NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX Specifications
GeForce GTX 980MX GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
GTX 980MX Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the GeForce GTX 980MX's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The GeForce GTX 980MX by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 980MX Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The GeForce GTX 980MX's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
GeForce GTX 980MX by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the GTX 980MX, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
GTX 980MX Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Maxwell 2.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX is built on NVIDIA's Maxwell 2.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the GTX 980MX will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 980MX Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the GeForce GTX 980MX to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
GeForce GTX 980MX by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
GeForce GTX 980MX Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the GeForce GTX 980MX by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
GeForce GTX 980MX Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX
Who Should Consider It
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980MX sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs in the benchmark database, which places it squarely in the middle of the performance spectrum. This is not a flagship part, nor is it an entry-level chip — it is a capable mobile solution for users who need solid 1080p performance without stepping up to the highest tiers of mobile graphics.
Given its 3.920 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 75.39 GPixel/s pixel fill rate, the GTX 980MX is best suited for 1080p gaming at high detail settings in most titles from its era. The data suggests that at 1440p, users would need to dial back settings to medium or high to maintain playable frame rates, depending on the specific game's demands. At 4K, the 980MX would struggle to deliver consistent performance even at low settings; this is not a resolution this GPU was designed to handle with any grace.
For users who prioritize portability — the 980MX ships as an MXM Module, meaning it is designed for laptops and other small-form-factor systems — this card offers a reasonable balance of performance and power. It is not a desktop card, so enthusiasts building custom rigs should look elsewhere. The 28 nm process node and 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die indicate a mature design that was competitive at its release in mid-2016, but it is now end-of-life.
If you are playing esports titles or older AAA games, the 980MX will handle them comfortably. For modern, demanding releases, expect to lower settings or reduce resolution. The 50th percentile ranking confirms that half of all GPUs in the database outperform it, and half perform worse — a classic mid-range position that rewards realistic expectations.
Memory Subsystem
The GTX 980MX comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, which is a critical specification for understanding its performance ceiling. The effective memory clock is 1500 MHz, translating to 6 Gbps effective data rate.
For a GPU of this class, 8 GB of VRAM is generous — it was above the norm for its generation and remains useful for modern games that increasingly demand larger frame buffers. At 1080p, 8 GB is more than sufficient for almost all titles, and even at 1440p, you will rarely hit the VRAM ceiling unless you enable ultra-high-resolution texture packs. The 256-bit bus width is a solid match for the memory capacity, though the 192.0 GB/s bandwidth is modest by today's standards.
This bandwidth figure means that at high resolutions with heavy texture streaming, the 980MX may become bandwidth-limited before it becomes compute-limited. In practice, this translates to performance drops in scenes with large, complex environments or when using high-resolution shadows and reflections. For 1080p gaming, the memory subsystem is adequate; for 1440p, it is workable with settings tuned to reduce memory pressure; for 4K, the bandwidth will be a bottleneck.
The 75.39 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 122.5 GTexel/s texture rate further contextualize the memory performance — the card can push pixels and texels at a pace that aligns with its memory throughput, meaning there is no obvious imbalance in the design. Users should not expect to overclock memory to compensate for bandwidth limitations; the stock configuration is what it is.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The GTX 980MX is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, specifically using the GM204 chip. This architecture predates dedicated ray tracing hardware — the FACT PACK lists no RT cores and no tensor cores for this GPU. Consequently, the 980MX has no hardware-accelerated ray tracing capabilities. Any ray-traced effects in games would need to be handled via compute shaders, which would severely impact performance given the 3.920 TFLOPS FP32 throughput.
The feature set is defined by its API support: DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. DirectX 12_1 support means the card can handle feature level 12_1, which includes conservative rasterization and rasterizer-ordered views, but it lacks the mesh shaders and other features introduced in later DirectX versions. Vulkan 1.4 support is noteworthy, as it enables modern cross-platform titles to run, though performance will still be limited by the underlying hardware. OpenGL 4.6 ensures compatibility with older applications and some emulators.
The shading units number 1,664, with 104 texture mapping units and 64 ROPs. This configuration is typical for a mid-to-high-end Maxwell part. The absence of RT and tensor cores means that any AI-accelerated features like DLSS are unavailable — the 980MX cannot leverage those technologies. Users who prioritize ray tracing or upscaling features must look at newer architectures.
For the time, Maxwell 2.0 brought efficient power scaling and solid DirectX 12 feature support, but the 980MX is firmly a rasterization-focused GPU. Its feature set is adequate for traditional rendering workloads, but it lacks the forward-looking capabilities that have become standard in recent years.
How It Compares
The FACT PACK lists no nearest rivals for the GTX 980MX, which means the benchmark database has no direct comparative data points for this GPU. In the absence of specific rival scores, the 50th percentile ranking provides the only positional context. This percentile indicates that the 980MX occupies a median position — equal numbers of GPUs score above and below it.
Without rival names, scores, or deltaPct values, a direct comparison is not possible from the provided data. What can be said is that the 980MX's 3.920 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth place it in a performance tier that historically includes other mobile GPUs from the same generation, but no specific comparisons are available.
The absence of rival data means that potential buyers should rely on the percentile ranking and the absolute specifications to gauge performance. The 980MX is not a top-tier part — the 50th percentile confirms that — but it is also not a bottom-tier one. For users coming from older integrated graphics or low-end discrete GPUs, the 980MX would represent a substantial upgrade, though the exact magnitude cannot be quantified without rival data.
Given that the 980MX is end-of-life and was released in 2016, it is now a legacy product. Modern GPUs in the database likely outperform it by significant margins, but those comparisons are not provided. The practical takeaway is that the 980MX should be evaluated on its own merits — its specifications and percentile rank — rather than against specific competitors.
Power and Cooling
The GTX 980MX has a thermal design power (TDP) of 148 W. This is a moderate power draw for a mobile GPU of its era, reflecting the 28 nm process node's efficiency characteristics. Because this is an MXM Module, it does not use standard desktop power connectors — the FACT PACK lists "None" for power connectors. Power is delivered through the MXM slot itself, which is typical for mobile modules.
There is no suggested PSU rating listed in the FACT PACK, and no wattage figure for a recommended power supply is provided. For laptop systems, the power delivery is handled by the chassis's power brick and motherboard VRM design, not a discrete PSU. Users should ensure their system's power adapter can handle the 148 W TDP in addition to the rest of the laptop's components, but no specific number is available for that calculation.
The slot width is "MXM Module," meaning the physical size is standardized for MXM slots, but dimensions are not listed. Cooling is dependent on the laptop's thermal solution — the 148 W TDP requires a decent heat sink and fan arrangement, but the FACT PACK provides no specific cooler recommendations. Since there are no power connectors, there is no need to worry about PCIe power cable compatibility.
For users familiar with desktop GPUs, the 148 W TDP is roughly comparable to a mid-range desktop card from the same generation, but the MXM form factor means it is not user-upgradeable in most laptops. The absence of a suggested PSU is notable — it is simply not a consideration for this product class.
FAQ
Q: Is the GTX 980MX capable of ray tracing?
A: No. The GTX 980MX has no RT cores or tensor cores, meaning it lacks hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Any ray-traced effects would rely on compute shaders, which would severely tax the 3.920 TFLOPS FP32 throughput.
Q: What resolution should I target with the GTX 980MX?
A: The card is best suited for 1080p gaming at high settings. At 1440p, expect to lower settings to medium or high, and 4K is not recommended due to the 192.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 3.920 TFLOPS compute limits.
Q: Does the GTX 980MX support modern APIs?
A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This ensures compatibility with modern titles, though performance will be limited by the older Maxwell 2.0 architecture.
Q: What kind of power connector does the GTX 980MX use?
A: None. The GTX 980MX is an MXM Module, so it draws power through the MXM slot itself. There are no external power connectors required.
Q: How much VRAM does the GTX 980MX have, and is it enough?
A: It has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. This is sufficient for 1080p and most 1440p gaming, but the bandwidth may become a bottleneck at higher resolutions.
Q: Is the GTX 980MX still in production?
A: No, it is end-of-life. The production status is listed as "End-of-life," and it was released on 2016-05-31. Its successor is GeForce 10 Mobile, and its predecessor is GeForce 800M.
The AMD Equivalent of GeForce GTX 980MX
Looking for a similar graphics card from AMD? The AMD Radeon RX 480 offers comparable performance and features in the AMD lineup.
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