NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Comparison

NVIDIA Quadro P5000 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE represent two distant generations of NVIDIA hardware, separated by a vast gap in process technology, compute resources, and intended workloads. The recorded benchmark data shows a single common test, Geekbench OpenCL, where the Quadro P5000 delivers a score of 52,509 against the GTX 560 SE's 7,171. This represents a 632.2% advantage for the Quadro P5000, a decisive margin that reflects the fundamental architectural and specification differences between the two cards. The GTX 560 SE, with its single benchmark score, occupies a lower percentile rank (39th) compared to the Quadro P5000's 41st percentile, indicating that while both are mid-pack performers in the overall database, the Quadro P5000's average benchmark score of 8,039 is higher than the GTX 560 SE's 7,171.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark result in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, a compute-oriented test that stresses raw parallel processing capability. In this test, the Quadro P5000 scores 52,509 points, while the GTX 560 SE scores 7,171 points. The delta of 632.2% is one of the largest recorded margins in the database for a head-to-head comparison. This result is not surprising given the specification disparity, but the magnitude of the win is worth emphasizing. The Quadro P5000's score is more than seven times higher, a gap that places the GTX 560 SE in a completely different performance class for compute workloads.

The Quadro P5000's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M with an average score of 8,040, the GeForce GTX 650 Ti at 8,053, and the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8,067. These rival scores are all within 0.5% of the Quadro P5000's average of 8,039, meaning the P5000's overall database standing is tightly clustered with these older or lower-tier cards. However, the P5000's Geekbench OpenCL score of 52,509 is far above its own average, indicating that this specific test plays to its strengths. For the GTX 560 SE, its nearest rivals include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 at 7,170, the GeForce GTX 970 at 7,157, and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile at 7,203. The GTX 560 SE's average score of 7,171 is essentially tied with these competitors, with deltas of only 0.2% to -0.7%. This shows that the GTX 560 SE, despite its age, sits in a performance band where it is competitive with much newer integrated and entry-level discrete solutions in aggregate database metrics.

The head-to-head data contains only one test, so the win count is 1 for the Quadro P5000 and 0 for the GTX 560 SE. There are no other shared benchmarks to analyze, meaning the OpenCL result is the sole quantitative comparison available. This single data point, however, is highly illustrative of the overall performance trajectory: the Quadro P5000's modern architecture and massive compute resources dwarf the GTX 560 SE's older design. In the context of the database, a 632.2% delta is extreme, and it places the GTX 560 SE in a position where no reasonable expectation of competitiveness exists in compute-heavy applications.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Quadro P5000 uses the Pascal architecture, specifically the GP104 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 560 SE uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture, based on the GF114 chip, fabricated on a much older 40 nm process, also at TSMC. This process node difference is significant: 16 nm versus 40 nm represents a reduction in transistor size that allows for far greater density and efficiency. The transistor counts reflect this: the Quadro P5000 packs 7,200 million transistors into a die size of 314 mm², yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million per mm². The GTX 560 SE has 1,950 million transistors on a larger die of 332 mm², resulting in a density of only 5.9 million per mm². The Quadro P5000 achieves nearly four times the transistor density on a slightly smaller die, a direct consequence of the more advanced manufacturing process.

The memory subsystems also diverge sharply. The Quadro P5000 has 16 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 288.5 GB/s. The GTX 560 SE has 1,024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 91.87 GB/s. The Quadro P5000 offers 16 times the memory capacity and more than three times the bandwidth. The memory clock rates differ as well: the Quadro P5000 runs at 1,127 MHz with 9 Gbps effective data rate, while the GTX 560 SE runs at 957 MHz with 3.8 Gbps effective. The effective data rate is a critical metric for compute workloads, as it determines how quickly data can be fed to the processing units. The Quadro P5000's 9 Gbps rate is more than double the GTX 560 SE's 3.8 Gbps.

Compute resources are where the gap becomes most apparent. The Quadro P5000 has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster operation units (ROPs). The GTX 560 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. This is a difference of roughly 8.9x in shading units, 3.3x in TMUs, and 2.7x in ROPs. The pixel rate for the Quadro P5000 is 110.9 GPixel/s, while the GTX 560 SE manages 8.832 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 277.3 GTexel/s for the Quadro P5000 versus 35.33 GTexel/s for the GTX 560 SE. FP32 compute is rated at 8.873 TFLOPS for the Quadro P5000, compared to 847.9 GFLOPS for the GTX 560 SE, a 10.5x difference. The Quadro P5000 also has FP16 capability at 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the GTX 560 SE has no listed FP16 support.

The GTX 560 SE does not support Vulkan, while the Quadro P5000 supports Vulkan 1.4. Both support DirectX 12, but the Quadro P5000 is at feature level 12_1, while the GTX 560 SE is at 11_0. OpenGL support is identical at 4.6. The bus interfaces differ: the Quadro P5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 560 SE uses PCIe 2.0 x16, which halves the theoretical bandwidth between the card and the host system. Display outputs also differ, with the Quadro P5000 offering 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 560 SE offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The power connectors are 1x 8-pin for the Quadro P5000 versus 2x 6-pin for the GTX 560 SE, despite the Quadro P5000 having a higher TDP of 180 W versus 150 W for the GTX 560 SE. Both cards have a suggested PSU of 450 W, and both are dual-slot designs.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro P5000 wins decisively in every measurable category where data exists. Its only head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows a 632.2% advantage, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy tasks such as scientific simulation, machine learning inference, or any workload that leverages OpenCL. The massive FP32 throughput of 8.873 TFLOPS, combined with 16 GB of high-bandwidth GDDR5X memory, positions it for large datasets and complex rendering tasks. Its texture rate of 277.3 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 110.9 GPixel/s indicate strong performance in traditional graphics workloads like 3D rendering and video compositing. The support for Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12_1 also makes it more future-proof for modern APIs.

The GTX 560 SE, by contrast, has no winning scenarios in the recorded data. Its only benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows it trailing by a massive margin. Its lower average score of 7,171 places it at the 39th percentile, just below the Quadro P5000's 41st percentile. However, the GTX 560 SE's nearest rivals include the GeForce GTX 970 with a delta of 0.2%, meaning the GTX 560 SE actually scores slightly higher than the GTX 970 in the aggregate database metric. This suggests that in certain legacy workloads, or in scenarios where its 192-bit bus and 1 GB memory are sufficient, the GTX 560 SE can hold its own against some newer cards. But against the Quadro P5000, there is no contest. The GTX 560 SE's 150 W TDP is lower, which could be an advantage in power-constrained systems, but its 2x 6-pin connectors suggest it may not actually be more power-efficient in practice.

For use-case segmentation, the Quadro P5000 is suited for professional visualization, large-scale compute, and any task requiring substantial memory capacity. Its 16 GB VRAM is a standout feature, allowing it to handle datasets that would exhaust the GTX 560 SE's 1 GB instantly. The GTX 560 SE, with its 288 shading units and 847.9 GFLOPS, is appropriate for basic 2D desktop acceleration, light 3D gaming from its era, or as a display adapter for systems with minimal compute demands. Its lack of Vulkan support and DirectX 12 feature level 11_0 limits its compatibility with current-generation graphics APIs, further narrowing its use cases to older software or specific driver-optimized applications.

Specification Differences

The specifications that differ between the two cards are numerous and fundamental. The architecture is Pascal versus Fermi 2.0, the process node is 16 nm versus 40 nm, and the transistor count is 7,200 million versus 1,950 million. Die size is 314 mm² versus 332 mm², with transistor density at 22.9M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm². The base clock for the Quadro P5000 is 1607 MHz with a boost of 1733 MHz, while the GTX 560 SE has no base or boost clock listed. Memory size is 16 GB versus 1,024 MB, memory type is GDDR5X versus GDDR5, bus width is 256-bit versus 192-bit, and bandwidth is 288.5 GB/s versus 91.87 GB/s. Shading units are 2,560 versus 288, TMUs are 160 versus 48, and ROPs are 64 versus 24. Pixel rate is 110.9 GPixel/s versus 8.832 GPixel/s, texture rate is 277.3 GTexel/s versus 35.33 GTexel/s, and FP32 is 8.873 TFLOPS versus 847.9 GFLOPS. The Quadro P5000 has FP16 at 138.6 GFLOPS, while the GTX 560 SE has none. TDP is 180 W versus 150 W, power connectors are 1x 8-pin versus 2x 6-pin, and bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. DirectX support is 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_0), and Vulkan support is 1.4 versus null. The dimensions are 267 mm length and 111 mm height for the Quadro P5000, while the GTX 560 SE is 210 mm in length with no listed height. Release dates are 2016-09-30 for the Quadro P5000 and 2012-02-19 for the GTX 560 SE.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference in the only shared benchmark?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the Quadro P5000 scores 52,509, while the GTX 560 SE scores 7,171, giving the Quadro P5000 a 632.2% advantage.

Q: How much more memory does the Quadro P5000 have?

A: The Quadro P5000 has 16 GB of GDDR5X memory, while the GTX 560 SE has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 memory, a 16-fold difference in capacity.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Quadro P5000 has a transistor density of 22.9 million per mm², compared to the GTX 560 SE's 5.9 million per mm², due to the 16 nm versus 40 nm process node.

Q: Does the GTX 560 SE support Vulkan?

A: No, the GTX 560 SE has no Vulkan support, while the Quadro P5000 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the FP32 compute throughput for each card?

A: The Quadro P5000 delivers 8.873 TFLOPS, while the GTX 560 SE delivers 847.9 GFLOPS, a difference of approximately 10.5 times.

Q: How do the two cards compare in average benchmark score?

A: The Quadro P5000 has an average benchmark score of 8,039, while the GTX 560 SE has an average of 7,171, placing them at the 41st and 39th percentiles of all GPUs respectively.