high	376 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	285 FPS
1440p
low	423 FPS	428 FPS
medium	338 FPS	342 FPS
high	282 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	214 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	285 FPS
medium	225 FPS	228 FPS
high	175 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	143 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 5700M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
1080p
low	216 FPS	432 FPS
medium	180 FPS	361 FPS
high	127 FPS	301 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	360 FPS
medium	108 FPS	303 FPS
high	79 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	199 FPS
4K
low	75 FPS	194 FPS
medium	56 FPS	155 FPS
high	43 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	116 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 5700M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M SLI and Radeon RX 5700M

GeForce GTX 980M SLI

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1038 MHz to 1127 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,523 points.

Radeon RX 5700M

The Radeon RX 5700M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 1 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1465 MHz to 1720 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 180W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,669 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI scores 12,523 and the Radeon RX 5700M reaches 12,669 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980M SLI is built on Maxwell while the Radeon RX 5700M uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 5700M). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1720 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
G3D Mark Score	12,523	12,669+1%
Architecture	Maxwell	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	3072+33%	2304
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1720 MHz+53%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5700M 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 SLI lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 980M SLI gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5700M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
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)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 384 GB/s (Radeon RX 5700M) — a 140% advantage for the Radeon RX 5700M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	384 GB/s+140%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5700M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.1	1.2+9%
OpenGL	4.4	4.6+5%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5700M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 (2x) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5700M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
Encoder	NVENC 4.0 (2x)	VCN 2.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6 (2x)	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M SLI draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5700M's 180W — a 10.5% difference. The Radeon RX 5700M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 500W (Radeon RX 5700M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 5700M
TDP	200W	180W-10%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	0mm
Height	111mm	0mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	62.6	70.4+12%