GeForce GTX 980 vs RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

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 RTX A1000 Embedded GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌528.6% higher power demand at 220W vs 35W.
❌225.6% longer card at 267mm vs 82mm.

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

2022

Why buy it

✅11.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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.
✅Draws 35W instead of 220W, a 185W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 267mm, a 185mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

GeForce GTX 980

2014

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

2022

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

✅11.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅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.
✅Draws 35W instead of 220W, a 185W reduction.
✅Measures 82mm instead of 267mm, a 185mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A1000 Embedded GPU across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌528.6% higher power demand at 220W vs 35W.
❌225.6% longer card at 267mm vs 82mm.

Trade-offs

❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 20.2 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is RTX A1000 Embedded GPU better than GeForce GTX 980?

Yes. RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is clearly the better overall GPU here. RTX A1000 Embedded GPU averages 11.5% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,009 vs 11,077 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is a 2022 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, 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?

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU 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, 100.0% more ray-tracing hardware, 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?

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is the smarter buy by a wide margin. RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is priced in an unclear MSRP range at an unclear MSRP versus $549 MSRP, and you are getting 11.5% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (11,009 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

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	82 FPS	105 FPS
medium	71 FPS	88 FPS
high	60 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	49 FPS
1440p
low	72 FPS	91 FPS
medium	63 FPS	75 FPS
high	47 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	36 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	36 FPS
medium	24 FPS	33 FPS
high	17 FPS	20 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	17 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	182 FPS	120 FPS
medium	156 FPS	97 FPS
high	128 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	57 FPS
1440p
low	127 FPS	88 FPS
medium	102 FPS	68 FPS
high	83 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	42 FPS
4K
low	59 FPS	53 FPS
medium	49 FPS	42 FPS
high	47 FPS	34 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	24 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	478 FPS	495 FPS
medium	399 FPS	396 FPS
high	332 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	374 FPS	372 FPS
medium	299 FPS	297 FPS
high	249 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	186 FPS
4K
low	242 FPS	248 FPS
medium	199 FPS	198 FPS
high	154 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	120 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
1080p
low	153 FPS	221 FPS
medium	127 FPS	188 FPS
high	110 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	127 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	172 FPS
medium	96 FPS	149 FPS
high	84 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	95 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	96 FPS
medium	53 FPS	75 FPS
high	41 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	32 FPS	48 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Open RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 and RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

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.

RTX A1000 Embedded GPU

The RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 30 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 630 MHz to 1140 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 35W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 16 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,009 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 scores 11,077 and the RTX A1000 Embedded GPU reaches 11,009 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX A1000 Embedded GPU uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 2,048 (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU). Raw compute: 4.981 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980) vs 4.669 TFLOPS (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU). Boost clocks: 1216 MHz vs 1140 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
G3D Mark Score	11,077	11,009
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2048	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.981 TFLOPS+7%	4.669 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1216 MHz+7%	1140 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	128+100%	64
L1 Cache	0.75 MB	2 MB+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
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 RTX A1000 Embedded GPU has 8 GB. The RTX A1000 Embedded GPU offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
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 (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.1	1.4+27%
OpenGL	4.5	4.6+2%
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 3.0 (GeForce GTX 980) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU). 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) (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
Encoder	NVENC 3.0	7th 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 RTX A1000 Embedded GPU's 35W — a 145.1% difference. The RTX A1000 Embedded GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 980) vs 500W (RTX A1000 Embedded GPU). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 82mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980	RTX A1000 Embedded GPU
TDP	220W	35W-84%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	82mm
Height	111mm	4mm
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	80°C	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	50.4	314.5+524%