GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce GTX TITAN Z

Quick Verdict

The GeForce GTX 980 pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 40% ahead of the GeForce GTX TITAN Z.

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NVIDIA GeForce

GTX 980

Price

€998✓

Performance

7/100✓

VRAM

4 GB GDDR5

Key Specs Advantage

+39% Boost Clock (1,216 MHz vs 876 MHz)

€998Zotac ZT-90201 - 10P NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Graphics Card (Active, ATX, NVIDIA, GeForce GTX 970, GDDR5, PCI Express x16 3.0)

Used - No Listing

NVIDIA GeForce

GTX TITAN Z

Price

Reference GPU

Performance

5/100

VRAM

12 GB GDDR5✓

Key Specs Advantage

+50% Bandwidth (336 GB/s vs 224.3 GB/s)

+50% Memory Bus (384-bit vs 256-bit)

+41% CUDA Cores (2,880 vs 2,048)

Reference GPUNo Listing Available

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GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce GTX TITAN Z: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce GTX TITAN Z

The GeForce GTX 980 is dramatically faster, around 40% ahead of the GeForce GTX TITAN Z. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Power & Efficiency

Power draw favors the GeForce GTX 980 (165W vs 375W), and it's the more efficient card too, so it's the easy pick if thermals or a smaller PSU matter.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The GeForce GTX TITAN Z carries 12GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 980. The extra 8GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce GTX TITAN Z's memory is also faster — 336 GB/s versus 224 GB/s (384-bit vs 256-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or GeForce GTX TITAN Z?

The GeForce GTX 980 is the faster card by about 40%. With live pricing limited for this pair, base your decision on the spec differences above — particularly VRAM and power draw — and check current stock before buying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the GeForce GTX TITAN Z?

The GeForce GTX 980 is dramatically faster, roughly 40% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the GeForce GTX TITAN Z?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Does the GeForce GTX TITAN Z have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 12GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or GeForce GTX TITAN Z?

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Specification	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	TSMC 28nm	TSMC 28nm
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores)	2,048	2,880✓

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Specification	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Base Clock	1,126 MHz✓	705 MHz
Boost Clock	1,216 MHz✓	876 MHz

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Specification	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX TITAN Z
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	12 GB✓
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bus	256-bit	384-bit✓
Memory Speed	7 Gbps	7 Gbps
Bandwidth	224.3 GB/s	336 GB/s✓

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce GTX 980 and GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Specification	GeForce GTX 980	GeForce GTX TITAN Z
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x16	PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP	165 W✓	375 W
Power Connectors	2x 6-pin	2x 8-pin
Released	Sep 2014	May 2014