AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD FirePro M4000 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but the data points to a clear overall winner. In the single recorded OpenCL benchmark, the FirePro M4000 scores 5537, while the GTX 560M scores 4855. The FirePro M4000 wins the head-to-head comparison by 14%. The only benchmark category recorded, geekbench_opencl, goes to the AMD part with a delta of 14%. The benchmark database shows one win for the AMD FirePro M4000 and zero for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M. The FirePro M4000 also carries a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs, sitting at the 32nd percentile, whereas the GTX 560M sits at the 28th percentile. The GTX 560M does offer a larger memory pool of 1536 MB compared to 1024 MB on the FirePro, and a wider 192 bit bus versus 128 bit, but the AMD part still manages to outperform it in raw compute. The verdict from the recorded data is simple: the FirePro M4000 is the faster GPU for compute workloads. The GTX 560M is the older design, released earlier, and its Fermi architecture trails the GCN 1.0 architecture in this test. Users who need the higher OpenCL score should choose the FirePro M4000. Users who require the larger framebuffer for specific applications might consider the GTX 560M, but the benchmark data does not show any performance advantage for it.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 is faster in the geekbench_opencl test, scoring 5537 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M's 4855. The database records a 14% performance delta in favor of the AMD part.

Q: How do these two GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The FirePro M4000's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M500M, which scores 5604 and is 1.2% ahead. The GTX 560M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX, which scores 4867 and is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA part.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192 bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 560M has more memory, but the FirePro M4000 has higher bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 560M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded.

Q: What are the process node differences?

A: The FirePro M4000 is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 560M uses a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The FirePro M4000 has a smaller die at 123 mm² compared to 238 mm² for the GTX 560M.

Q: Which GPU has higher power consumption?

A: The GTX 560M has a TDP of 75 W, while the FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W. The AMD part is significantly more power efficient according to the recorded specifications.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two mobile GPUs is substantial. The AMD FirePro M4000 is built on GCN 1.0 architecture with the Chelsea chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M uses Fermi 2.0 with the GF116 chip. These are fundamentally different design philosophies. GCN 1.0 is a Graphics Core Next design that emphasizes compute throughput and asynchronous execution, while Fermi 2.0 is an older NVIDIA architecture that was already being phased out when the FirePro M4000 arrived.

The manufacturing process tells a clear generational story. The FirePro M4000 is fabricated on a 28 nm node at TSMC, while the GTX 560M uses a 40 nm node at the same foundry. The transistor counts reflect this: the FirePro M4000 packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². The GTX 560M has 1,170 million transistors spread across a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in only 4.9 million per mm². The density difference is stark, and it directly explains the power efficiency gap between the two.

The shader architectures are also completely different. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The GTX 560M has only 192 shading units but 32 texture mapping units and 24 render output units. This means the AMD part has more than 2.6 times the shader count, while the NVIDIA part has more ROPs. The pixel rate and texture rate tell the rest of the story. The FirePro M4000 achieves 10.80 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. The GTX 560M achieves 6.200 GPixel/s and 24.80 GTexel/s. The AMD part leads in pixel throughput, while the NVIDIA part leads slightly in texture fill rate.

The API support also differs in meaningful ways. The FirePro M4000 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 560M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The lack of Vulkan is a significant limitation for the NVIDIA part in modern workloads. The memory clocks also differ: the FirePro M4000 runs its GDDR5 at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the GTX 560M runs its GDDR5 at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The AMD memory clock is substantially higher.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs show clear divergence in nearly every category. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, while the GTX 560M has 192. The FirePro M4000 has 32 TMUs, matching the GTX 560M's 32 TMUs. The ROP counts differ: 16 for the AMD part, 24 for the NVIDIA part. The FirePro M4000 achieves a pixel rate of 10.80 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s for the GTX 560M. The texture rates are closer: 21.60 GTexel/s for the AMD part versus 24.80 GTexel/s for the NVIDIA part.

The FP32 compute performance favors the FirePro M4000 at 691.2 GFLOPS, compared to 595.2 GFLOPS for the GTX 560M. The memory subsystems diverge in an interesting way. The FirePro M4000 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192 bit bus, but delivers only 60.00 GB/s due to its lower memory clock. The NVIDIA part has more memory and a wider bus, but the AMD part has higher effective bandwidth.

Power consumption is a major differentiator. The FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, while the GTX 560M has a TDP of 75 W. The AMD part draws less than half the power. Both use MXM module slot widths and have no power connectors listed. The bus interfaces differ: the FirePro M4000 uses MXM-A (3.0), while the GTX 560M uses MXM-B (3.0). Both have display outputs listed as portable device dependent.

The process node difference is 28 nm for the FirePro M4000 versus 40 nm for the GTX 560M. The transistor density numbers are 12.2 million per mm² for the AMD part and 4.9 million per mm² for the NVIDIA part. The die sizes are 123 mm² and 238 mm² respectively. The production status for both is end-of-life. The FirePro M4000 was released on 2012-06-26, while the GTX 560M was released on 2011-05-29. The FirePro M4000's predecessor is FirePro Mobility and its successor is Radeon Pro Mobile. The GTX 560M's predecessor is GeForce 400M and its successor is GeForce 600M.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs, and it is the geekbench_opencl test. The AMD FirePro M4000 scores 5537, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M scores 4855. The winner is the FirePro M4000, with a delta of 14%. This is a substantial margin. In the OpenCL compute test, the AMD part is 14% faster than the NVIDIA part. The FirePro M4000's score of 5537 places it at the 32nd percentile among all GPUs in the database. The GTX 560M's score of 4855 places it at the 28th percentile.

The nearest rival data provides useful context for interpreting these scores. The FirePro M4000 sits very close to a cluster of similar-performing GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 scores 5508, which is 0.5% behind the FirePro M4000. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M scores 5501, 0.7% behind. The AMD Radeon R7 M440 scores 5483, 1% behind. The NVIDIA Quadro M500M scores 5604, which is 1.2% ahead of the FirePro M4000. The FirePro M4000 is essentially in the middle of a tight pack of mobile GPUs.

The GTX 560M also sits in a cluster, but at a lower performance tier. The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX scores 4844, 0.2% behind the GTX 560M. The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX scores 4867, 0.2% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 scores 4893, 0.8% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB scores 4901, 0.9% ahead. The inclusion of a modern RTX part in this rival list is notable, but the score is what the database records.

The 14% delta between the FirePro M4000 and the GTX 560M is larger than any of the gaps within their respective rival clusters. This means the two GPUs are not just slightly different in performance; they are in different performance tiers entirely. The FirePro M4000's closest rival is only 1.2% away, but the GTX 560M is 14% away. The performance separation between these two specific GPUs is much larger than the separation between each GPU and its own closest competitors.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD FirePro M4000 wins the only recorded benchmark, the geekbench_opencl test, by a 14% margin. This is the clear victory condition. The FirePro M4000 also wins on compute specifications: 691.2 GFLOPS FP32 versus 595.2 GFLOPS, 512 shading units versus 192, and higher pixel rate at 10.80 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s. The FirePro M4000 also wins on power efficiency with a 33 W TDP versus 75 W. For any workload that relies on OpenCL compute, shader throughput, or power-constrained operation, the FirePro M4000 is the better choice. Its higher memory bandwidth of 64.00 GB/s versus 60.00 GB/s also gives it an edge in bandwidth-sensitive tasks.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M wins in a few specific specification categories. It has more memory: 1536 MB versus 1024 MB. It has a wider memory bus: 192 bit versus 128 bit. It has more ROPs: 24 versus 16. It also has a higher texture rate: 24.80 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. These advantages could matter in scenarios where the workload requires more framebuffer capacity, higher fill-rate for certain rendering paths, or more texture throughput. The GTX 560M does not win any recorded benchmarks, but its specification advantages are real.

The use-case split follows the data. For compute-heavy applications such as OpenCL acceleration, the FirePro M4000 is the pick. The 14% benchmark lead and higher FP32 throughput make it the stronger compute processor. For applications that need a larger memory pool, the GTX 560M offers 50% more memory, which could help with larger textures or data sets that exceed 1024 MB. However, the GTX 560M's lower bandwidth means it cannot feed that memory as quickly as the FirePro M4000 feeds its smaller pool.

For thermal and power-sensitive mobile designs, the FirePro M4000 is the obvious choice. Its 33 W TDP is less than half of the GTX 560M's 75 W. The 28 nm process node delivers much higher transistor density, 12.2 million per mm² versus 4.9 million per mm², which explains the efficiency advantage. The FirePro M4000 also supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 560M has no Vulkan support listed. For modern API compatibility, the AMD part is ahead. The GTX 560M retains a niche for users who specifically need 1536 MB of VRAM and a 192 bit bus, but the recorded benchmark data does not show any scenario where that configuration translates into a performance win. The database records one win for the FirePro M4000 and zero for the GTX 560M. The conclusion is straightforward: the FirePro M4000 is the superior GPU in this comparison.