AMD FirePro W5170M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 and the AMD FirePro W5170M represent two very different approaches to graphics hardware, separated by three years of design philosophy. The GTX 560 is a desktop-oriented Fermi part from 2011, while the W5170M is a mobile workstation chip from 2014 built on GCN. In the single head-to-head benchmark available, the GeForce GTX 560 takes the win, but the story is more nuanced when examining the full benchmark suite and architectural trade-offs. The data shows a clear performance leader in compute workloads, but also reveals why the FirePro’s mobile design and feature set might be the better choice for specific professional use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a decisive victory for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560. The GTX 560 scores 9058 points against the FirePro W5170M’s 8140, a delta of 11.3% in NVIDIA’s favor. This is not a marginal difference; it is a substantial gap that indicates the GTX 560 delivers noticeably higher raw compute throughput in OpenCL workloads. The GTX 560’s score of 9058 places it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs, while the FirePro’s 8140 score sits just below in the 44th percentile — so despite the 11.3% head-to-head gap, both cards are closely ranked in the broader GPU landscape.

Looking at the rivals surrounding each card puts this performance in context. The GTX 560’s 9058 score is only 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition’s 9037, which is remarkable for a card from 2011. It also edges out the GeForce GTX 660 by 0.4% (9058 vs 9022) and the AMD Radeon 550X by 1.6% (9058 vs 8918). However, the AMD Radeon 890M beats it by 1.7%, scoring 9210. This tells us the GTX 560 is punching well above its age, competing with much newer hardware in compute tests.

The FirePro W5170M, on the other hand, shows a different competitive picture. Its OpenCL score of 8140 is 0.4% ahead of the Intel Arc A380 (8558 is the rival’s score, so the delta is actually -1.1% against the Quadro P2200). The data shows the FirePro is 1.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8686) and 1.6% ahead of both the AMD Radeon HD 8870M (8462) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8458). The FirePro’s average benchmark score across all tests is 8595, which includes a Vulkan score of 9050 that is nearly identical to the GTX 560’s OpenCL result. This Vulkan performance suggests that in API-agnostic workloads, the FirePro is far closer to the GTX 560 than the OpenCL-only comparison implies.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split decision. If your priority is raw OpenCL compute performance, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 is the unequivocal winner — it leads by 11.3% in the head-to-head test and holds a higher percentile ranking (45th vs 44th). The GTX 560’s 336 shading units and 56 texture mapping units deliver 1,088.6 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is substantial for a card from its generation. However, the FirePro W5170M counters with 640 shading units and a higher FP32 throughput of 1,184.0 GFLOPS, despite losing the OpenCL test. This suggests the GTX 560’s architecture extracts more real-world performance from its compute resources.

For mobile workstation users, the FirePro W5170M is the only practical choice between these two. The GTX 560 is a dual-slot desktop card with 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 150 W TDP, while the FirePro is an MXM Module with no power connectors and a portable-device-dependent display output. The FirePro also has a Vulkan API rating of 1.2.170, whereas the GTX 560 has no Vulkan support listed at all. If your workload requires Vulkan or you need a GPU that fits in a laptop, the FirePro wins by default on form factor and API support. But if you are building a desktop system and care about OpenCL throughput, the GTX 560 offers more performance per the data.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design eras. The GTX 560 uses the GF114 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC’s 40 nm process. It packs 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.9M per mm². The FirePro W5170M uses the Tropo chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, built on TSMC’s more advanced 28 nm process. It contains 1,500 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 12.2M per mm² — more than double the GTX 560’s density.

The compute resources are organized very differently. The GTX 560 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The FirePro has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. This means the FirePro has nearly double the shader count but fewer texture units and half the ROPs. The GTX 560’s pixel rate is 11.34 GPixel/s, while the FirePro’s is 14.80 GPixel/s — a 30.5% advantage for AMD in pixel throughput. However, the GTX 560’s texture rate of 45.36 GTexel/s exceeds the FirePro’s 37.00 GTexel/s by 22.6%. The FP32 compute also favors the FirePro at 1,184.0 GFLOPS versus 1,088.6 GFLOPS, but the OpenCL benchmark shows the GTX 560 overcoming that theoretical deficit.

Memory architecture differs significantly as well. The GTX 560 uses a 256-bit memory bus with 1024 MB of GDDR5, delivering 128.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro uses a narrower 128-bit bus with 2 GB of GDDR5, providing only 72.00 GB/s. The FirePro’s memory clock is 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) versus the GTX 560’s 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), but the wider bus gives NVIDIA a 77.8% bandwidth advantage. This likely explains why the GTX 560 wins in OpenCL despite lower theoretical FP32.

Specification Differences

The most obvious differences are in physical design and power. The GTX 560 is a dual-slot card measuring 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length, requiring 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 450 W suggested PSU. The FirePro W5170M is an MXM Module with no power connectors and no specified PSU requirement, designed for laptop integration. The GTX 560 has a 150 W TDP, while the FirePro’s TDP is not listed in the data.

Memory capacity and bandwidth split the cards: the GTX 560 has 1024 MB on a 256-bit bus (128.0 GB/s), while the FirePro has 2 GB on a 128-bit bus (72.00 GB/s). The GTX 560 uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, whereas the FirePro uses MXM-A (3.0). Display outputs also differ: the GTX 560 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the FirePro’s outputs are listed as “Portable Device Dependent.”

API support shows the generational gap. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 560’s DirectX version is 12 (11_0) while the FirePro’s is 12 (11_1). The FirePro adds Vulkan 1.2.170 support, which the GTX 560 lacks entirely. Clock speeds reveal the FirePro’s more modern design: it has a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 925 MHz, while the GTX 560’s base and boost clocks are not specified in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD FirePro W5170M has higher theoretical FP32 throughput at 1,184.0 GFLOPS versus the GTX 560’s 1,088.6 GFLOPS, but the GTX 560 wins the actual OpenCL benchmark by 11.3% (9058 vs 8140).

Q: Can the GTX 560 support Vulkan applications?

A: No. The data lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 560, while the FirePro W5170M supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 560 offers 128.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, compared to the FirePro’s 72.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The GTX 560 has a 77.8% bandwidth advantage.

Q: Is the FirePro W5170M suitable for desktop builds?

A: No. The FirePro is an MXM Module with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent outputs, designed for laptops. The GTX 560 is a dual-slot desktop card with a 210 mm length.

Q: How do these cards compare to modern GPUs in their benchmark class?

A: The GTX 560’s 9058 OpenCL score is 1.7% behind the AMD Radeon 890M, while the FirePro’s average score of 8595 is 1.1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 in its nearest rival comparison.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The FirePro W5170M has 640 shading units, nearly double the GTX 560’s 336. However, the GTX 560 has more TMUs (56 vs 40) and ROPs (32 vs 16).

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 wins decisively in OpenCL compute benchmarks, taking the head-to-head by 11.3%. Its wider 256-bit memory bus and higher bandwidth (128.0 GB/s) give it a significant advantage in memory-bound workloads, which is reflected in its higher texture rate of 45.36 GTexel/s and its ability to outperform the theoretical FP32 advantage of the FirePro. The GTX 560 also wins on desktop connectivity with dual DVI and mini-HDMI outputs, and its 150 W TDP with a 450 W suggested PSU makes it a straightforward drop-in for desktop systems. Its 45th percentile ranking and closeness to the TITAN V CEO Edition (0.2% delta) show that this older card remains competitive in compute tasks.

The AMD FirePro W5170M wins where the GTX 560 cannot compete: mobile form factor and modern API support. As an MXM Module with no external power connectors, it fits in laptops, while the GTX 560 requires a desktop slot and 2x 6-pin power. The FirePro’s Vulkan 1.2.170 support opens up modern cross-platform workloads that the GTX 560 cannot run. It also offers double the memory capacity (2 GB vs 1024 MB) and a higher pixel rate (14.80 GPixel/s vs 11.34 GPixel/s), which helps in display output tasks. The FirePro’s 640 shading units and 1,184.0 GFLOPS FP32 performance provide a theoretical compute edge, even if the OpenCL benchmark does not reflect it. For professional mobile users who need Vulkan and 2 GB of VRAM, the FirePro is the clear choice. For desktop users prioritizing OpenCL throughput, the GTX 560’s benchmark victory and bandwidth advantage make it the data-backed pick.