NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between the two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, a compute-focused test that measures raw parallel processing throughput. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 delivers a score of 34,676, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE produces 7,171. The delta is a staggering 383.6% in favor of the GTX 980, meaning the newer card is nearly five times faster in this workload. This is not a marginal generational improvement; it is a complete class separation.

The GTX 980 also has a much wider benchmark footprint in the database. It has recorded scores across 11 different tests, including PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as Geekbench Metal, Vulkan, and 3DMark Steel Nomad. The GTX 560 SE has a single recorded score, which limits direct comparisons. However, the available data is decisive: in the one test where both cards appear, the GTX 980 wins outright, and the GTX 560 SE has no countervailing victory in any other recorded metric.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the GTX 980 sits at 8,167 across all tests, while the GTX 560 SE averages 7,171 based on its single result. The difference in average score is 996 points, a 13.9% gap in favor of the GTX 980. This average figure is somewhat misleading, however, because the GTX 980's average includes several legacy DirectX tests where older architectures can perform relatively better per frame. Even so, the GTX 980 holds the higher aggregate.

The percentile rankings reinforce the gap. The GTX 980 ranks in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 560 SE ranks in the 39th percentile. The GTX 980 is therefore positioned ahead of a larger share of the GPU population. For context, the GTX 980's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M (0.4% behind), the AMD Radeon R9 M360 (0.5% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 945M (0.8% behind), and the NVIDIA GRID K2 (1.1% behind). All of these are within 1.1% of the GTX 980's average, indicating that the GTX 980 sits in a tightly clustered performance band. The GTX 560 SE, by contrast, has nearest rivals that include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (0.4% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (0.7% ahead). Notably, the GTX 970 appears as a near rival to the GTX 560 SE in the database, yet in the head-to-head test, the GTX 980 beats the GTX 560 SE by 383.6%.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in compute workloads?

A: The GTX 980 beats the GTX 560 SE by 383.6% in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 34,676 versus 7,171.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The GTX 980 averages 8,167 across 11 tests, while the GTX 560 SE averages 7,171 from a single test. That is a 13.9% difference.

Q: Where does each card rank among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 980 sits in the 43rd percentile, while the GTX 560 SE sits in the 39th percentile.

Q: What are the closest rivals to the GTX 980 in the database?

A: The GTX 950M is 0.4% behind, the Radeon R9 M360 is 0.5% behind, the GeForce 945M is 0.8% behind, and the GRID K2 is 1.1% behind.

Q: What are the closest rivals to the GTX 560 SE?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is at parity, the GTX 970 is 0.2% ahead, the Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is 0.4% ahead, and the GTX 750 is 0.7% ahead.

Q: Does the GTX 560 SE win any benchmark?

A: No. In the only head-to-head test recorded, the GTX 980 wins. The GTX 560 SE has no recorded wins.

The Verdict

The data makes the choice straightforward. The GTX 980 is the faster card in every measurable way. Its compute performance is 383.6% higher in OpenCL, its average benchmark score is higher, and its percentile rank is higher. The GTX 980 also has a much broader benchmark history, with 11 recorded tests versus one for the GTX 560 SE. Anyone choosing between these two for compute tasks, modern game loads, or general GPU acceleration should select the GTX 980 without hesitation.

The GTX 560 SE, being from the GeForce 500 generation, was already end-of-life when the GTX 980 launched. Its single recorded score places it near integrated graphics solutions like the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580, and its nearest rivals include mobile and entry-level desktop parts. The GTX 980, by contrast, competes in a band with mobile GPUs like the GTX 950M and the Radeon R9 M360, but its raw compute lead over the GTX 560 SE is so large that the two cards are not in the same performance class.

For users with legacy software that favors older DirectX feature levels, the GTX 980 still holds the edge in recorded DirectX tests, scoring 164 in PassMark DirectX 9, 83 in DirectX 11, 53 in DirectX 10, and 46 in DirectX 12. The GTX 560 SE has no recorded scores in any of these tests, so there is no evidence that it would win in legacy workloads either. The verdict is clear: the GTX 980 is the superior card by every metric in the database.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification category. The GTX 980 uses the GM204 chip with a 28 nm process, while the GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip on a 40 nm process. The GTX 980 has 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 13.1 million per mm². The GTX 560 SE has 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, with a density of 5.9 million per mm².

Memory is a major differentiator. The GTX 980 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560 SE has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 91.87 GB/s. The GTX 980's memory clock is listed as 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the GTX 560 SE's memory clock is 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective).

The compute resources diverge sharply. The GTX 980 has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Pixel rate is 77.82 GPixel/s for the GTX 980 versus 8.832 GPixel/s for the GTX 560 SE. Texture rate is 155.6 GTexel/s versus 35.33 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 4.981 TFLOPS versus 847.9 GFLOPS.

Power and physical specifications also differ. The GTX 980 has a TDP of 165 W, while the GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W. Both use dual-slot coolers and two 6-pin power connectors, and both suggest a 450 W PSU. The GTX 980 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 560 SE uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 980 is 267 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 40 mm wide; the GTX 560 SE is 210 mm long with no recorded height or width. Display outputs differ: the GTX 980 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 560 SE has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 980 is built on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the GTX 560 SE is built on Fermi 2.0. These are two distinct GPU designs from different generations. Maxwell 2.0 introduced significant efficiency improvements over Fermi, allowing the GTX 980 to deliver 4.981 TFLOPS of FP32 compute at a 165 W TDP. Fermi 2.0, by contrast, produces 847.9 GFLOPS at a 150 W TDP. The efficiency gap is substantial: the GTX 980 produces roughly 5.9 times the FP32 throughput while drawing only 15 W more power.

The process node difference is central to this. The GTX 980 uses a 28 nm TSMC process, while the GTX 560 SE uses a 40 nm process. The smaller node allows for 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, compared to 1,950 million on a 332 mm² die. The transistor density nearly doubles, from 5.9 million per mm² to 13.1 million per mm².

The memory subsystem also reflects architectural evolution. The GTX 980 supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 560 SE is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 980's memory bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s is 2.4 times the GTX 560 SE's 91.87 GB/s. The GTX 980 also supports a newer set of display outputs, including HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2, whereas the GTX 560 SE is limited to mini-HDMI 1.3a.

API support differs as well. Both cards support DirectX 12, but the GTX 980 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GTX 560 SE supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The GTX 980 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560 SE has no recorded Vulkan support. OpenGL support is the same at 4.6 for both. The GTX 980 also records Geekbench Metal and Vulkan scores, indicating broader API coverage in the database, while the GTX 560 SE only records an OpenCL score. The GTX 980's launch date is September 2014, and its predecessor is the GeForce 700 series with the GeForce 10 series as successor. The GTX 560 SE launched in February 2012, with the GeForce 400 as predecessor and GeForce 600 as successor.