GTX 880M vs GTX 980M
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 880M | GTX 980M | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,067 | 1,211 | -11.9% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 27 | 28 | -3.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 14 | 15 | -6.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 7 | 8 | -12.5% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 3.1 | 3.5 | -11.8% |
| VRAM | 8 GB GDDR5 | 4 GB GDDR5 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 160 | 160 | — |
| TDP (W) | 103 | 122 | — |
- GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 7% faster.
- GTX 880M draws less power (103W vs 122W).
Verdict: GTX 880M or GTX 980M?
GTX 880M advantages
- Video memory (+50%)
- Power efficiency (+16%)
GTX 980M advantages
- 1440p gaming (+7%)
- 4K gaming (+13%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+12%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 880M if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work.
- Choose the GTX 980M if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the GTX 880M if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
GTX 880M vs GTX 980M: which should you choose?
GTX 880M — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2014, Kepler) with 8 GB of GDDR5, averaging 14 fps at 1440p.
GTX 980M — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2014, Maxwell) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 15 fps at 1440p.
GTX 880M vs GTX 980M: GTX 980M is faster for gaming. GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 7% faster. GTX 880M draws less power (103W vs 122W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the GTX 980M averages 15 fps against 14. At 4K (7 vs 8 fps) VRAM (8GB 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 880M better than the GTX 980M?
GTX 980M takes the overall edge, though GTX 880M wins in specific areas worth weighing. GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 7% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 880M and the GTX 980M?
GTX 980M averages 15 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 7% faster. GTX 880M draws less power (103W vs 122W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 880M if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work. 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.