GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 580
Performance-wise the GeForce GTX 980 is out front, noticeably faster, roughly 17% up on the Radeon RX 580. Value tips toward the Radeon RX 580, though: $347 CAD cheaper for what you get.
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Comparable or lower specs
GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 580: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 580
The GeForce GTX 980 is noticeably faster, around 17% ahead of the Radeon RX 580. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX 580 starts at $148 CAD against $495 CAD for the GeForce GTX 980. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 580 offers the better performance-per-dollar (~186% better value), so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX 580 is trading below its $229 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 CAD MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
The GeForce GTX 980 sips power at 165W next to the Radeon RX 580's 185W, and still leads on performance-per-watt — quieter, cooler, and gentler on your PSU.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
The Radeon RX 580's 8GB (vs 4GB on the GeForce GTX 980) gives it more room for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative or AI workloads.
Generation & Longevity
The Radeon RX 580 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce GTX 980 (GCN 4.0 (Polaris) vs Maxwell), so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.
Features & Ecosystem
Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce GTX 980 brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 580 offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon RX 580?
Choose the GeForce GTX 980 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 580 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the Radeon RX 580?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the Radeon RX 580?
Is the GeForce GTX 980 worth the extra $347 CAD over the Radeon RX 580?
Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon RX 580?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors) | 2,048 | 2,304✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz | 1,257 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz | 1,340 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 256-bit |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 8 Gbps✓ |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 256 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | Radeon RX 580 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 185 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Apr 2017 |
