NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data offers a surprisingly one-sided picture at first glance. In the only direct head-to-head benchmark recorded, the GeForce GTX 960 claims the sole victory. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti does not secure a single recorded win in the comparison, which sharply frames the generational gap between these two NVIDIA designs.

However, the story does not end with a simple sweep. The GTX 560 Ti sits at the 49th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 960 rests at the 45th percentile. This percentile placement tells a nuanced tale: despite losing the direct benchmark, the older card holds a slightly higher position relative to the entire GPU landscape. This suggests the GTX 560 Ti's single strong OpenCL result punches above its weight compared to the GTX 960's broader but more varied benchmark profile.

The GTX 960 wins in raw compute throughput, which is where the architecture's efficiency shines. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 18,925 for the GTX 960 versus 10,690 for the GTX 560 Ti represents a decisive 43.5% advantage. But the GTX 560 Ti's percentile rank of 49 versus 45 indicates that when the database averages all recorded workloads for each card, the older Fermi design does not fall as far behind as the single head-to-head result might imply.

The use-case split becomes clearer when examining the GTX 960's additional benchmarks. It records scores in Geekbench Metal (8,773), Geekbench Vulkan (9,231), and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (162). These are workloads that simply do not exist in the GTX 560 Ti's data record. The GTX 960 is the card that can participate in modern API-based testing, while the GTX 560 Ti only has legacy OpenCL coverage. For users running Vulkan or Metal workloads, the GTX 960 is effectively the only option with recorded data.

Architecture Differences

The architectural leap between these two cards is substantial. The GTX 560 Ti uses the GF114 chip built on Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 960 employs the GM206 chip on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm process. This process shrink from 40 nm to 28 nm is the foundation for many of the performance and efficiency differences observed in the data.

Transistor counts tell a story of rapid advancement. The GF114 packs 1,950 million transistors onto a 332 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The GM206 crams 2,940 million transistors onto a much smaller 228 mm² die, achieving 12.9 million transistors per square millimeter. That is more than double the density, a clear sign of how fabrication improvements enabled the Maxwell design to pack more compute resources into less silicon.

The GTX 960's Maxwell architecture brings features that Fermi simply lacks. The API support table shows the GTX 960 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560 Ti only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan listing at all. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, but the modern API gap is significant for any workload built around Vulkan or newer DirectX 12 feature levels.

Power efficiency is another architectural differentiator. The GTX 960 draws a 120 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU, while the GTX 560 Ti consumes 170 W and recommends a 450 W power supply. The Maxwell architecture achieves higher performance while reducing power draw by 50 W, a 29.4% reduction in TDP. This efficiency gain is directly attributable to the architectural and process improvements between Fermi 2.0 and Maxwell 2.0.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head test is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The GTX 960 scores 18,925 against the GTX 560 Ti's 10,690, a delta of 43.5% in favor of the newer card. This is not a marginal victory; it is a commanding lead that reflects the fundamental compute capability difference between the two architectures.

To put this in context, the GTX 560 Ti's nearest rivals in the database are the AMD Radeon RX 6600S at 10,629 (0.6% behind the 560 Ti), the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 at 10,761 (0.7% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro 450 at 10,804 (1.1% ahead). The GTX 560 Ti sits comfortably in this cluster, trading blows with mid-range cards from several generations later.

The GTX 960's nearest rivals tell a different story. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 scores 9,294 (0.2% behind), the GTX 850M scores 9,302 (0.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 scores 9,221 (0.6% behind). Notice that the GTX 960's nearest rivals have average scores around 9,200 to 9,300, which is far below its own OpenCL score of 18,925. This discrepancy exists because the GTX 960's average benchmark score of 9,273 includes its Metal, Vulkan, and 3DMark results, which drag the average down from the OpenCL peak.

The GTX 560 Ti's average benchmark score is 10,690, identical to its OpenCL score since that is its only recorded test. This means the GTX 560 Ti's average is actually higher than the GTX 960's average of 9,273, even though the GTX 960 wins the direct OpenCL comparison. The data reveals a fascinating paradox: the GTX 960 is far faster in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, but its overall average is lower because its other benchmark scores are weaker relative to its OpenCL peak.

Specification Differences

The specification tables reveal several key differences beyond the obvious core count disparity. The GTX 960 doubles the memory capacity from 1,024 MB to 2 GB, both using GDDR5. However, the GTX 560 Ti has a wider 256-bit memory bus versus the GTX 960's 128-bit bus, which gives the older card a bandwidth advantage of 128.3 GB/s versus 112.2 GB/s. This is a classic trade-off: the GTX 960 has more memory but narrower access, while the GTX 560 Ti has less memory but faster aggregate throughput.

Clock speeds show the Maxwell advantage. The GTX 960 operates at a 1,127 MHz base clock with a 1,178 MHz boost, while the GTX 560 Ti has no base or boost clock listed in the database. Memory clocks differ significantly: the GTX 960 runs at 1,753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) versus the GTX 560 Ti's 1,002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 960's memory runs at nearly double the effective speed.

The shading unit count jumps from 384 on the GTX 560 Ti to 1,024 on the GTX 960, while texture units stay constant at 64 and ROPs remain at 32. This massive increase in shading units drives the FP32 performance from 1,263.4 GFLOPS on the GTX 560 Ti to 2.413 TFLOPS on the GTX 960, nearly double the compute throughput. Pixel rate improves from 13.17 GPixel/s to 37.70 GPixel/s, and texture rate from 52.67 GTexel/s to 75.39 GTexel/s.

Other differences include the power connectors (2x 6-pin on the 560 Ti versus 1x 6-pin on the 960), bus interface (PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16), and display outputs. The GTX 960 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 560 Ti provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. Physical dimensions are similar, with the GTX 560 Ti at 229 mm and the GTX 960 at 241 mm, both dual-slot cards.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has an average benchmark score of 10,690, while the GTX 960 averages 9,273. However, this comparison is skewed because the GTX 560 Ti only has one recorded benchmark, while the GTX 960 has four.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 960 in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 960 scores 18,925 in Geekbench OpenCL versus the GTX 560 Ti's 10,690, a 43.5% advantage for the GTX 960.

Q: Which card has better memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has 128.3 GB/s of bandwidth thanks to its 256-bit bus, while the GTX 960 has 112.2 GB/s over a 128-bit bus.

Q: What modern API support does the GTX 960 offer that the GTX 560 Ti lacks?

A: The GTX 960 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560 Ti only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan support listed.

Q: How does power consumption compare?

A: The GTX 960 has a 120 W TDP and requires a 300 W PSU, while the GTX 560 Ti has a 170 W TDP and recommends a 450 W PSU.

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking?

A: The GTX 560 Ti ranks at the 49th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 960 sits at the 45th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points to the GTX 960 as the superior compute performer in raw OpenCL throughput, with a decisive 43.5% lead over the GTX 560 Ti. Its doubled shading units, nearly doubled FP32 throughput, and modern API support make it the clear choice for anyone running contemporary workloads that leverage Vulkan or DirectX 12 features.

The GTX 560 Ti's only statistical advantage in this comparison is its percentile ranking and its higher average benchmark score, both of which stem from having a single strong OpenCL result rather than a broader benchmark profile. Its wider memory bus provides more bandwidth, but the GTX 960's higher memory clocks and larger capacity compensate in most practical scenarios.

For users prioritizing compute performance in OpenCL applications, the GTX 960 is the unambiguous winner. For those who need lower power consumption, the GTX 960 also wins with a 50 W lower TDP and a 150 W lower PSU recommendation. The GTX 560 Ti holds appeal only in the narrow case where memory bandwidth is the primary bottleneck and the wider 256-bit bus matters more than raw compute throughput.

The GTX 960's additional benchmark coverage in Metal, Vulkan, and DX12 workloads makes it the more future-proof option, despite its lower percentile rank. The GTX 560 Ti's single-test profile limits its relevance in a modern benchmarking context, while the GTX 960 demonstrates capability across multiple modern API surfaces. The verdict is straightforward: the GTX 960 is the stronger card for nearly every recorded workload, and the GTX 560 Ti's lone advantage is a statistical artifact of incomplete data coverage.