AMD Radeon RX 570X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains one direct benchmark comparison between these two graphics cards: Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38939 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A scores 11998 points. The delta is 224.5%, meaning the AMD part delivers more than triple the raw compute performance in this OpenCL workload. This is not a narrow margin; it is a decisive, category-level gap.

Looking at the wider benchmark data, the RX 570X also has results in Passmark G2D and Passmark G3D, scoring 750 and 1923 respectively, while the GTX 960A only has the single Geekbench OpenCL entry in the database. The average benchmark score for the RX 570X is 13871, versus 11998 for the GTX 960A. That average places the RX 570X at the 55th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 960A sits at the 51st percentile. The percentile difference is modest because both cards occupy the mid-range of the overall distribution, but the direct head-to-head result shows a large performance separation in compute-heavy tasks.

The nearest rivals listed for the RX 570X help contextualize its average score. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile averages 13821, just 0.4% lower. The AMD Radeon 660M also sits at 13812, again 0.4% lower. Interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, a far more modern flagship, averages 13745, which is 0.9% lower than the RX 570X in this database's aggregate scoring. The only rival above it is the NVIDIA Tesla K10 at 14029, which is 1.1% higher. For the GTX 960A, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 at 11960, only 0.3% higher, followed by the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT at 11842, which is 1.3% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 averages 11680, 2.7% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT averages 11627, 3.2% lower. These rival figures show that the GTX 960A, despite its age and modest specifications, sits very close to much newer cards in aggregate scoring, though the RX 570X still holds a clear lead in the single available direct comparison.

The wins tally is straightforward: the RX 570X wins 1 head-to-head test, the GTX 960A wins 0. There is no benchmark in the database where the NVIDIA card comes out ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different manufacturers, different foundries, and different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, and is part of the Polaris (RX 500X) generation. It is manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A uses the GM107 chip, based on Maxwell architecture, and belongs to the GeForce 900A generation. It is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The die holds 1,870 million transistors across 148 mm², for a density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The process node difference is substantial: 14 nm versus 28 nm, which explains why the AMD chip packs roughly three times the transistor count on a die that is only about 57% larger by area.

Compute resources differ dramatically. The RX 570X has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The GTX 960A has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is a 3.2x advantage in shading units, a 3.2x advantage in TMUs, and a 2x advantage in ROPs for the AMD card. Pixel rate for the RX 570X is 39.81 GPixel/s versus 18.82 GPixel/s for the GTX 960A. Texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s versus 47.04 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 5.095 TFLOPS for the AMD card versus 1.505 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card. The RX 570X also lists FP16 at 5.095 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the GTX 960A has no FP16 entry.

Memory architecture also diverges. The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 960A has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, delivering 80.19 GB/s. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) for the AMD card versus 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the NVIDIA card. The AMD card has four times the memory capacity and nearly three times the bandwidth.

API support differs in an interesting way. Both support DirectX 12, but the RX 570X is rated at 12_0 while the GTX 960A is rated at 11_0. OpenGL is 4.6 for both. Vulkan support is listed as 1.3 for the AMD card and 1.4 for the NVIDIA card, a rare case where the older architecture has a higher Vulkan version in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X. It scores 38939 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 11998 for the GTX 960A, a 224.5% advantage. Its FP32 rating is 5.095 TFLOPS compared to 1.505 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960A has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus with 80.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and lists a suggested PSU of 450 W. The GTX 960A has a TDP of 75 W and no power connectors listed; it is an MXM module with no suggested PSU figure.

Q: Which GPU architecture is newer?

A: The RX 570X uses GCN 4.0 on Polaris 20, released in 2018. The GTX 960A uses Maxwell on GM107, released in 2015. The RX 570X is built on 14 nm versus 28 nm for the GTX 960A.

Q: Do the cards support the same APIs?

A: Both support OpenGL 4.6. For DirectX, the RX 570X is rated 12 (12_0) while the GTX 960A is rated 12 (11_0). Vulkan support is 1.3 for the AMD card and 1.4 for the NVIDIA card.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the database's aggregate scoring?

A: The RX 570X has an average benchmark score of 13871, while the GTX 960A averages 11998. The RX 570X sits at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, the GTX 960A at the 51st.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field in the database. Process node: 14 nm for the RX 570X, 28 nm for the GTX 960A. Foundry: GlobalFoundries versus TSMC. Transistors: 5,700 million versus 1,870 million. Die size: 232 mm² versus 148 mm². Transistor density: 24.6M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm².

Base clock: 1168 MHz for the RX 570X, 1097 MHz for the GTX 960A. Boost clock: 1244 MHz versus 1176 MHz. Memory clock: 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Memory size: 8 GB versus 2 GB. Bus width: 256 bit versus 128 bit. Bandwidth: 224.0 GB/s versus 80.19 GB/s.

Shader units: 2048 versus 640. TMUs: 128 versus 40. ROPs: 32 versus 16. Pixel rate: 39.81 GPixel/s versus 18.82 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 159.2 GTexel/s versus 47.04 GTexel/s. FP32: 5.095 TFLOPS versus 1.505 TFLOPS. FP16: 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) for the AMD card, no entry for the NVIDIA card.

TDP: 150 W versus 75 W. Slot width: Dual-slot versus MXM Module. Power connectors: 1x 6-pin versus None. Suggested PSU: 450 W versus no entry. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for the AMD card versus "Portable Device Dependent" for the NVIDIA card. Dimensions: the RX 570X is 241 mm (9.5 inches) long, the GTX 960A has no listed dimensions.

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan: 1.3 versus 1.4. Release date: 2018 vs 2015. Predecessor: Polaris versus GeForce 800A. Successor: Vega for the AMD card, none listed for the NVIDIA card. The RX 570X has three benchmark entries, the GTX 960A has one.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for most use cases: the AMD Radeon RX 570X. It wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark by a 224.5% margin, has more than three times the shading units, four times the memory capacity, and nearly three times the memory bandwidth. Its average benchmark score is 13871 against 11998 for the GTX 960A. The percentile ranking is close, 55th versus 51st, but that aggregate measure includes a different set of workloads and does not override the direct comparison.

The GTX 960A is not without reasons to exist. It has a much lower TDP at 75 W versus 150 W, requires no power connectors, and comes in an MXM module form factor, which makes it suitable for portable or compact systems where the dual-slot, 241 mm RX 570X physically cannot fit. It also lists a higher Vulkan version, 1.4 versus 1.3. But in every compute and memory metric in the database, the RX 570X is ahead.

For a user choosing between these two in a desktop context, the RX 570X is the superior performer across the board. For a user constrained by power, space, or a proprietary mobile chassis, the GTX 960A has the form factor and power profile that the RX 570X cannot match.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins in raw compute, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, pixel throughput, texture throughput, and the only direct benchmark comparison available. It is the card for workloads that stress the GPU: OpenCL compute tasks, high-resolution texture loads, and any scenario where 8 GB of VRAM matters. Its 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 rating dwarfs the 1.505 TFLOPS of the GTX 960A, and its 224.0 GB/s bandwidth avoids the bottlenecks that a 128 bit bus with 80.19 GB/s will encounter. The RX 570X also has a more complete display output set with 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, versus the portable-device-dependent outputs of the GTX 960A.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A wins in efficiency and physical flexibility. Its 75 W TDP is half that of the RX 570X, it draws power without any external connectors, and its MXM Module form factor fits systems that cannot accept a dual-slot, 241 mm card. It also has the higher Vulkan version in the database, 1.4 versus 1.3, which could matter for specific Vulkan workloads despite the massive compute deficit. The GTX 960A is the appropriate choice when the system dictates the form factor and power budget, not when performance is the primary criterion.