AMD Radeon HD 7730M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs AMD Radeon HD 7730M

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE and AMD Radeon HD 7730M represent two fundamentally different approaches to graphics processing from the same era, yet they target entirely different use cases. The GTX 560 SE is a desktop-oriented card built on Fermi 2.0 architecture, while the HD 7730M is a mobile GPU using GCN 1.0. Their single head-to-head benchmark — Geekbench OpenCL — shows the NVIDIA card scoring 7171 against the AMD's 6581, a 9% margin in favor of NVIDIA. This gap, while modest, opens a broader discussion about what each card prioritizes and where architectural choices matter most.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE in raw compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 7171 places it 9% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M's 6581. This win is consistent with the GTX 560 SE's positioning as a desktop part with more aggressive power and thermal headroom. The 560 SE also holds a higher percentile ranking at 39 versus the HD 7730M's 38, though both sit in the lower-middle tier of all GPUs.

However, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M wins in efficiency and portability, which are not directly benchmarked but are evident from the specification differences. The HD 7730M draws just 25 W, a fraction of the GTX 560 SE's 150 W TDP, making it suitable for laptops where power and heat are constrained. The mobile card also offers 2 GB of memory versus the 560 SE's 1 GB, which could matter for texture-heavy workloads at lower resolutions, even if the memory bandwidth is far lower.

The HD 7730M additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.170, whereas the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan support listed. This gives the AMD card a modern API advantage that may translate to better compatibility with newer applications and games that leverage Vulkan. The GTX 560 SE, by contrast, is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 40 nm process. This older node results in a large die size of 332 mm² and a transistor count of 1,950 million, yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm². The Fermi architecture relies on a traditional design with 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units.

In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 7730M uses the Chelsea chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's more advanced 28 nm process. This newer node allows for a much smaller die at 123 mm² while packing 1,500 million transistors, achieving a higher density of 12.2 million per mm². The GCN architecture features 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The shader count advantage for AMD (512 vs 288) is offset by lower clock speeds and a narrower memory subsystem.

The memory configurations diverge significantly. The GTX 560 SE uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 91.87 GB/s of bandwidth. The HD 7730M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing only 28.80 GB/s. This is a 3.2x bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA, which is critical for compute workloads that are memory-bound. Clock speeds also differ: the GTX 560 SE runs memory at 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective), while the HD 7730M's memory operates at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The HD 7730M's core clock is 575 MHz base with a 675 MHz boost, while the GTX 560 SE's core clocks are not specified in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171 in Geekbench OpenCL, beating the AMD Radeon HD 7730M's 6581 by 9%. This makes the GTX 560 SE the clear winner for compute-heavy tasks.

Q: Why does the HD 7730M have more shading units but lower performance?

A: The HD 7730M has 512 shading units versus the GTX 560 SE's 288, but its lower clock speeds, narrower 128-bit bus, and DDR3 memory (28.80 GB/s) severely limit throughput compared to the 192-bit GDDR5 setup on the GTX 560 SE (91.87 GB/s).

Q: Which GPU is better for laptop use?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7730M is designed for mobile systems with a 25 W TDP, whereas the GTX 560 SE consumes 150 W and requires dual 6-pin power connectors. The HD 7730M is the only viable choice for portable devices.

Q: Does either GPU support modern graphics APIs?

A: The HD 7730M supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 560 SE does not list Vulkan support. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0 for NVIDIA, 11_1 for AMD) and OpenGL 4.6.

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

A: The GTX 560 SE is within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203) and 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157). The HD 7730M sits 0.5% below the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612) and 1.4% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493).

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The HD 7730M offers 2 GB of DDR3 memory, double the GTX 560 SE's 1 GB of GDDR5. However, the GTX 560 SE's higher bandwidth (91.87 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s) compensates for the lower capacity in most scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The process node is a key differentiator: the GTX 560 SE uses 40 nm while the HD 7730M uses 28 nm, both from TSMC. This leads to a substantial die size difference — 332 mm² for NVIDIA versus 123 mm² for AMD — and transistor density of 5.9M/mm² versus 12.2M/mm², respectively. Total transistors are 1,950 million for the GTX 560 SE and 1,500 million for the HD 7730M.

Memory configuration is another major split. The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 91.87 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 7730M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s. Clock speeds show the HD 7730M running at 575 MHz base / 675 MHz boost for the core, while the GTX 560 SE's core clocks are not listed; memory clocks are 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps) for NVIDIA and 900 MHz (1800 Mbps) for AMD.

Compute resources differ: the GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, while the HD 7730M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rate is 8.832 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 10.80 GPixel/s for AMD, but texture rate is 35.33 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 847.9 GFLOPS for the GTX 560 SE and 691.2 GFLOPS for the HD 7730M.

Power and physical specs are polar opposites. The GTX 560 SE has a 150 W TDP, is dual-slot, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 450 W suggested PSU, and measures 210 mm in length. The HD 7730M has a 25 W TDP, no slot width, no power connectors, no PSU requirement, and no listed dimensions. The GTX 560 SE outputs via 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the HD 7730M's display outputs are portable device dependent. Both use PCIe 2.0 x16. API support differs: NVIDIA lists DirectX 12 (11_0) while AMD lists DirectX 12 (11_1); AMD adds Vulkan 1.2.170, NVIDIA has none. Release dates are close — February 19, 2012 for NVIDIA and April 23, 2012 for AMD — and both are end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171 against the AMD Radeon HD 7730M's 6581. This 9% delta represents a clear, if not overwhelming, victory for NVIDIA. The GTX 560 SE's advantage can be attributed to its 3.2x higher memory bandwidth (91.87 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s) and superior texture rate (35.33 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s), despite having fewer shading units. The AMD card's higher pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s vs 8.832 GPixel/s) does not translate into a win in this compute-oriented test.

Contextualizing these scores against rivals reveals how close these GPUs are to their peers. The GTX 560 SE's 7171 score places it within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203) and 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157). It also edges the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170) by a negligible margin. The HD 7730M's 6581 score sits 0.4% above the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554) and 1% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513). The GTX 560 SE's nearest rivals are all within a 1% band, suggesting its performance tier is densely populated. The HD 7730M, similarly, competes in a tight cluster ranging from 6493 to 6612 among its closest competitors.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is the stronger performer, winning the only head-to-head benchmark by 9% and delivering higher compute throughput (847.9 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS). Its GDDR5 memory and 192-bit bus provide a bandwidth advantage that is decisive in OpenCL workloads. Anyone prioritizing raw compute performance should choose the GTX 560 SE, provided they can accommodate its 150 W TDP, dual-slot design, and 450 W PSU requirement.

The AMD Radeon HD 7730M, however, wins on efficiency and mobility. Its 25 W TDP is a fraction of NVIDIA's power draw, enabling deployment in thin laptops where the GTX 560 SE's desktop form factor is impossible. The HD 7730M also offers 2 GB of memory and Vulkan support, which may appeal to users needing modern API compatibility. For a mobile system where battery life and thermals matter more than raw compute, the HD 7730M is the sensible choice. The benchmark gap of 9% is modest enough that real-world differences in lighter workloads may be negligible, but the architectural and physical constraints ultimately decide which GPU fits which user.