GPU Comparison

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

Quick Verdict

The GeForce GTX 980 is significantly faster than the Radeon RX 580, leading by roughly 33% in our performance index. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.

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VS
AMD
Radeon RX 580
Price
$75 USD
Perf Index
9%
Value Score
0.120
VRAM8GB GDDR5
Thermal TDP185W
NVIDIA
GeForce GTX 980
Price
$85 USD
Perf Index
12%
Value Score
0.141
VRAM4GB GDDR5
Thermal TDP165W

GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 580: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon RX 580

The GeForce GTX 980 is significantly faster, around 33% 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 $75 USD against $85 USD for the GeForce GTX 980. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the GeForce GTX 980 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 18%. The Radeon RX 580 is trading below its $229 USD MSRP — a genuine deal. The GeForce GTX 980 is trading below its $549 USD MSRP — a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

The GeForce GTX 980 draws just 165W versus 185W for the Radeon RX 580, and it also delivers more performance per watt — so it runs cooler and quieter and needs less PSU headroom.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

With 8GB against 4GB, the Radeon RX 580 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the GeForce GTX 980's 4GB can fall short.

Generation & Longevity

The Radeon RX 580 is roughly 3 years newer than the GeForce GTX 980, so it generally benefits from a more modern architecture and longer driver-support runway.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the Radeon RX 580 brings AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value, while the GeForce GTX 980 offers NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.

Which should you buy: Radeon RX 580 or GeForce GTX 980?

The GeForce GTX 980 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon RX 580 if you find it at a steep discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the GeForce GTX 980 better than the Radeon RX 580?

The GeForce GTX 980 is significantly faster, roughly 33% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 580 or the GeForce GTX 980?

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.

Is the GeForce GTX 980 worth the extra $10 USD over the Radeon RX 580?

Often yes — despite the higher price the GeForce GTX 980 delivers better performance-per-dollar here.

Does the Radeon RX 580 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 4GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.