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

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
120.5% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅43.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 136.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 980

2014

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅43.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 136.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 20.2 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
120.5% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM averages 43.2% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 11,077 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, 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?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 8nm 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?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is about $300 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 43.2% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 7.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 136.7%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $549 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	82 FPS	130 FPS
medium	71 FPS	113 FPS
high	60 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	119 FPS
medium	63 FPS	96 FPS
high	47 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	64 FPS
medium	24 FPS	57 FPS
high	17 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	182 FPS	239 FPS
medium	156 FPS	206 FPS
high	128 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	128 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	163 FPS
medium	102 FPS	135 FPS
high	83 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	88 FPS
medium	49 FPS	74 FPS
high	47 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	478 FPS	535 FPS
medium	399 FPS	428 FPS
high	332 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	401 FPS
medium	299 FPS	321 FPS
high	249 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	201 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	268 FPS
medium	199 FPS	214 FPS
high	154 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	134 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	153 FPS	467 FPS
medium	127 FPS	414 FPS
high	110 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	372 FPS
medium	96 FPS	321 FPS
high	84 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	199 FPS
medium	53 FPS	175 FPS
high	41 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	125 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

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.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 11,892 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 7.4%. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1755 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
G3D Mark Score	11,077	11,892+7%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2048	2560+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS+80%
Boost Clock	1216 MHz	1755 MHz+44%
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128+60%	80
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	2.5 MB+233%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 980 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
DirectX	12.1	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 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980 draws 220W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 130W — a 51.4% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 235mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
TDP	220W	130W-41%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	235mm
Height	111mm	124mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	50.4	91.5+82%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 launched at $549 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM costs 54.6% less ($300 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.2 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 136.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2014).