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 SLI (móvel)

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6850M across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌175% higher power demand at 330W vs 120W.

Radeon RX 6850M

2022

Why buy it

✅85.4% more average FPS across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 120W instead of 330W, a 210W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)

2015

Radeon RX 6850M

2022

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅85.4% more average FPS across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 120W instead of 330W, a 210W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6850M across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌175% higher power demand at 330W vs 120W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 6850M better than GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)?

Yes. Radeon RX 6850M is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 6850M averages 85.4% more FPS across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 12,274 vs 12,523 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 6850M is a 2022 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, while GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) is a 2015 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 6850M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with FSR 3 (2023) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (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 6850M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 85.4% more estimated average FPS across 39 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (12,274 vs 12,523). G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them. If you are comfortable paying the premium for the stronger gaming result, Radeon RX 6850M is the one to buy. If staying closer to budget matters more, GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) still makes more sense on price alone, but the performance trade-off is much harder to justify by current standards.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) is still a strong gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. This mostly comes down to price. If you want to stay closer to an unclear MSRP, it remains a strong choice; if you are comfortable paying more, Radeon RX 6850M earns that extra money with a clearly stronger gaming result and a more complete overall package.

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 SLI (móvel) Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6850M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	100 FPS	167 FPS
medium	85 FPS	148 FPS
high	70 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	89 FPS	140 FPS
medium	73 FPS	113 FPS
high	54 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	35 FPS	84 FPS
medium	32 FPS	71 FPS
high	20 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	17 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)Open Radeon RX 6850M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	106 FPS	317 FPS
medium	82 FPS	267 FPS
high	63 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	41 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	63 FPS	201 FPS
medium	42 FPS	170 FPS
high	31 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	22 FPS	107 FPS
4K
low	21 FPS	109 FPS
medium	15 FPS	91 FPS
high	12 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	10 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)Open Radeon RX 6850M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	564 FPS	552 FPS
medium	451 FPS	442 FPS
high	376 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	282 FPS	276 FPS
1440p
low	423 FPS	414 FPS
medium	338 FPS	331 FPS
high	282 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	207 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	276 FPS
medium	225 FPS	221 FPS
high	188 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	141 FPS	138 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)Open Radeon RX 6850M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	226 FPS	487 FPS
medium	199 FPS	397 FPS
high	165 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	276 FPS
1440p
low	174 FPS	384 FPS
medium	156 FPS	313 FPS
high	125 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	202 FPS
4K
low	94 FPS	217 FPS
medium	79 FPS	175 FPS
high	64 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	126 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)Open Radeon RX 6850M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) and Radeon RX 6850M

GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)

The GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 22 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1126 MHz to 1228 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 330W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,523 points.

Radeon RX 6850M

The Radeon RX 6850M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2068 MHz to 2416 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 120W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,274 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) scores 12,523 and the Radeon RX 6850M reaches 12,274 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) is built on Maxwell while the Radeon RX 6850M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 4,096 (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 6850M). Boost clocks: 1228 MHz vs 2416 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
G3D Mark Score	12,523+2%	12,274
Architecture	Maxwell	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	4096+129%	1792
Boost Clock	1228 MHz	2416 MHz+97%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 6850M is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. 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 SLI (móvel) lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 6850M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR 3
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M) — a 92.9% advantage for the Radeon RX 6850M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	432 GB/s+93%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6850M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.4 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.4	4.6+5%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (2x) (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6850M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 (2x) vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
Encoder	NVENC 4.0 (2x)	VCN 3.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6 (2x)	VCN 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel) draws 330W versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 120W — a 93.3% difference. The Radeon RX 6850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)) vs 500W (Radeon RX 6850M). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Mobile. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 SLI (móvel)	Radeon RX 6850M
TDP	330W	120W-64%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	37.9	102.3+170%