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 Ti

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A2000 12GB across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
44.5% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

RTX A2000 12GB

2021

Why buy it

✅5.8% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

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

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

2015

RTX A2000 12GB

2021

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅5.8% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 30.6 vs 21.1 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).
✅More future proof: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than RTX A2000 12GB across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 6 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
44.5% HIGHER MSRP
$649 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.1 vs 30.6 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is RTX A2000 12GB better than GeForce GTX 980 Ti?

Yes. RTX A2000 12GB is clearly the better overall GPU here. RTX A2000 12GB averages 5.8% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 13,721 vs 13,711 in G3D Mark. On top of that, RTX A2000 12GB is a 2021 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while GeForce GTX 980 Ti is a 2015 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 A2000 12GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2021 generation instead of 2015, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 6 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 A2000 12GB can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $449 MSRP. RTX A2000 12GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. RTX A2000 12GB is about $200 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $649 MSRP, and you are getting 5.8% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 0.1% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $449 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (70W vs 250W), and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

Yes. GeForce GTX 980 Ti is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $649 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. RTX A2000 12GB is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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 Ti Benchmark Check

RTX A2000 12GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	80 FPS	108 FPS
medium	69 FPS	92 FPS
high	56 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	51 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	92 FPS
medium	62 FPS	78 FPS
high	45 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	28 FPS	38 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	38 FPS
medium	24 FPS	35 FPS
high	16 FPS	22 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	18 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RTX A2000 12GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	186 FPS	164 FPS
medium	164 FPS	132 FPS
high	133 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	128 FPS	118 FPS
medium	104 FPS	95 FPS
high	82 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	60 FPS	70 FPS
medium	50 FPS	55 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	34 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RTX A2000 12GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	617 FPS	617 FPS
medium	494 FPS	494 FPS
high	411 FPS	412 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	463 FPS	428 FPS
medium	370 FPS	361 FPS
high	308 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	232 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	247 FPS	247 FPS
high	206 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	147 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RTX A2000 12GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
1080p
low	232 FPS	245 FPS
medium	197 FPS	212 FPS
high	161 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	187 FPS
medium	156 FPS	166 FPS
high	123 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	106 FPS
4K
low	102 FPS	106 FPS
medium	83 FPS	88 FPS
high	67 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	56 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 980 Ti Open RTX A2000 12GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 980 Ti and RTX A2000 12GB

GeForce GTX 980 Ti

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 2 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1075 MHz. It has 2816 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,711 points. Launch price was $649.

RTX A2000 12GB

The RTX A2000 12GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 23 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 1200 MHz. It has 3328 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 26 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,721 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 13,711 and the RTX A2000 12GB reaches 13,721 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the RTX A2000 12GB uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 3,328 (RTX A2000 12GB). Raw compute: 6.06 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 7.987 TFLOPS (RTX A2000 12GB). Boost clocks: 1075 MHz vs 1200 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
G3D Mark Score	13,711	13,721
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	2816	3328+18%
Compute (TFLOPS)	6.06 TFLOPS	7.987 TFLOPS+32%
Boost Clock	1075 MHz	1200 MHz+12%
ROPs	96+100%	48
TMUs	176+69%	104
L1 Cache	1 MB	3.3 MB+230%
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
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 Ti comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the RTX A2000 12GB has 8 GB. The RTX A2000 12GB offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 12.2 (RTX A2000 12GB). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
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 Ti) vs 7th Gen NVENC (RTX A2000 12GB). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (RTX A2000 12GB).

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
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 Ti draws 250W versus the RTX A2000 12GB's 70W — a 112.5% difference. The RTX A2000 12GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 500W (RTX A2000 12GB). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 267mm vs 167mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 980 Ti	RTX A2000 12GB
TDP	250W	70W-72%
Recommended PSU	600W	500W-17%
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	167mm
Height	111mm	68mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	54.8	196.0+258%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti launched at $649 MSRP, while the RTX A2000 12GB launched at $449. The RTX A2000 12GB costs 30.8% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.1 (GeForce GTX 980 Ti) vs 30.6 (RTX A2000 12GB) — the RTX A2000 12GB offers 45% better value. The RTX A2000 12GB is the newer GPU (2021 vs 2015).