NVIDIA GeForce 830M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct head-to-head comparison between these two mobile graphics processors, and it goes decisively to the older part. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M records a score of 4855, while the NVIDIA GeForce 830M trails with 4324. That works out to a 10.9% deficit for the 830M, and the GTX 560M is marked as the winner of the only recorded benchmark matchup.

This is a notable result because the two chips come from very different eras of NVIDIA's mobile lineup. The GTX 560M, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture and released in 2011, still manages to outpace the newer Maxwell-based 830M from 2014 in raw compute throughput. The 10.9% gap is not enormous, but it is consistent, and it shows that the older part's wider memory bus and higher memory bandwidth can compensate for its older shader design.

Looking at the absolute scores, the GTX 560M's 4855 puts it in the 28th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the 830M's 4324 lands in the 24th percentile. The four-point percentile spread is modest, but the underlying score difference is real. The average benchmark score for the GTX 560M is identical to its single OpenCL result at 4855, since only one test is recorded for that part. The 830M has two recorded benchmarks, averaging 3957 across both, which means its OpenCL score of 4324 is actually its stronger result.

The nearest rival data reinforces the positioning of each chip. The GTX 560M sits within 0.9% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB in average score, which is a striking comparison given the generational distance between those products. That delta is listed as -0.9%, meaning the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB scores slightly higher. The GTX 560M also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX by 0.2% and leads the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX by 0.2%. For the 830M, the closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R5 M420 with a delta of 0%, essentially a statistical tie, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M is 0.1% behind and the NVIDIA Quadro K2000 is 0.2% ahead.

What the head-to-head data does not show is any benchmark where the 830M comes out ahead. The wins tally is 0 for the 830M and 1 for the GTX 560M. That is a small sample, but it is the only direct evidence the database provides, and it favors the older Fermi chip in compute workloads.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two GPUs is stark. The 830M uses the GM108 chip built on the Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 28 nm versus 40 nm means the newer part packs transistors much more densely. The Maxwell die measures 77 mm² and contains 1,020 million transistors, giving it a transistor density of 13.2 million per mm². The Fermi chip is much larger at 238 mm² but contains only 1,170 million transistors, resulting in a density of just 4.9 million per mm².

That density advantage is the clearest sign of the manufacturing progress between 2011 and 2014. The GTX 560M uses a physically huge die to house its logic, while the 830M achieves comparable compute capability in a much smaller footprint. Despite having fewer transistors overall, the 830M manages to nearly match the GTX 560M in FP32 throughput. The recorded FP32 figures are 588.8 GFLOPS for the 830M and 595.2 GFLOPS for the GTX 560M, a difference of barely more than 1%.

The shader configurations differ in interesting ways. The 830M has 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units. The GTX 560M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. So the newer chip relies on a higher count of smaller, more efficient shader cores, while the older chip uses fewer shaders but doubles the TMU count and triples the ROP count. That imbalance explains why the GTX 560M achieves a higher texture rate of 24.80 GTexel/s versus 18.40 GTexel/s for the 830M, despite the 830M having a higher pixel rate of 9.200 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s.

Clock speeds tell a similar story of efficiency versus brute force. The 830M runs at a base clock of 1082 MHz with a boost clock of 1150 MHz. The GTX 560M has no recorded base or boost clock in the database, only its memory clock. That absence of clock data for the Fermi part is notable, but the memory clocks are recorded for both. The 830M uses DDR3 memory at 900 MHz, which translates to 1800 Mbps effective, while the GTX 560M uses GDDR5 at 625 MHz with 2.5 Gbps effective. The memory system is where the GTX 560M builds its advantage.

The 830M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 60.00 GB/s. That is a 4.17x bandwidth advantage for the older part, and it is the single largest architectural discrepancy between the two. A 64-bit memory interface is simply not in the same class as a 192-bit interface, regardless of the memory technology used.

Both chips support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, according to the database. The 830M adds Vulkan 1.4 support, while the GTX 560M has no recorded Vulkan support. That is a meaningful feature gap for modern workloads, though the GTX 560M's compute performance in OpenCL still leads.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 560M wins in raw compute throughput, as measured by the OpenCL benchmark. Its 4855 score against 4324 for the 830M represents a 10.9% lead, and that advantage is likely tied to its vastly superior memory bandwidth. The 192-bit GDDR5 setup delivers 60.00 GB/s, which is more than four times the 14.40 GB/s available to the 830M. For workloads that are memory-bound, such as large buffer operations or texture-heavy compute shaders, the GTX 560M should pull further ahead than the raw score suggests.

The GTX 560M also wins in texture throughput. Its 24.80 GTexel/s fill rate outpaces the 830M's 18.40 GTexel/s, thanks to double the TMU count. Any application that relies heavily on texture sampling, including traditional game rendering passes, will favor the Fermi part. The ROP count also favors the GTX 560M at 24 versus 8, though the 830M's higher pixel rate of 9.200 GPixel/s partially compensates. The pixel rate advantage for the 830M comes from its higher clock speed, but the ROP deficit means it cannot sustain that rate across as many output operations per clock.

The 830M wins on power efficiency and physical design. Its 33 W TDP is less than half of the GTX 560M's 75 W TDP. That is a decisive advantage for thin-and-light laptops, where thermal budgets are tight. The 830M is also classified as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) form factor, while the GTX 560M is an MXM module. The MXM form factor implies a replaceable, higher-power mobile card, whereas the IGP designation suggests the 830M is soldered onto the motherboard.

For modern API support, the 830M has the edge. Vulkan 1.4 is recorded for the 830M, while the GTX 560M has no Vulkan entry. In newer games or compute applications that use Vulkan, the 830M at least has a compatible path, even if its raw performance is lower. The GTX 560M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The 830M also wins on density and process technology. Its 28 nm node and 13.2M transistors per mm² represent a much more modern manufacturing approach than the 40 nm node and 4.9M transistors per mm² of the GTX 560M. For battery life and sustained performance in a constrained chassis, the 830M is clearly the better engineering choice.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. Process node: 28 nm for the 830M versus 40 nm for the GTX 560M. Transistor count: 1,020 million versus 1,170 million. Die size: 77 mm² versus 238 mm². Transistor density: 13.2M per mm² versus 4.9M per mm².

Memory configuration: the 830M has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. Memory clock: 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for the 830M versus 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective) for the GTX 560M.

Shader resources: 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs for the 830M. The GTX 560M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Pixel rate: 9.200 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 18.40 GTexel/s versus 24.80 GTexel/s. FP32: 588.8 GFLOPS versus 595.2 GFLOPS.

Power and form factor: 33 W TDP for the 830M versus 75 W for the GTX 560M. Slot width is IGP for the 830M and MXM Module for the GTX 560M. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 for the 830M versus MXM-B (3.0) for the GTX 560M. Neither has power connectors recorded.

API support: the 830M lists DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 560M lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but no Vulkan.

Release dates: March 2014 for the 830M and May 2011 for the GTX 560M. The 830M's predecessor is the GeForce 700M and its successor is the GeForce 900M. The GTX 560M's predecessor is the GeForce 400M and its successor is the GeForce 600M. Both are marked as end-of-life production status.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has an average benchmark score of 4855, while the NVIDIA GeForce 830M averages 3957. The GTX 560M also holds a higher percentile ranking at 28 versus 24 for the 830M.

Q: Why does the GTX 560M win in OpenCL despite being older?

A: The recorded OpenCL scores show the GTX 560M at 4855 and the 830M at 4324, a 10.9% gap. The GTX 560M's 60.00 GB/s memory bandwidth, enabled by its 192-bit GDDR5 configuration, likely offsets the architectural advantages of the newer Maxwell chip.

Q: Does the 830M have any software feature advantages?

A: Yes. The 830M lists Vulkan 1.4 support in its API set, while the GTX 560M has no Vulkan support recorded. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The 830M has 2 GB of DDR3 memory, while the GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5. Despite the smaller capacity, the GTX 560M's memory bandwidth is far higher at 60.00 GB/s versus 14.40 GB/s.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The 830M is rated at 33 W TDP, while the GTX 560M is rated at 75 W TDP. The 830M uses less than half the power of the GTX 560M.

Q: Which GPU is more densely packed in terms of transistors?

A: The 830M has a transistor density of 13.2M per mm² on its 77 mm² die, while the GTX 560M has 4.9M per mm² on its 238 mm² die. The 830M's 28 nm process allows much higher density than the 40 nm process used for the GTX 560M.

The Verdict

The data tells a clear but nuanced story. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M is the faster GPU in raw compute, winning the only recorded head-to-head benchmark by 10.9% and posting a higher average score of 4855 versus 3957. Its 60.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth and superior texture throughput make it the stronger choice for compute-heavy and texture-heavy workloads, even though it is built on an older 40 nm process and consumes 75 W.

The NVIDIA GeForce 830M is the more modern and efficient part. Its 33 W TDP, 28 nm process, and Vulkan 1.4 support make it a better fit for thin laptops and battery-conscious usage. It also offers 2 GB of memory versus 1536 MB, which could matter for certain applications that need capacity over bandwidth.

For a user prioritizing raw compute performance in a replaceable MXM module, the GTX 560M is the data-backed pick. For a user prioritizing power efficiency, modern API support, and a compact IGP form factor, the 830M is the logical choice. The benchmark data does not support the 830M as a performance upgrade over the GTX 560M; it supports it as an efficiency upgrade. The GTX 560M remains the faster part in the only direct comparison the database provides.