GTX 980 vs RX 6600
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 980 | RX 6600 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,743 | 3,750 | -53.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 31 | 45 | -31.1% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 17 | 26 | -34.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 9 | 14 | -35.7% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 5.0 | 8.9 | -44.2% |
| VRAM | 4 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 224 | — |
| TDP (W) | 165 | 132 | — |
| Launch MSRP (USD) | $549 | $329 | +66.9% |
- RX 6600 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 35% faster.
- RX 6600 draws less power (132W vs 165W).
Verdict: GTX 980 or RX 6600?
GTX 980 advantages
- No decisive advantage on the tracked metrics.
RX 6600 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+35%)
- 4K gaming (+36%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+54%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- Power efficiency (+20%)
- Affordability (+40%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RX 6600 if you game at 1440p.
Value for money
RX 6600 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
GTX 980 vs RX 6600: which should you choose?
GTX 980 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2014, Maxwell) with 4 GB of GDDR5, averaging 17 fps at 1440p; launched at $549.
RX 6600 — AMD desktop graphics card (2021, RDNA 2) with 8 GB of GDDR6, averaging 26 fps at 1440p; launched at $329.
GTX 980 vs RX 6600: RX 6600 is faster for gaming. RX 6600 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 35% faster. RX 6600 draws less power (132W vs 165W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the RX 6600 averages 26 fps against 17. At 4K (9 vs 14 fps) VRAM (4GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 165 W versus 132 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise. At launch MSRPs of $549 vs $329, weigh the frame-rate lead against price and power draw for your target resolution.
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 980 better than the RX 6600?
RX 6600 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. RX 6600 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 35% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 980 and the RX 6600?
RX 6600 averages 26 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 35% faster. RX 6600 draws less power (132W vs 165W).
Which is better value?
RX 6600 delivers more performance per dollar, making it the better value of the two at their listed prices.
Which should I choose?
Choose the RX 6600 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.