AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two mobile and desktop graphics cards. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins the only direct head-to-head comparison recorded in the database, and it also holds a higher overall average benchmark score. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560, meanwhile, does not win any recorded comparison, but its position relative to its nearest rivals tells a different story about consistency.

In the compute workload measured by Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X records a score of 11200, which is 23.6% higher than the 9058 achieved by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560. That is a decisive margin in a single test. The AMD card also appears in two separate benchmark entries, with a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9964 adding to its profile, giving it a broader software compatibility footprint in the recorded data. The NVIDIA card has only one benchmark entry, the OpenCL result, meaning its average score is identical to that single test.

The GeForce GTX 560 does have a notable advantage in memory bandwidth, which can influence texture-heavy workloads. Its 256-bit bus width and 128.0 GB/s bandwidth represent a substantial throughput advantage over the AMD card's 128-bit bus and 72.00 GB/s. However, the recorded benchmark data does not isolate memory-bound tests, so this advantage remains theoretical rather than proven in the database.

The AMD Radeon R9 M275X also holds a better percentile ranking, sitting at the 49th percentile across all GPUs, while the GeForce GTX 560 sits at the 45th percentile. That percentile gap, combined with the 23.6% OpenCL delta, makes the AMD part the stronger choice for compute-oriented tasks in the recorded data.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different manufacturing generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X uses the Venus chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 uses the GF114 chip built on Fermi 2.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a larger 40 nm process. This process gap explains a significant difference in physical characteristics: the AMD chip packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, while the NVIDIA chip uses 1,950 million transistors across a much larger 332 mm² die. The transistor density figures reflect this: 12.2 million transistors per mm² for AMD versus 5.9 million per mm² for NVIDIA.

The shading resources also differ substantially. The AMD card carries 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The NVIDIA card has 336 shading units but more texture and raster hardware: 56 texture mapping units and 32 raster output units. This gives the GeForce GTX 560 a higher texture rate of 45.36 GTexel/s compared to 37.00 GTexel/s for the AMD card, and a lower pixel rate of 11.34 GPixel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s for the AMD card.

Clock behavior differs as well. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 925 MHz, while the GeForce GTX 560 lists no base or boost clocks in the database. The AMD memory runs at 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective data rate, while the NVIDIA memory runs at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective. Both use GDDR5 memory, but the AMD card offers 2 GB while the NVIDIA card offers 1024 MB.

API support shows a notable split. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded. This means the AMD card can run Vulkan workloads, which is absent from the NVIDIA feature set.

The bus interface also differs: the AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x16 while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The NVIDIA card carries a 150 W TDP, dual-slot width, two 6-pin power connectors, and a suggested 450 W power supply, while the AMD card has none of those figures recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 11200, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 scores 9058. The delta is 23.6% in favor of AMD. That is not a small margin; it represents a substantial performance gap in a compute-oriented workload.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides context for how these scores sit in the broader market. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has an average benchmark score of 10582 across its two entries. Its closest rival in the database is the AMD Radeon RX 6600S with an average score of 10629, a delta of -0.4% meaning the R9 M275X trails by a negligible margin. The AMD Radeon RX 550X sits at 10481, which is 1% behind the R9 M275X. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10690, putting it 1% ahead of the R9 M275X. The NVIDIA Quadro K2200 scores 10761, which is 1.7% ahead.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 has an average score of 9058. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition at 9037, a delta of 0.2% in favor of the GTX 560. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 scores 9022, putting it 0.4% behind. The AMD Radeon 550X scores 8918, which is 1.6% behind. The AMD Radeon 890M scores 9210, which is 1.7% ahead of the GTX 560.

These rival comparisons show that the AMD R9 M275X competes in a higher performance tier than the GeForce GTX 560. The AMD card's average score of 10582 places it near cards like the RX 6600S and GTX 560 Ti, while the GeForce GTX 560's 9058 average places it near much older or lower-tier parts like the GTX 660 and Radeon 550X. The 23.6% head-to-head delta is consistent with this tier separation.

The Verdict

The data points clearly to the AMD Radeon R9 M275X as the stronger performer in compute workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 11200 beats the GeForce GTX 560's 9058 by 23.6%, and its average benchmark score of 10582 sits well above the NVIDIA card's 9058. The AMD card also carries a higher percentile ranking at 49 versus 45, and it is the only one of the two with a Vulkan benchmark result.

For users prioritizing compute performance, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the unambiguous choice. It also offers double the memory capacity at 2 GB versus 1024 MB, which matters for larger working sets. Its smaller die and higher transistor density reflect a more modern design, and its PCIe 3.0 interface provides additional bandwidth headroom over the NVIDIA card's PCIe 2.0.

The GeForce GTX 560 does retain advantages in memory bandwidth, texture rate, and raster operations. Its 256-bit bus delivers 128.0 GB/s, nearly double the AMD card's 72.00 GB/s, and its 56 texture mapping units give it a higher texture rate. However, none of these advantages translate into a benchmark win in the recorded data. The only head-to-head test favors AMD, and the NVIDIA card has no Vulkan support to broaden its software reach.

The NVIDIA card also requires more system resources: a 150 W TDP, dual-slot width, two 6-pin power connectors, and a suggested 450 W power supply. The AMD card has none of those requirements recorded, making it a simpler integration prospect from a power and space perspective.

For compute-focused buyers, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the right pick. For users who need maximum memory bandwidth and texture throughput in legacy workloads, the GeForce GTX 560 offers those specific capabilities, but the recorded benchmarks do not support choosing it over the AMD part for general performance.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 11200, which is 23.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560's 9058.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 support Vulkan?

A: No, the database records no Vulkan support for the GeForce GTX 560. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X supports Vulkan 1.2.170.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X is built on a 28 nm process, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 uses a 40 nm process. Both are fabricated by TSMC.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 has 128.0 GB/s bandwidth on a 256-bit bus, compared to 72.00 GB/s on a 128-bit bus for the AMD Radeon R9 M275X.

Q: How do the two cards compare in percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X sits at the 49th percentile across all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 sits at the 45th percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M275X | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Chip | Venus | GF114 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 332 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 900 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 925 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz, 4.5 Gbps effective | 1000 MHz, 4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 72.00 GB/s | 128.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 336 |

| Texture Mapping Units | 40 | 56 |

| Raster Output Units | 16 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 14.80 GPixel/s | 11.34 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.00 GTexel/s | 45.36 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,184.0 GFLOPS | 1,088.6 GFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 150 W |

| Slot Width | Not listed | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not listed | 2x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2014-01-27 | 2011-05-16 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 199 USD |