NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole benchmark comparison available between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it yields a clear winner. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M scores 6513. That represents a 10.1% delta in favor of the desktop-oriented GTX 560 SE. This is a decisive margin in synthetic compute workloads, placing the two cards in adjacent but distinct performance tiers.

Context from the nearestRivals data reinforces the gap. The GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 7171. Its closest competitor is the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 (a 0% delta), and it edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157, 0.2% ahead) while trailing the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7203, -0.4%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7222, -0.7%). The GTX 670M, by contrast, occupies the 38th percentile with an average score of 6513. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around it: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M trails by 0.3% (6493), the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M by 0.5% (6481), and the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile by 0.6% (6476), while the Intel UHD Graphics P750 leads it by 0.6% (6554).

The raw numbers tell a straightforward story: the GTX 560 SE holds a 10.1% advantage over the GTX 670M in this specific workload. However, the delta between their percentile rankings is just one point (39 vs 38), suggesting that in the broader GPU landscape, both cards are near-neighbors in overall capability. The head-to-head result is a single data point, but it is a meaningful one—the GTX 560 SE’s higher memory clock and greater bandwidth contribute to its lead, while the GTX 670M’s larger memory pool does not compensate in this compute test.

# FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE wins with a score of 7171 compared to the GTX 670M’s 6513, a 10.1% advantage.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 560 SE is nearly tied with the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170, 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7157, 0.2%). The GTX 670M sits within 0.6% of its closest competitors, with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (6493) and NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6481) trailing it, and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554) leading it.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 91.87 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 670M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on the same 192-bit bus but with only 72.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do the two GPUs share the same architecture?

A: Yes, both are built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture using the GF114 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 40 nm process with 1,950 million transistors and a 332 mm² die size.

Q: Which GPU has higher shading unit and texture unit counts?

A: The GTX 670M has more shading units (336 vs 288) and more texture mapping units (56 vs 48). Both have 24 ROPs.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 560 SE has a 150 W TDP, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 450 W PSU. The GTX 670M has a 75 W TDP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed.

# Architecture Differences

Although both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture—Fermi 2.0 on the GF114 chip, produced by TSMC at 40 nm—their internal configurations diverge in ways that explain their performance and power profiles. The transistor count is identical at 1,950 million, as is the die size at 332 mm², yielding a transistor density of 5.9M per mm² for both. This is the same physical silicon, but NVIDIA configured it differently for each market segment.

The GTX 670M deploys more compute resources: 336 shading units versus 288 on the GTX 560 SE, and 56 texture mapping units versus 48. Both cards carry 24 ROPs. This gives the GTX 670M a theoretical texture rate of 33.49 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 8.372 GPixel/s, while the GTX 560 SE achieves 35.33 GTexel/s and 8.832 GPixel/s. Interestingly, despite having fewer shading units and TMUs, the GTX 560 SE posts higher texture and pixel rates due to its higher clock speeds. The FP32 compute figures follow the same pattern: the GTX 560 SE delivers 847.9 GFLOPS, while the GTX 670M delivers 803.7 GFLOPS—a 5.5% gap in favor of the desktop card.

Memory architecture differs in capacity and clock speed but not bus width. Both use a 192-bit bus, but the GTX 560 SE runs GDDR5 at 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective) for 91.87 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the GTX 670M runs at 750 MHz (3 Gbps effective) for 72.00 GB/s. The GTX 670M compensates with 1536 MB of memory versus 1024 MB on the GTX 560 SE. This tradeoff—more capacity but slower throughput—suggests the GTX 670M was optimized for larger framebuffers at lower resolutions, while the GTX 560 SE prioritized memory bandwidth for compute-heavy workloads.

The physical form factors could hardly be more different. The GTX 560 SE is a dual-slot desktop card measuring 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length, requiring 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 450 W suggested PSU. The GTX 670M is an MXM module with no power connectors and no PSU recommendation, designed for portable devices. The GTX 560 SE offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs, while the GTX 670M’s display outputs are listed as “Portable Device Dependent.” Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed.

Release timing also differs: the GTX 560 SE launched on 2012-02-19, while the GTX 670M followed on 2012-03-21. Both are end-of-life products, with the GTX 560 SE succeeding the GeForce 400 series and preceding the GeForce 600 series, while the GTX 670M succeeds the GeForce 500M and precedes the GeForce 700M. The GTX 560 SE belongs to the GeForce 500 generation; the GTX 670M belongs to the GeForce 600M generation.

# The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear winner for raw compute performance: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE. Its 10.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL over the GTX 670M is substantial, and it also holds advantages in memory bandwidth (91.87 GB/s vs 72.00 GB/s), texture rate (35.33 GTexel/s vs 33.49 GTexel/s), pixel rate (8.832 GPixel/s vs 8.372 GPixel/s), and FP32 compute (847.9 GFLOPS vs 803.7 GFLOPS). The GTX 560 SE also ranks one percentile higher overall (39th vs 38th).

However, the GTX 670M is not without its own merits. It offers 50% more memory (1536 MB vs 1024 MB), which can be critical for texture-heavy workloads or higher display resolutions. It also has more shading units (336 vs 288) and TMUs (56 vs 48), meaning its lower clock speeds are partially offset by wider execution resources. The GTX 670M’s power envelope is dramatically lower at 75 W versus 150 W, making it suitable for portable devices where the GTX 560 SE’s dual-slot, 2x 6-pin requirement would be impractical.

The choice between these two depends entirely on the use case. For desktop users prioritizing compute performance and memory bandwidth, the GTX 560 SE is the data-backed pick—it wins the only head-to-head benchmark and leads in every throughput metric. For mobile users who need a larger framebuffer and lower power draw, the GTX 670M offers a balanced alternative, even if its raw scores trail. The data does not support the GTX 670M as a faster card; it supports it as a more power-efficient and memory-capacious one.

# Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M:

• Memory Size: 1024 MB (GTX 560 SE) vs 1536 MB (GTX 670M)
• Memory Clock: 957 MHz / 3.8 Gbps effective (GTX 560 SE) vs 750 MHz / 3 Gbps effective (GTX 670M)
• Memory Bandwidth: 91.87 GB/s (GTX 560 SE) vs 72.00 GB/s (GTX 670M)
• Shading Units: 288 (GTX 560 SE) vs 336 (GTX 670M)
• Texture Mapping Units: 48 (GTX 560 SE) vs 56 (GTX 670M)
• Pixel Rate: 8.832 GPixel/s (GTX 560 SE) vs 8.372 GPixel/s (GTX 670M)
• Texture Rate: 35.33 GTexel/s (GTX 560 SE) vs 33.49 GTexel/s (GTX 670M)
• FP32 Performance: 847.9 GFLOPS (GTX 560 SE) vs 803.7 GFLOPS (GTX 670M)
• TDP: 150 W (GTX 560 SE) vs 75 W (GTX 670M)
• Slot Width: Dual-slot (GTX 560 SE) vs MXM Module (GTX 670M)
• Power Connectors: 2x 6-pin (GTX 560 SE) vs None (GTX 670M)
• Suggested PSU: 450 W (GTX 560 SE) vs null (GTX 670M)
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 (GTX 560 SE) vs MXM-B (3.0) (GTX 670M)
• Display Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a (GTX 560 SE) vs Portable Device Dependent (GTX 670M)
• Dimensions: 210 mm / 8.3 inches length (GTX 560 SE) vs null (GTX 670M)
• Generation: GeForce 500 (GTX 560 SE) vs GeForce 600M (GTX 670M)
• Release Date: 2012-02-19 (GTX 560 SE) vs 2012-03-21 (GTX 670M)
• Predecessor: GeForce 400 (GTX 560 SE) vs GeForce 500M (GTX 670M)
• Successor: GeForce 600 (GTX 560 SE) vs GeForce 700M (GTX 670M)
• Geekbench OpenCL Score: 7171 (GTX 560 SE) vs 6513 (GTX 670M)
• Percentile vs All GPUs: 39 (GTX 560 SE) vs 38 (GTX 670M)