AMD Radeon RX 560X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 vs AMD Radeon RX 560X

The head-to-head benchmark data shows a clear overall winner, but the story is more nuanced than a simple score comparison. Across the two shared tests, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 wins both, yet the AMD Radeon RX 560X was released five years later and consumes dramatically less power. The GTX 780’s average benchmark score of 19,164 places it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 560X sits just behind at 18,626 in the 62nd percentile—a difference of roughly 2.9% in aggregate performance. This suggests that despite being a much older design, the GTX 780 retains a measurable edge in raw compute workloads, though the RX 560X’s architectural efficiency and modern feature set make it a compelling alternative for specific use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 780 scores 22,863 against the RX 560X’s 17,020, yielding a 34.3% advantage for NVIDIA. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the GTX 780’s larger compute configuration—2,304 shading units versus 1,024—delivers roughly a third more throughput in this workload. The OpenCL test tends to stress raw parallel processing, and the GTX 780’s 4.156 TFLOPS of FP32 performance compared to the RX 560X’s 2.611 TFLOPS aligns with this outcome. The data implies that for compute-heavy tasks like rendering or scientific simulation, the older card is decisively stronger.

The Vulkan test narrows the gap but still favors NVIDIA. The GTX 780 scores 24,514, while the RX 560X manages 20,231, a 21.2% difference. Vulkan is a lower-level API that can expose architectural efficiencies, and the RX 560X’s newer GCN 4.0 design narrows the deficit from 34.3% to 21.2%. This suggests that the AMD card’s architecture handles modern API overhead better, but it still cannot overcome the GTX 780’s sheer compute resources. Notably, the GTX 780’s Vulkan score is its highest of the three benchmarks it runs, while the RX 560X’s Vulkan result is also its best, indicating both cards scale well with this API.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the GTX 780’s average score of 19,164 places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19,177) and 0.4% ahead of the Tesla K20m (19,089). The RX 560X, meanwhile, sits 0.3% behind the Radeon Pro 5700 XT (18,685) and 0.5% ahead of the FirePro D500 (18,533). These proximity scores show that both cards punch at a similar aggregate level, but the GTX 780’s wins in both shared tests are not marginal—they are decisive in OpenCL and solid in Vulkan.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies separated by five years of silicon evolution. The GTX 780 uses the GK110 chip on NVIDIA’s Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC with 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the RX 560X employs the Polaris 21 chip with AMD’s GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm node with 3,000 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a density of 24.4 million per square millimeter.

This represents a dramatic shift in manufacturing efficiency. The RX 560X packs nearly twice the transistor density (24.4M/mm² vs 12.6M/mm²) while using less than half the die area, which helps explain its far lower power draw. The GTX 780’s Kepler design is built around large, power-hungry compute clusters, whereas GCN 4.0 emphasizes balanced throughput with better energy efficiency. The RX 560X also features native FP16 support at 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the GTX 780 has no FP16 capability listed—a notable advantage for the AMD card in workloads that can leverage half-precision math.

The memory subsystems also differ fundamentally. The GTX 780 uses a 384-bit bus with 3 GB of GDDR5 running at 6 Gbps effective, delivering 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 560X has a 128-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR5 at 7 Gbps effective, providing 112.0 GB/s. The GTX 780’s bandwidth is 2.6 times higher, which explains its strong OpenCL performance despite the AMD card’s higher memory clock. However, the RX 560X offers 33% more capacity, which can matter for texture-heavy workloads or larger datasets that fit within 4 GB but not 3 GB.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 780 is the clear winner in raw compute throughput. Its 34.3% OpenCL lead and 21.2% Vulkan advantage indicate that any workload heavily dependent on parallel floating-point operations—such as GPU compute, physics simulation, or content creation—will favor the NVIDIA card. The 2,304 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs provide a massive execution resource pool compared to the RX 560X’s 1,024 shaders, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 780 also delivers a pixel rate of 43.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 173.2 GTexel/s, both more than double the RX 560X’s 20.40 GPixel/s and 81.60 GTexel/s. For non-VR gaming at high resolutions or compute tasks, the GTX 780’s higher fill rates and bandwidth give it a decisive edge.

The RX 560X wins where efficiency and modern features matter. Its 75 W TDP versus the GTX 780’s 250 W means it can run without external power connectors, whereas the NVIDIA card requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin setup. The suggested PSU drops from 600 W to 250 W, making the RX 560X far easier to integrate into compact or low-power systems. The AMD card also supports DirectX 12 (12_0) versus the GTX 780’s DirectX 12 (11_0), and Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.2.175, meaning it has better forward-looking API support. The RX 560X’s display outputs include HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 780 is limited to HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2—relevant for high-refresh-rate or HDR displays.

Specification Differences

Several key specifications separate these two cards beyond performance. The process node differs significantly: 28 nm for NVIDIA versus 14 nm for AMD, with the latter also using a different foundry (GlobalFoundries vs TSMC). Transistor counts diverge sharply at 7,080 million versus 3,000 million, and die sizes are 561 mm² versus 123 mm². The GTX 780 has a base clock of 863 MHz and boost of 902 MHz, while the RX 560X runs higher at 1175 MHz base and 1275 MHz boost—but the NVIDIA card’s larger core count more than compensates for the lower frequencies.

Memory configuration differs in capacity (3 GB vs 4 GB), bus width (384-bit vs 128-bit), and bandwidth (288.4 GB/s vs 112.0 GB/s). The GTX 780’s FP32 throughput is 4.156 TFLOPS versus 2.611 TFLOPS for the RX 560X, but the AMD card adds FP16 at 2.611 TFLOPS (1:1), which the NVIDIA card lacks entirely. Power requirements are starkly different: 250 W versus 75 W TDP, with the GTX 780 needing dual power connectors and a 600 W PSU, while the RX 560X requires no connectors and only a 250 W PSU. The bus interface also differs, with the GTX 780 using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the RX 560X using PCIe 3.0 x8. Physical size favors the AMD card at 170 mm length versus 267 mm, though both are dual-slot designs. The GTX 780 has a launch MSRP of 649 USD, while the RX 560X has no listed launch MSRP. The GTX 780 supports three display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort), while the RX 560X offers one of each (DVI, HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a).

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 wins both shared benchmarks, with a 34.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and a 21.2% lead in Geekbench Vulkan over the AMD Radeon RX 560X.

Q: Is the RX 560X more power-efficient?

A: Yes, the RX 560X has a 75 W TDP compared to the GTX 780’s 250 W, and it requires no external power connectors while the GTX 780 needs 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin.

Q: Do the cards support different DirectX versions?

A: Yes, the RX 560X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The AMD card also has Vulkan 1.3 support versus 1.2.175 on the NVIDIA card.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 780 provides 288.4 GB/s bandwidth over a 384-bit bus, compared to the RX 560X’s 112.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 780 has an average benchmark score of 19,164, placing it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 560X scores 18,626, in the 62nd percentile.

Q: Which card is physically smaller?

A: The RX 560X is 170 mm long, while the GTX 780 is 267 mm long. Both are dual-slot cards.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split: the GTX 780 is the performance pick, while the RX 560X is the efficiency and compatibility pick. If the priority is maximum compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the GTX 780’s 34.3% and 21.2% leads, respectively, make it the undeniable choice. Its 2,304 shading units, 288.4 GB/s bandwidth, and 4.156 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply in a higher class than the RX 560X’s 1,024 shaders, 112.0 GB/s, and 2.611 TFLOPS. The GTX 780 also holds a slight aggregate advantage, sitting at the 64th percentile versus the RX 560X’s 62nd.

However, for a system builder prioritizing low power draw, modern API support, or compact dimensions, the RX 560X is the rational selection. Its 75 W TDP, lack of power connectors, and 170 mm length make it suitable for small form factor builds where the GTX 780’s 250 W TDP, dual connectors, and 267 mm length would be problematic. The RX 560X also offers DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.3, and HDMI 2.0b/DisplayPort 1.4a outputs—features that the GTX 780 lacks despite its higher performance. The RX 560X’s 4 GB memory capacity also exceeds the GTX 780’s 3 GB, which can be advantageous in memory-constrained scenarios. Ultimately, the choice hinges on whether raw compute power or modern efficiency matters more for the intended use case.