AMD Radeon RX 560 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear picture: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M dominates the head-to-head comparison, winning 7 out of 8 tests. The largest margin comes in the Passmark G3D test, where the GTX 970M scores 5704 against the Radeon RX 560's 3671, a commanding 55.4% advantage. This is the single most decisive result in the entire comparison, signaling a substantial gap in raw 3D graphics throughput.

The GTX 970M's superiority extends across the Passmark DirectX legacy suite. In DirectX 9, the NVIDIA part scores 99 versus 57 for the AMD card, a 73.7% lead. DirectX 10 shows a 75% delta, with scores of 28 and 16 respectively. DirectX 11 narrows the gap slightly to 68%, with the GTX 970M posting 42 against the RX 560's 25. Even in DirectX 12, where the AMD architecture might be expected to fare better given its newer design, the GTX 970M still leads by 14.3%, scoring 24 versus 21.

Compute workloads tell a similar story. In Passmark GPU Compute, the GTX 970M scores 2289, which is 59.3% higher than the RX 560's 1437. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a 15% advantage for NVIDIA, with scores of 18946 and 16472. This consistent pattern across both graphics and compute suggests the GTX 970M holds a fundamental performance edge, not just in one specific workload type.

The Radeon RX 560's sole victory comes in the Passmark G2D test, which measures 2D graphics performance. Here, the AMD card scores 485 against the GTX 970M's 381, a 21.4% improvement. This is a notable result, as it indicates the RX 560 handles traditional desktop and 2D rendering tasks more efficiently, possibly due to its newer architecture and different memory configuration.

When examining the overall averages, the GTX 970M's average benchmark score of 4628 places it slightly ahead of the RX 560's 4569. This translates to a 1.3% delta in the overall comparison, with the GTX 970M ranked as the RX 560's closest rival. The percentile rankings reinforce this narrow overall margin: the GTX 970M sits at the 27th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 560 sits just behind at the 26th percentile.

The individual benchmark deltas tell a story of uneven competition. While the GTX 970M wins decisively in most tests, the overall averages are much closer because the G2D result partially offsets the larger 3D margins. Still, for any user prioritizing 3D gaming or GPU compute, the data unambiguously favors the NVIDIA part.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M has an average benchmark score of 4628, while the AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 4569. This gives the GTX 970M a 1.3% overall advantage, and it is listed as the RX 560's nearest rival with a deltaPct of -1.3.

Q: How do the two cards compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The GTX 970M scores 24 in the Passmark DirectX 12 test, which is 14.3% higher than the RX 560's score of 21. Despite the RX 560 being a newer architecture, the NVIDIA card still holds the advantage in this modern API.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest delta is in the Passmark DirectX 9 test, where the GTX 970M leads by 73.7%, scoring 99 versus the RX 560's 57. The DirectX 10 test is nearly as large at 75%, with scores of 28 and 16.

Q: Does the Radeon RX 560 win any benchmark against the GTX 970M?

A: Yes, the RX 560 wins the Passmark G2D test, scoring 485 against the GTX 970M's 381. This represents a 21.4% advantage for the AMD card and is its only win in the eight head-to-head tests.

Q: How do the two cards compare in compute performance?

A: The GTX 970M leads in both compute benchmarks. In Passmark GPU Compute, it scores 2289 versus 1437, a 59.3% advantage. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 18946 versus 16472, a 15% lead.

Q: What are the percentile rankings for each GPU?

A: The GTX 970M is at the 27th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 560 is at the 26th percentile. This indicates they are closely matched in the overall GPU landscape, despite the GTX 970M's dominant head-to-head performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, using the GM204 chip fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This chip packs 5,200 million transistors into a 398 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million transistors per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon RX 560, by contrast, uses the GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 21 chip, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a higher transistor density of 24.4 million per square millimeter.

These architectural differences manifest in the shader and texture configurations. The GTX 970M features 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 48 raster operation units (ROPs). The RX 560 has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. The ROP count is particularly striking — the GTX 970M has three times as many, which explains its dominant pixel rate of 49.82 GPixel/s compared to the RX 560's 20.40 GPixel/s. The texture rate is closer, with the GTX 970M at 83.04 GTexel/s and the RX 560 at 81.60 GTexel/s, a difference of less than 2%.

Compute capabilities also diverge. The GTX 970M delivers 2.657 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RX 560 delivers 2.611 TFLOPS — a marginal difference of about 1.8%. However, the RX 560 also supports FP16 at 2.611 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, whereas the GTX 970M has no listed FP16 capability. This gives the AMD card an advantage in workloads that can utilize half-precision arithmetic.

The API support reflects their respective eras. The GTX 970M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The higher DirectX feature level on the NVIDIA part (12_1 versus 12_0) indicates support for additional features, while the Vulkan version difference (1.4 versus 1.3) favors NVIDIA in that API's feature set.

Specification Differences

The memory subsystems differ significantly. The GTX 970M comes with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 120.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a narrower 128-bit bus, yielding 112.0 GB/s. This gives the NVIDIA card 50% more memory capacity and approximately 7.4% more bandwidth.

Clock speeds favor the AMD card. The RX 560 runs at 1175 MHz base and 1275 MHz boost, while the GTX 970M operates at 924 MHz base and 1038 MHz boost. The memory clocks also differ: the RX 560's memory runs at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the GTX 970M's memory runs at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Power and physical specifications show stark contrasts. The RX 560 has a TDP of 75 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GTX 970M has no listed TDP. The RX 560 is a dual-slot card measuring 170 mm (6.7 inches) in length, while the GTX 970M uses an MXM Module form factor. The bus interfaces also differ: the RX 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 970M uses MXM-B (3.0). The RX 560 provides dedicated display outputs (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a), whereas the GTX 970M's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent" due to its mobile nature. Neither card requires external power connectors.

The release dates are nearly three years apart. The GTX 970M launched on 2014-10-06, while the RX 560 launched on 2017-04-17. The GTX 970M's predecessor is the GeForce 800M and its successor is the GeForce 10 Mobile. The RX 560's predecessor is Arctic Islands and its successor is Vega. The RX 560 has a launch MSRP of 99 USD.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M is the stronger performer in nearly every measurable benchmark. Its 55.4% lead in Passmark G3D and 59.3% lead in GPU Compute make it the clear choice for users prioritizing 3D graphics and compute workloads. The 73.7% advantage in DirectX 9 and 68% in DirectX 11 further cement its dominance in legacy and current-generation gaming APIs.

Users who should choose the GTX 970M include those running DirectX 10, DirectX 11, or DirectX 12 games, as it wins all three by margins ranging from 14.3% to 68%. It also offers more memory (6 GB versus 4 GB) and higher bandwidth (120.3 GB/s versus 112.0 GB/s). The GTX 970M's higher ROP count (48 versus 16) provides superior pixel throughput, which benefits high-resolution rendering.

The AMD Radeon RX 560 has a narrower set of advantages. Its 21.4% win in Passmark G2D makes it the better option for 2D desktop environments and applications that are not GPU-accelerated. It also has a lower TDP of 75 W, which may be relevant for compact system builds where power efficiency is a concern. The RX 560's FP16 support at 2.611 TFLOPS could benefit specific compute workloads that leverage half-precision, though the GTX 970M still outperforms it in the compute benchmarks tested.

The overall averages are close — 4628 versus 4569 — and both cards sit within one percentile point of each other in the global ranking. However, the head-to-head results are lopsided at 7-1. For the vast majority of gaming and GPU compute scenarios, the GTX 970M is the superior choice based on the benchmark evidence. The RX 560's specific strengths in 2D performance and lower power draw make it a niche pick for users with those particular requirements.