NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 are separated by five years of architecture evolution, and the benchmark data reflects a generational chasm. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1070 scores 44,700 points against the GTX 560’s 9,058 points. That is a 393.5% delta, meaning the GTX 1070 delivers nearly five times the compute throughput of the older card. The GTX 1070 wins the sole head-to-head test, while the GTX 560 records zero wins. The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score of 9,780 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 560’s 9,058 average places it in the 45th percentile—a modest overall ranking gap that undersells the massive raw performance difference in the single shared test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is not close. The GTX 1070 posts 44,700, while the GTX 560 manages 9,058. The 393.5% delta means the GTX 1070 is roughly 4.9 times faster in this compute-oriented workload. That is not an incremental improvement; it is a leap across architectural generations. For context, the GTX 1070’s nearest rivals—the AMD FirePro W5000 at 9,803 and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M at 9,832—are within 0.2% and 0.5% of its average score, respectively. The GTX 560’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition at 9,037 (0.2% behind) and the GeForce GTX 660 at 9,022 (0.4% behind). The GTX 560’s average score of 9,058 sits in the middle of that pack, meaning it trades blows with much newer entry-level hardware. Meanwhile, the GTX 1070’s 44,700 OpenCL score towers over its own average, indicating that its compute performance is a strength relative to its other benchmark results.

The GTX 1070 also shows a strong spread across its individual benchmark suite. It scores 13,498 in Passmark G3D, 6,102 in Passmark GPU Compute, and 197 in Passmark DirectX 9. The GTX 560 has no corresponding data for those tests, so the head-to-head picture is thin. However, the GTX 1070’s Passmark G2D score of 846 suggests decent 2D performance, while its Geekbench Vulkan score of 22,121 and Metal score of 18,801 indicate solid modern API support. The GTX 560’s specification list shows no Vulkan support at all, which is a critical functional gap. In the absence of more overlapping tests, the OpenCL result stands as the definitive quantitative comparison: the GTX 1070 is in a different performance class entirely.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1070 than the GTX 560 in the shared benchmark?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1070 scores 44,700 versus the GTX 560’s 9,058, a delta of 393.5%. That makes the GTX 1070 approximately 4.9 times faster in that compute workload.

Q: Does the GTX 560 support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 560’s API list includes DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan is listed as null. The GTX 1070 supports Vulkan 1.4, along with DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with 256.3 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 560 has 1,024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with 128.0 GB/s bandwidth. That is an 8x capacity increase and roughly a 2x bandwidth increase.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score is 9,780, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. The GTX 560’s average is 9,058, placing it in the 45th percentile. Despite the huge OpenCL gap, their overall averages are only about 8% apart, likely because the GTX 560 has limited benchmark coverage.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. Both are marked as end-of-life. The GTX 1070 was released on 2016-06-09, and the GTX 560 was released on 2011-05-16.

Q: What are their launch MSRPs?

A: The GTX 1070 had a launch MSRP of 379 USD. The GTX 560 had a launch MSRP of 199 USD.

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion: the GTX 1070 is the superior card by a wide margin in raw compute performance. The 393.5% OpenCL lead is decisive, and the GTX 1070 also offers far more memory, higher bandwidth, and modern API support including Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 560’s only advantage is its lower launch MSRP of 199 USD versus 379 USD, but that price difference reflects its older architecture and far lower capabilities. In the 47th percentile, the GTX 1070 sits near rivals like the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (0.6% higher average score) and the AMD FirePro W5000 (0.2% higher), indicating it is a mid-range performer in the broader GPU landscape. The GTX 560, at the 45th percentile, is just below that, but its single benchmark score of 9,058 is competitive with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 (9,022, 0.4% behind) and the AMD Radeon 550X (8,918, 1.6% behind). For anyone choosing between these two, the GTX 1070 is the only sensible pick if performance matters—the GTX 560 is a legacy part with a fraction of the compute power.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The GTX 1070 uses the GP104 chip on a 16 nm process, while the GTX 560 uses GF114 on a 40 nm process. Transistor counts are 7,200 million versus 1,950 million, and die sizes are 314 mm² versus 332 mm². The GTX 1070 has a higher transistor density at 22.9M / mm², compared to the GTX 560’s 5.9M / mm². Clock speeds: the GTX 1070 has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost of 1683 MHz, while the GTX 560 has no base or boost clock listed. Memory clocks are 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) for the GTX 1070 versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for the GTX 560. The GTX 1070 features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the GTX 560 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Pixel and texture rates are dramatically higher on the GTX 1070: 107.7 GPixel/s and 202.0 GTexel/s versus 11.34 GPixel/s and 45.36 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS versus 1,088.6 GFLOPS. The GTX 1070 also has FP16 capability at 101.0 GFLOPS (1:64), which the GTX 560 lacks. Both have a 150 W TDP and require a 450 W PSU, but the GTX 1070 uses a single 8-pin connector while the GTX 560 needs two 6-pin connectors. The GTX 1070 is 267 mm long, the GTX 560 is 210 mm. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a on the GTX 1070 versus 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a on the GTX 560.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture, while the GTX 560 uses Fermi 2.0. That is a generational jump from 2011 to 2016. Pascal is built on a 16 nm TSMC process, whereas Fermi 2.0 uses 40 nm TSMC. The GTX 1070 packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, achieving a density of 22.9M / mm². The GTX 560 has 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, with a density of 5.9M / mm². The die size is actually larger on the older card, but the newer process allows far more transistors in a smaller area. Cache and feature differences: the GTX 1070 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 560 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but no Vulkan. The GTX 1070 has FP16 compute at 101.0 GFLOPS, a feature absent from the GTX 560. Both are dual-slot cards, but the GTX 1070’s power delivery is a single 8-pin versus the GTX 560’s dual 6-pin, despite the same 150 W TDP. The GTX 1070 also offers more modern display outputs, including HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a, versus the GTX 560’s mini-HDMI 1.3a.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1070 wins in every category where data exists. It dominates compute with a 393.5% lead in OpenCL. It has 8 GB of memory versus 1 GB, which is critical for modern workloads and higher resolutions. Its memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s is double the GTX 560’s 128.0 GB/s. The GTX 1070’s shading unit count (1920 vs 336) and texture rate (202.0 GTexel/s vs 45.36 GTexel/s) make it vastly better suited for heavy 3D rendering. Its pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s is nearly ten times the GTX 560’s 11.34 GPixel/s. The GTX 1070 also supports Vulkan 1.4, which the GTX 560 cannot use at all. In terms of API readiness, the GTX 1070 is future-proof for modern games, while the GTX 560 is limited to older DirectX 11-era titles. The GTX 560’s only nominal win is its shorter length (210 mm vs 267 mm) and its lower launch MSRP, but those are not performance advantages. From a practical standpoint, the GTX 1070 is the clear choice for any compute, gaming, or productivity task. The GTX 560 might fit in smaller cases, but its performance ceiling is so low that it is only suitable for legacy applications or basic 2D workloads. The data is unambiguous: the GTX 1070 wins 1-0 in head-to-head benchmarks, and the margin is overwhelming.