NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970

VS
Performance
GeForce GTX 980 Ti44% better
23,05722% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti has 44% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 980 Ti
35.5322% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 97037% better
48.7330% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

Shop GeForce GTX 980 Ti
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Summary

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About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q2 2015 with a MSRP of $649. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM200) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.

Memory

The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 384 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 336.6 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The GTX 980 Ti includes 2,816 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,000 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,076 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 176 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 96 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GTX 980 Ti occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 600 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 250 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GTX 980 Ti has the 101st best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 22.04% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 23,057 score and $649 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 35.53. This is the 74th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

About the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 GPU

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 is an end-of-life desktop graphics card that released in Q3 2014 with a MSRP of $329. It is built on the Maxwell 2.0 GPU microarchitecture (codename GM204) and is manufactured on a 28 nm process.

Memory

The GTX 970 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, with a 1,753 MHz memory clock and a 256 bit interface. This gives it a memory bandwidth of 224.4 Gb/s, which affects how fast it can transfer data to and from memory. GPU memory stores temporary data that helps the GPU with complex math and graphics operations. More memory is generally better, as not having enough can cause performance bottlenecks.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The GTX 970 includes 1,664 CUDA cores, the processing units for handling parallel computing tasks. The GPU operates at a core clock speed of 1,050 MHz and can dynamically boost its clock speed up to 1,178 MHz. Complementing the processing units are 104 texture mapping units (TMUs) for efficient texture filtering and 56 render output units (ROPs) for pixel processing.

Compatibility & Power Consumption

The GTX 970 occupies 2 PCIe expansion slots. It supports DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 display connections. NVIDIA recommends a power supply of at least 300 W to handle the GPU's thermal design power (TDP) of 148 W.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The GTX 970 has the 138th best 3DMark 11 Performance GPU score among the 543 benchmarked GPUs in our database. It achieves 15.33% of the performance of the best benchmarked GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Its 16,033 score and $329 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 48.73. This is the 66th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

General Info

General overview of the GPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
ManufacturerNVIDIANVIDIA
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ2 2015Q3 2014
Launch Price (MSRP)$649$329
Production StatusEnd-of-lifeEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Gaming Performance

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Select a game to compare FPS metrics

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FPS Benchmarks

This table showcases the average frame rate (FPS) achieved both GPUs in at various resolutions. Frame rate is a crucial indicator of how smoothly the GPU can run the game. A higher FPS generally translates to a smoother gameplay experience.

  • Frames Per Second
FPS data for Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3
GeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
Low - 720p
--
--
Medium - 1080p
--
74 FPS
High - 1080p
--
49 FPS
Ultra - 1080p
53 FPS(+45.23%)
37 FPS
QHD - 1440p
38 FPS
--
4K UHD - 2160p
20 FPS
--
FPS Source: Notebookcheck

Compare Frames Per Second (FPS)

The average frame rate (FPS) in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, higher FPS results in a smoother gameplay experience.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 980 Ti orGeForce GTX 970

Compare Cost Per Frame

The average cost per frame in can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. Generally, a lower cost per frame implies better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 980 Ti orGeForce GTX 970
GPUCost Per Frame
Radeon RX Vega 6421.32-34%
GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB)21.36-34%
Radeon VII21.98-32%
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti22.2-31%
GeForce GTX 108022.6-30%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti32.13

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
GeForce GTX 980 Ti44% better
23,05722% of 104,598
GeForce GTX 970
16,03315% of 104,598

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti has 44% better performance than the GeForce GTX 970 for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is ranked 101st with a score of 23,057, and the GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 138th with a score of 16,033.

Performance per dollar
GeForce GTX 980 Ti
35.5322% of 161.45
GeForce GTX 97037% better
48.7330% of 161.45

The GeForce GTX 970 has 37% better value for the money than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti for the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark.

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is ranked 74th with a performance per dollar of 35.53, and the GeForce GTX 970 is ranked 66th with a performance per dollar of 48.73.

Relative Performance

The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 980 Ti or
GPUBenchmark Performance
GeForce GTX 107024,652+7%
Radeon RX 59023,362.5+1%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti23,057
Radeon RX 6500 XT22,954-0%
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti22,891.5-1%
Radeon R9 Nano17,282-25%
Radeon R9 290X16,167.5-30%
GeForce GTX 97016,033-30%
GeForce GTX 780 Ti15,619-32%
GeForce GTX 165013,645-41%

Relative Value For Money

The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar GPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.

Choose Baseline GPU:GeForce GTX 980 Ti or
GPUPerformance Per Dollar
GeForce GTX 96054.11+52%
GeForce GTX 95052.52+48%
GeForce GTX 108048.85+38%
GeForce GTX 97048.73+37%
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti47.21+33%
Radeon R9 390X41.83+18%
Radeon R9 280X36.09+2%
GeForce GTX 980 Ti35.53
GeForce GTX 98032.07-10%
Radeon R9 FURY31.95-10%

Benchmark Scores

This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both GPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful GPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
3DMark Time Spy Graphics
5,058
(+42.72%)
3,544
3DMark Time Spy Score
5,026
(+36.1%)
3,693
3DMark Cloud Gate Graphics
98,958
(+35.9%)
72,819
3DMark Fire Strike Standard Graphics
16,961
(+41.89%)
11,954
3DMark 11 Performance Score
18,303
(+38.15%)
13,249
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64 Bit
--
141.6
PassMark G3D Mark
13,809
(+43.28%)
9,638
PassMark G2D Mark
861
(+12.26%)
767
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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Graphics Processor

General information about the graphics processing unit like their architecture, manufacturing process size, and transistor count. Newer GPU architectures generally bring efficiency improvements and may introduce technologies that enhance graphical capabilities.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
CodenameGM200GM204
ArchitectureMaxwell 2.0Maxwell 2.0
Process Size28 nm28 nm
Transistors8,000 million5,200 million

Memory Details

Memory specifications like their capacity, bandwidth, and clock speeds. GPU memory stores graphics data like frames, textures, and shadows which helps display rendered images. These specs are crucial for graphics-intense applications like gaming and 3D modeling.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
Memory Size6 GB4 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth336.6 Gb/s224.4 Gb/s
Memory Clock1,753 MHz1,753 MHz
Memory Interface384 bit256 bit
L1 Cache48 KB48 KB
L2 Cache3 MB2 MB

Board Compatibility

Compatibility information like their slot size, bus interface, power consumption, and display support. These specs are useful for verifying compatibility with your motherboard, power supply, and monitor.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
Slots2 slots2 slots
Bus InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Thermal Design Power (TDP)250 W148 W
Suggested PSU600 W300 W
Power Connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin2x 6-pin
OutputsDVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2DVI, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2

Cores & Clock Speeds

Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can process graphics. Each type of core or component serves a specific computational purpose.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
CUDA Cores2,8161,664
Texture Mapping Units (TMU)176104
Render Output Units (ROP)9656
Core Clock Speed1,000 MHz1,050 MHz
Core Clock Speed (Boost)1,076 MHz1,178 MHz

Theoretical Performance

Theoretical performance numbers derived from the raw specifications of the different components like core count and clock speeds. While these provide a glimpse into peak processing power, they do not represent real-world performance.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
Pixel Fill Rate103.3 GPixel/s65.97 GPixel/s
Texture Fill Rate189.4 GTexel/s122.5 GTexel/s
FP32 Performance6.06 TFLOPS3.92 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance189.4 GFLOPS122.5 GFLOPS

API Support

Graphics API versions supported by these graphics cards. APIs evolve over time, introducing new features and functionalities. Older GPUs may not support recent versions.

SpecGeForce GTX 980 TiGeForce GTX 970
DirectX12 (12_1)12 (12_1)
OpenCL3.03.0
OpenGL4.64.6
Shader Model6.86.8

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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance GPU benchmark and MSRP.