NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 vs NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two GPUs into very different roles. The NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition wins both recorded head-to-head tests outright, and the margins are substantial. The GeForce GTX 980, by contrast, does not win a single direct comparison in the database, but it still holds relevance in specific legacy scenarios due to its Maxwell architecture feature set.

The TITAN V CEO Edition dominates in raw compute throughput. Its Passmark G3D score of 16988 against the GTX 980's 11095 represents a 53.1% advantage, which places it firmly in a different performance class. This is a GPU built for workloads that demand massive parallel processing: shading units, texture units, and memory bandwidth all scale far beyond what the GTX 980 offers. The GTX 980 is a capable performer for its generation, but the data shows it trails by more than half in the primary 3D benchmark.

The GTX 980 does have one clear niche: compatibility with older DirectX titles. Its Passmark DirectX 9 score of 164, DirectX 10 score of 53, DirectX 11 score of 83, and DirectX 12 score of 46 are recorded in the database. These are not compared directly against the TITAN V CEO Edition, since the TITAN V lacks entries for those specific tests, but they confirm the GTX 980 retains functional legacy API support. The TITAN V CEO Edition, with its Volta architecture, focuses its recorded scores on Passmark G2D and G3D only.

For 2D workloads, the TITAN V CEO Edition again leads. Its Passmark G2D score of 1086 beats the GTX 980's 792 by 37.1%. That gap matters for desktop compositing, video playback acceleration, and any GPU-accelerated 2D interface work. The GTX 980 is not weak in this area, but the data indicates the TITAN V CEO Edition handles 2D tasks with noticeably more headroom.

The wins breakdown is simple: two wins for the TITAN V CEO Edition, zero for the GTX 980. The GTX 980's value lies in its legacy API coverage and its much lower power draw, both of which are qualitative advantages for older systems or constrained builds. But in every measured head-to-head metric, the TITAN V CEO Edition is the superior part.

Architecture Differences

These two GPUs come from completely different architectural eras. The TITAN V CEO Edition uses the GV100 chip built on Volta architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 980 uses the GM204 chip on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference alone explains much of the performance gulf: 12 nm versus 28 nm allows the TITAN V to pack far more transistors into its die.

The transistor counts are stark. The TITAN V CEO Edition contains 21,100 million transistors on an 815 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 25.9 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. That is a fourfold transistor advantage for the TITAN V CEO Edition, and the die size is more than double. The density figure shows the TITAN V is not just bigger, it is also more efficiently packed.

Memory architecture is another major split. The TITAN V CEO Edition uses 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 868.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 980 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The TITAN V has eight times the memory capacity and nearly four times the bandwidth. For any workload that scales with memory size or bandwidth, this is a decisive advantage.

Compute resources differ by a similar magnitude. The TITAN V CEO Edition has 5120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs. It also includes 640 tensor cores, which the GTX 980 lacks entirely. The GTX 980 has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The TITAN V CEO Edition has 2.5 times the shading units, 2.5 times the TMUs, and double the ROPs. The tensor cores are a unique feature that enables AI and deep learning workloads the GTX 980 cannot accelerate at all.

Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story. The TITAN V CEO Edition has a base clock of 1200 MHz and a boost clock of 1455 MHz. The GTX 980 has a base clock of 1127 MHz and a boost clock of 1216 MHz. The TITAN V runs faster at both points, but the clock gap is modest compared to the architectural differences. The real performance separation comes from the sheer number of execution units, not clock frequency.

Power and connectivity also differ. The TITAN V CEO Edition has a 250 W TDP, requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector, and suggests a 600 W power supply. The GTX 980 has a 165 W TDP, uses two 6-pin connectors, and suggests a 450 W power supply. Both are dual-slot cards with identical 267 mm length, but the TITAN V demands more power and a stronger PSU. Display outputs differ too: the TITAN V has one HDMI 2.0 and three DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 980 has one DVI, one HDMI 2.0, and three DisplayPort 1.2. The TITAN V supports newer display output standards.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two recorded head-to-head tests cover 2D and 3D performance, and both show the TITAN V CEO Edition winning by a wide margin.

In Passmark G2D, the TITAN V CEO Edition scores 1086 against the GTX 980's 792. That is a 37.1% delta in favor of the TITAN V. This test measures 2D graphics operations, including desktop rendering, image manipulation, and video-related tasks. A 37.1% lead is substantial and indicates the TITAN V CEO Edition handles 2D workloads with significantly more headroom. The GTX 980 is not far behind in absolute terms for typical desktop use, but the gap is measurable.

In Passmark G3D, the difference becomes overwhelming. The TITAN V CEO Edition scores 16988, while the GTX 980 scores 11095. The TITAN V leads by 53.1%. This is the primary 3D gaming and compute metric in the database, and a 53.1% advantage means the TITAN V CEO Edition delivers roughly one and a half times the 3D performance of the GTX 980. For modern games that stress shader throughput and memory bandwidth, this translates directly into higher frame rates and higher detail settings.

The GTX 980 does have recorded scores in other benchmarks, but these are not head-to-head tests against the TITAN V. Its Geekbench Metal score is 15163, OpenCL is 34676, Vulkan is 22543, and its Passmark GPU Compute score is 4753. The TITAN V CEO Edition has no entries for these tests in the database, so a direct comparison is not possible. The TITAN V's average benchmark score of 9037 across its recorded tests, however, is higher than the GTX 980's average of 8167. That is a 10.6% advantage in overall average, though the average includes different test sets.

The percentile rankings are close: the TITAN V CEO Edition sits at the 45th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 980 sits at the 43rd. This suggests that while the TITAN V is clearly faster in direct comparison, both cards are near the middle of the overall GPU distribution in the database. The nearest rivals for the TITAN V include the GTX 660 (0.2% higher average score), GTX 560 (0.2% lower), Radeon 550X (1.3% higher), and Radeon 890M (1.9% lower). The GTX 980's nearest rivals include the GTX 950M (0.4% higher), Radeon R9 M360 (0.5% higher), GeForce 945M (0.8% higher), and GRID K2 (1.1% higher). These rival comparisons place both cards in a similar overall performance tier, despite the wide head-to-head gap.

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion: the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition is the faster GPU in every directly measured comparison. Its 53.1% lead in Passmark G3D and 37.1% lead in Passmark G2D are decisive. For anyone choosing between these two for 3D rendering, modern gaming, or compute-heavy workloads, the TITAN V CEO Edition is the obvious pick.

The GTX 980 is not without merit. It draws 165 W versus the TITAN V's 250 W, which makes it a better fit for systems with weaker power supplies. It requires two 6-pin connectors rather than a 6-pin plus 8-pin arrangement, and its 450 W suggested PSU is lower than the TITAN V's 600 W. It also has recorded support for DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 legacy tests, while the TITAN V has no such entries. For a retro build or a system that needs to run older DirectX titles, the GTX 980 has documented compatibility.

But the performance gap is too large to ignore. The TITAN V CEO Edition has 32 GB of HBM2 memory versus 4 GB of GDDR5, 5120 shading units versus 2048, and 640 tensor cores versus none. These are not incremental differences; they represent a generational leap. The GTX 980 sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, while the TITAN V sits at the 45th, so both are mid-pack overall, but the direct comparison leaves no ambiguity about which is faster.

The verdict depends on priorities. If performance is the goal, the TITAN V CEO Edition wins outright. If power efficiency, legacy API support, or lower system requirements matter more, the GTX 980 has a role. For raw benchmark scores, the TITAN V CEO Edition is the superior product.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Passmark G3D score?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition scores 16988, while the GeForce GTX 980 scores 11095. The TITAN V leads by 53.1%.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition has 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, while the GTX 980 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Does the GTX 980 support older DirectX versions?

A: Yes, the database records Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 scores for the GTX 980: 164, 53, 83, and 46 respectively. The TITAN V CEO Edition has no entries for these tests.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition has a 250 W TDP and suggests a 600 W power supply. The GTX 980 has a 165 W TDP and suggests a 450 W power supply.

Q: What unique compute feature does the TITAN V CEO Edition have?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition includes 640 tensor cores. The GTX 980 has no tensor cores at all.

Q: How do the two cards compare in 2D performance?

A: The TITAN V CEO Edition scores 1086 in Passmark G2D, beating the GTX 980's 792 by 37.1%.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 |

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

| Architecture | Volta | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 21,100 million | 5,200 million |

| Die Size | 815 mm² | 398 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 25.9M / mm² | 13.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1200 MHz | 1127 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1455 MHz | 1216 MHz |

| Memory Size | 32 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 4096 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 868.4 GB/s | 224.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 5120 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 320 | 128 |

| ROPs | 128 | 64 |

| Tensor Cores | 640 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 14.90 TFLOPS | 4.981 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 29.80 TFLOPS (2:1) | None |

| Pixel Rate | 186.2 GPixel/s | 77.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 465.6 GTexel/s | 155.6 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 250 W | 165 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 2x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 450 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |