AMD FirePro W4100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear single head-to-head result in Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scored 7171, while the AMD FirePro W4100 scored 5478. That is a 30.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card in this specific OpenCL workload. The database shows only one direct comparison test, and the GTX 560 SE wins it decisively.

For context, the GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile among all GPUs, with its average benchmark score of 7171 nearly identical to the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 (0% delta). It also edges out the GeForce GTX 970 by 0.2% (7157) and trails the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile by just 0.4% (7203) and the GeForce GTX 750 by 0.7% (7222). These are tight margins, meaning the GTX 560 SE is performing right in a cluster of mid-range parts from various generations.

The AMD FirePro W4100, in contrast, holds the 34th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 5987 across its two recorded tests. Its OpenCL score of 5478 is its weaker result; its Vulkan score of 6496 is notably higher. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA workstation or mobile parts: the Quadro K4000M at 5986 (0% delta), Quadro K4000 at 5982 (0.1%), RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server at 5996 (-0.2%), and GeForce GTX 770M at 6000 (-0.2%). The W4100 is essentially on par with those, but the GTX 560 SE is in a different, slightly higher performance tier according to the aggregate data.

The 30.9% OpenCL gap is substantial. In practical terms, the GTX 560 SE delivers roughly a third more compute throughput in that specific API test. That is a significant margin for any workload that leans on OpenCL. However, the FirePro W4100 has its own strengths outside that single test, particularly in Vulkan, where its 6496 score is close to the GTX 560 SE's OpenCL result, though no direct Vulkan comparison exists in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the only direct benchmark comparison?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 7171 against the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478, a 30.9% difference.

Q: How does the GTX 560 SE compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: Its average score of 7171 is virtually tied with the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170, 0% delta) and the GeForce GTX 970 (7157, 0.2% ahead). It is slightly behind the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203, -0.4%) and GeForce GTX 750 (7222, -0.7%).

Q: How does the FirePro W4100 stack up against its nearest competitors?

A: The W4100's average score of 5987 is essentially level with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986, 0% delta) and Quadro K4000 (5982, 0.1% ahead), and it sits just below the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996, -0.2%) and GeForce GTX 770M (6000, -0.2%).

Q: Does the FirePro W4100 have any benchmark where it performs better than its average?

A: Yes, in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 6496, which is notably higher than its OpenCL score of 5478 and above its 5987 average. This suggests Vulkan workloads are a relative strength for the W4100.

Q: What is the percentile ranking difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 560 SE is at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro W4100 is at the 34th percentile.

Q: Which card has a higher raw pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 has a higher pixel rate at 10.08 GPixel/s compared to the GTX 560 SE's 8.832 GPixel/s.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process at TSMC. That is a mature, power-hungry process node compared to the AMD FirePro W4100's 28 nm Cape Verde chip, which uses GCN 1.0. The node shrink gives AMD a massive transistor density advantage: 12.2M transistors per mm² versus 5.9M for NVIDIA. Yet the GTX 560 SE has a larger absolute transistor count at 1,950 million versus 1,500 million for the FirePro, and a much bigger die at 332 mm² versus 123 mm².

The shader configurations differ sharply. The GTX 560 SE packs 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. The FirePro W4100 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. That explains the fill rate numbers: AMD's card has a higher pixel rate at 10.08 GPixel/s due to its ROP design, but NVIDIA's texture rate is far higher at 35.33 GTexel/s versus 20.16 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is also different: 847.9 GFLOPS for the GTX 560 SE against 645.1 GFLOPS for the W4100.

Memory architectures are another clear split. The GTX 560 SE uses a 192-bit bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5, yielding 91.87 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro W4100 uses a narrower 128-bit bus but doubles the capacity to 2 GB, though bandwidth drops to 64.00 GB/s. The effective memory clock is 3.8 Gbps on the NVIDIA card and 4 Gbps on the AMD card. Neither card has any ray tracing or tensor cores.

The API support shows a generational gap. Both support DirectX 12, but the GTX 560 SE is at feature level 11_0 while the FirePro W4100 reaches 11_1. OpenGL 4.6 is present on both. Vulkan is where they diverge: the FirePro W4100 lists Vulkan 1.2.170 support, while the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan entry in the database.

Specification Differences

The most immediate difference is physical size and power. The GTX 560 SE is a dual-slot card, 210 mm (8.3 inches) long, requiring two 6-pin power connectors and a recommended 450 W power supply. Its TDP is 150 W. The FirePro W4100 is a single-slot card, 171 mm (6.7 inches) long and 69 mm (2.7 inches) tall, with no power connectors and a recommended 250 W PSU. Its TDP is just 50 W. That is a threefold difference in power draw, which matters for compact or low-power builds.

The bus interface differs as well: the GTX 560 SE uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the FirePro W4100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are entirely different: the NVIDIA card has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, whereas the AMD card offers 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, a clear advantage for multi-monitor professional setups.

Memory capacity and bandwidth diverge as noted: 1024 MB on a 192-bit bus at 91.87 GB/s for the GTX 560 SE, versus 2 GB on a 128-bit bus at 64.00 GB/s for the FirePro W4100. The AMD card also has a higher effective memory clock at 4 Gbps versus 3.8 Gbps. Release dates are over two years apart: the GTX 560 SE launched in February 2012, while the FirePro W4100 launched in August 2014. Both are end-of-life products now.

Shading units, TMUs, and ROPs all differ: 288/48/24 for NVIDIA versus 512/32/16 for AMD. The GTX 560 SE has higher FP32 throughput at 847.9 GFLOPS and a higher texture rate at 35.33 GTexel/s. The FirePro W4100 has the higher pixel rate at 10.08 GPixel/s. The GTX 560 SE's predecessor is the GeForce 400 series and its successor the GeForce 600 series; the FirePro W4100's predecessor is FirePro Terascale and its successor is Radeon Pro Polaris.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split based on workload priorities. If the task is raw OpenCL compute, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is the stronger card by a wide margin: 30.9% ahead in the only direct head-to-head test, with a higher FP32 throughput (847.9 GFLOPS vs 645.1 GFLOPS) and a higher average benchmark percentile (39th vs 34th). The GTX 560 SE is the better choice for any application that stresses OpenCL performance or texture-heavy rendering, given its 35.33 GTexel/s fill rate.

However, the AMD FirePro W4100 is not without merit. It draws only one-third the power (50 W vs 150 W), requires no external power connectors, occupies a single slot, and fits in a shorter chassis at 171 mm. It has double the memory capacity at 2 GB, which helps with larger datasets or higher-resolution textures, even if the bandwidth is lower. Its Vulkan score of 6496 shows strong API-level performance that the GTX 560 SE cannot match, as the latter has no Vulkan support recorded. The four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs make it a natural fit for multi-monitor professional workstations.

For a builder prioritizing compute performance in a traditional desktop with adequate power and space, the GTX 560 SE is the data-backed winner. For a builder needing a low-profile, low-power, single-slot card with modern API support and multi-display capability, the FirePro W4100 is the sensible pick despite its lower raw compute scores.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE wins in: Raw OpenCL compute (7171 vs 5478, a 30.9% margin), FP32 throughput (847.9 GFLOPS), texture fill rate (35.33 GTexel/s), memory bandwidth (91.87 GB/s), and overall benchmark percentile (39th vs 34th). It is also the card to choose if you need DVI outputs or are working within the GeForce 500 ecosystem.

AMD FirePro W4100 wins in: Power efficiency (50 W TDP vs 150 W), physical footprint (single-slot, 171 mm long, no power connectors), memory capacity (2 GB vs 1 GB), pixel fill rate (10.08 GPixel/s), modern API support (Vulkan 1.2.170, DirectX 12 feature level 11_1), PCIe 3.0 interface, and display connectivity (4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2). Its Vulkan score of 6496 is also a bright spot in the benchmark data, suggesting compatibility with Vulkan-based workloads that the GTX 560 SE cannot access.

In short, the GTX 560 SE is the compute-focused card with the higher ceiling in the recorded tests, while the FirePro W4100 is the versatile, low-power professional card that trades raw throughput for efficiency, capacity, and modern feature support.