NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Maxwell 2.0 GPU best suited to lighter Blender scenes, learning workflows, and budget-conscious rendering setups.
Last updated: March 31, 2026
349
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 gives a compact estimate of how this GPU handles Blender benchmark scenes, so you can compare practical rendering speed without reading raw benchmark tables.
These timings are derived from Blender Open Data benchmark medians and should be treated as comparative estimates, not guaranteed real-project render times.
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- Outdated architecture compared to current GPUs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
Compare GTX 980 to…
Pick another GPU to see a side-by-side comparison.
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