Can a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 run Valheim?
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 clears the minimum bar for Valheim but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 68 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the high preset.
High preset, upscaling off, paired with a AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D-class processor.
How the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 measures up
| Requirement | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 | Minimum | Recommended | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU performance score | 17 | 7 | 15 | Recommended |
| Video memory | 4 GB | 2 GB | 6 GB | Minimum |
| Ray tracing | — Not supported | Game has no RT | N/A | |
| Upscaling | FSR | Not supported | N/A | |
Recommended settings
For 60 FPS at 1080p
Use the high preset. You already clear 60 FPS on high, so this leaves headroom for dips in busy scenes.
At 1440p
Around 42 FPS on high. Playable, but drop to medium or enable upscaling for a stable 60.
At 4K
Around 25 FPS — not a realistic target for this pairing.
VRAM headroom
At 4GB you are under the 6GB this game recommends. Lower the texture setting one notch first — it costs the least visual quality per gigabyte saved.
How other cards handle Valheim
| Graphics card | Tier | 1080p FPS | vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Radeon R9 Fury | C | 77 | ▲ 9 FPS | Compare |
| AMD Radeon RX 590 | C | 73 | ▲ 5 FPS | Compare |
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB | D | 68 | ▼ 0 FPS | Compare |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 | D | 68 | ▼ 0 FPS | Compare |
| AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB | D | 64 | ▼ 4 FPS | Compare |
| AMD Radeon R9 390X | D | 64 | ▼ 4 FPS | Compare |
Frequently asked questions
Can the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 run Valheim?
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 clears the minimum bar for Valheim but sits under the recommended spec. It is playable at around 68 FPS at 1080p on high, and you will get a smoother result on the high preset.
What FPS will I get?
On high settings with upscaling off: roughly 68 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p and 25 FPS at 4K. These are modelled estimates — see our methodology.
What settings should I use?
Start at the high preset at 1080p.
Will my processor hold this back?
These figures assume a processor fast enough not to limit the card. If yours is older, run the bottleneck calculator — this title leans on the GPU, so a modest CPU deficit costs less.