AMD Radeon RX 560 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive performance gap between these two GPUs, with the AMD Radeon RX 560 winning both head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The most striking result appears in Geekbench Metal, where the RX 560 scores 18,941 points against the GTX 650's 2,400 points. That is a 689.2% advantage, the largest delta recorded in this comparison. In practical terms, this means the RX 560 delivers nearly eight times the Metal performance of the older NVIDIA card.

The second head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL, also favors the AMD card, though the margin is smaller. The RX 560 records 16,472 points while the GTX 650 manages 4,545 points, a 262.4% difference. Even with the smaller gap, the RX 560 still more than triples the GTX 650's OpenCL output. Both results point in the same direction: the RX 560 is categorically faster in compute workloads measured by these two APIs.

Looking at the broader benchmark database, the RX 560 carries an average benchmark score of 4,569 across all recorded tests. The GTX 650 sits at 3,823 on the same scale. The RX 560's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 26th, while the GTX 650 lands at 22nd. These percentile positions confirm that while both cards occupy the lower half of the performance distribution, the RX 560 maintains a consistent lead over its rival.

The nearest rivals in the database further contextualize each card's standing. The RX 560's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R5 M230, which averages 4,577 points, a mere 0.2% difference from the RX 560's score. The Intel HD Graphics P530 trails by 0.2%, and the NVIDIA Quadro M3000M is 1.1% ahead. For the GTX 650, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 at 3,834 points, just 0.3% below the GTX 650's average. The Intel UHD Graphics 710 sits 0.8% higher, and the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is 1.5% ahead. These tight margins suggest that both cards are clustered with other entry-level and older-generation parts, but the RX 560's cluster sits at a higher absolute performance level.

The head-to-head wins tally confirms the sweep: the RX 560 wins 2 tests, the GTX 650 wins 0. No recorded benchmark in this comparison shows the NVIDIA card ahead. The data does not include any DirectX or Vulkan head-to-head results, so the comparison rests entirely on the Geekbench Metal and OpenCL measurements. Within those two tests, the RX 560's advantage is unambiguous.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 records an average benchmark score of 4,569, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 averages 3,823. The RX 560 leads by approximately 19.5%.

Q: How much faster is the RX 560 in Geekbench Metal?

A: The RX 560 scores 18,941 in Geekbench Metal versus the GTX 650's 2,400, a 689.2% advantage. This is the largest performance gap recorded in the head-to-head data.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each card among all GPUs?

A: The RX 560 ranks in the 26th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 650 ranks in the 22nd percentile. Both cards sit in the lower quarter of the performance distribution, but the RX 560 holds a higher position.

Q: Does the GTX 650 win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows 2 wins for the RX 560 and 0 wins for the GTX 650 across the two recorded tests.

Q: What are the closest rivals for each card in the database?

A: For the RX 560, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R5 M230 with an average score of 4,577, a 0.2% difference. For the GTX 650, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX110 at 3,834, also a 0.2% difference.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RX 560 has 1,024 shading units, while the GTX 650 has 384. This architectural difference contributes directly to the compute performance gap seen in the benchmark data.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design generations. The AMD Radeon RX 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 uses the GK106 chip based on Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 14 nm versus 28 nm, which affects transistor density and power characteristics.

Transistor counts reflect the design era. The RX 560 packs 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a density of 24.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 650 contains 2,540 million transistors on a much larger 221 mm² die, resulting in just 11.5 million transistors per square millimeter. The RX 560 achieves more than double the transistor density of the GTX 650, a direct consequence of the newer fabrication process.

The architectural feature sets also diverge. GCN 4.0 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while Kepler supports DirectX 12 (11_0), meaning the RX 560 can handle the full feature level of DirectX 12 while the GTX 650 is limited to the lower tier. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan support differs: the RX 560 lists Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 650 lists Vulkan 1.2.175. The RX 560 also has a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio at 2.611 TFLOPS for both, while the GTX 650 has no listed FP16 capability and only 812.5 GFLOPS of FP32.

The RX 560 belongs to the Polaris (RX 500) generation, with its predecessor listed as Arctic Islands and its successor as Vega. The GTX 650 belongs to the GeForce 600 generation, with its predecessor as GeForce 500 and its successor as GeForce 700. These generational positions explain the architectural leap: the RX 560 benefits from years of design evolution over the older Kepler card.

Specification Differences

The memory configuration sets these two cards apart immediately. The RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 650 has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory on the same 128-bit bus, but only reaches 80.00 GB/s. The RX 560 offers four times the capacity and 40% more bandwidth.

Clock speeds differ in the memory domain. The RX 560 runs its memory at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the GTX 650 runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). The RX 560 also has explicit core clock figures: 1175 MHz base and 1275 MHz boost. The GTX 650 has no recorded base or boost clock in the database, leaving its core frequency unspecified.

Compute resources show a wide gap. The RX 560 has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 650 has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RX 560 has nearly triple the shading units and double the TMUs, while ROP counts match at 16. Pixel rate favors the RX 560 at 20.40 GPixel/s versus 8.464 GPixel/s for the GTX 650. Texture rate follows suit: 81.60 GTexel/s versus 33.86 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specs also differ. The RX 560 has a TDP of 75 W, while the GTX 650 has a TDP of 65 W. The RX 560 is dual-slot with no power connectors, while the GTX 650 is single-slot and requires one 6-pin connector. Both list a 250 W suggested PSU. The RX 560 uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, while the GTX 650 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the RX 560 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 650 offers 1x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2. Physical length favors the GTX 650 at 147 mm (5.8 inches) versus 170 mm (6.7 inches) for the RX 560. The RX 560 carries a launch MSRP of 99 USD; the GTX 650 has no recorded launch price.

The Verdict

The benchmark data makes the choice straightforward. The AMD Radeon RX 560 wins every recorded head-to-head test, and its average benchmark score of 4,569 places it clearly above the GTX 650's 3,823. The 689.2% advantage in Geekbench Metal is not a marginal gain but a generational leap. For anyone choosing between these two cards based on measured performance, the RX 560 is the only logical selection.

The GTX 650 does have one practical advantage: its lower 65 W TDP and single-slot design make it physically smaller and slightly more power-efficient on paper. However, the RX 560's 75 W TDP is still modest, and it requires no external power connector, which simplifies installation. The RX 560's PCIe 3.0 x8 interface may limit bandwidth in some scenarios, but its memory capacity and bandwidth advantages (4 GB versus 1 GB, 112.0 GB/s versus 80.00 GB/s) are far more impactful for real-world workloads.

The percentile data reinforces this verdict. The RX 560 sits at the 26th percentile of all GPUs, the GTX 650 at the 22nd. Both are entry-level parts by modern standards, but the RX 560 is consistently stronger. The nearest rival data shows both cards are closely matched with their own peer groups, yet the RX 560's peer group operates at a higher performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 560 wins in every benchmark category where both cards have recorded data. In Geekbench Metal, it achieves 18,941 points versus 2,400 for the GTX 650, a margin that makes the NVIDIA card effectively non-competitive for Metal-based workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 560's 16,472 points more than triple the GTX 650's 4,545. The RX 560 also wins on compute resources: 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 2.611 TFLOPS of FP32 performance dwarf the GTX 650's 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 812.5 GFLOPS.

The GTX 650's only recorded advantages are physical and power-related. It has a lower TDP at 65 W versus 75 W, a single-slot profile versus dual-slot, and a shorter length at 147 mm versus 170 mm. It also uses a wider PCIe 3.0 x16 interface compared to the RX 560's x8. These factors matter for compact builds or systems with strict power budgets, but they do not translate into any measured performance win.

For memory-heavy applications, the RX 560 is the clear pick. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory versus 1 GB on the GTX 650 means the RX 560 can hold larger textures and datasets without spilling to system memory. The bandwidth advantage (112.0 GB/s versus 80.00 GB/s) further amplifies this lead. The GTX 650 may suffice for legacy workloads or basic 2D tasks, but the recorded data shows no scenario where it outperforms the RX 560. The verdict is unambiguous: the RX 560 is the superior card across every measured dimension.