NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M vs NVIDIA Quadro 4000M Comparison

The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M are both mobile graphics solutions from the Fermi era, but they target different priorities. The data shows a clear, though narrow, performance gap between them, with the Quadro taking the lead in the single available benchmark while the GTX counters with superior efficiency and a higher transistor density.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose compute performance. In this test, the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M scores 5,211 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M scores 4,855 points. This gives the Quadro a decisive win with a 7.3% performance advantage.

This 7.3% lead is not a trivial margin in the context of the wider market. The Quadro 4000M sits at the 30th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 560M sits at the 28th percentile. Looking at the nearest rivals for the Quadro, its score of 5,211 places it just 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M (5,236 points) and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M260X (5,161 points). It also edges out the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M (5,154 points) by 1.1%. This indicates that the Quadro 4000M is performing at the upper edge of its immediate performance class.

The GTX 560M's score of 4,855 puts it in a slightly lower performance tier. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4,844 points) by a mere 0.2%, but it is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX (4,867 points) and 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4,893 points). Notably, its score is 0.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB (4,901 points), a much newer and more powerful part, which shows how close the GTX 560M's compute score is to that specific modern card in this synthetic test.

The benchmark results indicate that the Quadro 4000M is the faster compute part. Its 7.3% advantage in OpenCL is the largest head-to-head delta recorded. While the GTX 560M is no slouch, the data consistently shows the Quadro 4000M performing at a level that is competitive with a higher class of mobile GPUs, whereas the GTX 560M aligns with a slightly lower performance bracket.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for those choosing between these two legacy mobile GPUs. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M is the outright winner in raw compute performance, taking the only benchmark victory with a 7.3% lead over the GTX 560M. Users whose primary workload is GPU-accelerated compute will find the Quadro 4000M to be the superior choice.

The GTX 560M, however, is not without its merits. It consumes 75 W of power compared to the Quadro's 100 W, a significant efficiency advantage in a mobile platform. The data shows it achieves a respectable score of 4,855 despite having fewer shading units (192) than the Quadro (336). It achieves this with a transistor density of 4.9M / mm² on a 238 mm² die, which is smaller and denser than the Quadro's 332 mm² die with 5.9M / mm² density.

From a pure performance-per-watt perspective, the GTX 560M appears to be the more efficient design. For a laptop where battery life and thermal management are critical, the GTX 560M's lower power draw is a tangible advantage. The Quadro 4000M, with its higher TDP and larger die, is a more power-hungry solution that delivers more compute performance.

The choice is straightforward based on the available data. If the priority is maximum compute performance, the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M is the clear winner. If the priority is power efficiency and a smaller physical footprint, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M is the better option. The Quadro's 7.3% performance lead is substantial, but it comes at the cost of a 25 W higher power draw.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M is faster, scoring 5,211 points compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M's 4,855 points, a 7.3% advantage.

Q: What is the performance difference between the two GPUs?

A: The Quadro 4000M leads the GTX 560M by a 7.3% margin in the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How does the Quadro 4000M compare to its other rivals?

A: Its score of 5,211 is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M, 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M260X, and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K3100M.

Q: Where does the GTX 560M rank among its closest competitors?

A: The GTX 560M's score of 4,855 is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX, and 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M has a TDP of 100 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M has a TDP of 75 W.

Q: Which GPU has a better overall standing in the benchmark database?

A: The Quadro 4000M holds the 30th percentile of all GPUs, which is higher than the GTX 560M's 28th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specifications. The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M is built on the GF104 chip, while the GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip. The Quadro has a larger die size of 332 mm² and more transistors at 1,950 million, compared to the GTX 560M's 238 mm² die and 1,170 million transistors.

Memory configurations also differ. The Quadro 4000M features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, resulting in a bandwidth of 80.00 GB/s. The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The core configurations are distinct as well: the Quadro has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the GTX 560M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs.

The compute rates reflect these differences. The Quadro 4000M offers a pixel rate of 6.650 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 26.60 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance of 638.4 GFLOPS. The GTX 560M delivers 6.200 GPixel/s, 24.80 GTexel/s, and 595.2 GFLOPS of FP32 compute. The power draw also differs, with the Quadro rated at 100 W and the GTX 560M at 75 W. The transistor density is higher on the Quadro at 5.9M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm² for the GTX 560M.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Quadro 4000M is based on the Fermi architecture, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The Quadro is part of the Quadro Fermi-M (x000M) generation, whereas the GTX 560M belongs to the GeForce 500M generation. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 40 nm process node.

The core counts differ significantly, indicating a larger compute pipeline in the Quadro. The Quadro 4000M has 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. In contrast, the GTX 560M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The Quadro's larger configuration explains its higher pixel, texture, and FP32 rates.

Both GPUs share the same memory type (GDDR5) and effective memory speed (2.5 Gbps), but the Quadro's wider 256-bit bus allows for greater bandwidth. The Quadro's generation, predecessor, and successor are the Quadro FX Mobile and Quadro Kepler-M, respectively. The GTX 560M's predecessor is the GeForce 400M and its successor is the GeForce 600M.

The supported APIs are identical: DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. Both have a bus interface of MXM-B (3.0) and are classified as MXM Modules with no power connectors. Their display outputs are described as Portable Device Dependent, and their production status is End-of-life. The release dates differ, with the Quadro 4000M released on 2011-02-21 and the GTX 560M on 2011-05-29.