GTX 770 Max-Q vs GTX 980M
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 770 Max-Q | GTX 980M | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 815 | 1,211 | -32.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 25 | 28 | -10.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 13 | 15 | -13.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 7 | 8 | -12.5% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 2.3 | 3.5 | -32.7% |
| VRAM | 2 GB GDDR5 | 4 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 160 | +40.0% |
| TDP (W) | 103 | 122 | — |
- GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster.
- GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 122W).
Verdict: GTX 770 Max-Q or GTX 980M?
GTX 770 Max-Q advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+29%)
- Power efficiency (+16%)
GTX 980M advantages
- 1440p gaming (+13%)
- 4K gaming (+13%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+33%)
- Video memory (+50%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 770 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the GTX 980M if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the GTX 770 Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
GTX 770 Max-Q vs GTX 980M: which should you choose?
GTX 770 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2013, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 13 fps at 1440p.
GTX 980M — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2014, Maxwell) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 15 fps at 1440p.
GTX 770 Max-Q vs GTX 980M: GTX 980M is faster for gaming. GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 122W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the GTX 980M averages 15 fps against 13. At 4K (7 vs 8 fps) VRAM (2GB vs 4GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 103 W versus 122 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 770 Max-Q better than the GTX 980M?
GTX 980M takes the overall edge, though GTX 770 Max-Q wins in specific areas worth weighing. GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 770 Max-Q and the GTX 980M?
GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 13 fps — about 13% faster. GTX 770 Max-Q draws less power (103W vs 122W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 770 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads. Choose the GTX 980M if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.