NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains two directly comparable benchmark results between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980: Geekbench Metal and Geekbench OpenCL. In both tests, the GTX 980 dominates decisively.

In the Geekbench Metal test, the GTX 870M scores 7,288 points, while the GTX 980 reaches 15,163 points. That is a performance gap of 51.9 percent in favor of the GTX 980. The GTX 980 more than doubles the mobile GPU's score, a margin that reflects far more than a simple clock speed advantage. The gap is consistent across the two tests, and the OpenCL benchmark shows an even wider spread.

Geekbench OpenCL results amplify the difference. The GTX 870M posts 12,630 points, while the GTX 980 delivers 34,676 points. The delta here is 63.6 percent, meaning the GTX 980 outperforms the GTX 870M by roughly two and three quarters times. This is the largest recorded victory for the GTX 980 in the head-to-head data. OpenCL workloads often scale with raw shading throughput, memory bandwidth, and driver efficiency, and the GTX 980 holds advantages in all three areas.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 870M has an average benchmark score of 9,959 points, placing it at the 48th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M at 10,013 points (0.5 percent higher), the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M at 10,043 points (0.8 percent higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M375 at 10,070 points (1.1 percent higher). The GTX 870M sits just ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro 6000, which averages 9,846 points, a 1.1 percent deficit. This places the GTX 870M in a tightly packed mid-range cluster where small score differences separate competitors.

The GTX 980, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 8,167 points, which lands it at the 43rd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M at 8,135 points (0.4 percent higher), the AMD Radeon R9 M360 at 8,129 points (0.5 percent higher), the NVIDIA GeForce 945M at 8,099 points (0.8 percent higher), and the NVIDIA GRID K2 at 8,080 points (1.1 percent higher). The GTX 980's average score is lower than the GTX 870M's average, which may seem counterintuitive given the head-to-head results. This discrepancy likely stems from the composition of each card's benchmark suite: the GTX 980 has a much broader set of recorded tests, including several Passmark DirectX entries with low scores, which drag down its average. The GTX 870M only has two recorded benchmarks, both of which are compute-oriented tests where it performs respectably relative to its class.

The head-to-head data, however, is unambiguous. In both shared tests, the GTX 980 wins by a wide margin. The wins tally confirms this: the GTX 980 claims 2 wins, while the GTX 870M records 0 wins.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 980 wins in every direct comparison available. Its strengths lie in compute-heavy workloads, as evidenced by its OpenCL score of 34,676 versus the GTX 870M's 12,630. That 63.6 percent lead suggests the GTX 980's larger shading array and higher memory bandwidth translate into substantial throughput gains for general-purpose GPU tasks.

The Metal benchmark also favors the GTX 980, with a 51.9 percent advantage. Metal is a low-level graphics and compute API, and the GTX 980's architecture handles it more efficiently. The GTX 870M's Kepler architecture, while capable, does not extract the same level of performance from this API.

For the GTX 870M, the wins are contextual rather than absolute. Its average benchmark score of 9,959 sits above the GTX 980's average of 8,167, meaning that in the database's overall scoring, the GTX 870M ranks higher. This is driven by its percentile placement (48th versus 43rd) and its tighter benchmark set. The GTX 870M also posts a relatively strong OpenCL result of 12,630 for a mobile part, which keeps its average competitive. In scenarios where power consumption is a constraint, the GTX 870M's 100 W TDP versus the GTX 980's 165 W TDP makes it the more practical choice for thin-and-light laptops, though the database does not record thermal or acoustic measurements.

The GTX 980's Passmark results provide additional context for its strengths. It scores 11,095 in Passmark G3D, 4,753 in Passmark GPU Compute, and 792 in Passmark G2D. Its DirectX-specific Passmark scores vary: 164 in DirectX 9, 83 in DirectX 11, 53 in DirectX 10, and 46 in DirectX 12. These numbers indicate that the GTX 980 is strongest in modern 3D workloads and compute tasks, while legacy DirectX 9 performance remains its best legacy API showing.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures and generations. The GTX 870M is built on the Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip, part of the GeForce 800M generation. The GTX 980 uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM204 chip, belonging to the GeForce 900 generation. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process node, but the transistor counts differ substantially.

The GTX 870M packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The GTX 980 contains 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, with a density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. The GTX 980's larger die and higher transistor count provide the physical foundation for its performance lead.

Memory configurations differ as well. The GTX 870M ships with 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 120.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 980 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, reaching 224.4 GB/s. That is nearly double the bandwidth, which directly impacts frame buffer throughput and compute performance.

Core counts scale accordingly. The GTX 870M has 1,344 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The GTX 980 features 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The ROP count is particularly notable: the GTX 980 has more than double the pixel output capability, reflected in its pixel rate of 77.82 GPixel/s versus the GTX 870M's 27.08 GPixel/s. Texture rate also favors the GTX 980 at 155.6 GTexel/s compared to 108.3 GTexel/s.

Peak FP32 throughput tells a similar story. The GTX 870M reaches 2.599 TFLOPS, while the GTX 980 hits 4.981 TFLOPS. Neither card has recorded FP16, ray tracing, or tensor core data.

Clock speeds favor the GTX 980 as well. Its base clock is 1,127 MHz with a boost of 1,216 MHz, while the GTX 870M runs at 941 MHz base and 967 MHz boost. Memory clocks also differ: the GTX 870M uses 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), and the GTX 980 uses 1,753 MHz (7 Gbps effective).

API support diverges. The GTX 870M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The GTX 980 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version give the GTX 980 better compatibility with modern titles and drivers.

Physical specifications also separate the two. The GTX 870M uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface, draws 100 W, and requires no external power connectors. It is a portable-device-dependent module with no fixed dimensions recorded. The GTX 980 is a dual-slot card with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, a 165 W TDP, and two 6-pin power connectors. It measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, with a suggested PSU of 450 W. Display outputs differ too: the GTX 870M is portable-device dependent, while the GTX 980 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 wins both shared tests. It scores 15,163 versus 7,288 in Geekbench Metal and 34,676 versus 12,630 in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The GTX 980 leads by 63.6 percent, roughly 2.75 times the GTX 870M's score.

Q: Does the GTX 870M have any advantage in average benchmark score?

A: Yes. The GTX 870M averages 9,959 points and sits at the 48th percentile, while the GTX 980 averages 8,167 points at the 43rd percentile. The GTX 980's broader test suite, including several low Passmark DirectX scores, lowers its average.

Q: What memory bandwidth does each card have?

A: The GTX 870M provides 120.0 GB/s over a 192-bit bus, while the GTX 980 provides 224.4 GB/s over a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GTX 980 has 2,048 shading units, compared to the GTX 870M's 1,344. The GTX 980 also has 128 TMUs and 64 ROPs, versus 112 TMUs and 24 ROPs.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 870M has a 100 W TDP and uses an MXM-B interface with no power connectors. The GTX 980 has a 165 W TDP, uses two 6-pin connectors, and requires a 450 W suggested PSU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 |

|----------------|--------------------------|-------------------------|

| Architecture | Kepler | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Chip | GK104 | GM204 |

| Generation | GeForce 800M | GeForce 900 |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 5,200 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 398 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.0M / mm² | 13.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 941 MHz | 1,127 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 967 MHz | 1,216 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1,753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 3 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 120.0 GB/s | 224.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1,344 | 2,048 |

| TMUs | 112 | 128 |

| ROPs | 24 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 27.08 GPixel/s | 77.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 108.3 GTexel/s | 155.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.599 TFLOPS | 4.981 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 100 W | 165 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not recorded | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2014-03-11 | 2014-09-18 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 700M | GeForce 700 |

| Successor | GeForce 900M | GeForce 10 |

| Dimensions | Not recorded | 267 mm (10.5 inches) length, 111 mm (4.4 inches) height, 40 mm (1.6 inches) width |

| Launch MSRP | Not recorded | 549 USD |

The GTX 980's launch MSRP is 549 USD, recorded once here for reference. All other fields show clear architectural and specification superiority for the GTX 980, with the GTX 870M retaining advantages only in power draw and form factor flexibility for portable systems.