NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Mobile

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Mobile is an end-of-life graphics solution from the GeForce 900M generation, built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM204 chip fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The die contains 5,200 million transistors across 398 mm², yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. In the benchmark database, this GPU sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, a neutral midpoint that indicates neither top-tier nor entry-level standing. The database records no measured application scores for this part — its average benchmark score is 0 — so its performance profile must be reconstructed from architectural specifications and theoretical peak rates rather than direct test results.

Who Should Consider It

The GTX 980 Mobile is suited to users who require a capable mobile GPU from the Maxwell 2.0 era and who are comfortable working within the MXM module ecosystem. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth, a configuration that comfortably supports large texture sets and high-detail rendering workloads. The 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs deliver a balanced compute and fill-rate profile: 4.669 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 145.9 GTexel/s of texture fill, and 72.96 GPixel/s of pixel throughput. These figures suggest a card that can handle mainstream resolution gaming with high detail presets, particularly where memory capacity matters more than raw compute.

The 50th-percentile rank across all GPUs means this card is exactly average in the historical distribution — a reasonable target for users upgrading from older GeForce 800M systems who want a generational step forward without moving to a different form factor. The 7 Gbps effective memory speed, derived from a 1753 MHz memory clock, provides sustained bandwidth for anti-aliasing and high-resolution shadow maps. However, because the part is end-of-life and the successor generation (GeForce 10 Mobile) exists, users building new systems should consider that newer option. The MXM-B (3.0) bus interface and MXM Module slot width mean this card is intended for portable workstations and upgradeable laptops, not desktop builds. The absence of power connectors indicates that power delivery flows entirely through the MXM connector, which is typical for mobile modules but limits overclocking headroom.

How It Compares

The dataset provides no nearest rival entries for the GTX 980 Mobile — no rival names, scores, or delta percentages are listed. Consequently, direct numerical comparisons against competing GPUs are impossible from this record. What the data does establish is the card's position within NVIDIA's own product lineage. It succeeds the GeForce 800M generation and is succeeded by the GeForce 10 Mobile generation. The 50th-percentile standing across all GPUs places it at the median of the entire historical performance distribution, which is a meaningful anchor: this is not a halo product, nor is it a low-end part. It sits squarely in the middle, consistent with a mobile implementation of a desktop-class chip (GM204) that has been tuned for the thermal and power constraints of a laptop chassis.

The generational context is clear from the architecture. Maxwell 2.0 represents a mature refinement of NVIDIA's 28 nm design, and the transition from GeForce 800M to the 900M generation brought this architecture to mobile. The subsequent move to GeForce 10 Mobile would introduce a newer process and architectural generation. Within the 900M family itself, the GTX 980 Mobile's 2048 shading units and 8 GB memory configuration place it at the upper end of what the generation offered, even if the overall percentile remains mid-pack. Without rival data, any further comparative statements would require speculation, so the responsible reading of this record is that the GTX 980 Mobile is a median performer whose significance lies in its architectural position rather than in head-to-head victories.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GTX 980 Mobile has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores — both fields are recorded as null in the specification. This is a rasterization-first GPU from the pre-RTX era. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is not available; any ray-traced effects would need to be computed through general-purpose shader paths, which are far less efficient than dedicated RT hardware and impractical for real-time workloads. Similarly, the absence of tensor cores means no hardware acceleration for AI-based features such as deep learning super sampling or neural network inference. The feature set instead centers on traditional graphics APIs: DirectX 12 at feature level 12_1, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

DirectX 12_1 support brings features like conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, which are relevant for advanced rendering techniques in titles that use them. Vulkan 1.4 provides a modern low-level API path, and OpenGL 4.6 covers legacy and cross-platform applications. The display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the actual physical connectors depend entirely on the laptop or carrier board into which the MXM module is installed. The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), and the slot width is an MXM Module, with no power connectors listed — power is supplied through the module connector itself. Users who need ray tracing or tensor-based acceleration will need to look to a much newer GPU; this card's value lies in its conventional rasterization feature set and broad API compatibility.

FAQ

Q: Does the GTX 980 Mobile support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 at feature level 12_1.

Q: How much memory does it have and what type?

A: It has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth at 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective).

Q: Does it have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No, the specification record lists no RT cores and no tensor cores, so hardware-accelerated ray tracing and tensor-based AI features are not available.

Q: What is the process node and die size?

A: The GPU is built on TSMC's 28 nm process with the GM204 chip, containing 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die.

Q: What APIs are supported?

A: It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Is this GPU still in production?

A: No, it is marked as end-of-life. It was released on September 20, 2015, and its successor is the GeForce 10 Mobile generation.

Q: What is the bus interface and form factor?

A: It uses the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface with an MXM Module slot width, and it has no power connectors — power is delivered through the MXM connector.

Benchmark Performance

The database records an average benchmark score of 0 for the GTX 980 Mobile, indicating that no measured application scores are present in this dataset. The only performance-position metric available is the percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs, which places it at the exact midpoint of the performance distribution: half of all GPUs in the database rank above it and half below. This is a meaningful data point, as it situates the card in the middle of the historical field rather than at either extreme. In the absence of rival delta percentages, performance must be inferred from the theoretical peak rates recorded in the specification.

The FP32 compute throughput is 4.669 TFLOPS, generated by 2048 shading units operating at a base clock of 1064 MHz and a boost clock of 1140 MHz. The texture fill rate reaches 145.9 GTexel/s from 128 TMUs, and the pixel fill rate is 72.96 GPixel/s from 64 ROPs. These three figures are internally consistent: the ratio of compute to texture to pixel throughput indicates a balanced design with no single unit acting as an obvious bottleneck. The memory subsystem complements this balance. The 8 GB GDDR5 pool on a 256-bit bus delivers 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is proportionate to the shading and texturing capabilities of the chip. At the listed memory clock of 1753 MHz with 7 Gbps effective throughput, the bandwidth is sufficient to feed the 2048 shading units without starvation in most conventional workloads.

The 50th-percentile ranking, combined with the theoretical rates, paints a picture of a competent mid-pack mobile GPU. The pixel rate of 72.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 145.9 GTexel/s suggest that the card can sustain high fill-rate demands, while the 8 GB memory capacity is generous for its generation and remains useful for texture-heavy content. The boost clock of 1140 MHz over a base of 1064 MHz provides a modest operational headroom, though the exact percentage is not recorded in the dataset. What the data cannot show is how this card performs relative to specific competitors, because no rival scores or deltas are provided. The theoretical numbers do, however, confirm a coherent design: the compute, fill-rate, and memory bandwidth figures are all in proportion, indicating a GPU that was engineered for steady, predictable performance in a mobile thermal envelope. For users seeking a definitive performance ranking against contemporary rivals, this dataset does not provide the necessary measurements. The GTX 980 Mobile remains, on paper, a well-rounded mid-tier mobile GPU from the Maxwell 2.0 era, with its 8 GB memory configuration as its most durable attribute and its lack of RT and tensor cores as the clearest limitation for modern feature demands.