NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti vs NVIDIA Quadro K5000 Comparison

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti and NVIDIA Quadro K5000 represent two distinct architectural generations from NVIDIA. The GTX 560 Ti is built on the GF114 chip using the Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The Quadro K5000 uses the GK104 chip with the Kepler architecture, also produced by TSMC, but on a newer 28 nm node. This manufacturing difference is substantial: the Kepler chip packs 3,540 million transistors onto a 294 mm² die, while the Fermi die is 332 mm² with 1,950 million transistors. The density difference is stark, with the K5000 achieving 12.0M transistors per mm² versus 5.9M for the GTX 560 Ti.

The K5000 features 1536 shading units and 128 texture mapping units, compared to 384 shading units and 64 TMUs on the GTX 560 Ti. Both cards have 32 raster output units. The Kepler architecture also brings support for Vulkan 1.2.175, while the Fermi card lacks Vulkan support entirely. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The K5000's base and boost clocks are both 706 MHz, whereas the GTX 560 Ti's clock data only records a memory clock of 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). This clock difference is notable: the GTX 560 Ti relies on higher clock speeds for its shading units, while the K5000 compensates with far more parallel hardware.

Memory configurations also diverge. The GTX 560 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256 bit bus, yielding 128.4 GB/s bandwidth. The K5000 has 4 GB of GDDR5, also on a 256 bit bus, but running at 1350 MHz (5.4 Gbps effective) for 172.9 GB/s bandwidth. The K5000's higher memory clock and capacity make it more suited for large datasets. The GTX 560 Ti is the older card, released January 24, 2011, while the K5000 followed on August 16, 2012. Both are end-of-life products, with the GTX 560 Ti succeeding the GeForce 400 series and preceding GeForce 600, while the K5000 sits between Quadro Fermi and Quadro Maxwell.

Power demands differ notably. The GTX 560 Ti has a TDP of 170 W with two 6-pin connectors and a suggested PSU of 450 W. The K5000 is more efficient at 122 W, requiring a single 6-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. The physical cards differ in size: the GTX 560 Ti is 229 mm (9 inches) long, while the K5000 extends to 267 mm (10.5 inches) and has a documented height of 111 mm (4.4 inches). Both are dual-slot designs. The K5000 also offers a broader display output suite with 2x DVI and 2x DisplayPort 1.2, whereas the GTX 560 Ti has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Quadro K5000 leads with 172.8 GB/s, a 34.6% advantage over the GTX 560 Ti's 128.3 GB/s.

Q: Are both cards the same age?

A: No. The GTX 560 Ti was released on January 24, 2011, and the K5000 on August 16, 2012.

Q: What is the peak single-precision compute in each?

A: The K5000 delivers 2.169 TFLOPS FP32, while the GTX 560 Ti provides 1,263.4 GFLOPS. The K5000 is roughly 71% higher.

Q: Does the Quadro K5000 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, Vulkan 1.2.175. The GTX 560 Ti has no Vulkan support in the database.

Q: How do their thermal footprints compare?

A: The K5000 has a 122 W TDP versus 170 W for the GTX 560 Ti. The K5000 also requires a lower PSU rating (300 W vs 450 W) and one fewer 6-pin power connector.

Q: Which card has more texture mapping units?

A: The K5000 has twice as many TMUs: 128 against 64 on the GTX 560 Ti.

Specification Differences

| Specification | GTX 560 Ti | Quadro K5000 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,950 million | 3,540 million |

| Die Size | 332 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.9M / mm² | 12.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | N/A | 706 MHz |

| Boost Clock | N/A | 706 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1350 MHz (5.4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 128.3 GB/s | 172.8 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 64 | 128 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 13.17 GPixel/s | 22.59 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 52.67 GTexel/s | 90.37 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,263.4 GFLOPS | 2.169 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 170 W | 122 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 300 W |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | 2x DVI, 2x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| Vulkan | N/A | 1.2.175 |

| Length | 229 mm (9 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Height | N/A | 111 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Launch MSRP | 249 USD | 2,499 USD |

The data shows the K5000 dominates in raw compute resources: 4x shading units, 2x TMUs, and a 71% higher FP32 throughput. However, the GTX 560 Ti has a higher pixel rate per clock? No, actually the K5000's pixel rate is 22.59 GPixel/s versus 13.17 GPixel/s for the GTX 560 Ti. The K5000 also has a more efficient silicon: 12.0M transistors per mm² versus 5.9M, and a lower TDP despite having more transistors. The GTX 560 Ti is a smaller card, but the K5000 offers more VRAM and modern output options.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison: the Geekbench OpenCL test. The results are decisive.

• Geekbench OpenCL: The Quadro K5000 scores 11418, while the GTX 560 Ti scores 10690. The K5000 wins with a delta of -6.4% from the perspective of the GTX 560 Ti, meaning the K5000 is 6.4% faster.

This 6.4% lead in OpenCL is modest given the K5000's far larger compute resource pool (2.169 TFLOPS vs 1,263.4 GFLOPS). The benchmark results indicate that OpenCL for these two cards is not purely scaling with raw FLOPs; the GTX 560 Ti's architecture is efficient for this workload. However, the K5000 still wins.

Looking at the broader database context: The GTX 560 Ti's average benchmark score is 10690, sitting at the 49th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (10761, 0.7% faster), and it is 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (10629). It holds a 1% lead over the AMD Radeon R9 M275X (10582) and a 1.1% deficit to the AMD Radeon Pro 450 (10804).

The Quadro K5000's average benchmark score is 9637, which places it at the 46th percentile. This is lower than its OpenCL score because the database also includes Geekbench Metal (6324) and Vulkan (11169) results, pulling the average down. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M (9645, 0.1% lower), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 (9653, 0.2% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (9665, 0.3% lower), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9716, 0.8% lower). The K5000 is effectively tied with those cards, but it does not have a clear win over any of them in average score.

The head-to-head data gives one win to the K5000 and none to the GTX 560 Ti. The K5000's OpenCL score of 11418 is 6.4% above the GTX 560 Ti's 10690. The GTX 560 Ti's OpenCL score is actually 6.6% higher than its own average (10690 vs 10690, no difference), but the K5000's scores are more spread: it has a 6324 Metal score and a 11169 Vulkan score, showing that its performance depends heavily on the API. In OpenCL, it is strong; in Metal, it is weak.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for OpenCL workloads: the Quadro K5000 wins the only shared benchmark, scoring 11418 versus 10690, a 6.4% lead. That is not a massive margin, but it is a consistent one. The K5000 also has a major architectural advantage: 2.169 TFLOPS of FP32 power, 128 TMUs, 4 GB of memory, and 172.8 GB/s bandwidth. For compute tasks that scale with shading units or memory capacity, the K5000 is overwhelmingly better than the GTX 560 Ti.

The GTX 560 Ti's strengths are limited. It has a smaller die (332 mm² vs 294 mm²) and higher power draw (170 W vs 122 W), yet it still loses the OpenCL test. Its only comparable metrics are ROP count (32 both) and bus width (256 bit both). It also supports the same DirectX and OpenGL versions, but lacks Vulkan.

For a user choosing between these two, the K5000 is the superior engineering product. It is newer, more efficient, has more memory, more shaders, and it wins the only benchmark they share. The GTX 560 Ti does not win any head-to-head tests. The K5000 also has a better display output suite for modern monitors, with DisplayPort 1.2, and a lower PSU requirement.

The GTX 560 Ti might be chosen only if the user has a strict size limit (229 mm vs 267 mm) or requires the 249 USD launch MSRP versus the 2,499 USD launch MSRP of the K5000. But from a pure performance and feature standpoint, the Quadro K5000 is the stronger option. The database shows a single win for the K5000 and no wins for the GTX 560 Ti in the head-to-head test. There is no benchmark where the GTX 560 Ti takes the lead. The verdict is straightforward: choose the K5000 for any modern workload, especially those leveraging OpenCL, Vulkan, or large frame buffers. The GTX 560 Ti remains a legacy part that is outpaced in every measured scenario.