NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE are both end-of-life graphics processors from NVIDIA, but they target very different segments of the market. The Quadro K4100M is a mobile workstation part from the Kepler generation, designed for professional applications, while the GTX 560 SE is a desktop consumer card from the Fermi 2.0 generation, aimed at gaming. The benchmark data available shows a single head-to-head comparison, where the Quadro K4100M holds a decisive lead. This analysis breaks down their respective strengths, architectural differences, and the implications of their specifications.

Where Each One Wins

The data presents a clear picture of performance dominance. In the only shared benchmark test, the Geekbench OpenCL compute workload, the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins outright, achieving a score of 9149 against the GTX 560 SE's 7171. This represents a 27.6% advantage for the Quadro, a substantial margin that indicates a significantly higher compute throughput. The Quadro K4100M's win count stands at 1, while the GTX 560 SE has no wins in this comparison.

However, the context of these wins is crucial. The Quadro K4100M is a mobile chip with a TDP of 100 W, while the GTX 560 SE is a desktop card with a TDP of 150 W. The Quadro achieves its superior OpenCL score despite a lower power envelope, which speaks to the architectural efficiency of the newer Kepler design. The GTX 560 SE, while not winning any benchmarks here, was designed for a different purpose—rasterized gaming performance—and its capabilities in that specific area are not captured by the single Geekbench OpenCL test in this dataset. The data suggests that for compute-heavy professional workloads, the Quadro K4100M is the clear winner; for legacy gaming scenarios, the GTX 560 SE's strengths may lie elsewhere, but no data is present to confirm this.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent distinct architectural generations from NVIDIA. The Quadro K4100M is built on the Kepler architecture, specifically using the GK104 chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the GTX 560 SE is based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, using the GF114 chip, which is fabricated on a larger 40 nm process, also at TSMC. This fundamental difference in process node has a profound impact on the transistor density: the Quadro's GK104 packs 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.0M / mm². The GTX 560 SE's GF114 contains 1,950 million transistors on a larger 332 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 5.9M / mm².

The architectural disparity extends to the core configuration. The Quadro K4100M features 1152 shading units, 96 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The GTX 560 SE, by comparison, has a much leaner setup with 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. This massive difference in shader count is a primary driver of the Quadro's compute advantage. The memory subsystems also differ, with the Quadro using a 256 bit bus and the GTX 560 SE a 192 bit bus, which influences bandwidth. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but the Quadro adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, while the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan support listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures raw compute performance. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9149, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171. The delta is 27.6% in favor of the Quadro K4100M. This is a significant performance gap that aligns with the theoretical compute figures: the Quadro delivers 1.627 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, whereas the GTX 560 SE delivers 847.9 GFLOPS (approximately 0.85 TFLOPS). The Quadro is essentially delivering nearly double the raw floating-point throughput, which explains its superior OpenCL result.

It is also useful to contextualize these scores against their respective peer groups. The Quadro K4100M has an average benchmark score of 7906, placing it in the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (avg score 7925, delta -0.2%) and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (avg score 8039, delta -1.7%). This indicates that the K4100M performs on par with a mid-range desktop card like the GTX 460, despite being a mobile part. The GTX 560 SE, with an average score of 7171, sits in the 39th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (avg score 7170, delta 0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (avg score 7157, delta 0.2%). The data shows that the GTX 560 SE is effectively tied with these parts, but it is clearly behind the Quadro K4100M in this compute metric.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The most obvious difference is in memory capacity: the Quadro K4100M features 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 560 SE has only 1024 MB (1 GB). The memory bus widths also differ, with the Quadro using a 256 bit interface compared to the GTX 560 SE's 192 bit interface. This results in a bandwidth advantage for the Quadro, which achieves 102.4 GB/s versus the GTX 560 SE's 91.87 GB/s.

Clock speeds are another point of differentiation. The Quadro K4100M has a base and boost clock of 706 MHz, while the GTX 560 SE has no base or boost clocks listed but runs its memory at 957 MHz (or 3.8 Gbps effective), compared to the Quadro's 800 MHz (or 3.2 Gbps effective). The power profiles are starkly different: the Quadro is a 100 W part, while the GTX 560 SE draws 150 W. The form factors also diverge, with the Quadro being an MXM Module (MXM-B 3.0) and the GTX 560 SE a Dual-slot desktop card. The GTX 560 SE requires 2x 6-pin power connectors and a 450 W suggested PSU; the Quadro requires no external power connectors. The GTX 560 SE has a listed length of 210 mm (8.3 inches), while the Quadro's dimensions are listed as "Portable Device Dependent". Finally, the release dates differ, with the Quadro launching on 2013-07-22 and the GTX 560 SE on 2012-02-19. The Quadro also has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD, while the GTX 560 SE has no MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher compute performance in the available benchmark data?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is significantly faster, winning the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 9149 versus the GTX 560 SE's 7171, a 27.6% advantage.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of power consumption?

A: The Quadro K4100M has a TDP of 100 W, while the GTX 560 SE has a higher TDP of 150 W, making the Quadro the more power-efficient option despite its higher performance.

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two GPUs?

A: The Quadro K4100M is based on the Kepler architecture (GK104 chip), while the GTX 560 SE is based on the older Fermi 2.0 architecture (GF114 chip).

Q: Is there a difference in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: Yes. The Quadro K4100M has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 256 bit bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB of GDDR5 with a 192 bit bus and 91.87 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports the Vulkan API?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M supports Vulkan 1.2.175. The GTX 560 SE does not have any Vulkan support listed in its specifications.

Q: How does the GTX 560 SE compare to its closest rival, the GeForce GTX 970?

A: The GTX 560 SE has an average benchmark score of 7171, which is essentially tied with the GTX 970's average score of 7157, showing a delta of 0.2%.