NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA RTX A400 Comparison

# The Verdict: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE vs NVIDIA RTX A400

The data presents a clear generational divide. The GeForce GTX 560 SE, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, is an end-of-life product from 2012. The RTX A400, an Ampere-generation workstation card from 2024, is an active product. In the database's aggregate OpenCL benchmark, the GTX 560 SE scores 7,171, while the RTX A400 scores 22,844. The A400 is 68.6% faster in that single recorded test. The GTX 560 SE also sits at the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the A400 sits at the 35th percentile, meaning both are below median performers. However, the A400's score is far higher in absolute terms, and it carries modern feature support.

The data suggests one primary conclusion: choose the RTX A400 for any workload that benefits from current API levels and raw compute throughput. The GTX 560 SE should only be considered in legacy system contexts, and even then, its 1,950 million transistor count on a 40 nm TSMC process is not a point in its favor. The A400's 8,700 million transistors on an 8 nm Samsung node represents a much denser design. Strictly from the recorded data, the A400 wins on every measurable axis except the direct comparison of a single older benchmark where it wins by 68.6% anyway.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows that the RTX A400 wins in every recorded head-to-head test. The database records one head-to-head run: Geekbench OpenCL, where the A400 scores 22,844 versus the GTX 560 SE's 7,171, a delta of 68.6% in favor of the A400. This is the single largest win in the entire comparison set.

The GTX 560 SE has no wins in the database. There are no tests where it beats the A400. Its best recorded result is the 7,171 OpenCL score, which is still only 31.4% of the A400's score. The A400 also wins on architecture: it has 768 shading units, 24 tensor cores, 6 RT cores, and 16 ROPs, versus 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs for the GTX 560 SE. The A400 has more of everything that matters for modern rendering and compute.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is generational. The GTX 560 SE is a Fermi 2.0 part, using the GF114 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 40 nm process. It packs 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, for a density of 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. Its memory subsystem is 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 91.87 GB/s of bandwidth. Clock memory runs at 957 MHz (3.8 Gbps effective).

The RTX A400 is Ampere architecture, the GA107 chip, from Samsung's 8 nm node. It has 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, a density of 43.5M per mm². Memory is 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, with 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1500 MHz, 12 Gbps effective. The A400's boost clock is 1762 MHz with a base of 1417 MHz; the GTX 560 SE has no recorded boost or base clock in the database. The A400 has 6 RT cores and 24 tensor cores, none of which the GTX 560 SE has.

The GTX 560 SE's only advantages are interface details. It has dual-slot cooling (the A400 is single-slot), requires two 6-pin power connectors (the A400 needs none), a 450 W PSU suggestion versus 250 W, and its display outputs are two DVI and one mini-HDMI, versus four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a on the A400. There is no recorded API support for the GTX, while the A400 lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

5 FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the database's main OpenCL test?

A: The RTX A400 scores 22,844, the GTX 560 SE scores 7,171. That is a 68.6% lead for the A400.

Q: Does the GTX 560 SE have any winning benchmark?

A: No. In the recorded data, the GTX 560 SE has zero wins. The A400 wins the only recorded head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL, by 68.6%.

Q: How does the memory configuration compare?

A: The GTX 560 SE has 1024 MB GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 91.87 GB/s. The A400 has 4 GB GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s. The A400 has more memory and a higher bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX A400 has 768 shading units, the GTX 560 SE has 288.

Q: What about the production status?

A: The GTX 560 SE is end-of-life and was released in February 2012. The RTX A400 is active and was released in April 2024.

6 Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head test is Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 560 SE posts 7,171, and the A400 posts 22,844. The delta is -68.6% in favor of the RTX A400. This is the dominant margin in the entire dataset.

The passmark suite offers more granular data. The GTX 560 SE records 899 in G2D, 5,983 in G3D, 2,557 in GPU Compute, 87 in DirectX 9, 27 in DirectX 12, 37 in DirectX 11, and 32 in DirectX 10. The RTX A400 records 32 in DirectX 10, 37 in DirectX 11, 27 in DirectX 12, 87 in DirectX 9, 899 in G2D, and 2,557 in GPU Compute. The one recorded test where the A400 does not beat the GTX is the DirectX 10 test, where they tie at 32. Every other recorded test is a win for the A400.

7 Specification Differences

| Specification | GTX 560 SE | RTX A400 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GF114 | GA107 |

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Ampere |

| Process | 40 nm | 8 nm |

| Transistors | 1,950 million | 8,700 million |

| Die size | 292 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Density | 5.9M/mm² | 43.5M/mm² |

| Memory | 1024 MB GDDR5 | 4 GB GDDR6 |

| Bus width | 192-bit | 64-bit |

| Bandwidth | 91.87 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading units | 288 | 768 |

| TMUs | 48 | 24 |

| ROPs | 24 | 16 |

| RT cores | 0 | 6 |

| Tensor cores | 0 | 24 |

| Pixel rate | 8.832 GPixel/s | 28.19 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 35.33 GTexel/s | 42.29 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 847.9 GFLOPS | 2.706 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | - | 2.706 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 150 W | 50 W |

| Slot width | Dual-slot | Single-slot |

| Power connectors | 2x 6-pin | None |

| PSU suggestion | 450 W | 250 W |

| Bus | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | - | 1.4 |

| Length | 210 mm | 163 mm |

| Height | - | 69 mm |

| Width | - | - |

| Release | 2012-02-19 | 2024-04-15 |

| Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Predecessor | GeForce 400 | Quadro Turing |

| Successor | GeForce 600 | Workstation Ada |

The data is one-sided. The RTX A400 is a newer, denser, more capable part. It has more shading units, more memory, higher bandwidth, tensor and RT cores, and a much higher FP32 throughput. The GTX 560 SE's only remaining virtues are its wider memory bus, its legacy multi-output design, and its dual-slot cooler, all characteristics of its 2012 era. For any modern workload, the RTX A400 is the correct selection from every recorded measurement.