NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct benchmark comparison between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M scores 9,745 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7,171 points. The GTX 950M wins this head-to-head by a significant 35.9% margin. This is a substantial gap, indicating that the newer mobile GPU holds a clear performance advantage in compute workloads that leverage OpenCL.

The GTX 950M's OpenCL score of 9,745 places it in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Radeon R9 M360 at 8,129 (a 0.1% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 at 8,167 (a 0.4% difference in favor of the GTX 950M), the NVIDIA GeForce 945M at 8,099 (a 0.4% difference), and the NVIDIA GRID K2 at 8,080 (a 0.7% difference). These figures show that the GTX 950M sits in a tightly contested cluster, with its closest competitors all falling within a narrow band of less than 1% of its average score.

The GTX 560 SE, with its OpenCL score of 7,171, lands in the 39th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7,170 (a 0% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 at 7,157 (a 0.2% difference), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile at 7,203 (a 0.4% difference in favor of the GTX 560 SE), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 at 7,222 (a 0.7% difference). This clustering suggests the GTX 560 SE is competitive with a range of integrated and entry-level discrete GPUs from a later era, despite its older architecture.

The 35.9% delta between the two cards in this test is the headline number. It shows that, at least in the synthetic OpenCL workload, the GTX 950M is not merely faster but categorically ahead. The GTX 950M also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6,525, a test that the GTX 560 SE does not have a recorded result for, as its API support list does not include Vulkan.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark results, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M wins the only direct comparison available. It holds a 35.9% advantage in OpenCL performance, which is the sole head-to-head data point. The GTX 560 SE does not win any recorded benchmark in this matchup.

For the GTX 950M, this win extends beyond raw score. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 8,135, which sits above the GTX 560 SE's average of 7,171. The GTX 950M also benefits from a higher percentile ranking, 42nd versus 39th for the GTX 560 SE. This suggests that the GTX 950M is positioned better relative to the entire GPU landscape, not just against this specific rival.

The GTX 560 SE, however, is not without its own strengths when viewed in isolation. Its memory bandwidth is considerably higher at 91.87 GB/s, and it has a wider 192-bit memory bus and faster GDDR5 memory, whereas the GTX 950M relies on DDR3 with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. In memory-intensive scenarios, the GTX 560 SE's architecture could theoretically offer advantages, but the recorded OpenCL score does not reflect this, as the GTX 950M still wins decisively.

The GTX 560 SE's strengths are primarily in its memory subsystem and its higher pixel rate of 8.832 GPixel/s, though this is actually lower than the GTX 950M's 17.98 GPixel/s. The GTX 560 SE also has more texture mapping units (48 vs 40) and more ROPs (24 vs 16), but again, these hardware differences do not translate into a benchmark victory in the data available.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The GTX 950M uses the GM107 chip, built on the Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a larger 40 nm process.

The transistor counts are similar: the GTX 950M has 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, while the GTX 560 SE has 1,950 million transistors on a much larger 332 mm² die. This results in a significant difference in transistor density: the GTX 950M packs 12.6 million transistors per square millimeter, while the GTX 560 SE achieves only 5.9 million. The newer process node is clearly a factor here, allowing the Maxwell chip to be far more compact.

The memory configurations differ sharply. The GTX 950M has 4 GB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s. The GTX 560 SE has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, with bandwidth of 91.87 GB/s. The GTX 560 SE's memory bandwidth is over three times higher, which is a notable architectural advantage for bandwidth-heavy tasks.

The compute resources also differ. The GTX 950M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the GTX 560 SE has more TMUs and ROPs. The GTX 950M, however, delivers higher throughput: its FP32 performance is 1,438.7 GFLOPS, while the GTX 560 SE is at 847.9 GFLOPS. The GTX 950M also has higher texture rate at 44.96 GTexel/s versus 35.33 GTexel/s, and higher pixel rate at 17.98 GPixel/s versus 8.832 GPixel/s.

Power and interface differences are substantial. The GTX 950M has a TDP of 75 W, is an integrated form factor (IGP) with no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W, is a dual-slot card, requires two 6-pin power connectors, suggests a 450 W PSU, and uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. The GTX 560 SE also has physical dimensions of 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length, while the GTX 950M's dimensions are listed as portable device dependent.

API support differs as well. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 950M supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan support listed. The GTX 560 SE predates the GTX 950M by over three years, with a release date of February 2012 versus March 2015 for the GTX 950M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M is faster, scoring 9,745 points versus 7,171 for the GTX 560 SE, a 35.9% advantage.

Q: Does the GTX 560 SE support Vulkan?

A: No, the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan support listed in the database. The GTX 950M supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The GTX 560 SE has significantly higher memory bandwidth at 91.87 GB/s, while the GTX 950M has 28.80 GB/s.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The GTX 950M has a TDP of 75 W and requires no power connectors, while the GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W and requires two 6-pin power connectors.

Q: What are their transistor densities?

A: The GTX 950M has a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm², while the GTX 560 SE has 5.9 million per mm².

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GTX 950M has 640 shading units, while the GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE |

|----------------|--------------------------|----------------------------|

| Chip | GM107 | GF114 |

| Architecture | Maxwell | Fermi 2.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,870 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 148 mm² | 332 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 993 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1124 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) | 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | DDR3 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 28.80 GB/s | 91.87 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 288 |

| TMUs | 40 | 48 |

| ROPs | 16 | 24 |

| Pixel Rate | 17.98 GPixel/s | 8.832 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 44.96 GTexel/s | 35.33 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,438.7 GFLOPS | 847.9 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 75 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | Not listed |

| Length | Not listed | 210 mm (8.3 inches) |

| Release Date | March 2015 | February 2012 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 800M | GeForce 400 |

| Successor | GeForce 10 Mobile | GeForce 600 |