GeForce GTX 980 vs Radeon Pro Vega 56
Aggregated performance score
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 11% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary Details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in performance ranking | 163 | 179 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation | 2.96 | 9.56 |
| Architecture | Vega (2017−2021) | Maxwell (2014−2018) |
| GPU code name | Vega | GM204 |
| Market segment | Workstation | Desktop |
| Release date | 14 December 2017 (6 years ago) | 19 September 2014 (9 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $399 | $549 |
| Current price | $4999 (12.5x MSRP) | $339 (0.6x MSRP) |
Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
GTX 980 has 223% better value for money than Pro Vega 56.
Detailed Specifications
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 3584 | 2048 |
| CUDA cores | no data | 2048 |
| Core clock speed | 1247 MHz | 1064 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1250 MHz | 1216 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 12,500 million | 5,200 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 14 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 210 Watt | 165 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 280.0 | 144 billion/sec |
| Floating-point performance | 9,677 gflops | 4,981 gflops |
Form Factor & Compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Bus support | no data | PCI Express 3.0 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Length | 267 mm | 10.5" (26.7 cm) |
| Height | no data | 4.376" (11.1 cm) |
| Width | IGP | 2-slot |
| Recommended system power (PSU) | no data | 500 Watt |
| Supplementary power connectors | None | 2x 6-pins |
| SLI options | no data | + |
| Memory type | HBM2 | GDDR5 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory bus width | 2048 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 786 MHz | 7.0 GB/s |
| Memory bandwidth | 402.4 GB/s | 224 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
Connectivity and Outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | Dual Link DVI-I, HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |
| Multi monitor support | no data | 4 displays |
| VGA аnalog display support | no data | + |
| DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support | no data | + |
| HDMI | + | + |
| HDCP | no data | + |
| Maximum VGA resolution | no data | 2048x1536 |
| G-SYNC support | no data | + |
| Audio input for HDMI | no data | Internal |
Supported Technologies
Supported technological solutions. This information will prove useful if you need some particular technology for your purposes.
| GameStream | no data | + |
| GeForce ShadowPlay | no data | + |
| GPU Boost | no data | 2.0 |
| GameWorks | no data | + |
| H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder | no data | + |
| Optimus | no data | + |
| BatteryBoost | no data | + |
API Compatibility
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_1) |
| Shader Model | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| OpenCL | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Vulkan | 1.1.125 | 1.1.126 |
| CUDA | no data | + |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 11% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
Benchmark coverage: 25%
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 11% in Passmark.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 45% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 38% in 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics.
GeekBench 5 OpenCL
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses OpenCL API by Khronos Group.
Benchmark coverage: 9%
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 86% in GeekBench 5 OpenCL.
GeekBench 5 Vulkan
Geekbench 5 is a widespread graphics card benchmark combined from 11 different test scenarios. All these scenarios rely on direct usage of GPU's processing power, no 3D rendering is involved. This variation uses Vulkan API by AMD & Khronos Group.
Benchmark coverage: 5%
Radeon Pro Vega 56 outperforms GeForce GTX 980 by 64% in GeekBench 5 Vulkan.
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 99
+5.3%
| 94
−5.3%
|
| 1440p | 55−60
+7.8%
| 51
−7.8%
|
| 4K | 57
+50%
| 38
−50%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
+12.5%
|
45−50
−12.5%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 60−65
−15%
|
69
+15%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 55−60
+9.8%
|
50−55
−9.8%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 95−100
−11.2%
|
109
+11.2%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
+11.7%
|
75−80
−11.7%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
+12.5%
|
45−50
−12.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 80−85
+3.8%
|
80
−3.8%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 80−85
+8.1%
|
70−75
−8.1%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
+13.3%
|
90
−13.3%
|
| Hitman 3 | 95−100
+12.5%
|
85−90
−12.5%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 65−70
+11.3%
|
60−65
−11.3%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 50−55
+10.9%
|
45−50
−10.9%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 70−75
+12.1%
|
66
−12.1%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 60−65
+9.1%
|
55−60
−9.1%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 60−65
+3.4%
|
58
−3.4%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 55−60
+9.8%
|
50−55
−9.8%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 95−100
+8.9%
|
90
−8.9%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
+11.7%
|
75−80
−11.7%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
+12.5%
|
45−50
−12.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 80−85
+13.7%
|
73
−13.7%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 80−85
+8.1%
|
70−75
−8.1%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
+22.9%
|
83
−22.9%
|
| Hitman 3 | 95−100
+12.5%
|
85−90
−12.5%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 65−70
+11.3%
|
60−65
−11.3%
|
| Metro Exodus | 55−60
+12.2%
|
45−50
−12.2%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 50−55
+10.9%
|
45−50
−10.9%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 70−75
+34.5%
|
55
−34.5%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 116
+36.5%
|
85
−36.5%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 60−65
+9.1%
|
55−60
−9.1%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 60−65
+71.4%
|
35
−71.4%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 55−60
+9.8%
|
50−55
−9.8%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 95−100
+19.5%
|
82
−19.5%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 50−55
+12.5%
|
45−50
−12.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 80−85
+20.3%
|
69
−20.3%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 80−85
+8.1%
|
70−75
−8.1%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 100−110
+72.9%
|
59
−72.9%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 64
+39.1%
|
46
−39.1%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 60−65
+9.1%
|
55−60
−9.1%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 50−55
+13.3%
|
45−50
−13.3%
|
| Hitman 3 | 55−60
+12%
|
50−55
−12%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 40−45
+10.3%
|
35−40
−10.3%
|
| Metro Exodus | 30−35
+13.3%
|
30−33
−13.3%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 24−27
+13.6%
|
21−24
−13.6%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 45−50
+32.4%
|
34
−32.4%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 35−40
+29.6%
|
27
−29.6%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 30−35
+13.3%
|
30−33
−13.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 65−70
+11.3%
|
62
−11.3%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 21−24
+15%
|
20−22
−15%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 55−60
+18.8%
|
48
−18.8%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 60−65
+10.9%
|
55−60
−10.9%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 65−70
+39.6%
|
48
−39.6%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 40−45
+16.7%
|
35−40
−16.7%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 27−30
+17.4%
|
21−24
−17.4%
|
4K
High Preset
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 27−30
+17.4%
|
21−24
−17.4%
|
| Hitman 3 | 30−35
+14.8%
|
27−30
−14.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 21−24
+10%
|
20−22
−10%
|
| Metro Exodus | 21−24
+16.7%
|
18−20
−16.7%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 16−18
+13.3%
|
14−16
−13.3%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 24−27
+41.2%
|
17
−41.2%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 42
+44.8%
|
29
−44.8%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 21−24
+50%
|
14
−50%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 18−20
+18.8%
|
16−18
−18.8%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 35−40
+21.9%
|
32
−21.9%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 9−10
+12.5%
|
8−9
−12.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 27−30
+20.8%
|
24
−20.8%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 30−35
+14.3%
|
27−30
−14.3%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 45−50
+32.4%
|
34
−32.4%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 16−18
+14.3%
|
14−16
−14.3%
|
This is how Pro Vega 56 and GTX 980 compete in popular games:
- Pro Vega 56 is 5.3% faster than GTX 980 in 1080p
- Pro Vega 56 is 7.8% faster than GTX 980 in 1440p
- Pro Vega 56 is 50% faster than GTX 980 in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in Forza Horizon 4, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the Pro Vega 56 is 72.9% faster than the GTX 980.
- in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, with 1080p resolution and the Medium Preset, the GTX 980 is 15% faster than the Pro Vega 56.
All in all, in popular games:
- Pro Vega 56 is ahead in 66 tests (97%)
- GTX 980 is ahead in 2 tests (3%)
Pros & Cons Summary
| Performance score | 31.91 | 28.74 |
| Recency | 14 December 2017 | 19 September 2014 |
| Cost | $399 | $549 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 28 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 210 Watt | 165 Watt |
The Radeon Pro Vega 56 is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce GTX 980 in performance tests.
Be aware that Radeon Pro Vega 56 is a workstation graphics card while GeForce GTX 980 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with Similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
