NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits cleanly between these two Maxwell 2.0 parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti wins the only directly comparable test, Geekbench Vulkan, with a score of 47,724 against 31,220 for the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q. That is a 34.6% advantage for the GTX 980 Ti, and it is the sole head-to-head result in the database. The GRID M60-1Q has no wins recorded in any head-to-head comparison, while the GTX 980 Ti claims one.

Beyond that single comparison, the broader benchmark profile shows different strengths. The GRID M60-1Q posts an average benchmark score of 31,220, which places it at the 76th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GTX 980 Ti, despite scoring higher in Vulkan, has a lower average of 28,020 and sits at the 73rd percentile. The average is pulled down by its other recorded results: 1,321 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 19,520 in Geekbench Metal, and 43,513 in Geekbench OpenCL. The GRID M60-1Q has only the single Vulkan result recorded, so its average equals that score.

In terms of nearest rivals, the GRID M60-1Q sits within a tight cluster. The NVIDIA Quadro M5000 averages 31,206, essentially identical with a 0% delta, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell scores 31,532, 1% higher, and the NVIDIA TITAN RTX scores 31,676, 1.4% higher. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is marginally behind at 31,087, 0.4% lower. The GTX 980 Ti, meanwhile, aligns with a different competitive set. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X averages 27,973, just 0.2% lower, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 sits 0.7% lower at 27,839, and the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is 0.5% lower at 27,883. The AMD FirePro S7150 is 0.3% higher at 28,117.

The use-case split is therefore not about raw leadership in every test. The GTX 980 Ti dominates in Vulkan, which is often the relevant API for modern cross-platform workloads. The GRID M60-1Q, with its higher percentile rank and its proximity to much newer professional parts like the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, appears better positioned in the database's aggregate ranking despite losing the one direct comparison. For workloads that rely on the specific set of metrics captured by the average, the GRID part holds a higher standing; for a single Vulkan workload, the GTX 980 Ti is clearly faster.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use the Maxwell 2.0 architecture and are fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process, but they are built on different chips. The GRID M60-1Q uses the GM204 chip, while the GTX 980 Ti uses the GM200. The transistor counts differ substantially: the GM204 packs 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, whereas the GM200 integrates 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical, 13.1 million per mm² for the GRID part and 13.3 million per mm² for the GTX 980 Ti, which reflects the same process generation and similar design rules.

The compute configuration diverges accordingly. The GRID M60-1Q has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 980 Ti scales that up to 2,816 shading units, 176 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The larger chip delivers higher theoretical throughput: the GTX 980 Ti reaches 6.060 TFLOPS FP32, 189.4 GTexel/s texture fill, and 103.3 GPixel/s pixel fill. The GRID M60-1Q, with fewer units and lower clocks, manages 4.825 TFLOPS FP32, 150.8 GTexel/s, and 75.39 GPixel/s. Neither part has dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, consistent with their Maxwell generation.

Clock behavior is another differentiator. The GRID M60-1Q has a base clock of 557 MHz and a boost of 1,178 MHz, a large boost range that suggests power or thermal management tuned for virtualized data center use. The GTX 980 Ti runs at a 1,000 MHz base and 1,076 MHz boost, a much narrower range and a higher sustained floor. Memory clocks also differ: the GRID part runs at 1,253 MHz, or 5 Gbps effective, while the GTX 980 Ti runs at 1,753 MHz, or 7 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity and bandwidth reinforce the split. The GRID M60-1Q has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus, yielding 160.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus, yielding 336.6 GB/s, more than double the bandwidth. That difference matters for large frame buffers and high-resolution textures. The GRID M60-1Q’s small memory footprint is a clear sign of its intended role as a virtualized workstation or cloud GPU, where each virtual machine receives a slice of the physical card. The GTX 980 Ti, by contrast, is built for a local desktop with a full 6 GB frame buffer.

Power and physical design differ as well. The GRID M60-1Q has a 225 W TDP and requires a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested 550 W PSU. The GTX 980 Ti has a 250 W TDP, uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 600 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards, and both are 267 mm long, or 10.5 inches. The GTX 980 Ti adds published height and width dimensions of 111 mm and 40 mm, respectively. The GRID M60-1Q has no display outputs at all, while the GTX 980 Ti provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. That is the fundamental architectural purpose split: one is a render farm or virtual desktop accelerator with no physical video out, the other is a consumer display card.

Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Release timing is close, with the GTX 980 Ti released on 2015-06-01 and the GRID M60-1Q on 2015-08-29. Both are end-of-life. The GTX 980 Ti has a documented predecessor in GeForce 700 and a successor in GeForce 10, but the GRID M60-1Q lists neither. The GTX 980 Ti also has a launch MSRP of 649 USD.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy in the one shared test. The GTX 980 Ti beats the GRID M60-1Q by 34.6% in Geekbench Vulkan. If the workload is exactly that, a Vulkan compute or graphics task, the GTX 980 Ti is the stronger choice. Its raw specifications support that result: more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, higher clocks, more memory, and more than twice the memory bandwidth.

The GRID M60-1Q, however, holds a higher aggregate position. Its 76th percentile versus 73rd, and its average score of 31,220 versus 28,020, indicate that in the database’s overall ranking it sits closer to professional parts like the NVIDIA Quadro M5000, which is within 0% delta, and the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell, which is only 1% higher. The GTX 980 Ti’s nearest rivals are AMD professional and mobile parts, with the AMD FirePro S7150 slightly ahead at 0.3%. That suggests the GTX 980 Ti’s average is dragged down by its Metal and 3DMark results, while its Vulkan score is genuinely strong.

Who should pick which depends on the deployment model. The GRID M60-1Q has no display outputs, 1,024 MB of memory, and a 225 W TDP with a single 8-pin connector. That is a virtualized or remote GPU, likely for data center environments where multiple users share the card and no physical monitor is attached. Its high percentile and closeness to modern professional cards in the aggregate ranking suggest it remains competitive in the database’s measured profile despite its small frame buffer.

The GTX 980 Ti is the obvious choice for a local workstation or gaming system. It has display outputs, 6 GB of memory, higher throughput in every measured compute metric, and the Vulkan win. Its 649 USD launch MSRP is documented, though the card is end-of-life. For anyone comparing these two strictly on the recorded data, the GTX 980 Ti is faster in the only common test, while the GRID M60-1Q offers a better aggregate percentile and a feature set aimed at virtualized use. There is no scenario in the data where the GRID part wins a direct benchmark, so the verdict is simple: the GTX 980 Ti for raw performance, the GRID M60-1Q for its niche as a server-side accelerator with no display output.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 47,724, which is 34.6% higher than the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q’s 31,220.

Q: Does the GRID M60-1Q win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The database records zero wins for the GRID M60-1Q and one win for the GTX 980 Ti in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The GRID M60-1Q has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus with 160.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus with 336.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the difference in their aggregate performance rankings?

A: The GRID M60-1Q sits at the 76th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 31,220. The GTX 980 Ti sits at the 73rd percentile with an average score of 28,020.

Q: Can the GRID M60-1Q connect to a display?

A: No. The GRID M60-1Q has no display outputs, while the GTX 980 Ti offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2.

Q: How do their thermal and power requirements differ?

A: The GRID M60-1Q has a 225 W TDP with one 8-pin connector and a suggested 550 W PSU. The GTX 980 Ti has a 250 W TDP with one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector and a suggested 600 W PSU.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database lists exactly one head-to-head result: Geekbench Vulkan. The GTX 980 Ti scores 47,724, the GRID M60-1Q scores 31,220, and the delta is 34.6% in favor of the GTX 980 Ti. That margin is substantial. In practical terms, the GTX 980 Ti delivers roughly a third more performance in this workload, which is consistent with its larger GM200 chip, 2,816 shading units versus 2,048, and its higher memory bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s versus 160.4 GB/s.

The GRID M60-1Q’s closest rival in the database is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 at 31,206, a 0% delta, meaning the two are effectively tied in average score. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX is 1.4% higher at 31,676, and the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is 1% higher at 31,532. The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER trails by 0.4% at 31,087. This places the GRID M60-1Q in a competitive band where the differences are small, all within 1.4% of each other.

The GTX 980 Ti’s nearest rivals are a different group. The AMD FirePro S7150 leads by 0.3% at 28,117, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X is 0.2% behind at 27,973, the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is 0.5% behind at 27,883, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 is 0.7% behind at 27,839. The GTX 980 Ti’s average of 28,020 places it in the middle of that pack, slightly behind the FirePro but ahead of the three Radeon parts.

The Vulkan result is the only place where the two cards in this comparison meet directly, and it is decisive. The GTX 980 Ti’s other recorded scores, 1,321 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 19,520 in Geekbench Metal, and 43,513 in Geekbench OpenCL, have no counterpart in the GRID M60-1Q’s record, so they cannot be compared. The GRID M60-1Q’s single Vulkan score, when measured against its own rival set, is competitive with modern professional GPUs, but against the GTX 980 Ti it falls short by more than a third. The data is unambiguous: in the one shared workload, the GTX 980 Ti is the faster card, while the GRID M60-1Q holds its own only in the aggregate percentile ranking and against its professional peers.