GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce 930A and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions built on TSMC's 28 nm process, yet they occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum. On the surface, their average benchmark scores appear nearly identical, the 930A posts an average of 5317 while the GTX 980M sits at 5308, but this superficial similarity masks a dramatic divergence in capability. The data reveals that the GTX 980M is a far more powerful processor, with the 930A trailing by a staggering 77.7% in the sole direct head-to-head comparison. This analysis breaks down where each GPU wins, how their architectures differ, and what the specification sheets reveal about their intended roles.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M wins the only shared test outright. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 980M scores 23832 against the 930A's 5317, a delta of -77.7% for the smaller chip. This is not a close contest, it is a generational chasm in compute throughput. The 930A, however, is not without merit in its own context. As an integrated form-factor GPU (IGP) with a 33 W TDP, it is designed for ultra-portable systems where power draw and thermal output are paramount. In that niche, its modest 722.7 GFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for basic acceleration tasks and light 3D workloads.

The GTX 980M, by contrast, is a high-end mobile part intended for gaming laptops and mobile workstations. Its 3.462 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is nearly five times that of the 930A, and its 160.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth dwarfs the 930A's 16.02 GB/s. The GTX 980M also shows its strength in API support, offering DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the 930A's DirectX 12 (11_0), a critical distinction for modern titles. While the 930A can handle legacy or esports-level gaming, the GTX 980M is the clear winner for demanding applications, as evidenced by its Passmark G3D score of 7338 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 649. The 930A has no corresponding scores in those tests, indicating its absence from that performance tier.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs stem from different Maxwell generations. The 930A uses the GM108 chip, based on the original Maxwell architecture, while the GTX 980M employs the GM204 chip, built on Maxwell 2.0. This architectural gap is fundamental. Maxwell 2.0 introduced significant improvements in geometry processing and memory compression, which directly contribute to the GTX 980M's superior throughput. The transistor counts tell the story: GM108 packs 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, while GM204 contains 5,200 million transistors spread across 398 mm². Despite the size difference, transistor density is nearly identical, 13.2M / mm² for the 930A versus 13.1M / mm² for the GTX 980M, indicating both chips are at similar manufacturing maturity.

The core configurations diverge sharply. The 930A offers 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 raster output units (ROPs). The GTX 980M quadruples these resources with 1536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. This four-fold increase in every major compute block explains why the GTX 980M's pixel rate (72.13 GPixel/s) and texture rate (108.2 GTexel/s) are roughly ten and five times higher, respectively, than the 930A's 7.528 GPixel/s and 22.58 GTexel/s. Neither chip includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and both lack FP16 support, keeping them firmly in the rasterization era.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive victory for the GTX 980M. The GTX 980M scores 23832, while the 930A manages just 5317, a performance gap of 77.7% in favor of the larger GPU. To put this in perspective, the 930A's score is actually closer to its own nearest rivals: it trails the NVIDIA GeForce 840M (5322) by just 0.1% and leads the NVIDIA GeForce 940M (5284) by 0.6%. The GTX 980M's nearest rivals tell a similar story, with the 930A sitting 0.2% behind it in average score, but that average is heavily skewed by the 930A having only a single benchmark result.

The GTX 980M's broader benchmark portfolio reveals its true character. In Passmark G3D, it scores 7338, and in Geekbench Vulkan it hits 17703. Its DirectX lineage shows strong legacy performance: 125 in Passmark DirectX 9, 57 in DirectX 11, and 35 in DirectX 10. The GTX 980M also posts 2816 in Passmark GPU Compute and 490 in Passmark G2D. These numbers, absent for the 930A, reinforce that the GTX 980M is a fully-featured gaming GPU, while the 930A is a basic mobile accelerator. The 77.7% delta in the head-to-head test is the single most telling metric: no amount of architectural similarity can bridge a gap of that magnitude.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets highlight two chips with entirely different missions. The 930A is a 28 nm part with a base clock of 928 MHz and a boost clock of 941 MHz, paired with 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus. Its memory runs at 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective), yielding 16.02 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 980M, also on 28 nm, clocks higher at 1038 MHz base and 1127 MHz boost, and uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. Its memory operates at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), producing 160.4 GB/s, exactly ten times the 930A's bandwidth.

The bus interfaces differ as well: the 930A uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 980M employs a MXM-B (3.0) module interface. Power delivery is another differentiator. The 930A is rated at 33 W TDP with no power connectors, fitting its IGP slot width. The GTX 980M has no listed TDP but uses an MXM Module slot width, also without external power connectors. The 930A is the predecessor to the GeForce 800A, while the GTX 980M follows the GeForce 800M and is succeeded by the GeForce 10 Mobile. Release dates are close, March 2015 for the 930A versus October 2014 for the GTX 980M, but the GTX 980M launched first.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 930A has an average benchmark score of 5317, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M scores 5308. The difference is a mere 0.2% in favor of the 930A, but this average is misleading because the 930A has only one benchmark result while the GTX 980M has ten.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 980M in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The GTX 980M scores 23832 against the 930A's 5317, a performance advantage of 77.7%. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark available and represents a massive gap in compute performance.

Q: What are the memory configurations of each GPU?

A: The 930A has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 16.02 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 980M has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 160.4 GB/s bandwidth, a tenfold increase in bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The GTX 980M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the 930A supports DirectX 12 (11_0). This means the GTX 980M can handle more advanced DirectX 12 features.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and TMUs?

A: The GTX 980M has 1536 shading units and 96 TMUs, while the 930A has 384 shading units and 24 TMUs. The GTX 980M holds a four-fold advantage in both metrics.

Q: What is the process node and transistor count for each chip?

A: Both are manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. The 930A's GM108 chip contains 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, while the GTX 980M's GM204 chip contains 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical at 13.2M / mm² and 13.1M / mm², respectively.