NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 vs NVIDIA Quadro P4000 Comparison

NVIDIA Quadro P4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560: the data pairs a modern, professional Pascal workstation card against a legacy Fermi consumer GPU from 2011. The benchmark results show a decisive generational gap, but the comparison reveals more than just raw speed—it highlights how architecture, memory capacity, and feature support define the divide between professional compute and legacy gaming hardware.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between the two GPUs is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are lopsided. The Quadro P4000 scores 36,212 while the GTX 560 scores 9,058. That translates to a delta of 299.8% in favor of the Quadro P4000—roughly four times the performance of the GTX 560 in this compute workload. The Quadro P4000's OpenCL score is not just a marginal win; it is an order-of-magnitude lead that reflects the fundamental differences in compute throughput and memory bandwidth.

Looking at the broader context, the Quadro P4000's average benchmark score across all tests is 9,665, which places it at the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 (avg score 9,653, delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M (avg score 9,645, delta 0.2%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K5000 (avg score 9,637, delta 0.3%). The Quadro P4000 edges out these cards by less than a percentage point, suggesting that its overall standing is competitive with mid-range professional and mobile gaming GPUs from the Pascal era. Its only negative delta among listed rivals is against the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (-0.5%), which is a compute-focused card with a slightly higher average score of 9,716.

The GTX 560, by contrast, has only one benchmark score on record: Geekbench OpenCL at 9,058. Its average benchmark score is also 9,058, placing it at the 45th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition (avg score 9,037, delta 0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 (avg score 9,022, delta 0.4%), and the AMD Radeon 550X (avg score 8,918, delta 1.6%). The GTX 560 is ahead of these cards by small margins, but it falls behind the AMD Radeon 890M (avg score 9,210, delta -1.7%). In the head-to-head, the GTX 560's single score is dwarfed by the Quadro P4000's OpenCL result, confirming that the older card cannot compete in compute-heavy tasks.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The Quadro P4000 is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP104 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 560 uses the older Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF114 chip, manufactured on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, giving a density of just 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The Quadro P4000 achieves roughly four times the transistor density on a slightly smaller die, a direct consequence of the process node advantage.

In terms of compute resources, the Quadro P4000 has 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 560 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That means the Quadro P4000 has over five times the shading units, double the texture units, and double the ROPs. The pixel rate is 94.72 GPixel/s for the Quadro P4000 versus 11.34 GPixel/s for the GTX 560. The texture rate is 165.8 GTexel/s versus 45.36 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 5.304 TFLOPS for the Quadro P4000 versus 1,088.6 GFLOPS (roughly 1.09 TFLOPS) for the GTX 560—a near five-fold difference. The Quadro P4000 also supports FP16 at 82.88 GFLOPS (with a 1:64 ratio), while the GTX 560 has no FP16 capability listed.

Memory is another major differentiator. The Quadro P4000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 243.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560 has only 1 GB of GDDR5 memory on the same 256-bit bus, but its bandwidth is just 128.0 GB/s. The Quadro P4000's memory clock is listed as 1901 MHz (7.6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 560's memory clock is 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The eight-fold increase in memory capacity is critical for professional workloads like large 3D scenes or data-parallel compute tasks.

Feature support also diverges. The Quadro P4000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 560 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The Quadro P4000 also has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the GTX 560 has two DVI and one mini-HDMI 1.3a. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 on the Quadro P4000 versus PCIe 2.0 x16 on the GTX 560.

The Verdict

The data shows a clear winner for compute and professional workloads: the Quadro P4000 dominates the GTX 560 in the only shared benchmark by 299.8%, and its architectural advantages in shading units, memory capacity, and bandwidth are overwhelming. The GTX 560, however, is not without merit in its own context—its average benchmark score of 9,058 places it close to its rivals, and it remains competitive with cards like the GTX 660 and Radeon 550X according to the nearestRivals data.

For users who need a GPU for OpenCL compute, the Quadro P4000 is the only viable option between the two. The GTX 560's single benchmark score of 9,058 is less than a third of the Quadro P4000's 36,212, so any task that relies on compute performance will see a dramatic improvement with the newer card. The Quadro P4000's 8 GB memory also makes it suitable for larger datasets, whereas the GTX 560's 1 GB limit would quickly become a bottleneck.

The GTX 560 might still serve in legacy systems or light gaming, but the data does not support it as a compute workhorse. Its 45th percentile ranking and lack of Vulkan support further limit its modern utility. The Quadro P4000, with a 47th percentile ranking and support for newer APIs, is positioned as a more future-proof professional card.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every specification field. The process node is 16 nm for the Quadro P4000 versus 40 nm for the GTX 560. Transistor count is 7,200 million versus 1,950 million. Die size is 314 mm² versus 332 mm². Transistor density is 22.9M / mm² versus 5.9M / mm². The Quadro P4000 has base and boost clocks of 1202 MHz and 1480 MHz, while the GTX 560 has no base or boost clock listed; its memory clock is 1901 MHz (7.6 Gbps effective) versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective).

Memory size is 8 GB versus 1024 MB. Bandwidth is 243.3 GB/s versus 128.0 GB/s. Shading units are 1792 versus 336. TMUs are 112 versus 56. ROPs are 64 versus 32. Pixel rate is 94.72 GPixel/s versus 11.34 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 165.8 GTexel/s versus 45.36 GTexel/s. FP32 is 5.304 TFLOPS versus 1,088.6 GFLOPS. FP16 is 82.88 GFLOPS versus null. TDP is 105 W versus 150 W. Slot width is single-slot versus dual-slot. Power connectors are 1x 6-pin versus 2x 6-pin. Suggested PSU is 300 W versus 450 W. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. DirectX support is 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan is 1.4 versus null.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only shared benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P4000 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 36,212 versus the GTX 560's 9,058, a delta of 299.8%.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Quadro P4000 has an average benchmark score of 9,665, while the GTX 560 has an average score of 9,058. The Quadro P4000 sits at the 47th percentile of all GPUs, and the GTX 560 at the 45th percentile.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Quadro P4000 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the GTX 560 has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the Quadro P4000's bandwidth is 243.3 GB/s versus 128.0 GB/s for the GTX 560.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Quadro P4000 has 1,792 shading units, compared to 336 on the GTX 560. The Quadro P4000 also has 112 TMUs and 64 ROPs, versus 56 TMUs and 32 ROPs on the GTX 560.

Q: Does the GTX 560 support Vulkan?

A: No, the GTX 560 has no Vulkan support listed, while the Quadro P4000 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the TDP and power requirements?

A: The Quadro P4000 has a TDP of 105 W and requires a 300 W PSU with a single 6-pin connector. The GTX 560 has a TDP of 150 W, requires a 450 W PSU, and uses two 6-pin connectors.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro P4000 wins decisively in compute performance, as indicated by its 299.8% lead in OpenCL. It also wins in memory capacity, bandwidth, and shading unit count, making it the clear choice for professional 3D rendering, scientific compute, and any workload that leverages large textures or datasets. Its support for Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1) gives it an edge in modern API-based applications. The lower TDP of 105 W and single-slot design make it easier to integrate into dense workstation builds, and its four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs support multi-display professional setups.

The GTX 560 has no benchmark wins in the head-to-head data. Its single score of 9,058 is lower than the Quadro P4000's average of 9,665, and its nearest rival comparisons show it only marginally ahead of cards like the TITAN V CEO Edition (delta 0.2%) and GTX 660 (delta 0.4%). Where the GTX 560 might still hold relevance is in legacy applications that predate modern APIs, or in systems where its 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are acceptable. Its 1 GB memory limits it to lighter workloads, and its lack of Vulkan support means it cannot run Vulkan-based software at all.

The data suggests that the Quadro P4000 is the superior card in nearly every measurable way. The GTX 560's only advantage is its much lower launch MSRP of 199 USD compared to the Quadro P4000's 815 USD, but that price difference reflects the six-year gap in release dates. For any modern compute task, the Quadro P4000 is the only rational choice between these two.