NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Laptop: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the GTX 980 Ti and the RTX 2060 Laptop with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The RTX 2060 Laptop is ~30% faster than the GTX 980 Ti on average at 1080p.
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | GTX 980 Ti | RTX 2060 Laptop | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 27 | 35 | +30% |
| 1440p | 20 | 25 | +25% |
| 4K | 8 | 11 | +38% |
Which one for your resolution?
RTX 2060 Laptop is the best pick at all three resolutions, averaging 31% more FPS.
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the GTX 980 Ti and RTX 2060 Laptop: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | GTX 980 Ti | RTX 2060 Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 6 GB | 6 GB |
| TDP | 250W | 90W |
| Tier | High-end | Mid-range |
| Score 1080p | 26 | 33 |
| Score 1440p | 21 | 27 |
| Score 4K | 12 | 15 |
| Price (MSRP) | $649 | — |
| Architecture | Maxwell | Turing |
| Process Node | TSMC 28nm | TSMC 12nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 2816 | 1920 |
| RT Cores | — | 30 |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 176 | 120 |
| ROPs | 96 | 48 |
| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 960 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1075 MHz | 1200 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 6.05 TFLOPS | 4.61 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Clock | 7000 MHz | 12000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 384-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 336.6 GB/s | 288 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Transistor Count | 8.0B | 10.8B |
| Release Date | 2015-06-01 | 2019-01-29 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
GTX 980 Ti
- TDP
- 250W
- FPS/W
- 0.11
RTX 2060 Laptop
- TDP
- 90W
- FPS/W
- 0.39
The RTX 2060 Laptop is more efficient: it draws 160W less and delivers more per watt, though the RTX 2060 Laptop is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | GTX 980 Ti | RTX 2060 Laptop | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 30 | 38 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 28 | 36 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 22 | 28 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 24 | 30 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 24 | 31 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
| 23 | 30 | RTX 2060 Laptop | |
 | 29 | 37 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 30 | 38 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 34 | 43 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
 | 27 | 34 | RTX 2060 Laptop |
Verdict
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Laptop wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The RTX 2060 Laptop comes out ahead by around 30% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the GTX 980 Ti with the RTX 2060 Laptop.
Which is better, the GTX 980 Ti or the RTX 2060 Laptop?
On average at 1080p, the RTX 2060 Laptop is 30% faster than the GTX 980 Ti. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the GTX 980 Ti averages 8 FPS and the RTX 2060 Laptop 11 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 30% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
980 Ti vs 2060 Laptop: what's the real difference?
In performance, the RTX 2060 Laptop beats the GTX 980 Ti by around 30% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 980 Ti and the 2060 Laptop on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
