AMD Radeon R9 M265X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M265X in the single recorded compute test. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690 points in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 20.8% higher than the R9 M265X's 8,851 points. In terms of overall GPU population standing, the GTX 560 Ti sits at the 49th percentile, while the R9 M265X sits at the 44th percentile. For workloads that rely on raw OpenCL compute performance, the GTX 560 Ti is the clear pick. The R9 M265X, however, brings a different set of architectural advantages, including a smaller process node, higher transistor density, and support for modern APIs like Vulkan. Users needing maximum compute throughput should choose the GTX 560 Ti; users needing a more modern feature set and lower power footprint (the R9 M265X has no recorded TDP, but its architecture is built on a smaller node) should consider the R9 M265X. The data does not favor the R9 M265X in any benchmark win, as the head-to-head results show one win for the GTX 560 Ti and zero for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different design philosophies and process generations. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti is built on the GF114 chip, using the Fermi 2.0 architecture, and is fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 1,950 million transistors on a die size of 332 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 5.9M per mm². The AMD Radeon R9 M265X uses the Venus chip with GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a much smaller 123 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 12.2M per mm², more than double the GTX 560 Ti's density.

The GTX 560 Ti features 384 shading units, 64 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The R9 M265X has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA part relies on fewer, larger cores, while the AMD part uses a higher count of smaller cores. The GTX 560 Ti's pixel rate is 13.17 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 52.67 GTexel/s, while the R9 M265X delivers 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA GPU's FP32 throughput is 1,263.4 GFLOPS, compared to 800.0 GFLOPS for the AMD part.

Clock behavior also differs. The GTX 560 Ti has no recorded base or boost clock, but its memory runs at 1002 MHz with 4 Gbps effective data rate. The R9 M265X has a base clock of 575 MHz and a boost clock of 625 MHz, with memory at 1000 MHz and 4 Gbps effective. In terms of API support, the GTX 560 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support. The R9 M265X supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, giving it a clear feature advantage for modern applications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690, while the AMD Radeon R9 M265X scores 8,851. The delta is 20.8% in favor of the GTX 560 Ti. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the Fermi 2.0 architecture, despite its older process node and lower transistor density, delivers significantly higher compute performance in this workload. The GTX 560 Ti's advantage likely stems from its wider 256-bit memory bus and higher bandwidth. The GTX 560 Ti has a memory bus width of 256 bit and bandwidth of 128.3 GB/s, while the R9 M265X has a 128-bit bus and only 64.00 GB/s. That bandwidth gap is a direct contributor to the OpenCL score difference.

Context from the nearest rivals helps interpret these scores. The GTX 560 Ti sits close to the AMD Radeon RX 6600S, which scores 10,629 (0.6% lower), and the NVIDIA Quadro K2200, which scores 10,761 (0.7% higher). It also edges out the AMD Radeon R9 M275X by 1% (10,582) and trails the AMD Radeon Pro 450 by 1.1% (10,804). The R9 M265X, on the other hand, is nearly tied with the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100, which scores 8,863 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon 550X at 8,918 (0.8% higher). It leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile by 1.2% (8,746) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 by 1.2% (8,743). These comparisons show that the GTX 560 Ti competes with much more recent and higher-tier GPUs, while the R9 M265X sits among entry-level mobile parts.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every major specification category. The process node is a key difference: the GTX 560 Ti is on 40 nm, the R9 M265X on 28 nm. Transistor count is 1,950 million versus 1,500 million. Die size is 332 mm² versus 123 mm². Transistor density is 5.9M per mm² versus 12.2M per mm². The GTX 560 Ti has no base or boost clock recorded, while the R9 M265X has a base of 575 MHz and a boost of 625 MHz. Memory clock is nearly identical (1002 MHz versus 1000 MHz), with both at 4 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is starkly different. The GTX 560 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 128.3 GB/s bandwidth. The R9 M265X has 2048 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part has double the capacity but half the bus width and half the bandwidth. Shading units: 384 versus 640. TMUs: 64 versus 40. ROPs: 32 versus 16. Pixel rate: 13.17 GPixel/s versus 10.00 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 52.67 GTexel/s versus 25.00 GTexel/s. FP32: 1,263.4 GFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS.

Power and physical specifications show the GTX 560 Ti is a desktop-oriented card: it has a TDP of 170 W, is dual-slot, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and a 450 W suggested power supply. It measures 229 mm (9 inches) in length. The R9 M265X has no recorded TDP, slot width, power connectors, suggested PSU, or dimensions, consistent with a mobile-class GPU. The bus interface differs: PCIe 2.0 x16 for the GTX 560 Ti versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for the R9 M265X. Display outputs are only listed for the GTX 560 Ti: 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The R9 M265X has no recorded display outputs.

Production status is end-of-life for both. Release dates differ significantly: the GTX 560 Ti launched on 2011-01-24, while the R9 M265X launched on 2014-03-20. The GTX 560 Ti has a launch MSRP of 249 USD; the R9 M265X has no recorded launch MSRP. The GTX 560 Ti's predecessor is the GeForce 400 series and its successor is the GeForce 600 series. The R9 M265X's predecessor is the Solar System series and its successor is Polaris Mobile. API support differs in DirectX version (12 (11_0) versus 12 (11_1)) and Vulkan (none versus 1.2.170). Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti. It scores 10,690 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 20.8% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M265X's 8,851. Its FP32 throughput is 1,263.4 GFLOPS versus 800.0 GFLOPS for the AMD part.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R9 M265X have any advantage over the GTX 560 Ti?

A: Yes, in several areas. It has a smaller process node (28 nm versus 40 nm), higher transistor density (12.2M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm²), double the memory capacity (2 GB versus 1 GB), and support for Vulkan 1.2.170, which the GTX 560 Ti lacks.

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

A: The GTX 560 Ti is within 1.1% of four rivals: it trails the AMD Radeon Pro 450 by 1.1% (10,804), the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 by 0.7% (10,761), and leads the AMD Radeon RX 6600S by 0.6% (10,629) and the AMD Radeon R9 M275X by 1% (10,582). The R9 M265X is within 1.2% of four rivals: it trails the AMD Radeon 550X by 0.8% (8,918) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 by 0.1% (8,863), while leading the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile by 1.2% (8,746) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 by 1.2% (8,743).

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has 128.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, exactly double the 64.00 GB/s of the R9 M265X. This is due to the GTX 560 Ti's 256-bit memory bus versus the R9 M265X's 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU supports more modern APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M265X. It supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 560 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) but has no Vulkan support. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: When were these GPUs released?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti was released on 2011-01-24, while the AMD Radeon R9 M265X was released on 2014-03-20. Both are now end-of-life products in the database.