AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB is the faster graphics card, scoring 22/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 20/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 — roughly 10% faster. That said, the gap is small, so the cheaper option is often the smarter buy.

Winner

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB

22
Gaming score / 100
Check AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB price

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NVIDIA

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980

20
Gaming score / 100
Check NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 price

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Specs compared

SpecAMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GBNVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
Gaming score22/10020/100
VRAM8 GB4 GB
Memory typeGDDR6GDDR5
TDP130 W165 W
Boost clock1845 MHz1216 MHz
ReleaseDec 2019Sep 2014
MSRP$149.00$119.00

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980: which should you buy?

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB is the faster graphics card, scoring 22/100 on our gaming benchmark versus 20/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 — roughly 10% faster. That said, the gap is small, so the cheaper option is often the smarter buy. For your specific games and resolution, run both through our comparison tool, check pairing with the bottleneck calculator, or see where each lands on the tier list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB better than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980?
The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB is faster for gaming, scoring 22/100 versus 20/100 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (about 10% faster).

Should I buy the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980?
For raw gaming performance, choose the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB. If it costs notably more for only a small gain, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 can be the better value. Check current prices before deciding.

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