NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti clearly ahead of the GTX 780 Ti across all shared benchmark tests. The GTX 980 Ti wins three head-to-head comparisons, while the GTX 780 Ti does not win a single one. The average benchmark score reinforces this gap: the GTX 980 Ti averages 28020 points, which is 15.8% higher than the GTX 780 Ti's 24236 average. In percentile terms, the GTX 980 Ti sits at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 780 Ti sits at the 70th.

The largest single margin appears in the Vulkan compute test, where the GTX 980 Ti scores 47724 against 27238 for the GTX 780 Ti, a 75.2% advantage. The OpenCL result shows a 59.2% lead (43513 versus 27326), and the Metal test shows a narrower 7.6% edge (19520 versus 18144). The data indicates that the GTX 980 Ti is the stronger card in every measurable category, with its biggest advantages appearing in modern compute-heavy workloads.

For a user choosing between these two end-of-life cards, the GTX 980 Ti is the defensible pick if compute performance matters. The GTX 780 Ti retains its place only as a legacy part with lower average scores. There is no benchmark category in the database where the GTX 780 Ti beats the GTX 980 Ti. The GTX 980 Ti also launched with a lower MSRP of 649 USD compared to 699 USD for the GTX 780 Ti, further reinforcing its position in the recorded specifications.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 980 Ti averages 28020 points, while the GTX 780 Ti averages 24236 points. The 980 Ti sits at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, and the 780 Ti sits at the 70th.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 980 Ti in Vulkan compute?

A: The GTX 980 Ti scores 47724 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, which is 75.2% higher than the GTX 780 Ti's score of 27238.

Q: Do both cards have the same memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, both cards list a 384-bit bus and 336.6 GB/s bandwidth. However, the GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the GTX 780 Ti has 3 GB.

Q: What is the difference in shading units?

A: The GTX 780 Ti has more shading units at 2880, compared to 2816 on the GTX 980 Ti. Despite having fewer shading units, the GTX 980 Ti achieves higher FP32 throughput at 6.060 TFLOPS versus 5.345 TFLOPS.

Q: Which card supports a newer DirectX version?

A: The GTX 980 Ti supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GTX 780 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_1).

Q: What was the launch MSRP of each card?

A: The GTX 980 Ti launched with an MSRP of 649 USD, and the GTX 780 Ti launched at 699 USD.

Architecture Differences

The two cards belong to different NVIDIA architectures and generations. The GTX 980 Ti uses the GM200 chip built on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, part of the GeForce 900 generation. The GTX 780 Ti uses the GK110B chip built on Kepler architecture, part of the GeForce 700 generation. Both are fabricated on the same 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts differ: the GM200 packs 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die, while the GK110B contains 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. This yields a slightly higher transistor density on the 980 Ti at 13.3M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm².

The architectural generational jump is significant. Maxwell 2.0 introduces feature support that Kepler lacks. The GTX 980 Ti lists DirectX 12 (12_1) support, while the GTX 780 Ti lists DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support also differs: the GTX 980 Ti reports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 780 Ti reports Vulkan 1.2.175. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6 for both.

Display output capabilities also differ. The GTX 980 Ti provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The GTX 780 Ti provides 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The newer HDMI standard and additional DisplayPort outputs on the 980 Ti reflect its later release. The GTX 980 Ti released in June 2015, while the GTX 780 Ti released in November 2013, positioning the 980 Ti as the successor-generation part. The 780 Ti's successor in the database is listed as GeForce 900, which is the generation the 980 Ti belongs to.

Specification Differences

The clock speeds differ notably. The GTX 980 Ti runs at a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1076 MHz. The GTX 780 Ti runs at 875 MHz base and 928 MHz boost. Memory clocks are identical at 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective data rate. Memory capacity differs: 6 GB on the 980 Ti versus 3 GB on the 780 Ti, both using GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with the same 336.6 GB/s bandwidth.

The compute resources show an interesting split. The GTX 780 Ti has more shading units (2880 versus 2816) and more texture mapping units (240 versus 176). However, the GTX 980 Ti has double the ROP count at 96 versus 48. The pixel rate reflects this: 103.3 GPixel/s on the 980 Ti versus 55.68 GPixel/s on the 780 Ti. The texture rate goes the other way: 222.7 GTexel/s on the 780 Ti versus 189.4 GTexel/s on the 980 Ti. FP32 compute favors the 980 Ti at 6.060 TFLOPS against 5.345 TFLOPS.

The physical dimensions are nearly identical. Both cards are 267 mm long and 111 mm tall. The 980 Ti is 40 mm wide, while the 780 Ti is 38 mm wide. Both are dual-slot cards with the same power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin), the same 250 W TDP, and the same 600 W suggested PSU. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16. Both are end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The three shared benchmark tests all favor the GTX 980 Ti. The largest margin is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the 980 Ti scores 47724 and the 780 Ti scores 27238. This is a 75.2% advantage, the most decisive result in the comparison. The Vulkan test measures modern compute and graphics workloads, and the 980 Ti's Maxwell 2.0 architecture with its newer Vulkan support appears to be the deciding factor.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a 59.2% lead for the 980 Ti, with scores of 43513 versus 27326. This is another compute-heavy workload where the 980 Ti's higher FP32 throughput and newer architecture produce a substantial gap. The 6.060 TFLOPS FP32 rating versus 5.345 TFLOPS explains part of the difference, though the measured margin exceeds what raw FLOPs alone would suggest.

The Geekbench Metal test is the closest result. The 980 Ti scores 19520, and the 780 Ti scores 18144, a 7.6% advantage. Metal is an Apple graphics API, and the smaller gap suggests that this workload is less sensitive to the architectural differences between Maxwell 2.0 and Kepler. Still, the 980 Ti wins.

The GTX 980 Ti also has a fourth benchmark entry in the database, a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test with a score of 1321. The GTX 780 Ti has no corresponding entry for this test, so a direct comparison is not possible. This test appears only in the 980 Ti's benchmark list.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 980 Ti wins every category where both cards have recorded data. Its largest wins are in Vulkan and OpenCL compute workloads, with margins of 75.2% and 59.2% respectively. These results point to use cases involving GPU compute, rendering, and modern API workloads. The 980 Ti's 6 GB memory capacity, double the ROP count, and higher FP32 throughput make it the stronger choice for tasks that stress fill rate and compute throughput. Its DirectX 12 (12_1) support and Vulkan 1.4 support also make it more future-proof for software written against newer API versions.

The GTX 780 Ti has no benchmark wins in the data. Its only advantages are structural: more shading units, more TMUs, and a higher texture rate of 222.7 GTexel/s versus 189.4 GTexel/s. These specifications suggest that in pure texture-bound workloads, the 780 Ti could theoretically hold its own, but no recorded benchmark test confirms this. The 780 Ti also has the same memory bandwidth and the same TDP, so it draws the same power while delivering lower overall performance. Its 3 GB memory capacity is half that of the 980 Ti, which limits its usefulness in memory-heavy scenarios.

For users working with modern compute APIs, the GTX 980 Ti is the clear choice. For users restricted to legacy Kepler-era software, the 780 Ti remains functional, but the data shows no scenario where it outperforms its successor. The 980 Ti's lower launch MSRP of 649 USD, compared to 699 USD for the 780 Ti, adds to its case. The percentile ranking difference of 73 versus 70 confirms that the 980 Ti sits in a higher performance tier overall.