NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 vs NVIDIA GRID K2 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded comparison between these two cards is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA GRID K2 scores 10,602 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 scores 9,058 points. That puts the GRID K2 ahead by 14.6%, a substantial margin for a compute-oriented workload.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 560's score of 9,058 places it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition at 9,037 (only 0.2% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 at 9,022 (0.4% behind). The AMD Radeon 890M sits slightly ahead at 9,210, which is 1.7% faster than the GTX 560. This clustering shows the GTX 560 is right in the middle of a dense pack of similarly performing cards, neither a standout nor an outlier.

The GRID K2's OpenCL score of 10,602 is its best recorded result, but its average benchmark score across all tests is 8,080. That average is dragged down by its Geekbench Metal score of 5,557, which is significantly lower than its OpenCL performance. The 42nd percentile ranking for the GRID K2 reflects this mixed picture: excellent in OpenCL, weaker in Metal. Its nearest rivals cluster around that 8,080 average, with the NVIDIA GeForce 945M at 8,099 (0.2% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8,067 (0.2% behind).

The head-to-head data shows only one benchmark winner, and it belongs to the GRID K2. That single win, however, does not tell the whole story about how these cards behave across different workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The GRID K2 wins the only direct benchmark comparison, and it wins by a meaningful 14.6% in OpenCL compute. This aligns with its positioning as a virtualization and datacenter card, where raw compute throughput matters more than traditional gaming metrics. The 2.289 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 95.36 GTexel/s texture rate suggest a card built for sustained parallel workloads rather than frame rendering.

The GTX 560, despite losing the head-to-head, has its own strengths. Its 1,088.6 GFLOPS of FP32 performance is roughly half of the GRID K2's output, but the GTX 560 is a consumer card with display outputs. It can drive 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a connectors, making it usable in a standard desktop. The GRID K2 has no display outputs whatsoever, so it cannot function as a primary graphics adapter for a monitor.

For gaming and everyday desktop use, the GTX 560 is the only practical choice between the two. The GRID K2 is designed for server environments where multiple virtual machines share the GPU, not for sitting next to a user. In compute-focused tasks like OpenCL workloads, the GRID K2 is clearly superior.

The data shows a clear division: the GRID K2 wins on raw compute performance, while the GTX 560 wins on usability as a conventional graphics card. Neither card can fully replace the other in its intended role.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architecture generations. The GTX 560 uses the GF114 chip on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The GRID K2 uses the GK104 chip on the Kepler architecture, also from TSMC but on a more advanced 28 nm node. This process shrink allowed Kepler to pack significantly more transistors: 3,540 million compared to 1,950 million on Fermi, despite a smaller die size of 294 mm² versus 332 mm². The transistor density tells the story clearly: 12.0M per mm² for Kepler versus 5.9M per mm² for Fermi.

The Kepler architecture in the GRID K2 brings substantial compute resources. It has 1,536 shading units and 128 texture mapping units, compared to 336 shading units and 56 TMUs on the GTX 560. Both cards have 32 ROPs, so pixel output capabilities differ mainly through clock speeds. The GRID K2's pixel rate is 23.84 GPixel/s versus 11.34 GPixel/s on the GTX 560, and its texture rate is 95.36 GTexel/s versus 45.36 GTexel/s.

Memory configurations also differ. The GTX 560 has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, running at 1,000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective speed, yielding 128.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GRID K2 doubles the capacity to 4 GB on the same 256-bit bus, runs its GDDR5 at 1,250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective speed, and achieves 160.0 GB/s bandwidth. The extra memory capacity is critical for a virtualization card that must serve multiple virtual machines simultaneously.

The GRID K2 supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 560 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. Both cards support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but the GRID K2 adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, which the GTX 560 lacks. The GRID K2 also has a higher TDP at 225 W versus 150 W, requires a 550 W suggested PSU versus 450 W, and uses a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup instead of the GTX 560's 2x 6-pin connectors.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better OpenCL performance?

A: The GRID K2 scores 10,602 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 14.6% higher than the GTX 560's 9,058. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database.

Q: Can the GRID K2 be used for gaming on a desktop monitor?

A: No. The GRID K2 has no display outputs at all. The GTX 560, with 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs, is the only one of the two that can connect to a monitor.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The GTX 560 has 1,024 MB of GDDR5, while the GRID K2 has 4 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 256-bit memory bus.

Q: What are the launch MSRP values?

A: The GTX 560 had a launch MSRP of 199 USD. The GRID K2 had a launch MSRP of 5,199 USD.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 560 has an average benchmark score of 9,058. The GRID K2's average is 8,080, which is lower because its Metal score of 5,557 brings down the average despite its higher OpenCL score.

Q: Do both cards support the same graphics APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GRID K2 additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.175, which the GTX 560 does not.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for different use cases. If compute performance in OpenCL is the priority, the GRID K2 is the clear winner, delivering a 14.6% higher score than the GTX 560. Its 4 GB of memory and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for memory-hungry virtualized workloads, and its 2.289 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is over double the GTX 560's 1,088.6 GFLOPS.

However, the GRID K2 cannot be used as a conventional desktop graphics card because it lacks display outputs. Anyone needing a card to drive a monitor must choose the GTX 560. The GTX 560 also has a lower TDP at 150 W versus 225 W, a lower suggested PSU requirement of 450 W versus 550 W, and a shorter physical length of 210 mm versus 267 mm, making it easier to install in standard consumer cases.

The GRID K2's higher launch MSRP of 5,199 USD compared to the GTX 560's 199 USD reflects its enterprise positioning. The GTX 560 is a consumer card from 2011, while the GRID K2 is a 2013 datacenter product. Both are end-of-life, but their design goals could not be more different.

For a builder assembling a retro gaming or general-purpose desktop, the GTX 560 is the only viable option. For a server administrator needing GPU acceleration for virtual machines, the GRID K2 is the appropriate choice despite its lack of video outputs. The benchmark data supports the GRID K2 for compute, but the GTX 560 wins on practicality and versatility for desktop use.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 | NVIDIA GRID K2 |

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

| 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 |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) | 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 128.0 GB/s | 160.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 336 | 1,536 |

| TMUs | 56 | 128 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 11.34 GPixel/s | 23.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 45.36 GTexel/s | 95.36 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,088.6 GFLOPS | 2.289 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 150 W | 225 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 550 W |

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

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

| Vulkan Support | None | 1.2.175 |

| Length | 210 mm (8.3 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Release Date | 2011-05-16 | 2013-05-10 |

| Launch MSRP | 199 USD | 5,199 USD |

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 9,058 | 10,602 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 9,058 | 8,080 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 45 | 42 |