NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti vs NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score for the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm?

A: The Tesla K20Xm has an average benchmark score of 12625 across its recorded tests, which places it at the 52nd percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Q: How does the Tesla K20Xm compare to the GeForce GTX 560 Ti in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The Tesla K20Xm scores 17215 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10690. That gives the K20Xm a 61% advantage in this specific test.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two cards?

A: The Tesla K20Xm has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with 128.3 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count?

A: The Tesla K20Xm uses 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, while the GeForce GTX 560 Ti uses 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of each card?

A: The Tesla K20Xm has a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD, and the GeForce GTX 560 Ti has a launch MSRP of 249 USD.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. However, the Tesla K20Xm adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, while the GTX 560 Ti lists no Vulkan support.

Architecture Differences

The Tesla K20Xm and the GeForce GTX 560 Ti come from different generations of NVIDIA GPU design. The K20Xm is built on the Kepler architecture with the GK110 chip, while the GTX 560 Ti uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF114 chip. This architectural split explains nearly every performance and feature gap between the two.

Fabrication is a major divider. The K20Xm is manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 560 Ti uses a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The smaller node allowed NVIDIA to pack dramatically more transistors into the K20Xm: 7,080 million versus 1,950 million on the GTX 560 Ti. The die sizes reflect this, with the K20Xm measuring 561 mm² against 332 mm² for the GTX 560 Ti. Transistor density also differs, at 12.6 million per mm² for the K20Xm versus 5.9 million per mm² for the GTX 560 Ti.

Compute resources scale accordingly. The K20Xm packs 2688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GTX 560 Ti has 384 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That is roughly a 7x difference in shading unit count, which drives the massive gap in raw floating-point throughput. The K20Xm delivers 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the GTX 560 Ti delivers 1,263.4 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture differs as well. The K20Xm runs 6 GB of GDDR5 across a 384-bit bus with memory clocked at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), producing 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective), yielding 128.3 GB/s. The K20Xm also posts higher pixel and texture rates: 40.99 GPixel/s and 164.0 GTexel/s, versus 13.17 GPixel/s and 52.67 GTexel/s on the GTX 560 Ti.

The interface generation also separates them. The K20Xm uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 560 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs differ too: the K20Xm has no outputs, as it is a compute-oriented accelerator, while the GTX 560 Ti provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. Power requirements reflect the performance gap: the K20Xm is rated at 235 W with a suggested 550 W PSU, while the GTX 560 Ti draws 170 W with a suggested 450 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards, but the K20Xm is longer at 267 mm versus 229 mm for the GTX 560 Ti.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The Tesla K20Xm scores 17215, and the GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10690. The delta is 61% in favor of the K20Xm, and the K20Xm wins the only recorded comparison in this matchup.

Context from the nearest rivals helps interpret that gap. The K20Xm's average benchmark score is 12625, putting it in the 52nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT with an average score of 12710 (0.7% higher than the K20Xm), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 at 12773 (1.2% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 at 12830 (1.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 at 12831 (1.6% higher). These deltas are small, meaning the K20Xm sits in a tight cluster of comparable performers despite its compute-heavy design.

The GTX 560 Ti, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 10690 and sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6600S at 10629 (0.6% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 at 10761 (0.7% higher), the AMD Radeon R9 M275X at 10582 (1% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 450 at 10804 (1.1% higher). Again, the margins are narrow, suggesting the GTX 560 Ti is well positioned among its immediate peers.

Looking at the direct OpenCL result, the K20Xm's 17215 score is far above its own average of 12625, indicating that this particular workload plays to its strengths. The GTX 560 Ti's OpenCL score of 10690 exactly matches its average, since that is its only recorded benchmark. The 61% lead in OpenCL is substantial and aligns with the underlying hardware differences: the K20Xm has far more shading units, higher memory bandwidth, and a more advanced architecture.

The K20Xm also has a Geekbench Metal score of 8035, though the GTX 560 Ti has no corresponding Metal result in the database. That absence means the comparison rests on the OpenCL result alone, but the available data consistently favors the K20Xm.

Specification Differences

The table below lists the fields where the two cards differ, based on the recorded data.

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti |

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

| Architecture | Kepler | Fermi 2.0 |

| Chip | GK110 | GF114 |

| Generation | Tesla Kepler (Kxx) | GeForce 500 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 332 mm² |

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

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) | 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 6 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 249.6 GB/s | 128.3 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2688 | 384 |

| TMUs | 224 | 64 |

| ROPs | 48 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 40.99 GPixel/s | 13.17 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 164.0 GTexel/s | 52.67 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.935 TFLOPS | 1,263.4 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 235 W | 170 W |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | 2x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | Not specified |

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

| Release Date | 2012-11-11 | 2011-01-24 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Fermi | GeForce 400 |

| Successor | Tesla Maxwell | GeForce 600 |

| Launch MSRP | 7,699 USD | 249 USD |

| Average Benchmark Score | 12625 | 10690 |

| Percentile | 52 | 49 |

Both cards share the same manufacturer, GDDR5 memory type, dual-slot width, DirectX 12 (11_0) support, and OpenGL 4.6 support. The GTX 560 Ti specifies its power connectors (2x 6-pin), while the K20Xm does not list any.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The Tesla K20Xm beats the GeForce GTX 560 Ti in the only directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, by 61%. Its average benchmark score of 12625 is 18% higher than the GTX 560 Ti's 10690, and it sits at the 52nd percentile versus the 49th percentile for the GTX 560 Ti.

The K20Xm is the obvious choice for compute-heavy workloads. Its 2688 shading units, 6 GB of memory, and 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth make it a substantially more capable compute accelerator, and its 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is over three times the GTX 560 Ti's 1,263.4 GFLOPS. The lack of display outputs signals its intended role as a server or workstation part, not a desktop gaming card.

The GTX 560 Ti remains relevant in a narrower context. It offers a lower TDP at 170 W versus 235 W, a smaller footprint at 229 mm versus 267 mm, and it includes display outputs for direct monitor connection. Its nearest rival cluster, including the AMD Radeon RX 6600S and the NVIDIA Quadro K2200, shows it performs consistently with other GPUs in its range. For a system that needs a working display output and moderate compute, the GTX 560 Ti fits that role.

However, the benchmark results do not favor the GTX 560 Ti in raw performance. The K20Xm wins the head-to-head by a wide margin, and its nearest rivals sit close to it, meaning it competes with much newer and more powerful cards despite its age. The GTX 560 Ti, by contrast, sits near the 49th percentile, firmly in the middle of the database.

The launch MSRP difference is stark: 7,699 USD for the K20Xm versus 249 USD for the GTX 560 Ti. That gap reflects their intended markets. The K20Xm is a professional compute accelerator, while the GTX 560 Ti is a consumer graphics card. The recorded data shows no scenario where the GTX 560 Ti outperforms the K20Xm, so buyers seeking maximum compute performance should choose the K20Xm. Those needing a compact, lower-power card with display connectivity should consider the GTX 560 Ti, accepting its lower benchmark standing.