GTX 980 for Blender
Maxwell 2.0 GPU best suited to lighter Blender scenes, learning workflows, and budget-conscious rendering setups.
Last updated: May 26, 2026
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338
Entry-level speed — fine for learning and lighter scenes.
4 GB
Limited — best for simpler scenes and lighter workflows.
2,048
Lower core count — adequate for lighter rendering workloads.
Maxwell 2.0
Older architecture — check benchmark scores for a practical performance picture.
224.4 GB/s
Lower bandwidth may become a bottleneck in texture-heavy or complex scenes.
1216 MHz
Lower clock speed — typical of older or workstation-class GPUs.
OptiX, CUDA
OptiX is typically the fastest option; CUDA provides a reliable fallback.
165 W
Relatively efficient — manageable in most desktop builds.
2014
More technical details
Core specs
- Base clock: 1127 MHz
- Process size: 28 nm
Memory specs
- Memory type: GDDR5
- Memory bus: 256-bit
Benchmark performance
This chart estimates how many seconds this GPU takes to render one frame of each standard Blender benchmark scene, so you can compare practical rendering speed at a glance.
These are single-frame estimates derived from Blender Open Data benchmark medians at the scene sample counts, not full-animation render times or guarantees for every real project.
View Blender Open Data sourceIs GTX 980 good for Blender?
A concise editorial read on where this GPU looks strong, the tradeoffs to keep in mind, and who it suits best.
What stands out
- Maxwell 2.0 architecture
- 2048 CUDA cores
- Solid performance for its generation
- Efficient 28 nm process node
Tradeoffs to know
- Limited VRAM for modern Blender projects
- Outdated architecture compared to current GPUs
Who should choose it
- Suitable for smaller, less complex Blender projects
- Efficient power usage for its generation
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