NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M represent two entirely different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects this chasm. In the single shared 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server delivers a score of 5996, which is 823.9% higher than the GTX 980M’s 649. This is not a close contest; it is a generational wipeout. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server ranks in the 34th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 980M sits in the 31st percentile, a gap that appears modest only because the database’s percentile scale compresses the vast performance difference between these two parts.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a modern DirectX 12 workload that stresses geometry, ray tracing, and asynchronous compute. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server scores 5996, while the GTX 980M scores 649. The delta is 823.9%, meaning the newer card is over nine times faster in this specific test. This is the largest single-test margin imaginable between two products, and it is driven by every architectural advantage the RTX PRO 6000 holds over the GTX 980M.

For context, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server’s nearest rivals in the database are not the GTX 980M at all. Its closest competitors include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M with an average score of 6000 (0.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6400 also at 6001 (0.1% lower), and the AMD FirePro W4100 at 5987 (0.2% higher). These scores are nearly identical, which indicates that the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server’s 5996 score lands it in a cluster of GPUs that are all performing at roughly the same level in this particular benchmark. The GTX 980M, by contrast, is nowhere near this cluster.

The GTX 980M’s nearest rivals, meanwhile, are all far slower parts. The NVIDIA GeForce 930A scores 5317 (0.2% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce 840M scores 5322 (0.3% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce 940M scores 5284 (0.5% lower). The GTX 980M’s average benchmark score across all tests is 5308, but its Steel Nomad score of 649 is dramatically lower than that average because the other tests in its suite, such as Passmark DirectX 9 at 125 and Passmark G3D at 7338, pull the average in different directions. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has only one benchmark in the database, so its average score equals its Steel Nomad score.

The data shows no benchmark where the GTX 980M wins. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server wins the sole head-to-head test by a margin that is not just quantitative but qualitative. A 823.9% delta means the newer GPU completes the workload in about one-tenth of the time, or delivers a playable frame rate where the older GPU produces a slideshow. For any modern DirectX 12 title, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the only viable option between these two.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server than the GTX 980M in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server scores 5996, while the GTX 980M scores 649, which makes the newer card 823.9% faster in this specific test.

Q: Which GPU has better overall benchmark standing relative to all other GPUs?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server ranks in the 34th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 980M ranks in the 31st percentile. The RTX PRO 6000 is higher, but both sit in a similar lower-mid range of the overall distribution.

Q: What is the GTX 980M’s strongest benchmark result?

A: The GTX 980M’s highest recorded score is 23832 in Geekbench OpenCL, followed by 17703 in Geekbench Vulkan and 7338 in Passmark G3D. Its weakest result is 31 in Passmark DirectX 12.

Q: Are the two GPUs comparable in memory capacity?

A: No. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has 96 GB of GDDR7 memory, while the GTX 980M has 8 GB of GDDR5. The newer card also uses a 512-bit bus versus a 256-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s bandwidth versus 160.4 GB/s.

Q: Does the GTX 980M support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The GTX 980M has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed in the database. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server includes 188 ray tracing cores and 752 tensor cores.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has a transistor density of 122.9 million transistors per square millimeter, compared to 13.1 million for the GTX 980M. This is a 9.4 times higher density.

Architecture Differences

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB202 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It packs 92,200 million transistors into a 750 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The GTX 980M, by contrast, uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM204 chip, built on a 28 nm process, also by TSMC. It contains 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, for a density of 13.1 million per square millimeter.

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has 24,064 shading units, 752 texture mapping units, and 192 raster output units. Its 188 ray tracing cores and 752 tensor cores are entirely absent from the GTX 980M, which has only 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 980M’s compute capabilities are limited to its shader array, with no dedicated hardware for ray tracing or AI acceleration.

The memory subsystems diverge completely. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server uses 96 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The GTX 980M uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with 160.4 GB/s bandwidth. The newer card’s memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective), while the older card runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The RTX PRO 6000 also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the GTX 980M uses an MXM-B (3.0) interface.

The API support also differs. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 980M only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX PRO 6000’s pixel rate is 502.5 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 1,968.0 GTexel/s, while the GTX 980M manages 72.13 GPixel/s and 108.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute of the RTX PRO 6000 is 126.0 TFLOPS, which is 36.4 times the GTX 980M’s 3.462 TFLOPS.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the superior GPU in every measurable way. Its 823.9% lead in the sole shared benchmark, its larger memory capacity, its newer architecture, and its complete feature set for ray tracing and tensor workloads make it the obvious choice for any modern application. The GTX 980M, meanwhile, is an end-of-life product from 2014, and its performance in the database reflects that status.

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is an active production card with a 600 W TDP, a dual-slot form factor, and a 1x 16-pin power connector. It is designed for server workloads, with a suggested PSU of 1000 W. The GTX 980M is an MXM module with no power connector of its own, designed for portable devices, and its TDP is not listed in the database. The RTX PRO 6000’s release date of March 2025 puts it a full decade ahead of the GTX 980M’s October 2014 launch.

For any user choosing between these two, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the only rational selection. The GTX 980M cannot run modern DirectX 12 Ultimate workloads, has no ray tracing capability, and its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is insufficient for current game textures or professional datasets. The RTX PRO 6000’s 96 GB of GDDR7 and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are in a completely different performance class.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The process node is 5 nm for the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server versus 28 nm for the GTX 980M. Transistor count is 92,200 million versus 5,200 million. Die size is 750 mm² versus 398 mm². Transistor density is 122.9M per mm² versus 13.1M per mm².

Clock speeds differ substantially: the RTX PRO 6000 has a base clock of 1590 MHz and a boost of 2617 MHz, while the GTX 980M has a base of 1038 MHz and a boost of 1127 MHz. Memory size is 96 GB versus 8 GB, memory type is GDDR7 versus GDDR5, bus width is 512 bit versus 256 bit, and bandwidth is 1.79 TB/s versus 160.4 GB/s.

Shading units are 24,064 versus 1,536. TMUs are 752 versus 96. ROPs are 192 versus 64. The RTX PRO 6000 has 188 ray tracing cores and 752 tensor cores; the GTX 980M has none. Pixel rate is 502.5 GPixel/s versus 72.13 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 1,968.0 GTexel/s versus 108.2 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 126.0 TFLOPS versus 3.462 TFLOPS.

The RTX PRO 6000 has a TDP of 600 W, a dual-slot width, a 1x 16-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 1000 W. The GTX 980M is an MXM Module with no power connector and no suggested PSU. The bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 versus MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 2.1b versus portable device dependent. Production status is Active versus End-of-life. Release dates are 2025-03-17 versus 2014-10-06. The RTX PRO 6000’s predecessor is Server Hopper and successor is Server Rubin; the GTX 980M’s predecessor is GeForce 800M and successor is GeForce 10 Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server wins in every benchmark category recorded. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it is 823.9% faster. Its FP32 compute of 126.0 TFLOPS is 36.4 times higher. Its memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is 11.2 times higher. Its texture rate of 1,968.0 GTexel/s is 18.2 times higher. Its pixel rate of 502.5 GPixel/s is 7 times higher.

The GTX 980M has no wins in any shared benchmark. Its only advantages are qualitative: it is an MXM module, which makes it suitable for laptops and portable devices, whereas the RTX PRO 6000 is a dual-slot server card. The GTX 980M requires no external power connector, while the RTX PRO 6000 needs a 1x 16-pin connector and a 1000 W PSU. These are form-factor differences, not performance advantages.

For use cases, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the pick for any server, workstation, or high-end desktop workload involving modern DirectX 12 Ultimate games, ray tracing, AI inference with tensor cores, or large datasets exceeding 8 GB. The GTX 980M is only viable for legacy applications or systems where the MXM form factor is a hard constraint, and even then, its 8 GB memory and lack of modern API support limit it to older software. The database’s single benchmark and the 823.9% delta make the conclusion straightforward: the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the definitive choice for performance, and the GTX 980M is a relic of a previous generation.