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 + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.

Radeon RX 6850M

2022

Why buy it

✅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 200W, a 80W reduction.

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 6850M

2022

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 + AFMF (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 120W instead of 200W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌66.7% higher power demand at 200W vs 120W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980M SLI is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 12,523 vs 12,274 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce GTX 980M SLI is a 2014 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Radeon RX 6850M is a 2022 model from an older high-end class with FSR 3 + AFMF. 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 2014, 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?

GeForce GTX 980M SLI can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around Unknown MSRP. GeForce GTX 980M SLI is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. GeForce GTX 980M SLI is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 2.0% higher G3D Mark. Radeon RX 6850M is the newer 2022 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (120W vs 200W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does Radeon RX 6850M make more sense than GeForce GTX 980M SLI?

Yes. Radeon RX 6850M is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (120W vs 200W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce GTX 980M SLI. The trade-off is that GeForce GTX 980M SLI currently gives you 2.0% higher G3D Mark. G3D-per-dollar is basically tied between them.

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 6850M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	45 FPS	167 FPS
medium	37 FPS	148 FPS
high	27 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	36 FPS	140 FPS
medium	26 FPS	113 FPS
high	17 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	11 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	15 FPS	84 FPS
medium	12 FPS	71 FPS
high	7 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	6 FPS	50 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 6850M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	98 FPS	317 FPS
medium	74 FPS	267 FPS
high	56 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	56 FPS	201 FPS
medium	38 FPS	170 FPS
high	27 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	107 FPS
4K
low	19 FPS	109 FPS
medium	13 FPS	91 FPS
high	11 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	8 FPS	57 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 6850M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	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	277 FPS	276 FPS
medium	225 FPS	221 FPS
high	175 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	138 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 6850M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 6850M
1080p
low	191 FPS	487 FPS
medium	158 FPS	397 FPS
high	109 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	276 FPS
1440p
low	126 FPS	384 FPS
medium	97 FPS	313 FPS
high	70 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	202 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	217 FPS
medium	50 FPS	175 FPS
high	37 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	126 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M SLI Open Radeon RX 6850M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 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 980M SLI 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 980M SLI is built on Maxwell while the Radeon RX 6850M uses RDNA 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 6850M). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 2416 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 6850M
G3D Mark Score	12,523+2%	12,274
Architecture	Maxwell	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	3072+71%	1792
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	2416 MHz+114%

✨

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 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 6850M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	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: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) vs 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M) — a 170% advantage for the Radeon RX 6850M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	Radeon RX 6850M
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	432 GB/s+170%
Bus Width	256-bit+33%	192-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) 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 980M SLI	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 980M SLI) 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 980M SLI) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M SLI	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 980M SLI draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 6850M's 120W — a 50% difference. The Radeon RX 6850M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980M SLI) 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.