GPU NVIDIA MAXWELL 2.0
GeForce GTX 980

GeForce GTX 980

GM204 Released: September 19, 2014
Memory
4
GB GDDR5
Boost Clock
1216
MHz
TGP
165
W

Technical Highlights

Architecture : Maxwell 2.0
Generation : GeForce 900
Shading Units : 2048
RT Cores : -

About GeForce GTX 980

GeForce GTX 980 is a discrete graphics card from NVIDIA released on September 19, 2014 based on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with 4 GB GDDR5 memory. It runs at 1127 MHz base clock, reaches up to 1216 MHz boost clock, and has a 165 W power rating. It supports DirectX 12.1, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

Last updated: March 28, 2026

Overall Score Of GeForce GTX 980

This summarizes how GeForce GTX 980 scores across key areas like gaming, rendering, AI, and Energy Efficiency.

71
Overall
Gaming Performance
64
AI & Machine Learning
52
Hardware Architecture
58
Workstation
67
Energy Efficiency
50

General Info of GeForce GTX 980

Vendor

NVIDIA

Release Date

September 19, 2014

Foundry

TSMC

Architecture

Maxwell 2.0

Process Size

28 nm

14% of the current best Process Size score

Transistors

5.2 billion

Launch Price

549

Graphics Processor of GeForce GTX 980

Base Clock

1127 MHz

42% of the current best Base Clock score

Boost Clock

1216 MHz

39% of the current best Boost Clock score

Shading Units

2048

9% of the current best Shading Units score

Compute Units

16

9% of the current best Compute Units score

Textured Mapping Units (TMUs)

128

19% of the current best Textured Mapping Units (TMUs) score

Render Output Units (ROPs)

64

25% of the current best Render Output Units (ROPs) score

Die Size

398 mm²

Density

13.1 MTr/mm²

L1 Cache

48 KB (per SMM)

19% of the current best L1 Cache score

L2 Cache

2 MB

2% of the current best L2 Cache score

Raw Performance of GeForce GTX 980

Pixel Fill Rate

77.82 GPixel/s

16% of the current best Pixel Fill Rate score

Texture Fill Rate

155.6 GTexel/s

10% of the current best Texture Fill Rate score

FP32 Performance

4.981 TFLOPs

5% of the current best FP32 Performance score

Memory of GeForce GTX 980

Memory Size

4 GB

13% of the current best Memory Size score

Memory Type

GDDR5

40% of the current best Memory Type score

Bus Width

256-bit

Memory Clock

Good

1753 MHz

67% of the current best Memory Clock score

Effective Speed

7000 Mbps

23% of the current best Effective Speed score

Bandwidth

224.4 GB/s

13% of the current best Bandwidth score

Board Design of GeForce GTX 980

Bus Interface

Good

PCIe 3.0 x16

60% of the current best Bus Interface score

PCIe Version

Good

3.0

60% of the current best PCIe Version score

PCIe Lanes

16

TGP

165 W

Length

267 mm

Width

40 mm

Height

111 mm

APIs of GeForce GTX 980

DirectX

Excellent

12.1

80% of the current best DirectX score

OpenGL

Top tier

4.6

100% of the current best OpenGL score

OpenCL

Top tier

3.0

100% of the current best OpenCL score

Vulkan

Top tier

1.4

100% of the current best Vulkan score

HDMI

Good

2.0

60% of the current best HDMI score

DisplayPort

1.2

40% of the current best DisplayPort score

CUDA

5.2

Ray Tracing

0

DLSS

0

Benchmarks of GeForce GTX 980

3D Mark

A standardized suite that approximates real-world gaming workloads to compare graphics performance.

Fire Strike:
11112
13% of max score

Passmark Graphics

A multi-test benchmark that evaluates raster, memory bandwidth, and compute performance.

G3D Mark Score:
11077 (93rd)
28% of max score
G2D Mark Score:
789
56% of max score
DirectX 12:
46
26% of max score
GPU Compute:
4744 Ops/s
18% of max score

FurMark

Stress test designed to push sustained load for thermal stability and cooling behavior.

1080p Vulkan:
3569
10% of max score
1440p Vulkan:
2309
9% of max score
2160p Vulkan:
1312
9% of max score
1080p OpenGL:
3912
13% of max score
1440p OpenGL:
2572
11% of max score
2160p OpenGL:
1425
9% of max score

Performance Charts Of GeForce GTX 980

These charts give a quick view of FPS scaling across resolutions and how this GPU compares against market top benchmark values.

Gaming FPS Analysis

Ultra settings performance of GeForce GTX 980
1080p Ultra
1440p Ultra
4K Ultra

Performance Benchmarks

Grey is the market top value. Colored bar is GeForce GTX 980.
Market Top
GeForce GTX 980

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Frequently Asked Questions about GeForce GTX 980

The GeForce GTX 980 was officially released in September 19, 2014. It was launched as a graphics solution by NVIDIA.

The GeForce GTX 980 is equipped with 4 GB of VRAM, providing adequate memory for 1080p gaming and standard workloads.

The GeForce GTX 980 has a Total Graphics Power (TGP) of 165 W. This value dictates your power supply (PSU) requirements, so ensure your system can handle this draw effectively.

The GeForce GTX 980 operates at a base clock speed of 1127 MHz. This is the minimum clock frequency the graphics card runs at under standard workloads before boosting.

The GeForce GTX 980 features a boost clock speed of 1216 MHz. This clock speed represents the maximum frequency the graphics card can dynamically reach during intense gaming or rendering workloads.

The GeForce GTX 980 is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. This foundational design determines the GPU's power efficiency and support for modern features like hardware Ray Tracing and AI upscaling (DLSS/FSR).

With a performance score of 71%, the GeForce GTX 980 is ranked as a high-performance graphics card in our extensive GPU database.

The GeForce GTX 980 uses the PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, ensuring high-speed data transfer and minimal bottlenecking between the graphics card and the motherboard.

The GeForce GTX 980 features 2,048 shading units (cores), which are directly responsible for rendering complex visual effects and lighting in modern games.

The GeForce GTX 980 contains approximately 5.2 billion transistors, packed into its silicon to deliver massive parallel processing capabilities.

The GeForce GTX 980 is manufactured on a 28 nm node. A smaller process node generally translates to better energy efficiency and improved thermal management.