AMD Radeon R6 M255DX vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Comparison

AMD Radeon R6 M255DX and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they represent two very different approaches to laptop gaming from their respective eras. The AMD part is a hybrid system graphics solution from 2014 built on a 28 nm process, while the NVIDIA part is a dedicated MXM module from 2011 using a 40 nm process. Benchmark data places them nearly dead even, with the AMD card scoring 4867 and the NVIDIA card scoring 4855 in their respective Geekbench tests—a difference of just 0.2% in favor of the AMD part. Both sit at the 28th percentile of all GPUs, meaning they occupy the same performance tier, but the underlying hardware and use cases diverge sharply.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison here is unusually tight. The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX achieves a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4867, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M achieves a Geekbench OpenCL score of 4855. The delta between them is a mere 0.2%, which is essentially a statistical tie. In the nearest rivals data, the AMD card is listed as 0.2% ahead of the GTX 560M, while the NVIDIA card is listed as 0.2% behind the Radeon R6 M255DX—confirming that neither card holds a meaningful advantage in raw compute benchmarks.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape, both cards cluster with the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (score 4844) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (score 4893). The AMD R6 M255DX is 0.5% ahead of the 940MX and 0.5% behind the GTS 450, while the GTX 560M is 0.2% ahead of the 940MX and 0.8% behind the GTS 450. The most striking comparison is against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, which scores 4901—only 0.7% higher than the AMD part and 0.9% higher than the NVIDIA part. This suggests that in this particular benchmark, the modern RTX card offers only marginal gains, though that result likely reflects the specific workload rather than real-world gaming performance.

The benchmark data shows no single decisive victory for either card. The AMD part wins by 12 points in raw score, but that margin is within the noise of synthetic testing. What matters more is that both cards deliver nearly identical compute throughput despite their vastly different architectures and ages. For a user comparing these two, the benchmark scores indicate you will not notice a performance difference in GPU compute tasks—the deciding factors will be system integration, driver support, and feature compatibility.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture using the Jet chip, manufactured on TSMC's 28 nm process. It packs 690 million transistors into a 56 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter. This is a hybrid system graphics solution, meaning it shares system memory and is integrated into the platform as an IGP rather than a discrete card. The AMD part uses the "Gem System Hybrid (Rx M200)" generation and supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M, in contrast, uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF116 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 40 nm process. It contains 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, with a transistor density of just 4.9 million per square millimeter. This is a dedicated mobile GPU in an MXM Module form factor, using the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface. It belongs to the GeForce 500M generation and supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but notably lacks Vulkan support.

The core counts tell a revealing story. The AMD part has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has fewer shading units at 192, but more TMUs at 32 and more ROPs at 24. This means the AMD card relies on a wider shader array, while the NVIDIA card has a more balanced throughput pipeline for texture and pixel work. The AMD card's pixel rate is 6.840 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s for NVIDIA, a 10% advantage. However, the NVIDIA card's texture rate is 24.80 GTexel/s versus 17.10 GTexel/s for AMD, a 45% advantage for NVIDIA.

Memory architecture is another fundamental split. The AMD R6 M255DX uses "System Shared" memory—no dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ: the AMD card runs at 780 MHz base and 855 MHz boost, while the NVIDIA card's core clock is not listed, though its memory runs at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The FP32 compute throughput is 547.2 GFLOPS for AMD and 595.2 GFLOPS for NVIDIA, a 9% edge for the NVIDIA part.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX wins in scenarios where its newer architecture and higher shader count pay off. It has a 10% higher pixel fill rate (6.840 GPixel/s vs 6.200 GPixel/s), which can benefit tasks involving heavy fragment processing. It also supports Vulkan 1.2.170, which the NVIDIA card lacks entirely—so any Vulkan-based workload or game is exclusively the AMD's domain. The AMD part's 28 nm process and 12.3M/mm² density mean it draws less power and runs cooler, though specific TDP figures are not listed for the AMD card. For integrated graphics in a hybrid system, the AMD card's shared memory approach means it can access the full system memory pool, which can be an advantage in memory-constrained scenarios.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M wins where its dedicated memory and balanced pipeline are critical. Its 60.00 GB/s of dedicated GDDR5 bandwidth is a massive advantage over the AMD's system-shared memory, which is "System Dependent" and likely far slower in practice. The NVIDIA card has a 45% higher texture fill rate (24.80 GTexel/s vs 17.10 GTexel/s) and 9% higher FP32 compute (595.2 GFLOPS vs 547.2 GFLOPS), making it better suited for texture-heavy workloads and general compute. With 24 ROPs versus 8 ROPs, the NVIDIA card can handle three times the pixel output per clock cycle, though its lower clock speed narrows the real-world gap. The GTX 560M also has a listed TDP of 75 W, making it a power-hungry but predictable discrete part.

In practical terms, the AMD card is better for modern API support and efficiency, while the NVIDIA card is better for raw bandwidth and texture throughput. The GTX 560M's dedicated VRAM means it will not compete with other system processes for memory bandwidth, which is crucial for gaming. The AMD card's shared memory model can cause stutter in memory-heavy scenarios, but its newer architecture may handle modern API features more gracefully.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field:

• Process Node: AMD uses 28 nm; NVIDIA uses 40 nm
• Transistors: AMD has 690 million; NVIDIA has 1,170 million
• Die Size: AMD is 56 mm²; NVIDIA is 238 mm²
• Transistor Density: AMD is 12.3M/mm²; NVIDIA is 4.9M/mm²
• Shading Units: AMD has 320; NVIDIA has 192
• TMUs: AMD has 20; NVIDIA has 32
• ROPs: AMD has 8; NVIDIA has 24
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 6.840 GPixel/s; NVIDIA is 6.200 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: AMD is 17.10 GTexel/s; NVIDIA is 24.80 GTexel/s
• FP32: AMD is 547.2 GFLOPS; NVIDIA is 595.2 GFLOPS
• Memory Size: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is 1536 MB
• Memory Type: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is GDDR5
• Memory Bus: AMD is System Shared; NVIDIA is 192 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: AMD is System Dependent; NVIDIA is 60.00 GB/s
• TDP: AMD is not listed; NVIDIA is 75 W
• Slot Width: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is MXM Module
• Bus Interface: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is MXM-B (3.0)
• Vulkan Support: AMD is 1.2.170; NVIDIA is null
• Release Date: AMD is 2014-01-06; NVIDIA is 2011-05-29

The clock speeds also differ: AMD lists base 780 MHz and boost 855 MHz, while NVIDIA lists no core clock but a memory clock of 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The AMD card has no listed power connectors or suggested PSU, while the NVIDIA card has none for power connectors as well, given its MXM form factor.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has a slight edge in FP32 compute at 595.2 GFLOPS versus 547.2 GFLOPS for the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX, a 9% difference. However, the Geekbench scores show the AMD card at 4867 and the NVIDIA card at 4855, meaning the AMD part actually scores 0.2% higher in real benchmark results.

Q: Does the AMD card support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX supports Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M does not list Vulkan support in its specifications, so any Vulkan-based application will only run on the AMD card.

Q: How much dedicated memory does each card have?

A: The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX uses System Shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its bandwidth is described as "System Dependent." The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The AMD Radeon R6 M255DX does not list a TDP, but it is built on a newer 28 nm process with a smaller die (56 mm²) and fewer transistors (690 million). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has a listed TDP of 75 W and uses a larger 40 nm process with a 238 mm² die and 1,170 million transistors.

Q: What is the performance percentile of these cards?

A: Both the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M sit at the 28th percentile of all GPUs, meaning they perform better than 28% of the GPUs in the database and worse than 72%.

Q: Are these cards still relevant for modern gaming?

A: Both cards are end-of-life products, with the AMD card released in 2014 and the NVIDIA card in 2011. Their benchmark scores place them at the 28th percentile, and they are closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (score 4844) and GTS 450 (score 4893). They are not competitive with modern GPUs, though the Geekbench scores show the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is only 0.7-0.9% ahead in this specific test.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX is the better choice for users who need modern API support and efficiency. It wins the benchmark comparison by 0.2%, supports Vulkan 1.2.170, and uses a newer 28 nm process with higher transistor density (12.3M/mm² versus 4.9M/mm²). Its higher pixel rate (6.840 GPixel/s) and greater number of shading units (320 versus 192) make it well-suited for tasks that leverage shader-heavy workloads. The fact that it is an IGP means it is integrated into the system, which can be an advantage for portability and power management in a hybrid setup.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M is the better choice for users who prioritize dedicated memory and texture throughput. Its 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth is a decisive advantage over the AMD's system-shared memory, which is "System Dependent" and could be a bottleneck. The NVIDIA card also has a 45% higher texture rate (24.80 GTexel/s), 24 ROPs versus 8, and higher FP32 compute (595.2 GFLOPS). For gaming, the dedicated VRAM is critical, as it will not compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

The data does not reveal a clear overall winner—the 0.2% benchmark delta is negligible. The decision comes down to platform: if you have a system with the AMD hybrid IGP, you get Vulkan support and a modern feature set. If you have an MXM-based laptop with the GTX 560M, you get dedicated memory and a more balanced rasterization pipeline. Both cards are end-of-life and sit at the 28th percentile, so neither is suitable for demanding modern games. For legacy gaming and compute tasks, the GTX 560M's memory bandwidth makes it the more practical choice; for API compatibility and efficiency, the R6 M255DX is preferable. Choose based on your existing platform and software requirements, as the performance gap is effectively nonexistent.