AMD Radeon R9 M360 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains one direct comparison between these two GPUs, and it is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon R9 M360 scores 8,211 points against 7,171 points for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE. That is a 14.5% advantage for the AMD part, a substantial margin that places the two cards in different performance tiers despite their similar vintage.

Context from the database’s nearest rival lists reinforces the gap. The R9 M360’s average benchmark score is 8,129, which puts it within 0.1% of the GeForce GTX 950M (8,135) and 0.4% ahead of the GeForce 945M (8,099). The GTX 560 SE, by contrast, averages 7,171, sitting just 0.2% above the GeForce GTX 970 (7,157) and 0.4% below the Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7,203). In percentile terms, the R9 M360 ranks in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile. The three-point percentile gap may sound small, but the raw score difference of over 1,000 points in the OpenCL workload tells the real story.

Notably, the GTX 560 SE has no recorded Vulkan benchmark score, while the R9 M360 posts 8,047 in that test. The database shows the AMD card is competitive in both APIs it supports, whereas the older NVIDIA part lacks Vulkan coverage entirely. This matters for any modern workload that leans on Vulkan, as the R9 M360 can engage with that API directly while the GTX 560 SE cannot.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design eras. The AMD Radeon R9 M360 uses the Tropo chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip based on Fermi 2.0, built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 28 nm versus 40 nm means the AMD chip packs transistors far more densely.

The transistor counts illustrate this clearly. The R9 M360 contains 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 560 SE carries 1,950 million transistors on a much larger 332 mm² die, resulting in just 5.9 million per square millimeter. Despite having fewer total transistors, the AMD die is less than half the physical size of the NVIDIA chip, a direct consequence of the newer manufacturing process.

Memory configurations also diverge sharply. The R9 M360 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560 SE has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 192-bit bus, achieving 91.87 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has higher raw bandwidth, but the AMD card has four times the memory capacity. In modern workloads with large texture sets or frame buffers, the capacity advantage can outweigh the bandwidth deficit.

Compute resources tell a mixed story. The R9 M360 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The AMD card has nearly double the shader count, while the NVIDIA card has more texture units and ROPs. This explains the benchmark result: the AMD architecture scales better in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, while the NVIDIA design was oriented toward fill-rate-bound tasks.

Clock speeds differ as well. The R9 M360 runs at a 900 MHz base and 925 MHz boost, with memory at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective). The GTX 560 SE has no recorded base or boost clock, but its memory runs at 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective). Pixel and texture rates reflect these differences: the R9 M360 achieves 14.80 GPixel/s and 29.60 GTexel/s, while the GTX 560 SE manages 8.832 GPixel/s and 35.33 GTexel/s. The AMD card wins pixel throughput decisively, while the NVIDIA card retains a texture rate edge.

API support is another differentiator. The R9 M360 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 560 SE supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support. Both cards are end-of-life products, but the AMD part carries newer API compatibility, particularly for Vulkan.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data points to a clear overall winner, but each card has distinct strengths that suit different use cases.

The AMD Radeon R9 M360 wins in compute performance. Its 14.5% OpenCL advantage over the GTX 560 SE, combined with its higher shader count and newer architecture, makes it the better choice for GPGPU tasks, OpenCL-accelerated applications, and any workload that leverages Vulkan. The 4 GB frame buffer also gives it a decisive edge in modern games with high-resolution textures or in creative applications that need to hold large datasets on the GPU. Its higher pixel rate (14.80 GPixel/s versus 8.832 GPixel/s) suggests better performance in fill-rate-bound scenarios, which typically include higher resolutions and anti-aliasing.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE wins in specific legacy scenarios. Its wider memory bus (192-bit versus 128-bit) and higher bandwidth (91.87 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s) give it an advantage in bandwidth-sensitive workloads that fit within its 1 GB frame buffer. The higher texture rate (35.33 GTexel/s versus 29.60 GTexel/s) indicates stronger texel throughput, which can matter in older games that are texture-heavy rather than compute-heavy. The card also has more ROPs (24 versus 16), which can help in certain rasterization tasks, though its lower pixel rate suggests that advantage does not translate to overall pixel throughput.

For gaming specifically, the R9 M360 is the stronger choice in virtually all modern titles because of its API support and memory capacity. The GTX 560 SE may still handle older DirectX 11 games competently, but its 1 GB memory is a hard limitation for anything released after roughly 2014. The R9 M360’s 4 GB capacity, by contrast, remains workable for many current titles at medium settings.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M360 averages 8,129 points, compared to 7,171 points for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE. The R9 M360 also ranks in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The R9 M360 scores 8,211 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GTX 560 SE scores 7,171. That is a 14.5% difference in favor of the AMD card.

Q: Does the GTX 560 SE support Vulkan?

A: No. The database lists Vulkan support as null for the GTX 560 SE. The R9 M360 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, giving it access to modern cross-platform graphics APIs.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The R9 M360 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, while the GTX 560 SE has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus. The AMD card has four times the capacity, though the NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth at 91.87 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The R9 M360 has 512 shading units, while the GTX 560 SE has 288. The AMD card also has 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs, compared to 48 TMUs and 24 ROPs for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life products. The R9 M360 was released in May 2015, while the GTX 560 SE came out in February 2012.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: the AMD Radeon R9 M360 is the stronger GPU in nearly every measurable way. Its 14.5% OpenCL lead, higher average score, better percentile ranking, and modern API support make it the clear choice for anyone choosing between these two. The 4 GB memory capacity versus 1 GB is a decisive factor for any modern workload, and the smaller 28 nm die with higher transistor density indicates a more efficient design.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is not without merit. Its higher memory bandwidth and texture rate give it niche advantages in specific bandwidth-bound or texture-heavy scenarios. For users running very old games that fit within 1 GB of VRAM, the GTX 560 SE can still perform adequately. Its 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are respectable numbers for its era, and the 192-bit bus was a sensible design choice in 2012.

However, the database’s own measurements show that the R9 M360 outperforms the GTX 560 SE in the one benchmark where both have recorded scores. The AMD card also has Vulkan support, a larger frame buffer, and a higher pixel rate, all of which point to better long-term usability. The GTX 560 SE is a product of the Fermi era, and its architecture shows its age in compute-heavy workloads.

For a buyer or system builder today, the R9 M360 is the better investment if these are the only two options. It offers superior compute performance, more memory, and broader API compatibility. The GTX 560 SE remains a functional legacy card, but the data indicates it is outclassed by the AMD part in all but the most narrow circumstances. The verdict is unambiguous: choose the R9 M360.