GeForce GTX 980M vs Radeon HD 8790M

When comparing GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon HD 8790M, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon HD 8790M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon HD 8790M are Laptop Graphics Cards

Note: GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon HD 8790M are only used in laptop graphics. They have lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with GeForce GTX 980M or Radeon HD 8790M here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 980M Radeon HD 8790M
Interface MXM-B (3.0) MXM-A (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors None None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 8 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs No outputs
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  • GeForce GTX 980M is connected by MXM-B (3.0), and Radeon HD 8790M uses MXM-A (3.0) interface.
  • GeForce GTX 980M has 6 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 8790M.
  • Both cards are used in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 980M is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon HD 8790M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 980M is 188 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8790M.
  • GeForce GTX 980M and Radeon HD 8790M are manufactured by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8790M is 2000 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 980M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 35−40 3−4
ultra / 1080p 24−27 1−2
QHD / 1440p 18−20 0−1
4K / 2160p 10−11
low / 720p 60−65 14−16
medium / 1080p 45−50 6−7
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 980M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 616% more, than Radeon HD 8790M.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 980M Radeon HD 8790M
Architecture Maxwell GCN
Code name GM204 Mars XTX
Type Laptop Laptop
Release date 7 October 2014 16 November 2012
Pipelines 1536 384
Core clock speed 1038 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 1127 MHz 900 MHz
Transistor count 5,200 million 950 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 51.84 21.60
Floating-point performance 3,462 gflops 691.2 gflops
Memory bus width 256 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 2500 MHz 4500 MHz
Memory bandwidth 160 GB/s 64 GB/s
Shared memory - -
G-SYNC support +
DirectX 12 (12_1) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 6.4 5.1
OpenGL 4.5 4.6
OpenCL 1.1 1.2
Vulkan 1.1.126 1.2.131
CUDA +
CUDA cores 1536
Bus support PCI Express 3.0
SLI options +
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 383 Mh/s 80 Mh/s
Laptop size large medium sized
DisplayPort Multimode (DP++) support +
H.264, VC1, MPEG2 1080p video decoder +
Optimus +
GameStream +
GeForce ShadowPlay +
GPU Boost 2.0
GameWorks +
BatteryBoost +
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