NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

Comparative analysis of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 videocards for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Technical info, Video outputs and ports, Compatibility, dimensions and requirements, API support, Memory, Technologies. Benchmark videocards performance analysis: PassMark - G3D Mark, PassMark - G2D Mark, Geekbench - OpenCL, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s), GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Frames), GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Frames), GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Frames), GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Fps), GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Fps), GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Fps), 3DMark Fire Strike - Graphics Score.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

Differences

Reasons to consider the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970

Around 11% lower typical power consumption: 148 Watt vs 165 Watt
Around 3% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s): 489.884 vs 477.015
Around 20% better performance in GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Frames): 11499 vs 9566
Around 20% better performance in GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Fps): 11499 vs 9566

Specifications (specs)
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	148 Watt vs 165 Watt
Benchmarks
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	489.884 vs 477.015
GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Frames)	11499 vs 9566
GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Frames)	3698 vs 3690
GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Frames)	3340 vs 3335
GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Fps)	11499 vs 9566
GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Fps)	3698 vs 3690
GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Fps)	3340 vs 3335

Reasons to consider the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

Around 3% higher boost clock speed: 1216 MHz vs 1178 MHz
Around 32% higher texture fill rate: 144 billion / sec vs 109 billion / sec
Around 23% higher pipelines: 2048 vs 1664
Around 27% better floating-point performance: 4,981 gflops vs 3,920 gflops
Around 15% better performance in PassMark - G3D Mark: 11129 vs 9646
Around 3% better performance in PassMark - G2D Mark: 798 vs 773
Around 24% better performance in Geekbench - OpenCL: 33393 vs 27020
Around 5% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s): 110.006 vs 105.107
Around 10% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s): 1348.307 vs 1225.96
Around 5% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s): 9.194 vs 8.76
Around 5% better performance in CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s): 37.443 vs 35.714
Around 19% better performance in 3DMark Fire Strike - Graphics Score: 4328 vs 3622

Specifications (specs)
Boost clock speed	1216 MHz vs 1178 MHz
Texture fill rate	144 billion / sec vs 109 billion / sec
Pipelines	2048 vs 1664
Floating-point performance	4,981 gflops vs 3,920 gflops
Benchmarks
PassMark - G3D Mark	11129 vs 9646
PassMark - G2D Mark	798 vs 773
Geekbench - OpenCL	33393 vs 27020
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	110.006 vs 105.107
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	1348.307 vs 1225.96
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	9.194 vs 8.76
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	37.443 vs 35.714
3DMark Fire Strike - Graphics Score	4328 vs 3622

Compare benchmarks

GPU 1: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
GPU 2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

PassMark - G3D Mark

GPU 1

GPU 2

9646

11129

PassMark - G2D Mark

GPU 1

GPU 2

773

798

Geekbench - OpenCL

GPU 1

GPU 2

27020

33393

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)

GPU 1

GPU 2

105.107

110.006

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)

GPU 1

GPU 2

1225.96

1348.307

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)

GPU 1

GPU 2

8.76

9.194

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)

GPU 1

GPU 2

35.714

37.443

CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)

GPU 1

GPU 2

489.884

477.015

GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Frames)

GPU 1

GPU 2

11499

9566

GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Frames)

GPU 1

GPU 2

3698

3690

GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Frames)

GPU 1

GPU 2

3340

3335

GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Fps)

GPU 1

GPU 2

11499

9566

GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Fps)

GPU 1

GPU 2

3698

3690

GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Fps)

GPU 1

GPU 2

3340

3335

3DMark Fire Strike - Graphics Score

GPU 1

GPU 2

3622

4328

Name	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
PassMark - G3D Mark	9646	11129
PassMark - G2D Mark	773	798
Geekbench - OpenCL	27020	33393
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)	105.107	110.006
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)	1225.96	1348.307
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)	8.76	9.194
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)	35.714	37.443
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)	489.884	477.015
GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Frames)	11499	9566
GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Frames)	3698	3690
GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Frames)	3340	3335
GFXBench 4.0 - Car Chase Offscreen (Fps)	11499	9566
GFXBench 4.0 - Manhattan (Fps)	3698	3690
GFXBench 4.0 - T-Rex (Fps)	3340	3335
3DMark Fire Strike - Graphics Score	3622	4328

Compare specifications (specs)

	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Essentials
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Maxwell 2.0
Code name	GM204	GM204
Launch date	19 September 2014	19 September 2014
Launch price (MSRP)	$329	$549
Place in performance rating	357	358
Price now	$407.76	$605.06
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Value for money (0-100)	28.59	21.18
Technical info
Boost clock speed	1178 MHz	1216 MHz
Core clock speed	1050 MHz
CUDA cores	1664	2048
Floating-point performance	3,920 gflops	4,981 gflops
Manufacturing process technology	28 nm	28 nm
Maximum GPU temperature	98 °C
Pipelines	1664	2048
Texture fill rate	109 billion / sec	144 billion / sec
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	148 Watt	165 Watt
Transistor count	5,200 million	5,200 million
Video outputs and ports
Audio input for HDMI	Internal	Internal
Display Connectors	1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2	1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2
G-SYNC support
HDCP
Maximum VGA resolution	2048x1536	2048x1536
Multi monitor support
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support		1
HDMI
VGA аnalog display support		1
Compatibility, dimensions and requirements
Bus support	PCI Express 3.0	PCI Express 3.0
Height	4.376" (11.1 cm)	4.376" (11.1 cm)
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
Length	10.5" (26.7 cm)	10.5" (26.7 cm)
Recommended system power (PSU)	500 Watt	500 Watt
SLI options	4x	1
Supplementary power connectors	2x 6-pins	2x 6-pins
API support
DirectX	12.0 (12_1)	12.0 (12_1)
OpenGL	4.4	4.5
OpenCL		1.2
Memory
Maximum RAM amount	4 GB	4 GB
Memory bandwidth	224 GB / s	224 GB / s
Memory bus width	256 Bit	256 Bit
Memory clock speed	7.0 GB/s	7.0 GB/s
Memory type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Shared memory	0	0
Technologies
3D Vision
Adaptive Vertical Sync
CUDA
GameStream
GameWorks
GeForce Experience
GeForce ShadowPlay
GPU Boost
SLI
Surround
BatteryBoost
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder
Optimus