GPU Comparison

Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.

Quick Verdict

On raw speed the GeForce GTX 980 Ti comes out significantly faster — about 25% ahead of the Radeon RX 6500 XT.

Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)

VS
Price
Awaiting Data
Performance
10%
VRAM
6 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage
+500% Memory Bus (384-bit vs 64-bit)
+175% CUDA Cores (2,816 vs 1,024)
+134% Bandwidth (336.5 GB/s vs 144 GB/s)
AMD
Radeon RX 6500 XT
Price
€169
Performance
8%
VRAM
4 GB GDDR6
Key Specs Advantage
+162% Boost Clock (2,815 MHz vs 1,075 MHz)

GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon RX 6500 XT: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs Radeon RX 6500 XT

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is significantly faster, around 25% ahead of the Radeon RX 6500 XT. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p.

Power & Efficiency

At 113W against 250W, the Radeon RX 6500 XT is both the lower-power and the more efficient card, making it the easier build to cool and power. Its more modern RDNA 2 architecture on a TSMC N6 process is part of why it does more with each watt.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti carries 6GB versus 4GB on the Radeon RX 6500 XT. The extra 2GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.

Generation & Longevity

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is roughly 7 years newer than the GeForce GTX 980 Ti (RDNA 2 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 Ti brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 Ti or Radeon RX 6500 XT?

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is the faster card by about 25%. 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 Ti better than the Radeon RX 6500 XT?

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti is significantly faster, roughly 25% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce GTX 980 Ti or the Radeon RX 6500 XT?

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 980 Ti have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 6GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon RX 6500 XT
ArchitectureMaxwellRDNA 2
Process NodeTSMC 28nmTSMC N6
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)2,8161,024
Ray Tracing Cores16

Clock Speeds

SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon RX 6500 XT
Base Clock1,000 MHz2,310 MHz
Boost Clock1,075 MHz2,815 MHz

Memory

SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon RX 6500 XT
VRAM Capacity6 GB4 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5GDDR6
Memory Bus384-bit64-bit
Memory Speed7 Gbps18 Gbps
Bandwidth336.5 GB/s144 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationGeForce GTX 980 TiRadeon RX 6500 XT
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x4
TDP250 W113 W
Power Connectors1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin1x 6-pin
ReleasedJun 2015Jan 2022