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

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 220W, a 120W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅180.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌120% higher power demand at 220W vs 100W.

GeForce GTX 980M

2014

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 220W, a 120W reduction.

Why buy it

✅180.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3070 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.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 44.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌120% higher power demand at 220W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than GeForce GTX 980M?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3070 averages 180.5% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 22,172 vs 7,353 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3070 is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 980M 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 3070 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2014, 201.5% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is priced in an unclear MSRP range at $499 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 180.5% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 201.5% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980M 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 an unclear MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3070 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 980M Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3070 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	81 FPS	158 FPS
medium	69 FPS	140 FPS
high	58 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	71 FPS	134 FPS
medium	62 FPS	109 FPS
high	46 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	25 FPS	80 FPS
medium	24 FPS	67 FPS
high	16 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	45 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 3070

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	162 FPS	470 FPS
medium	136 FPS	405 FPS
high	112 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	277 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	294 FPS
medium	89 FPS	246 FPS
high	71 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	179 FPS
4K
low	49 FPS	141 FPS
medium	41 FPS	120 FPS
high	38 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	83 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 3070

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	331 FPS	885 FPS
medium	265 FPS	712 FPS
high	221 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	499 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	692 FPS
medium	199 FPS	557 FPS
high	165 FPS	473 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	374 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	479 FPS
medium	132 FPS	388 FPS
high	105 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	249 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 3070

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
1080p
low	148 FPS	600 FPS
medium	123 FPS	527 FPS
high	108 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	111 FPS	489 FPS
medium	94 FPS	433 FPS
high	83 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	297 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	292 FPS
medium	52 FPS	270 FPS
high	40 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	31 FPS	200 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980M Open GeForce RTX 3070

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980M and GeForce RTX 3070

GeForce GTX 980M

The GeForce GTX 980M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 7 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1038 MHz to 1127 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,353 points.

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 980M scores 7,353 versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 22,172 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 201.5%. The GeForce GTX 980M is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3070 uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070). Raw compute: 1.659 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070). Boost clocks: 1127 MHz vs 1725 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
G3D Mark Score	7,353	22,172+202%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1536	5888+283%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.659 TFLOPS	20.31 TFLOPS+1124%
Boost Clock	1127 MHz	1725 MHz+53%
ROPs	64	96+50%
TMUs	96	184+92%
L1 Cache	0.56 MB	5.8 MB+936%
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 980M is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
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 980M comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3070 has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3070 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 160 GB/s (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) — a 180% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3070. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	160 GB/s	448 GB/s+180%
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	4 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
DirectX	12.1	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264 (GeForce GTX 980M) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
Encoder	NVENC 2.0	NVENC 7th gen
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP6	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 980M draws 100W versus the GeForce RTX 3070's 220W — a 75% difference. The GeForce GTX 980M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 980M) vs 650W (GeForce RTX 3070). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 242mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980M	GeForce RTX 3070
TDP	100W-55%	220W
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	0mm	242mm
Height	0mm	112mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	—	75°C
Perf/Watt	73.5	100.8+37%