NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 vs NVIDIA Quadro M2000M Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M has a higher average benchmark score of 9832, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 scores 8167. The M2000M sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, versus the 43rd percentile for the GTX 980.

Q: What are the available benchmark results for each card?

A: The Quadro M2000M has results in Geekbench OpenCL (10057) and Geekbench Vulkan (9606). The GeForce GTX 980 has results in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (474), Geekbench Metal (15163), Geekbench OpenCL (34676), Geekbench Vulkan (22543), Passmark DirectX 10 (53), DirectX 11 (83), DirectX 12 (46), DirectX 9 (164), G2D (792), G3D (11095), and GPU Compute (4753).

Q: How does the GeForce GTX 980 compare to the Quadro M2000M in OpenCL performance?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 980 scores 34676 versus 10057 for the M2000M, a 71% deficit for the Quadro. This is the largest performance gap recorded between the two cards.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: Both cards have 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, but the GTX 980 uses a 256-bit bus with 224.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the M2000M uses a 128-bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 980's memory clock is 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), versus 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the M2000M.

Q: Which card has more shading units and texture mapping units?

A: The GeForce GTX 980 has 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs, while the Quadro M2000M has 640 shading units and 40 TMUs. The GTX 980 also has 64 ROPs versus 16 ROPs on the M2000M.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GeForce GTX 980?

A: The GeForce GTX 980 has a launch MSRP of 549 USD. The Quadro M2000M has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits cleanly between the two cards, though not evenly. The GeForce GTX 980 wins both head-to-head benchmark comparisons in the database: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. Its OpenCL score of 34676 is more than three times the M2000M's 10057, and its Vulkan score of 22543 is roughly 2.3 times the M2000M's 9606. The GTX 980 also holds a broader benchmark portfolio, with results across DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, Metal, G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute, indicating its compute and graphics strength is measured across multiple API generations.

The Quadro M2000M, by contrast, wins on average score. Its average of 9832 exceeds the GTX 980's 8167 by roughly 20%. This average is driven by its two recorded scores (OpenCL and Vulkan), which are both above 9600. The M2000M also holds a higher percentile rank (47th versus 43rd), placing it slightly higher in the overall GPU distribution. However, the M2000M has no recorded wins in any head-to-head test against the GTX 980. Its advantage is solely in the aggregate metric, not in any individual workload.

For use cases, the GTX 980 is the clear choice for compute-heavy OpenCL workloads and Vulkan-based rendering. The M2000M, with its higher average and percentile, may be more consistent across the limited set of tests it appears in, but it cannot match the GTX 980's peak performance in the two shared benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different Maxwell generations. The Quadro M2000M uses the GM107 chip with the original Maxwell architecture, while the GeForce GTX 980 uses the GM204 chip with Maxwell 2.0. Both are built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts differ substantially: 1,870 million for the M2000M versus 5,200 million for the GTX 980. Die size also diverges, with the M2000M at 148 mm² and the GTX 980 at 398 mm². Transistor density is slightly higher on the GTX 980 at 13.1M per mm², versus 12.6M per mm² for the M2000M.

The GTX 980's larger chip enables a much wider execution pipeline. It has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, compared to 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs on the M2000M. These are 3.2x, 3.2x, and 4x differences, respectively. The GTX 980 also supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the M2000M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both cards list OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4 in their API support.

The form factors reflect their intended markets. The M2000M is an MXM Module with no power connectors and a 55 W TDP, designed for portable devices. The GTX 980 is a dual-slot card with 2x 6-pin power connectors, a 450 W suggested PSU, and a 165 W TDP. The GTX 980's dimensions are 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro M2000M | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 |

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

| Chip | GM107 | GM204 |

| Architecture | Maxwell | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Transistors | 1,870 million | 5,200 million |

| Die Size | 148 mm² | 398 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 13.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1098 MHz | 1127 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1137 MHz | 1216 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 80.19 GB/s | 224.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 40 | 128 |

| ROPs | 16 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 18.19 GPixel/s | 77.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 45.48 GTexel/s | 155.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,455.4 GFLOPS | 4.981 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 55 W | 165 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | None | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | MXM-A (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) |

| Release Date | 2015-12-02 | 2014-09-18 |

| Predecessor | Quadro Kepler-M | GeForce 700 |

| Successor | Quadro Pascal-M | GeForce 10 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 549 USD |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two shared benchmark tests between the Quadro M2000M and the GeForce GTX 980. The GTX 980 wins both, and the margins are substantial.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 980 scores 34676, while the M2000M scores 10057. The delta is 71% in favor of the GTX 980. This is the largest recorded performance gap between the two cards. The M2000M's OpenCL score is less than a third of the GTX 980's, reflecting the massive difference in shading units (640 versus 2048), texture rate (45.48 GTexel/s versus 155.6 GTexel/s), and FP32 throughput (1,455.4 GFLOPS versus 4.981 TFLOPS).

In Geekbench Vulkan, the GTX 980 scores 22543, and the M2000M scores 9606. The delta is 57.4% in favor of the GTX 980. While smaller than the OpenCL gap, this still represents a decisive victory. The GTX 980's Vulkan score is more than double the M2000M's, and the M2000M's Vulkan result is actually lower than its own OpenCL result (9606 versus 10057), whereas the GTX 980's Vulkan score is lower than its OpenCL score but still far above the M2000M's peak.

The GTX 980 also has additional benchmark results that the M2000M lacks. Its Passmark G3D score of 11095 and GPU Compute score of 4753, combined with DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 scores, show a broad workload coverage. The M2000M has no such results, so the comparison is limited to the two shared tests. In those two tests, the GTX 980 is unambiguously superior.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split. The GeForce GTX 980 is the faster card in every shared benchmark. Its OpenCL advantage of 71% and Vulkan advantage of 57.4% are decisive, and its hardware specifications, including 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 224.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, support those results. The GTX 980 also supports DirectX 12 (12_1), a higher feature level than the M2000M's DirectX 12 (11_0). For users running compute workloads, Vulkan applications, or DirectX 12 titles, the GTX 980 is the stronger choice.

The Quadro M2000M has a higher average benchmark score (9832 versus 8167) and a higher percentile rank (47th versus 43rd). However, this average is based on only two tests, both of which the GTX 980 wins by wide margins. The M2000M's advantage in the aggregate metric does not translate into a win in any individual benchmark. Its smaller die (148 mm² versus 398 mm²), lower TDP (55 W versus 165 W), and MXM form factor make it a low-power, portable option, but the performance data shows it cannot compete with the GTX 980 in raw throughput.

The choice depends on the workload. For maximum compute performance, OpenCL or Vulkan tasks, and desktop use with a PCIe slot and power connectors, the GeForce GTX 980 is the clear winner. For a mobile, low-power module with a better average score in a narrow test set, the Quadro M2000M has its place. But in a direct head-to-head comparison, the GTX 980 wins both recorded benchmarks, and the M2000M has no counter-victory. The verdict is straightforward: the GTX 980 outperforms the M2000M where it matters, while the M2000M offers only a statistical edge in the database's aggregate scoring.