NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M 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 960M. The GTX 960M scores 11,045 points, while the GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690 points. That is a delta of 3.2% in favor of the newer mobile part. In raw terms, the 960M is 355 points ahead, which is a modest but measurable margin. The GTX 560 Ti does not win a single head-to-head benchmark in the recorded data; the tally is 0 wins for the older card and 1 win for the 960M.

Context matters here. The GTX 560 Ti sits at the 49th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 960M sits at the 46th percentile. Despite losing the direct matchup, the 560 Ti actually ranks slightly higher in overall standing relative to the entire GPU population. This is because the 960M’s average benchmark score (9,645) is dragged down by its additional Vulkan result (8,245), which is lower than its OpenCL score. The 560 Ti only has the single OpenCL measurement, so its average equals its OpenCL score of 10,690.

The nearest rivals for the GTX 560 Ti in the database are all within a narrow band. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S scores 10,629 (0.6% behind the 560 Ti), the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 scores 10,761 (0.7% ahead), the AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 10,582 (1% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 450 scores 10,804 (1.1% ahead). That cluster shows the 560 Ti is competitive with much newer mid-range parts, despite its age. The GTX 960M’s nearest rivals are similarly tight: the NVIDIA Quadro K5000 scores 9,637 (0.1% behind), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 scores 9,653 (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 scores 9,665 (0.2% ahead), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9,716 (0.7% ahead). The 960M’s average sits in the middle of that pack, indicating that its OpenCL performance is above its nearest rivals, but its Vulkan score pulls the average down.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 960M wins in the only direct benchmark, so it takes the compute-oriented OpenCL crown. That result suggests the newer Maxwell architecture handles OpenCL workloads more efficiently than the older Fermi 2.0 design. The margin is small, though, so the practical advantage is thin. For users running OpenCL-based applications, the 960M is the safer pick based on the data.

The GTX 560 Ti, however, has a higher percentile ranking (49 vs 46), which means that when compared against the entire database, the older card sits in a slightly better position. This is likely because the 560 Ti’s single score is a pure OpenCL result, while the 960M’s average includes a Vulkan test where it scores lower (8,245). If a workload is strictly OpenCL, the 960M wins. If a workload involves Vulkan, the 560 Ti has no recorded Vulkan score, so the comparison is incomplete. The data shows that the 560 Ti has a more consistent profile: one strong OpenCL result, no weak secondary score.

For gaming, the 560 Ti has a larger memory bus (256 bit vs 128 bit) and higher memory bandwidth (128.3 GB/s vs 80.19 GB/s). That favors the 560 Ti in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios. The 960M counters with more shading units (640 vs 384), a higher pixel rate (18.82 GPixel/s vs 13.17 GPixel/s), and higher FP32 throughput (1.505 TFLOPS vs 1,263.4 GFLOPS). The 960M also has 4 GB of memory versus 1 GB on the 560 Ti, which matters for modern textures and larger frame buffers. The 960M’s higher texture rate (47.04 GTexel/s) is actually lower than the 560 Ti’s 52.67 GTexel/s, so the older card wins in texture fill rate.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectures and process nodes. The GTX 560 Ti uses the GF114 chip on Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 960M uses the GM107 chip on Maxwell architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 28 nm process. The die size difference is substantial: 332 mm² for the 560 Ti versus 148 mm² for the 960M. Transistor counts are close, with 1,950 million on the 560 Ti and 1,870 million on the 960M, but the transistor density tells the story: the 560 Ti packs 5.9 million transistors per mm², while the 960M achieves 12.6 million per mm². That is a direct result of the smaller process node.

The 560 Ti has 384 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The 960M has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. So the newer card has far more shaders but fewer TMUs and ROPs. The memory configurations differ as well: the 560 Ti uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus, yielding 128.3 GB/s bandwidth. The 960M uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128 bit bus, yielding 80.19 GB/s. Clock speeds are not directly comparable because the 560 Ti has no recorded base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The 960M has a base clock of 1097 MHz and a boost clock of 1176 MHz, with memory at 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Power characteristics differ dramatically. The 560 Ti has a TDP of 170 W, requires dual-slot cooling, and uses two 6-pin power connectors. The 960M has a TDP of 75 W, is an MXM module, and requires no external power connectors. The 560 Ti suggests a 450 W power supply, while the 960M lists no suggested PSU. The bus interfaces also differ: the 560 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the 960M uses MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs reflect their intended platforms: the 560 Ti offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the 960M’s outputs are portable-device dependent.

API support shows one clear gap: the 560 Ti has no recorded Vulkan support, while the 960M lists Vulkan 1.4. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The 560 Ti has no Vulkan entry in the database, which means it likely predates that API or lacks driver support for it.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL?

A: The GTX 960M scores 11,045 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 3.2% ahead of the GTX 560 Ti’s 10,690.

Q: Why does the GTX 560 Ti have a higher percentile despite losing the head-to-head?

A: The 560 Ti sits at the 49th percentile, while the 960M sits at the 46th. The 960M’s average benchmark score (9,645) is lowered by its Vulkan result of 8,245, whereas the 560 Ti only has the 10,690 OpenCL score.

Q: Does the GTX 560 Ti support Vulkan?

A: The database lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 560 Ti. The GTX 960M lists Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has 128.3 GB/s bandwidth on a 256 bit bus, versus 80.19 GB/s on a 128 bit bus for the GTX 960M.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The GTX 560 Ti has a 170 W TDP and requires two 6-pin power connectors, while the GTX 960M has a 75 W TDP and needs no external power connectors.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GTX 960M has 640 shading units, while the GTX 560 Ti has 384.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split. For raw OpenCL compute, the GTX 960M is the winner by 3.2%. It also offers more memory (4 GB vs 1 GB), higher FP32 throughput (1.505 TFLOPS vs 1,263.4 GFLOPS), a faster pixel rate (18.82 GPixel/s vs 13.17 GPixel/s), and Vulkan support. If the workload is modern, shader-heavy, or Vulkan-based, the 960M is the card to choose.

The GTX 560 Ti still holds advantages in texture fill rate (52.67 GTexel/s vs 47.04 GTexel/s), memory bandwidth (128.3 GB/s vs 80.19 GB/s), and transistor count (1,950 million vs 1,870 million). It also has a higher percentile ranking overall, which suggests its single benchmark result is more representative of strong performance than the 960M’s averaged profile. For older games or bandwidth-sensitive tasks, the 560 Ti can still hold its own.

The 960M is the better pick for anyone who needs lower power consumption (75 W vs 170 W), no external power connectors, and a mobile form factor. The 560 Ti is a desktop card with a 229 mm length, dual-slot design, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The 960M’s MXM module is designed for laptops, so the choice is also about platform. The recorded data shows the 960M wins the head-to-head, but the 560 Ti is not a clear loser in every metric. If the application uses OpenCL only, the 960M is ahead. If the application needs high texture throughput or wide memory bandwidth, the 560 Ti has the edge.

Specification Differences

| Specification | GTX 560 Ti | GTX 960M |

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

| Chip | GF114 | GM107 |

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Maxwell |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,950 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 332 mm² | 148 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.9M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 128.3 GB/s | 80.19 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 1097 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1176 MHz |

| Shading Units | 384 | 640 |

| TMUs | 64 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 13.17 GPixel/s | 18.82 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 52.67 GTexel/s | 47.04 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,263.4 GFLOPS | 1.505 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 170 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

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

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_0) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | Not listed | 1.4 |

| Length | 229 mm (9 inches) | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2011-01-24 | 2015-03-12 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 400 | GeForce 800M |

| Successor | GeForce 600 | GeForce 10 Mobile |

| Launch MSRP | 249 USD (stated once) | Not listed |

| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |