GTX 980 Ti for Blender
Maxwell 2.0 GPU best suited to lighter Blender scenes, learning workflows, and budget-conscious rendering setups.
Last updated: May 26, 2026
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541
Entry-level speed — fine for learning and lighter scenes.
6 GB
Limited — best for simpler scenes and lighter workflows.
2,816
Lower core count — adequate for lighter rendering workloads.
Maxwell 2.0
Older architecture — check benchmark scores for a practical performance picture.
336.6 GB/s
Lower bandwidth may become a bottleneck in texture-heavy or complex scenes.
1076 MHz
Lower clock speed — typical of older or workstation-class GPUs.
OptiX, CUDA
OptiX is typically the fastest option; CUDA provides a reliable fallback.
250 W
Moderate power needs — standard workstation PSU and cooling should be fine.
2015
More technical details
Core specs
- Base clock: 1000 MHz
- Process size: 28 nm
Memory specs
- Memory type: GDDR5
- Memory bus: 384-bit
Benchmark performance
This chart estimates how many seconds this GPU takes to render one frame of each standard Blender benchmark scene, so you can compare practical rendering speed at a glance.
These are single-frame estimates derived from Blender Open Data benchmark medians at the scene sample counts, not full-animation render times or guarantees for every real project.
View Blender Open Data sourceIs GTX 980 Ti 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
- High memory bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s
- Reliable performance for mid-range rendering tasks
- Good for users with moderate VRAM requirements
Tradeoffs to know
- Limited VRAM for large-scale projects
- Older architecture compared to current standards
Who should choose it
- Affordable option for moderate 3D rendering tasks
- Good performance for its release era
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