AMD FirePro W5000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti and the AMD FirePro W5000 are two end-of-life workstation and consumer-class graphics cards from different eras, built on fundamentally different architectures. While both deliver similar raw compute throughput, their performance profiles, feature sets, and physical requirements diverge sharply. The data from the FACT PACK shows a single head-to-head benchmark, where the GTX 560 Ti emerges victorious, but the W5000 counters with superior process technology, memory capacity, API support, and power efficiency.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the FACT PACK is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are clear-cut. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690 points, while the AMD FirePro W5000 trails with 9,803 points. This translates to a 9% delta in favor of the GTX 560 Ti, marking a decisive win for the older Fermi-based card in this specific compute workload. For context, the GTX 560 Ti’s score places it in the 49th percentile among all GPUs, while the FirePro W5000 sits slightly lower at the 47th percentile.

The 9% lead is modest but consistent with the theoretical specifications. The GTX 560 Ti delivers 1,263.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the FirePro W5000 is marginally ahead at 1,267.2 GFLOPS. Despite the near-identical peak compute figures, the GTX 560 Ti’s higher memory clock (1,002 MHz vs. 800 MHz) and superior bandwidth (128.3 GB/s vs. 102.4 GB/s) likely contribute to its advantage in OpenCL tasks that are memory-bound. The GTX 560 Ti also features a higher texture rate (52.67 GTexel/s vs. 39.60 GTexel/s), which can benefit certain shading workloads.

Examining the nearest rivals for both cards reinforces this performance gap. The GTX 560 Ti is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX 6600S, which scores 10,629 (a delta of +0.6% for the GTX 560 Ti), and the NVIDIA Quadro K2200, which scores 10,761 (a delta of -0.7% against the GTX 560 Ti). The FirePro W5000, meanwhile, sits alongside the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, which scores 9,780 (a delta of +0.2% for the FirePro), and the NVIDIA Quadro 6000, at 9,846 (a delta of -0.4% against the FirePro). This placement indicates that while the GTX 560 Ti holds a clear edge in this benchmark, neither card is an outlier in its respective performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti wins the sole benchmark in the FACT PACK, making it the preferred choice for raw OpenCL compute performance. Its higher memory bandwidth and texture fill rate provide a tangible advantage in synthetic workloads that stress these subsystems. For users prioritizing peak benchmark scores, the GTX 560 Ti is the clear winner, as evidenced by its 9% lead over the FirePro W5000.

However, the AMD FirePro W5000 wins in several qualitative and specification-driven categories. It offers double the memory capacity (2 GB vs. 1 GB), which is critical for larger datasets and higher-resolution textures that exceed the GTX 560 Ti’s frame buffer. The W5000 also supports a broader API set, including Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1), whereas the GTX 560 Ti lacks Vulkan support entirely and only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0). This makes the FirePro W5000 more future-proof for modern applications that leverage these newer APIs.

Power efficiency is another decisive victory for the AMD card. The FirePro W5000 has a TDP of just 75 W and requires no additional power connectors, while the GTX 560 Ti draws 170 W and needs two 6-pin connectors. The W5000 also recommends a 250 W power supply versus the GTX 560 Ti’s 450 W suggestion. This makes the FirePro W5000 suitable for single-slot, low-power systems, whereas the GTX 560 Ti demands a dual-slot footprint and a more robust PSU.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is stark, reflecting their different design philosophies and release timelines. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti is built on the GF114 chip using the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The card features 384 shading units, 64 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). Its pixel rate is 13.17 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 52.67 GTexel/s.

In contrast, the AMD FirePro W5000 employs the Pitcairn chip based on the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a more advanced 28 nm node, also by TSMC. This newer process allows AMD to cram 2,800 million transistors into a smaller 212 mm² die, achieving a density of 13.2 million transistors per square millimeter—more than double the GTX 560 Ti’s density. The W5000 has 768 shading units (double the GTX 560 Ti’s count), 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 26.40 GPixel/s (exactly double the GTX 560 Ti), but its texture rate is lower at 39.60 GTexel/s.

Memory subsystems also differ. Both cards use GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, but the GTX 560 Ti runs its memory at 1,002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for 128.3 GB/s of bandwidth, while the FirePro W5000 operates at 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) for 102.4 GB/s. The GTX 560 Ti’s higher bandwidth is offset by its smaller 1 GB capacity versus the W5000’s 2 GB. Connectivity differs as well: the GTX 560 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the FirePro W5000 leverages PCIe 3.0 x16, offering double the bus bandwidth for data transfers.

Physical specifications reinforce their divergent positioning. The GTX 560 Ti is a 229 mm (9 inches) dual-slot card with a 170 W TDP, requiring two 6-pin power connectors. The FirePro W5000 is a compact 183 mm (7.2 inches) single-slot card with a 75 W TDP and no power connectors, drawing all power from the PCIe slot. The W5000 also offers a more modern display output suite, featuring 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2, compared to the GTX 560 Ti’s 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear trade-off between peak performance and modern efficiency. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti is the benchmark champion, with a 9% higher OpenCL score (10,690 vs. 9,803) and superior memory bandwidth (128.3 GB/s vs. 102.4 GB/s). If the sole criterion is raw compute output in synthetic tests, the GTX 560 Ti is the unambiguous choice.

The AMD FirePro W5000, however, offers compelling counterpoints. Its 2 GB frame buffer doubles the GTX 560 Ti’s 1 GB, providing headroom for memory-intensive workloads. Its support for Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1) surpasses the GTX 560 Ti’s lack of Vulkan and older DirectX 12 (11_0) support. Furthermore, the W5000’s 75 W TDP, single-slot design, and no external power requirement make it vastly easier to integrate into compact or power-constrained systems, while its PCIe 3.0 interface offers modern bus compatibility.

From a specification standpoint, the FirePro W5000 is the more technologically advanced product—its 28 nm process, 13.2M transistors per mm², and 768 shading units reflect a newer generation. Yet, the GTX 560 Ti’s higher clocks and bandwidth allow it to outperform the W5000 in the measured benchmark. Users seeking maximum OpenCL scores should choose the GTX 560 Ti; users prioritizing memory capacity, API support, and power efficiency should opt for the FirePro W5000.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690, which is 9% higher than the AMD FirePro W5000’s 9,803.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti has 1 GB.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has a 170 W TDP and requires two 6-pin power connectors, with a suggested 450 W PSU. The FirePro W5000 has a 75 W TDP, needs no power connectors, and suggests a 250 W PSU.

Q: Does the FirePro W5000 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the AMD FirePro W5000 supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti does not list Vulkan support in the data.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD FirePro W5000 has a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm², more than double the GTX 560 Ti’s 5.9 million per mm², despite the GTX 560 Ti having a larger die (332 mm² vs. 212 mm²).

Q: What interface does each card use?

A: The GTX 560 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the FirePro W5000 uses the newer PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.