NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA Quadro K620 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it favors the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE. The GTX 560 SE records a score of 7171, while the Quadro K620 scores 6693. That gives the GTX 560 SE a 7.1% lead over the Quadro K620 in this compute-oriented benchmark. This is a meaningful margin, though not a dominant one; it indicates the older Fermi-based card can still outpace the Maxwell-based professional card in raw OpenCL throughput.

Looking beyond the head-to-head, the GTX 560 SE’s single benchmark score of 7171 places it in the 39th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7170 (a 0% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 at 7157 (only 0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile at 7203 (0.4% ahead of the GTX 560 SE), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 at 7222 (0.7% ahead). This clustering shows that the GTX 560 SE sits in a tightly packed performance band; its OpenCL result is essentially level with several other cards across different architectures and market segments, with the largest gap among these rivals being less than 1%. The practical implication is that in this test, the GTX 560 SE is indistinguishable from a modern integrated GPU like the Iris Pro P580, and nearly identical to a much newer discrete card like the GTX 750.

The Quadro K620, in contrast, has two recorded benchmark entries: a Geekbench OpenCL score of 6693 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5870. Its average benchmark score across those entries is 6282, which places it in the 36th percentile of all GPUs. The K620’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti SUPER and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER AD102, both averaging 6270 (0.2% behind the K620), along with the AMD Radeon R7 M350 at 6327 (0.7% ahead) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 at 6330 (0.8% ahead). Again, the K620 is surrounded by very close scores; the entire rival group spans only 0.8% from top to bottom. The inclusion of two high-end RTX cards in that list is notable, but the delta percentages are so small that the K620’s position is essentially tied with them in the database’s normalized scoring.

When comparing the two cards directly, the GTX 560 SE’s OpenCL score is 7.1% higher than the K620’s OpenCL score. However, the K620 has a Vulkan score that the GTX 560 SE lacks entirely; the GTX 560 SE has no recorded Vulkan benchmark result. The GTX 560 SE also has no average benchmark score reported, only the single OpenCL entry. The K620’s average of 6282 is lower than its own OpenCL score because the Vulkan result of 5870 pulls the average down. This means that in tasks leveraging Vulkan, the K620 offers a capability that the GTX 560 SE cannot match in the database, though no direct Vulkan head-to-head is available.

The wins tally is clear: the GTX 560 SE wins 1 head-to-head test, and the Quadro K620 wins 0. That is a narrow victory, based on a single test, but it is the only direct evidence the database provides. The margin of 7.1% is consistent with the raw FP32 throughput figures: the GTX 560 SE delivers 847.9 GFLOPS, while the K620 delivers 863.2 GFLOPS. Interestingly, the K620 actually has a slightly higher FP32 rating (1.8% more), yet it scores lower in OpenCL. This suggests that the OpenCL workload does not scale purely with theoretical FP32, and that other factors such as memory bandwidth, driver efficiency, or occupancy patterns play a role. The GTX 560 SE’s memory bandwidth is 91.87 GB/s versus the K620’s 28.80 GB/s, a 3.2x advantage for the GTX 560 SE, which likely explains the OpenCL result despite the K620’s higher FP32 peak.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE is the faster card in the only direct benchmark available. Its 7.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the decisive factor. Anyone whose workload relies primarily on OpenCL compute should favor the GTX 560 SE, as the database shows it delivering a higher score in that specific test.

However, the Quadro K620 is not without its own advantages in the data. It has a Vulkan benchmark score of 5870, a result that the GTX 560 SE cannot produce because it has no Vulkan entry at all. For applications that require Vulkan support, the K620 is the only one of the two that can be evaluated; the GTX 560 SE simply has no recorded Vulkan performance. Additionally, the K620’s average benchmark score of 6282, while lower than the GTX 560 SE’s single OpenCL score, is based on two tests, giving it a broader performance profile in the database.

From a system integration perspective, the K620 draws far less power: its TDP is 45 W versus 150 W for the GTX 560 SE. The K620 also requires no power connectors, while the GTX 560 SE needs 2x 6-pin connectors. The suggested PSU for the K620 is 200 W, compared to 450 W for the GTX 560 SE. The K620 is a single-slot card measuring 160 mm (6.3 inches) in length, while the GTX 560 SE is dual-slot and 210 mm (8.3 inches) long. For compact or power-constrained systems, the K620 is clearly the more practical choice, even if it loses on raw OpenCL score.

The production status of both cards is end-of-life, so neither is a forward-looking purchase. The GTX 560 SE released in February 2012, while the K620 released in July 2014. The K620 is newer by over two years. In terms of the database’s percentile ranking, the GTX 560 SE sits at the 39th percentile, three points above the K620’s 36th percentile, reinforcing the GTX 560 SE’s slight overall edge in normalized performance.

The verdict is straightforward: if OpenCL compute performance is the sole criterion, the GTX 560 SE wins. If Vulkan support, lower power draw, smaller physical footprint, and a more recent release matter, the K620 is the stronger candidate. The data does not support a universal recommendation; it supports a use-case-dependent one.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 560 SE is built on the GF114 chip using the Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The K620 uses the GM107 chip with the Maxwell architecture, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm node. The process shrink is significant: the GTX 560 SE’s die measures 332 mm², while the K620’s die is 148 mm². That is a 55% reduction in die area. The transistor counts are nearly identical, with the GTX 560 SE at 1,950 million and the K620 at 1,870 million. The result is a stark difference in transistor density: the GTX 560 SE packs 5.9 million transistors per mm², while the K620 achieves 12.6 million per mm², more than double.

The shading unit counts differ as well. The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, while the K620 has 384. Despite having more shading units, the K620’s FP32 throughput is only slightly higher (863.2 GFLOPS versus 847.9 GFLOPS), which reflects the different clock behavior and architecture efficiency. The GTX 560 SE has 48 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 24 raster operation units (ROPs). The K620 has 24 TMUs and 16 ROPs. The GTX 560 SE therefore has double the TMU count and 50% more ROPs. However, the K620’s higher pixel rate of 17.98 GPixel/s versus the GTX 560 SE’s 8.832 GPixel/s shows that the Maxwell architecture’s ROPs are far more efficient per unit, likely due to higher clocks and better memory compression. The texture rate tells a different story: the GTX 560 SE achieves 35.33 GTexel/s, while the K620 manages 26.98 GTexel/s, a 31% advantage for the GTX 560 SE.

The K620 is listed as being in the “Quadro Kepler (Kx200)” generation, which is a slightly confusing label given its Maxwell architecture, but the database records it as such. The GTX 560 SE is in the GeForce 500 generation. The K620 supports Vulkan 1.4 according to the database, while the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan entry. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The K620’s predecessor is listed as Quadro Fermi and its successor as Quadro Maxwell; the GTX 560 SE’s predecessor is GeForce 400 and its successor is GeForce 600.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is memory. The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 91.87 GB/s of bandwidth. The K620 has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 28.80 GB/s. The GTX 560 SE has more than three times the memory bandwidth, while the K620 has double the capacity. The memory clocks also differ: the GTX 560 SE runs at 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective), while the K620 runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).

Power specifications diverge sharply. The GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 450 W PSU. The K620 has a TDP of 45 W, requires no power connectors, and suggests a 200 W PSU. The GTX 560 SE is dual-slot, while the K620 is single-slot. Physical dimensions: the GTX 560 SE is 210 mm (8.3 inches) long; the K620 is 160 mm (6.3 inches) long and 69 mm (2.7 inches) tall.

Display outputs differ: the GTX 560 SE offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the K620 offers 1x DVI and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The K620’s DisplayPort is a more modern connection. The GTX 560 SE’s base and boost clocks are not listed, while the K620 has a base clock of 1058 MHz and a boost clock of 1124 MHz. The GTX 560 SE’s shading unit count is 288 versus 384 for the K620; TMUs are 48 versus 24; ROPs are 24 versus 16. The release dates differ by over two years, with the GTX 560 SE on 2012-02-19 and the K620 on 2014-07-21. Both use PCIe 2.0 x16. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE scores 7171 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA Quadro K620 scores 6693. The GTX 560 SE leads by 7.1% in that test.

Q: Does the Quadro K620 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Quadro K620 has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 5870 and lists Vulkan 1.4 as a supported API. The GeForce GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan benchmark entry and no Vulkan API listing in the database.

Q: How do their memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The GeForce GTX 560 SE has a memory bandwidth of 91.87 GB/s using 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus. The Quadro K620 has 28.80 GB/s using 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus. The GTX 560 SE has more than triple the bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GeForce GTX 560 SE has a TDP of 150 W and requires 2x 6-pin power connectors with a suggested 450 W PSU. The Quadro K620 has a TDP of 45 W, requires no power connectors, and suggests a 200 W PSU.

Q: Which card is physically smaller?

A: The Quadro K620 is 160 mm (6.3 inches) long and is single-slot. The GeForce GTX 560 SE is 210 mm (8.3 inches) long and is dual-slot. The K620 also has a recorded height of 69 mm (2.7 inches).

Q: How do their overall database percentile rankings compare?

A: The GeForce GTX 560 SE sits in the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro K620 sits in the 36th percentile. The GTX 560 SE’s single benchmark score is 7171, and the K620’s average benchmark score is 6282 across two tests.