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 RX 7600M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌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 RX 7600M

2023

Why buy it

✅60.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 6nm 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 RX 7600M

2023

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

✅60.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: RDNA 3.0 (2022−2026) on 6nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 90W instead of 220W, a 130W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 7600M across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
❌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 RX 7600M better than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. Radeon RX 7600M is clearly the better overall GPU here. Radeon RX 7600M averages 60.8% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 10,999 vs 11,077 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 7600M is a 2023 card with FSR 3 + AFMF, 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 RX 7600M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, 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 6nm 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 7600M is the smarter buy by a wide margin. Radeon RX 7600M is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 60.8% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (10,999 vs 11,077). 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 RX 7600M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
1080p
low	82 FPS	164 FPS
medium	71 FPS	146 FPS
high	60 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	108 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	138 FPS
medium	63 FPS	112 FPS
high	47 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	83 FPS
medium	24 FPS	70 FPS
high	17 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	47 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon RX 7600M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
1080p
low	182 FPS	346 FPS
medium	156 FPS	294 FPS
high	128 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	217 FPS
medium	102 FPS	185 FPS
high	83 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	100 FPS
medium	49 FPS	84 FPS
high	47 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	54 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon RX 7600M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
1080p
low	478 FPS	495 FPS
medium	399 FPS	396 FPS
high	332 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	247 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	371 FPS
medium	299 FPS	297 FPS
high	249 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	186 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	247 FPS
medium	199 FPS	198 FPS
high	154 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	124 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon RX 7600M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
1080p
low	153 FPS	495 FPS
medium	127 FPS	396 FPS
high	110 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	247 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	371 FPS
medium	96 FPS	297 FPS
high	84 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	186 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	247 FPS
medium	53 FPS	198 FPS
high	41 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	124 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open Radeon RX 7600M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and Radeon RX 7600M

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 RX 7600M

The Radeon RX 7600M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2023. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 2410 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 90W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,999 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the Radeon RX 7600M reaches 10,999 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the Radeon RX 7600M uses RDNA 3.0, both on 28 nm vs 6 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 7600M). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 17.27 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 7600M). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 2410 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
G3D Mark Score	11,077	10,999
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	RDNA 3.0
Process Node	28 nm	6 nm
Shading Units	2048+14%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	17.27 TFLOPS+247%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	2410 MHz+98%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	128+14%	112
L1 Cache	768 KB+50%	512 KB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 7600M 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 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.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 RX 7600M relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
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)

The GeForce GTX 980 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 7600M has 8 GB. The Radeon RX 7600M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980) vs 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 7600M) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 7600M. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	256 GB/s+14%
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (Radeon RX 7600M). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan	1.1	1.3+18%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs VCN 4.0 (Radeon RX 7600M). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs VCN 4.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (Radeon RX 7600M).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	Radeon RX 7600M
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	VCN 4.0
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	VCN 4.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the Radeon RX 7600M's 90W — a 83.9% difference. The Radeon RX 7600M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (Radeon RX 7600M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs Mobile.