NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M are both end-of-life mobile and desktop-oriented Fermi parts, but they occupy different segments of the market. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark result, with the GTS 450 emerging as the winner by a narrow margin. This analysis breaks down the score, architectural differences, and specification deltas to clarify what separates these two GPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the GTS 450 scores 4893 against the GTX 560M’s 4855. That is a delta of 0.8%, favoring the GTS 450. While this is a win for the desktop card, the margin is small enough to be considered statistically negligible in real-world terms. The data lists exactly one win for the GTS 450 and zero for the GTX 560M in this head-to-head.

Placing these scores in context, the GTS 450’s 4893 points places it within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4901) and 0.2% behind the AMD FirePro W5130M (4904). Meanwhile, the GTX 560M’s 4855 points puts it 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4844) and 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX (4867). Interestingly, the GTX 560M’s own nearestRivals list includes the GTS 450, showing a delta of -0.8%, which confirms the direction of the head-to-head result.

The absolute difference between the two cards is just 38 points. For a benchmark like OpenCL, which often scales with raw compute throughput, this result suggests both parts deliver comparable raw number-crunching power despite their different form factors. Neither card achieves a strong percentile ranking; both sit at the 28th percentile among all GPUs, meaning they outperform only about a quarter of the database’s tracked devices.

Where Each One Wins

The GTS 450 wins the single benchmark test available, so it holds the advantage in the only measurable compute workload. Its higher FP32 rating of 601.3 GFLOPS versus the GTX 560M’s 595.2 GFLOPS aligns with this result, as does its slightly faster texture rate of 25.06 GTexel/s versus 24.80 GTexel/s. The data shows a 0.8% performance lead in OpenCL, which is the only category where a winner is declared.

The GTX 560M does not win any benchmark in this comparison, but it holds structural advantages that suggest it was designed for different priorities. It has a larger memory pool at 1536 MB versus 1024 MB, and a wider 192-bit memory bus versus 128-bit. Its memory bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s is slightly higher than the GTS 450’s 57.73 GB/s. These factors do not translate into a benchmark win in OpenCL, but they could matter in scenarios where capacity or bandwidth is the limiting factor, such as higher-resolution textures or multi-display setups.

In terms of rasterization, the GTX 560M has 24 ROPs versus 16 on the GTS 450, yet its pixel rate is lower at 6.200 GPixel/s versus 6.264 GPixel/s. This suggests the GTS 450’s higher clock-dependent throughput compensates for fewer ROPs. The GTX 560M also consumes less power on paper, with a 75 W TDP versus 106 W for the GTS 450, making it a more power-efficient choice for portable systems.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the Fermi architecture family, but they come from different iterations. The GTS 450 uses the GF106 chip, classified as first-generation Fermi. The GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip, classified as Fermi 2.0. This is a notable distinction, as Fermi 2.0 typically includes refinements in power management and minor efficiency improvements, though the public data here does not specify those details.

Both chips are manufactured on the same 40 nm process at TSMC, with identical transistor counts of 1,170 million and identical die sizes of 238 mm². The transistor density is therefore the same at 4.9M per mm². This means the fundamental silicon is nearly identical in scale; the differences lie in how the chips are configured and clocked.

The shading unit count is identical at 192, and both have 32 TMUs. The ROP count differs, with the GTS 450 at 16 and the GTX 560M at 24. This suggests the GTX 560M is configured for more efficient pixel output per clock, even though its final pixel rate is slightly lower due to clock speeds. The GTS 450 has a memory clock of 902 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 560M runs at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The GTX 560M compensates for its lower memory clock with a wider bus.

The GTS 450 is a desktop card with a dual-slot cooler, while the GTX 560M is an MXM module designed for laptops. This form factor difference is reflected in their power connectors: the GTS 450 requires a single 6-pin connector and suggests a 300 W PSU, while the GTX 560M has no power connectors, relying on the motherboard slot. The GTX 560M’s bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), whereas the GTS 450 uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. Memory size is 1024 MB for the GTS 450 versus 1536 MB for the GTX 560M. The memory bus width is 128 bit for the GTS 450 and 192 bit for the GTX 560M. Memory bandwidth is 57.73 GB/s versus 60.00 GB/s, favoring the GTX 560M. The memory clock is 902 MHz versus 625 MHz, favoring the GTS 450 in effective data rate.

ROPs are 16 on the GTS 450 and 24 on the GTX 560M. Pixel rate is 6.264 GPixel/s versus 6.200 GPixel/s, a slight edge for the GTS 450. Texture rate is 25.06 GTexel/s versus 24.80 GTexel/s, again favoring the GTS 450. FP32 compute is 601.3 GFLOPS versus 595.2 GFLOPS, favoring the GTS 450.

TDP is a major differentiator: 106 W for the GTS 450 versus 75 W for the GTX 560M. The slot width is dual-slot for the GTS 450 and MXM Module for the GTX 560M. Power connectors are present on the GTS 450 (1x 6-pin) and absent on the GTX 560M. The suggested PSU is 300 W for the GTS 450, with no recommendation for the GTX 560M. The bus interface differs as noted: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a on the GTS 450, while the GTX 560M is listed as portable device dependent.

Dimensions also diverge: the GTS 450 measures 210 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the GTX 560M has no listed dimensions. The release dates differ by about eight months, with the GTS 450 launching first. The GTS 450 has a launch MSRP of 129 USD; the GTX 560M has no listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the only available benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 scores 4893 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 0.8% higher than the GTX 560M’s 4855, making it the winner in this single test.

Q: How close are these cards in raw compute performance?

A: The FP32 ratings are 601.3 GFLOPS for the GTS 450 and 595.2 GFLOPS for the GTX 560M, a difference of about 1%. The OpenCL score difference is similarly small at 38 points.

Q: Does the GTX 560M have any memory advantage?

A: Yes, it has 1536 MB of memory versus 1024 MB, a 192-bit bus versus 128-bit, and higher bandwidth at 60.00 GB/s versus 57.73 GB/s, despite a lower memory clock.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The GTS 450 has a TDP of 106 W, while the GTX 560M is rated at 75 W. The GTX 560M also requires no power connectors, whereas the GTS 450 needs a single 6-pin connector.

Q: Are these GPUs from the same architecture generation?

A: Both use the Fermi architecture, but the GTS 450 is based on the GF106 chip (Fermi), while the GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip (Fermi 2.0).

Q: How do these cards compare to modern GPUs in the database?

A: Both sit at the 28th percentile among all GPUs. The GTS 450 is within 0.2% of the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB’s score, and the GTX 560M is within 0.2% of the GeForce 940MX’s score.