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 (móvel)

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 185W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 32.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Radeon RX 580X

2018

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 32.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980 (móvel): it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌85% higher power demand at 185W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

2015

Radeon RX 580X

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 185W, a 85W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 32.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅Less risky long-term buy than GeForce GTX 980 (móvel): it remains the more sensible modern option while GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 32.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 8 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌85% higher power demand at 185W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 580X better than GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,366 vs 7,495 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 580X is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Radeon RX 580X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015, 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 better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 14nm 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 RX 580X can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $229 MSRP. Radeon RX 580X is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 580X is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $229 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.8% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $229 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. 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 580X 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 980 (móvel) Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 580X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
1080p
low	82 FPS	113 FPS
medium	71 FPS	100 FPS
high	60 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	70 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	105 FPS
medium	63 FPS	87 FPS
high	47 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	53 FPS
medium	24 FPS	47 FPS
high	17 FPS	30 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	26 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Open Radeon RX 580X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
1080p
low	170 FPS	151 FPS
medium	145 FPS	131 FPS
high	121 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	119 FPS	90 FPS
medium	96 FPS	73 FPS
high	78 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	46 FPS
4K
low	57 FPS	37 FPS
medium	47 FPS	30 FPS
high	45 FPS	25 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	20 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Open Radeon RX 580X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
1080p
low	331 FPS	337 FPS
medium	265 FPS	270 FPS
high	221 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	249 FPS	253 FPS
medium	199 FPS	202 FPS
high	166 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	126 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	169 FPS
medium	133 FPS	135 FPS
high	110 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	84 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Open Radeon RX 580X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
1080p
low	176 FPS	317 FPS
medium	147 FPS	270 FPS
high	132 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	253 FPS
medium	107 FPS	202 FPS
high	97 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	126 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	137 FPS
medium	60 FPS	107 FPS
high	49 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	75 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)Open Radeon RX 580X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) and Radeon RX 580X

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 21 2015. 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 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,366 points. Launch price was $395.82.

Radeon RX 580X

The Radeon RX 580X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 11 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1257 MHz to 1340 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,495 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) scores 7,366 and the Radeon RX 580X reaches 7,495 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 580X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 2,304 (Radeon RX 580X). Raw compute: 4.358 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 6.175 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 580X). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1340 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
G3D Mark Score	7,366	7,495+2%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2048	2304+13%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.358 TFLOPS	6.175 TFLOPS+42%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1340 MHz+10%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128	144+13%
L1 Cache	768 KB+33%	576 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 580X 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 980 (móvel) lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 580X relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
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)

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 580X has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 580X offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 580X) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 580X. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	256 GB/s+14%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 12 (FL 12_0) (Radeon RX 580X). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 (FL 12_0)
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (2nd Gen) (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 580X). Decoder: NVDEC (2nd Gen) vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC (Radeon RX 580X).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)	Radeon RX 580X
Encoder	NVENC (2nd Gen)	VCE 3.4
Decoder	NVDEC (2nd Gen)	UVD 6.3
Codecs	H.264,HEVC,VP9	H.264,H.265/HEVC

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 580X's 185W — a 59.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 980 (móvel) is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)) vs 500W (Radeon RX 580X). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin.