NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA GeForce MX230 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single direct comparison between these two GPUs, and it is a decisive one. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171 points against the NVIDIA GeForce MX230's 5739 points. That is a 25% advantage for the older card, a substantial gap that places the GTX 560 SE firmly ahead in raw compute throughput as measured by this workload.

Context from the nearest rivals clarifies the meaning of these scores. The GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 7171. Its closest competitors include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 points, a virtual tie with a delta of 0%. It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, which scores 7157 points, by a mere 0.2%. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile scores 7203, a 0.4% difference in its favor, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 scores 7222, a 0.7% difference. The data shows that the GTX 560 SE operates in a tightly packed performance band, trading places with other mid-range parts within a 1% window.

The MX230, meanwhile, occupies a lower tier. Its average benchmark score, calculated across OpenCL and Vulkan results, is 6077 points, placing it at the 35th percentile of all GPUs. In OpenCL specifically, it scores 5739, and in Vulkan it scores 6414. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 at 6078 (a 0% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 at 6049 (a 0.5% delta in favor of the MX230), the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 at 6117 (a 0.7% delta against it), and the AMD Radeon 760M at 6019 (a 1% delta in its favor). The MX230 is therefore competitive with a different class of hardware, one centered around low-power integrated-style parts and entry-level mobile offerings.

The head-to-head delta of 25% is the single most informative number in this comparison. It shows that despite being separated by seven years of architectural evolution, the GTX 560 SE retains a clear performance edge in OpenCL compute. The MX230's Vulkan score of 6414 does not appear in the head-to-head table, meaning the GTX 560 SE has no recorded Vulkan result, so the OpenCL comparison remains the only direct point of reference. Based on that one metric, the GTX 560 SE is the faster card.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE records a score of 7171, which is 25% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce MX230's score of 5739 in the same test.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 560 SE trades blows within a 0.7% band against the GTX 970, Vega 8 Mobile, GTX 750, and Iris Pro P580. The MX230 sits within a 1% band of the RTX A400, Quadro P2000, Iris Pro 6200, and Radeon 760M.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The GTX 560 SE has an average benchmark score of 7171, while the MX230 has an average of 6077, a difference of roughly 1094 points.

Q: Does the MX230 have any benchmark result that the GTX 560 SE lacks?

A: Yes, the MX230 records a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6414. The GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan benchmark entry in the database.

Q: Which GPU ranks higher in the overall database percentile?

A: The GTX 560 SE ranks at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the MX230 ranks at the 35th percentile.

Q: How close are these two GPUs to the cards around them?

A: Very close. The GTX 560 SE's nearest rival, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580, is only 1 point behind at 7170. The MX230's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, is only 1 point ahead at 6078.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear choice for raw compute performance. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE wins the only recorded head-to-head test with a 25% margin, and it holds a higher percentile rank in the database (39th versus 35th). Any user prioritizing maximum OpenCL compute throughput should select the GTX 560 SE.

However, the MX230 is not without its own merits. It has a higher average score in its non-OpenCL test, specifically a 6414 in Vulkan, which the GTX 560 SE cannot match due to having no recorded Vulkan result. For workloads that leverage the Vulkan API, the MX230 is the only one of the two with a validated score. Additionally, the MX230's nearest rival set includes the Quadro P2000, which scores 6049, and it beats that card by 0.5%, whereas the GTX 560 SE loses to two of its nearest rivals in percentage terms.

The data supports a split: the GTX 560 SE for OpenCL and legacy compute tasks, the MX230 for Vulkan-based applications and scenarios where a supported modern API matters. The GTX 560 SE wins the head-to-head; the MX230 wins the API coverage argument.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every hardware specification. The GTX 560 SE uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 91.87 GB/s. The MX230 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, giving it a lower bandwidth of 48.06 GB/s. The GTX has a memory clock of 957 MHz, effective 3.8 Gbps, while the MX230 runs at 1502 MHz, effective 6 Gbps.

The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The MX230 has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rate is 8.832 GPixel/s for the GTX versus 24.50 GPixel/s for the MX230. Texture rate is 35.33 GTexel/s for the GTX versus 24.50 GTexel/s for the MX230. FP32 compute is 847.9 GFLOPS for the GTX versus 783.9 GFLOPS for the MX230. The MX230 also lists an FP16 rate of 12.25 GFLOPS, while the GTX does not report one.

Power and physical layout diverge sharply. The GTX has a TDP of 150 W, a dual-slot design, and requires two 6-pin power connectors, with a recommended PSU of 450 W. The MX230 has a TDP of 10 W, is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) form factor, requires no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU. The GTX is 210 mm long, while the MX230 has no recorded dimensions. Bus interfaces are PCIe 2.0 x16 for the GTX and PCIe 3.0 x4 for the MX230. Display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a for the GTX, while the MX230 is listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Architecture Differences

These are fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 560 SE uses the GF114 chip based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The MX230 uses the GP108 chip, based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 14 nm process at Samsung. The transistor counts are close, 1,950 million for the GTX versus 1,800 million for the MX230, but the die size tells the story: the GTX measures 332 mm² versus 74 mm² for the MX230. Transistor density reflects this, at 5.9M per mm² for the GTX and 24.3M per mm² for the MX230.

The generations are different. The GTX comes from the GeForce 500 generation, released in 2012, with a predecessor in GeForce 400 and a successor in GeForce 600. The MX230 comes from the GeForce MX (2xx) generation, released in 2019, with no listed predecessor or successor.

API support differs in the details. Both support DirectX 12, but the GTX supports feature level 11_0, while the MX230 supports 12_1. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The MX230 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX lists no Vulkan version. The MX230 also reports FP16 capability at 12.25 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, which the GTX does not report.

The process technology is the biggest differentiator: a 40 nm part from 2012 versus a 14 nm part from 2019. This explains the MX230's lower TDP, 10 W versus 150 W, and its integration as an IGP. The GTX is a discrete, dual-slot card with external power, while the MX230 is designed for portable devices with no power connectors.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 560 SE wins in memory bandwidth, with 91.87 GB/s versus 48.06 GB/s, a 90% advantage. It wins in texture rate, 35.33 GTexel/s versus 24.50 GTexel/s, and in FP32 compute, 847.9 GFLOPS versus 783.9 GFLOPS. It has more shading units, 288 versus 256, more TMUs, 48 versus 16, and more ROPs, 24 versus 16. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark, OpenCL, by 25%. It also has a higher pixel rate? No, the MX230 has a higher pixel rate, 24.50 GPixel/s versus 8.82 GPixel/s, which is a win for the MX230.

The MX230 wins in pixel rate, a 2.8x advantage. It wins in memory speed, with 6 Gbps effective versus 3.8 Gbps. It has double the memory, 2 GB versus 1 GB. It has a larger number of API supports, including Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX has no Vulkan. It has a significantly lower TDP, 10 W versus 150 W, and no cooling power connectors needed. It has a higher pixel rate, which is its key rasterization win. In the Vulkan benchmark, the MX230 records 6414, which is a win by virtue of having a score at all.

The GTX 560 SE wins on most raw compute metrics, but the MX230 wins on efficiency, API modernity, and pixel throughput. The GTX is the better choice for heavy compute workloads like OpenCL. The MX230 is the better choice for integrated power-constrained systems that need Vulkan support and a smaller footprint.