AMD Radeon R5 M230 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M vs AMD Radeon R5 M230

The benchmark data shows a clear winner: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M outperforms the AMD Radeon R5 M230 with a 6.1% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 4855 against 4577. This is a narrow but consistent margin, placing the GTX 560M at the 28th percentile of all GPUs while the R5 M230 sits just one point lower at the 27th percentile. The GTX 560M is the choice for users who prioritize raw compute performance, while the R5 M230 appeals to those seeking a more modern architecture with newer API support. Given the GTX 560M's end-of-life status and the R5 M230's similarly discontinued production, neither card represents a future-proof investment, but the data favors NVIDIA for compute workloads.

The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, taking the Geekbench OpenCL test by 6.1% with a score of 4855 versus 4577. This is a meaningful advantage in compute performance, though not a decisive one. The GTX 560M's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, scores 4844 — a mere 0.2% behind — suggesting the GTX 560M sits at a performance tier that modern entry-level discrete GPUs still match. The R5 M230, by contrast, trails the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M by 0.9% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M by 1.1%, indicating it performs closer to integrated graphics solutions like the Intel HD Graphics P530, which sits just 0.4% behind.

For users choosing strictly on data, the GTX 560M is the superior compute performer. Its 60.00 GB/s memory bandwidth, 192-bit bus, and GDDR5 memory give it a structural advantage over the R5 M230's 16.00 GB/s bandwidth and 64-bit DDR3 interface. The R5 M230 does counter with a larger 2 GB frame buffer versus 1536 MB, and it supports Vulkan 1.2.170, which the GTX 560M lacks entirely. The R5 M230 also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) compared to the GTX 560M's DirectX 12 (11_0), but both are effectively legacy parts. The verdict: pick the GTX 560M for compute-heavy tasks and legacy gaming; pick the R5 M230 only if Vulkan support or the larger memory pool matters more than raw speed.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip built on Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 40 nm process. The die measures 238 mm² and packs 1,170 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². This is a large, power-hungry design from 2011, part of the GeForce 500M generation. Its predecessor is the GeForce 400M and its successor is the GeForce 600M, placing it firmly in the Fermi era.

The AMD Radeon R5 M230 uses the Jet chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, built on a newer 28 nm process from TSMC. The die is dramatically smaller at 56 mm², with 690 million transistors, achieving a much higher transistor density of 12.3M per mm². This is a more efficient design from the Gem System (R5 M200) generation, released in 2014. Its predecessor is the Solar System and its successor is Polaris Mobile. The architectural gap is significant: Fermi 2.0 is a dated design optimized for high clocks and raw throughput, while GCN 1.0 was designed for scalability and efficiency. The R5 M230 features 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units, while the GTX 560M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The R5 M230's higher shader count is offset by its much lower memory bandwidth and fill rates, as detailed below.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the GTX 560M wins with a score of 4855 against the R5 M230's 4577. This 6.1% delta is the definitive performance gap between the two. Contextualizing this score against nearest rivals clarifies the competitive landscape. The GTX 560M's performance is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4844, 0.2% ahead), slightly behind the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX (4867, 0.2% behind), and within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893, 0.8% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4901, 0.9% behind). This shows the GTX 560M holds its own against much newer hardware, though the RTX 5060 Ti's presence in this grouping is likely an anomaly of the test methodology.

The R5 M230's score of 4577 places it slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 560 (4569, 0.2% ahead) and Intel HD Graphics P530 (4560, 0.4% ahead), but behind the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4621, 0.9% behind) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4628, 1.1% behind). The R5 M230's performance profile aligns more closely with integrated graphics than with dedicated gaming GPUs, making the GTX 560M's 6.1% lead appear larger in practical terms. In compute workloads that stress memory bandwidth — such as texture-heavy operations — the GTX 560M's 60.00 GB/s bandwidth versus 16.00 GB/s gives it a 3.75x theoretical advantage, which the benchmark score only partially reflects.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two GPUs are substantial. The GTX 560M uses GDDR5 memory with a 192-bit bus, delivering 60.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the R5 M230 uses DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, delivering only 16.00 GB/s. The R5 M230 has a larger capacity at 2 GB versus 1536 MB. The GTX 560M's memory clock is 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective), while the R5 M230 runs at 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective).

In terms of processing units, the GTX 560M has fewer shading units (192 vs 320) but more TMUs (32 vs 20) and ROPs (24 vs 8). This yields higher fill rates: the GTX 560M achieves 6.200 GPixel/s pixel rate and 24.80 GTexel/s texture rate, versus the R5 M230's 4.880 GPixel/s and 12.20 GTexel/s. The GTX 560M also produces more FP32 compute at 595.2 GFLOPS versus 390.4 GFLOPS. The GTX 560M has a TDP of 75 W and uses an MXM Module slot with no power connectors, while the R5 M230 has no listed TDP and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) using PCIe 3.0 x8.

The process nodes differ: 40 nm for NVIDIA versus 28 nm for AMD. The GTX 560M has a larger die (238 mm² vs 56 mm²) and more transistors (1,170 million vs 690 million), but lower density (4.9M/mm² vs 12.3M/mm²). API support differs: the R5 M230 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, which the GTX 560M does not, and DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the GTX 560M's DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 560M uses MXM-B (3.0) bus interface, while the R5 M230 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. Release dates differ by nearly three years: the GTX 560M launched on May 29, 2011, and the R5 M230 on January 6, 2014.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark with a score of 4855 versus 4577 for the AMD Radeon R5 M230, a 6.1% advantage. Its FP32 performance is also higher at 595.2 GFLOPS versus 390.4 GFLOPS.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R5 M230 have any advantage in memory capacity?

A: Yes, the R5 M230 has 2 GB of DDR3 memory, which is larger than the GTX 560M's 1536 MB GDDR5. However, the GTX 560M's memory bandwidth is far higher at 60.00 GB/s versus 16.00 GB/s, and its bus is 192-bit versus 64-bit.

Q: Which GPU supports Vulkan?

A: Only the AMD Radeon R5 M230 supports Vulkan, with version 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has no Vulkan support listed. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the R5 M230 has a slightly higher DirectX version at 12 (11_1) versus 12 (11_0).

Q: How does the GTX 560M compare to the GeForce 940MX?

A: The GTX 560M scores 4855, which is 0.2% higher than the 940MX's 4844. These two GPUs are effectively tied in performance, despite the 940MX being a much newer part.

Q: Is the R5 M230 closer to integrated graphics than dedicated GPUs?

A: Yes. The R5 M230 scores 4577, which is only 0.4% ahead of the Intel HD Graphics P530 (4560). It also trails the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M by 0.9% and the GTX 970M by 1.1%, placing it in a performance tier typically associated with integrated solutions.

Q: Which GPU has better fill rates?

A: The GTX 560M has higher pixel rate (6.200 GPixel/s vs 4.880 GPixel/s) and texture rate (24.80 GTexel/s vs 12.20 GTexel/s). This is due to its 24 ROPs and 32 TMUs, compared to the R5 M230's 8 ROPs and 20 TMUs.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M wins in every measurable performance category from the data. Its 6.1% Geekbench OpenCL lead, combined with 60.00 GB/s memory bandwidth, 24.80 GTexel/s texture rate, and 595.2 GFLOPS FP32, makes it the clear choice for compute-intensive tasks such as OpenCL-based rendering, video encoding, or scientific workloads. Its 192-bit memory bus and GDDR5 memory provide a structural advantage that the R5 M230 cannot overcome, even with its higher shader count. The GTX 560M also benefits from a more robust raster pipeline with 24 ROPs, which translates to better pixel throughput in legacy 3D applications.

The AMD Radeon R5 M230 wins on architecture modernity and API support. Its 28 nm process node is newer than the GTX 560M's 40 nm, and its GCN 1.0 architecture supports Vulkan 1.2.170, which opens the door to a broader range of modern cross-platform applications. Its 2 GB memory capacity is larger, which can be beneficial for texture-heavy workloads that exceed the GTX 560M's 1536 MB pool, even if the bandwidth is far lower. The R5 M230's smaller die size (56 mm² vs 238 mm²) and higher transistor density (12.3M/mm² vs 4.9M/mm²) indicate a more efficient design, and its IGP form factor means it is integrated into the system rather than requiring an MXM Module slot.

For practical use cases, the GTX 560M is the winner for anyone running legacy DirectX 11-era games or OpenCL workloads where memory bandwidth is critical. The R5 M230 is preferable in scenarios where Vulkan support is required, where the larger frame buffer is beneficial, or where the integrated form factor is necessary for the system design. The data does not support the R5 M230 for any performance-critical role, as it trails the GTX 560M in the only benchmark available and sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs versus the GTX 560M's 28th percentile.