AMD Radeon RX 560 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M Comparison

FAQ

Q: How large is the performance gap between the AMD Radeon RX 560 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The RX 560 wins both head-to-head tests decisively. In Geekbench Metal, it scores 18,941 versus 2,777 for the GT 745M, a delta of 582.1%. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 560 scores 16,472 versus 3,580, a delta of 360.1%.

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score and percentile ranking?

A: The RX 560 has an average benchmark score of 4,569 and sits in the 26th percentile of all GPUs. The GT 745M has an average score of 3,953 and sits in the 23rd percentile.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each GPU according to the database?

A: The RX 560's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M230 (average score 4,577, delta -0.2%), Intel HD Graphics P530 (4,560, delta 0.2%), NVIDIA Quadro M3000M (4,621, delta -1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (4,628, delta -1.3%). The GT 745M's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3,956, delta -0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce 830M (3,957, delta -0.1%), NVIDIA Quadro K2000 (3,964, delta -0.3%), and NVIDIA Quadro 2000D (3,930, delta 0.6%).

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 745M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What process nodes and architectures do the two GPUs use?

A: The RX 560 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries with the GCN 4.0 architecture (chip Polaris 21). The GT 745M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC with the Kepler architecture (chip GK107).

Q: What is the transistor count and die size difference?

A: The RX 560 packs 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². The GT 745M has 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, yielding a density of 10.8M per mm².

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for anyone choosing between these two end-of-life mobile or small-form-factor GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 560 dominates in every recorded benchmark, with a 582.1% advantage in Geekbench Metal and a 360.1% advantage in Geekbench OpenCL. Its average benchmark score of 4,569 is 15.6% higher than the GT 745M's 3,953.

For users prioritizing compute performance, the RX 560 is the obvious selection. It delivers roughly six times the Metal score and over four and a half times the OpenCL score of the GT 745M. The RX 560 also offers double the memory capacity (4 GB versus 2 GB) and nearly double the memory bandwidth (112.0 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s).

The GT 745M does hold some structural advantages. It consumes 45 W versus the RX 560's 75 W, making it more power-efficient for thin-and-light laptops. It also uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. However, these advantages do not translate into any benchmark wins.

The percentile rankings reinforce the gap: the RX 560 sits at the 26th percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 745M sits at the 23rd percentile. Neither card is a high-end performer, but the RX 560 is consistently ahead. The verdict is straightforward: unless power draw is the absolute priority, the RX 560 is the stronger pick based on all recorded data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 560 wins both recorded tests, with zero wins for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M.

Geekbench Metal: The RX 560 scores 18,941. The GT 745M scores 2,777. The delta is 582.1% in favor of the RX 560. This is not a marginal lead; it is a six-fold difference. The RX 560's GCN 4.0 architecture and 1024 shading units vastly outpace the GT 745M's 384 shading units in this API.

Geekbench OpenCL: The RX 560 scores 16,472. The GT 745M scores 3,580. The delta is 360.1% in favor of the RX 560. While slightly less extreme than the Metal result, this still represents a four-and-a-half-fold advantage. The RX 560's FP32 throughput of 2.611 TFLOPS versus 421.6 GFLOPS for the GT 745M explains much of this gap.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The RX 560 averages 4,569, while the GT 745M averages 3,953. The RX 560 sits 15.6% higher on average, which aligns with its better percentile placement.

Notably, the GT 745M has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 5,502, but the RX 560 has no Vulkan entry in the head-to-head data. This means the Vulkan test cannot be compared directly from the available measurements. The RX 560 does support Vulkan 1.3, while the GT 745M supports Vulkan 1.2.175, but no benchmark score exists for the RX 560 to quantify this advantage.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field.

Memory: The RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GT 745M has 2 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit bus, but the RX 560 achieves 112.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 64.00 GB/s for the GT 745M. The RX 560's memory clock is 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the GT 745M's is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Shading Units: The RX 560 has 1,024 shading units. The GT 745M has 384. This is a 2.67x difference in raw shader count.

Texture Mapping Units: The RX 560 has 64 TMUs. The GT 745M has 32 TMUs.

Render Output Units: Both have 16 ROPs.

Pixel Rate: The RX 560 achieves 20.40 GPixel/s. The GT 745M achieves 4.392 GPixel/s.

Texture Rate: The RX 560 achieves 81.60 GTexel/s. The GT 745M achieves 17.57 GTexel/s.

FP32 Performance: The RX 560 delivers 2.611 TFLOPS. The GT 745M delivers 421.6 GFLOPS.

FP16 Performance: The RX 560 delivers 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). The GT 745M has no recorded FP16 value.

TDP: The RX 560 is rated at 75 W. The GT 745M is rated at 45 W.

Slot Width: The RX 560 is dual-slot. The GT 745M is IGP (integrated graphics processor, typically soldered).

Power Connectors: The RX 560 requires none. The GT 745M has no recorded power connector requirement.

Suggested PSU: The RX 560 suggests a 250 W power supply. The GT 745M has no recorded suggestion.

Bus Interface: The RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The GT 745M uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Dimensions: The RX 560 is 170 mm (6.7 inches) long. The GT 745M has no recorded dimensions.

Display Outputs: The RX 560 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The GT 745M's outputs are "Portable Device Dependent."

Release Date: The RX 560 launched on 2017-04-17. The GT 745M launched on 2013-03-31.

Launch MSRP: The RX 560 had a launch MSRP of 99 USD. The GT 745M has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial and explains the benchmark results.

Process Node: The RX 560 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The GT 745M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC. The smaller node allows the RX 560 to pack more transistors and run at higher clocks.

Transistors: The RX 560 contains 3,000 million transistors. The GT 745M contains 1,270 million. Despite a nearly identical die size (123 mm² versus 118 mm²), the RX 560 packs well over twice the transistors.

Transistor Density: The RX 560 achieves 24.4M transistors per mm². The GT 745M achieves 10.8M per mm². This density advantage is a direct result of the 14 nm versus 28 nm process difference.

Architecture Generation: The RX 560 uses GCN 4.0, part of the Polaris (RX 500) generation. The GT 745M uses Kepler, part of the GeForce 700M generation. These are four years apart in release, with the RX 560 launching in 2017 and the GT 745M in 2013.

Clocks: The RX 560 has a base clock of 1175 MHz and a boost clock of 1275 MHz. The GT 745M has no recorded base or boost clocks, only its memory clock.

API Support: The RX 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GT 745M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RX 560 has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

Predecessor and Successor: The RX 560's predecessor is Arctic Islands and its successor is Vega. The GT 745M's predecessor is GeForce 600M and its successor is GeForce 800M.

The architectural differences are not incremental; they represent a generational leap. The RX 560's GCN 4.0 architecture on 14 nm is fundamentally more efficient and capable than Kepler on 28 nm. This shows up in every compute metric, from shading units to texture rate to FP32 throughput.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX 560 wins in every measurable benchmark category. There are no benchmark victories for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M in the head-to-head results.

The RX 560 wins in compute-heavy workloads. Its Geekbench Metal score of 18,941 is 582.1% higher than the GT 745M's 2,777. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 16,472 is 360.1% higher than the GT 745M's 3,580. Any application relying on Metal or OpenCL acceleration will massively favor the RX 560.

The RX 560 wins in raw throughput metrics. With 2.611 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 81.60 GTexel/s texture rate, and 20.40 GPixel/s pixel rate, the RX 560 outclasses the GT 745M's 421.6 GFLOPS, 17.57 GTexel/s, and 4.392 GPixel/s. This translates to better performance in graphics rendering and general-purpose compute.

The RX 560 wins in memory capacity and bandwidth. Its 4 GB frame buffer and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth allow it to handle larger textures and higher resolutions than the GT 745M's 2 GB and 64.00 GB/s. The 7 Gbps effective memory clock versus 4 Gbps further widens this gap.

The GT 745M has one structural advantage: power efficiency. At 45 W versus the RX 560's 75 W, the GT 745M draws 40% less power. This makes it a better fit for ultra-thin laptops where thermal and power budgets are tight. The GT 745M is also an IGP, meaning it is soldered directly to the motherboard, which can simplify laptop design.

The GT 745M has a wider bus interface. It uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. However, no benchmark data exists to show this translates into a performance advantage.

The GT 745M has a recorded Vulkan score. It scores 5,502 in Geekbench Vulkan. The RX 560 has no recorded Vulkan benchmark, so this is the only test where the GT 745M has a data point that the RX 560 cannot match. However, the RX 560's Vulkan 1.3 support suggests it would likely perform well, but no measurement confirms this.

In summary, the RX 560 wins every head-to-head benchmark and most specification comparisons. The GT 745M's only clear advantages are lower power draw and its x16 bus interface, neither of which appears in the benchmark results. For any user who needs graphics or compute performance, the RX 560 is the clear winner. For users who prioritize battery life and thin form factors above all else, the GT 745M's 45 W TDP might be preferable, but the performance cost is severe.