NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost represent two distinct generations of NVIDIA’s GPU lineup, separated by a significant performance gulf. The data shows a decisive victory for the GTX 980 across every shared benchmark, with the GTX 650 Ti Boost failing to secure a single win. This analysis breaks down the head-to-head results, architectural differences, and use-case scenarios based strictly on the provided benchmark scores and specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison includes three Geekbench tests, and the GTX 980 dominates all of them. The largest margin appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the GTX 980 scores 34,676 against the GTX 650 Ti Boost’s 9,302. This represents a delta of 272.8%, meaning the GTX 980 delivers more than three and a half times the compute performance in this workload. The gap is substantial enough to classify these cards as belonging to entirely different performance tiers.

In Geekbench Metal, the GTX 980 posts a score of 15,163, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost manages only 4,858. The delta here is 212.1%, indicating that the GTX 980 is roughly three times faster in this API. This is a particularly notable result because Metal is a low-level graphics API that can expose architectural efficiency differences; the Maxwell 2.0 architecture’s advantage is clearly visible.

The closest contest occurs in Geekbench Vulkan, where the GTX 980 scores 22,543 compared to the GTX 650 Ti Boost’s 10,041. The delta of 124.5% still means the GTX 980 more than doubles the performance of the older card. While this is the smallest relative margin of the three tests, it is still a commanding lead. Overall, the GTX 980 wins all three head-to-head tests, with a 3-0 record in the winsA and winsB tally.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this hierarchy. The GTX 980 has an average benchmark score of 8,167, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost sits at 8,067. Despite the raw performance gap in individual tests, the average scores are remarkably close, differing by only 100 points (roughly 1.2%). This discrepancy highlights a critical point: the average score is influenced by the breadth of tests each card has been subjected to, and the GTX 980’s average is pulled down by several low scores in Passmark DirectX tests (e.g., 46 in DirectX 12 and 53 in DirectX 10). Meanwhile, the GTX 650 Ti Boost only has three Geekbench results contributing to its average, all of which are relatively moderate.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 980 uses the GM204 chip based on Maxwell 2.0, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost uses the GK106 chip based on the older Kepler architecture. Both are manufactured on the same 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts and die sizes differ dramatically. The GTX 980 packs 5,200 million transistors onto a 398 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.1M per mm². In contrast, the GTX 650 Ti Boost contains 2,540 million transistors on a 221 mm² die, with a density of 11.5M per mm². The GTX 980’s larger die and higher transistor count provide the physical foundation for its performance advantage.

Clock speeds also differ, with the GTX 980 running at a base clock of 1127 MHz and a boost clock of 1216 MHz. The GTX 650 Ti Boost operates at a lower 980 MHz base and 1032 MHz boost. While clock speed alone does not tell the whole story, the GTX 980’s higher clocks contribute to its superior throughput. Memory configurations are another major divergence: the GTX 980 features 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 650 Ti Boost has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a narrower 192-bit bus, resulting in 144.2 GB/s. The GTX 980’s memory subsystem offers over 55% more bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads.

The compute resources are heavily skewed in favor of the GTX 980. It houses 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster operations pipelines (ROPs). The GTX 650 Ti Boost has only 768 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. These raw counts translate directly to throughput: the GTX 980 achieves 77.82 GPixel/s pixel rate and 155.6 GTexel/s texture rate, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost manages only 16.51 GPixel/s and 66.05 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) shows a similar story, with the GTX 980 delivering 4.981 TFLOPS versus the GTX 650 Ti Boost’s 1.585 TFLOPS.

Feature support also differs. The GTX 980 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 980’s higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version indicate better support for modern rendering techniques. Power requirements reflect the performance gap: the GTX 980 has a TDP of 165 W and requires a 450 W PSU with 2x 6-pin connectors, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost has a 134 W TDP, a 300 W PSU recommendation, and a single 6-pin connector.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 980 has an average benchmark score of 8,167, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost scores 8,067. This is a difference of 100 points, roughly 1.2%.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 980 scores 34,676 versus the GTX 650 Ti Boost’s 9,302, a delta of 272.8%.

Q: Does the GTX 650 Ti Boost win any benchmark against the GTX 980?

A: No. In the head-to-head results, the GTX 980 wins all three tests (Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan), with a wins tally of 3-0.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The GTX 980 has a memory bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost has 144.2 GB/s. The GTX 980’s bandwidth is over 55% higher.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each GPU?

A: The GTX 980 contains 5,200 million transistors, whereas the GTX 650 Ti Boost contains 2,540 million transistors.

Q: Which card supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The GTX 980 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 650 Ti Boost supports Vulkan 1.2.175.

The Verdict

The benchmark data unequivocally favors the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980. In every shared test, it doubles or triples the performance of the GTX 650 Ti Boost, with deltas ranging from 124.5% in Vulkan to 272.8% in OpenCL. The GTX 980’s architectural advantages—more shading units, higher memory bandwidth, and a newer DirectX feature level—make it the superior choice for any workload that leverages these capabilities. The GTX 650 Ti Boost, despite its lower average score being close on paper, cannot compete in raw compute or graphics throughput.

For users considering a card for modern gaming or compute tasks, the GTX 980 is the clear pick. Its 4 GB memory capacity and 256-bit bus provide headroom for high-resolution textures, and its DirectX 12 (12_1) support ensures compatibility with newer titles. The GTX 650 Ti Boost, with its 2 GB memory and DirectX 12 (11_0) limitation, is better suited for older games or light workloads where its lower power draw (134 W TDP vs. 165 W) and smaller physical footprint (241 mm length vs. 267 mm) might be advantageous. However, the data shows no scenario where the GTX 650 Ti Boost outperforms the GTX 980 in the tested benchmarks.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards:

• Chip: GM204 (GTX 980) vs. GK106 (GTX 650 Ti Boost)
• Architecture: Maxwell 2.0 vs. Kepler
• Generation: GeForce 900 vs. GeForce 600
• Transistors: 5,200 million vs. 2,540 million
• Die Size: 398 mm² vs. 221 mm²
• Transistor Density: 13.1M / mm² vs. 11.5M / mm²
• Base Clock: 1127 MHz vs. 980 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1216 MHz vs. 1032 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) vs. 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: 4 GB vs. 2 GB
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit vs. 192 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 224.4 GB/s vs. 144.2 GB/s
• Shading Units: 2048 vs. 768
• TMUs: 128 vs. 64
• ROPs: 64 vs. 24
• Pixel Rate: 77.82 GPixel/s vs. 16.51 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 155.6 GTexel/s vs. 66.05 GTexel/s
• FP32: 4.981 TFLOPS vs. 1.585 TFLOPS
• TDP: 165 W vs. 134 W
• Power Connectors: 2x 6-pin vs. 1x 6-pin
• Suggested PSU: 450 W vs. 300 W
• Display Outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 vs. 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2
• DirectX Support: 12 (12_1) vs. 12 (11_0)
• Vulkan Support: 1.4 vs. 1.2.175
• Release Date: 2014-09-18 vs. 2013-03-25
• Launch MSRP: 549 USD vs. 169 USD
• Dimensions: 267 mm length, 111 mm height, 40 mm width vs. 241 mm length only

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 980 wins in every benchmark category tested. Its strengths lie in compute-heavy workloads, as evidenced by the 272.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and the 212.1% lead in Geekbench Metal. For gamers, the GTX 980’s higher pixel rate (77.82 GPixel/s) and texture rate (155.6 GTexel/s) make it better suited for high-resolution gaming with anti-aliasing and detailed textures. Its larger 4 GB memory buffer also allows for larger texture packs and higher detail settings without hitting VRAM limits. The GTX 650 Ti Boost, by contrast, has no benchmark wins, but its lower TDP (134 W) and smaller length (241 mm) make it a more practical choice for compact builds or systems with modest power supplies. Its single 6-pin connector and 300 W PSU recommendation also simplify installation in older or lower-end systems. However, from a pure performance standpoint, the GTX 980 is the only rational choice when the data is considered.