GeForce GTX 980 vs GeForce GTX 980 Ti
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti pulls ahead here — in a different league, about 43% ahead of the GeForce GTX 980. It also wins on performance-per-dollar, making it the cleaner choice when you can afford it.
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GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs GeForce GTX 980: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs GeForce GTX 980
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is dramatically faster, around 43% ahead of the GeForce GTX 980. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti packs 2,816 CUDA cores versus 2,048 on the GeForce GTX 980.
Price & Value
Pricing has the GeForce GTX 980 at $313 EUR, $54 EUR under the GeForce GTX 980 Ti's $367 EUR. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti wins on performance-per-dollar by about 22%. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is trading below its $649 EUR MSRP — a genuine deal.
Power & Efficiency
Power draw favors the GeForce GTX 980 (165W vs 250W), 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 980 Ti carries 6GB versus 4GB on the GeForce GTX 980. The extra 2GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers. The GeForce GTX 980 Ti's memory is also faster — 337 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 980 Ti?
The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the GeForce GTX 980 if you find it at a steep discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti better than the GeForce GTX 980?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 or the GeForce GTX 980 Ti?
Is the GeForce GTX 980 Ti worth the extra $54 EUR over the GeForce GTX 980?
Does the GeForce GTX 980 Ti have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Which should you buy: GeForce GTX 980 or GeForce GTX 980 Ti?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | GeForce GTX 980 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Maxwell | Maxwell |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 28nm |
| CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / CUDA Cores) | 2,048 | 2,816✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | GeForce GTX 980 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,126 MHz✓ | 1,000 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1,216 MHz✓ | 1,075 MHz |
Memory
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | GeForce GTX 980 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | 6 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bus | 256-bit | 384-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 7 Gbps | 7 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 224.3 GB/s | 336.5 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | GeForce GTX 980 | GeForce GTX 980 Ti |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 165 W✓ | 250 W |
| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |
| Released | Sep 2014 | Jun 2015 |