GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB vs GeForce GTX 980

When choosing between GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and GeForce GTX 980, it is worth examining the specifications of the models in detail. Do they meet the recommended requirements of modern games and software? Storage capacity, form factor, TDP, available ports, warranty and manufacturer support are all important. For example, the size of a PC case can limit the maximum thickness and length of the card. Often, instead of the factory overclocked card and RGB backlight, it is better to choose a reference model with a more efficient GPU. And make sure that your current power supply unit has the correct connection pins (using adapters is not recommended). This GPUs compare tool is meant to help you to choose the best graphics card for your build. Let's find out the difference between GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and GeForce GTX 980.
GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 980
Power consumption (TDP) 120 Watt 165 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 1x 6-pin 2x 6-pins
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 3 GB 4 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
Recommended system power (PSU) 500 Watt
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  • GeForce GTX 980 has 37% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB.
  • Both video cards are using PCIe 3.0 x16 interface connection to a motherboard.
  • GeForce GTX 980 has 1 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is build with Pascal architecture, and GeForce GTX 980 - with Maxwell.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is manufactured by 16 nm process technology, and GeForce GTX 980 - by 28 nm process technology.
  • GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is 240 mm longer, than GeForce GTX 980.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB is 8001 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 980.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 50−55 55−60
ultra / 1080p 30−35 35−40
QHD / 1440p 24−27 30−35
4K / 2160p 14−16 18−20
low / 720p 75−80 80−85
medium / 1080p 60−65 65−70
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 980 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 11% more, than GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB GeForce GTX 980
Architecture Pascal Maxwell
Code name GP106 GM204
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 18 August 2016 19 September 2014
Pipelines 1152 2048
Core clock speed 1506 MHz
Boost Clock 1708 MHz 1216 MHz
Transistor count 4,400 million 5,200 million
Manufacturing process technology 16 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 123.0 144 billion/sec
Floating-point performance 3,935 gflops 4,981 gflops
Length 250 mm 10.5" (26.7 cm)
Memory bus width 192 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 8008 MHz 7.0 GB/s
Memory bandwidth 192.2 GB/s 224 GB/s
Shared memory -
G-SYNC support +
DirectX 12 (12_1) 12 (12_1)
Shader Model 6.4 6.4
OpenGL 4.6 4.5
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan + 1.1.126
CUDA 6.1 +
Monero / XMR (CryptoNight) 0.54 kh/s
CUDA cores 2048
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
Height 4.376" (11.1 cm)
SLI options +
Multi monitor support 4 displays
HDMI +
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 579 Mh/s
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support +
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder +
Optimus +
Decred / DCR (Decred) 1.74 Gh/s
Ethereum / ETH (DaggerHashimoto) 19 Mh/s 20.28 Mh/s
Zcash / ZEC (Equihash) 312.12 Sol/s
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
BatteryBoost +
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