NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M vs NVIDIA Quadro P400 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M and NVIDIA Quadro P400 are both end-of-life graphics solutions, but they represent fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The GTX 560M is a mobile gaming chip from the Fermi 2.0 generation, while the P400 is a low-profile workstation card built on the Pascal architecture. Benchmark data shows the GTX 560M holds a 14.3% lead in the single shared OpenCL test, but the P400 counters with features and efficiency that the older card cannot match. This comparison is not about raw speed alone; it is about matching the right tool to the right workload.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split. If your priority is raw compute throughput in OpenCL workloads, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M is the statistical winner. It scores 4855 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 14.3% higher than the Quadro P400’s 4249. This places the GTX 560M in the 28th percentile of all GPUs, slightly ahead of the P400’s 27th percentile. The GTX 560M also edges out its closest rival, the GeForce 940MX, by 0.2%, showing it remains competitive in pure compute even against much newer hardware.

However, the NVIDIA Quadro P400 is the more sensible choice for modern professional use. While it loses the OpenCL test, it offers a Vulkan score of 5119, a feature the GTX 560M completely lacks. The P400 also draws only 30 W compared to the GTX 560M’s 75 W, making it drastically more power-efficient. It is a single-slot, 150 mm card with three mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, designed to fit into workstations where space and thermal output are critical. The GTX 560M, by contrast, is an MXM module with portable-device-dependent outputs, meaning it is locked into a specific laptop or proprietary chassis. For a builder assembling a new workstation, the P400’s modern API support and physical form factor make it the practical pick. For legacy laptop repairs or compute-heavy OpenCL tasks, the GTX 560M has the edge in raw score.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 560M wins in raw OpenCL compute performance. Its score of 4855 is not just ahead of the P400; it is also 0.2% ahead of the GeForce 940MX and only 0.8% behind the GeForce GTS 450. This suggests the Fermi architecture, despite its age, still handles certain compute workloads effectively. The GTX 560M also offers a wider 192-bit memory bus and 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which gives it a theoretical advantage in memory-heavy tasks, even if the benchmark does not isolate this directly.

The Quadro P400 wins in every other practical category. It has a Vulkan score of 5119, which is higher than its own OpenCL score, indicating strong performance in modern graphics APIs. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support. The P400’s 2 GB of GDDR5 memory is also larger than the GTX 560M’s 1536 MB, which helps with larger textures and datasets. Crucially, the P400’s 30 W TDP means it can run in systems with a suggested 200 W power supply, whereas the GTX 560M requires a dedicated MXM slot with no external power connectors but a much higher 75 W draw. The P400 is the winner for anyone building a quiet, low-power, multi-display workstation.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is massive. The GTX 560M uses the GF116 chip built on a 40 nm process at TSMC, containing 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². It features 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The Fermi 2.0 architecture is a mature design from 2011, and its lack of Vulkan support and limited DirectX 12 (11_0) feature level show its age.

The Quadro P400 uses the GP107 chip built on a 14 nm process at Samsung, packing 3,300 million transistors into a much smaller 132 mm² die. This gives it a transistor density of 25.0M per mm², over five times denser than the GTX 560M. The Pascal architecture is significantly more modern, supporting DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4. The P400 has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. It also has a base clock of 1228 MHz and a boost clock of 1252 MHz, whereas the GTX 560M’s clocks are not listed in the data. The P400’s FP32 output is 641.0 GFLOPS, slightly higher than the GTX 560M’s 595.2 GFLOPS, but its memory bandwidth is much lower at 32.06 GB/s versus 60.00 GB/s. The P400 also has a FP16 rate of 10.02 GFLOPS (1:64), a feature absent from the GTX 560M’s spec sheet.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 560M has an average benchmark score of 4855, while the P400 averages 4684. The GTX 560M is 14.3% ahead in the shared OpenCL test.

Q: Does the Quadro P400 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the P400 supports Vulkan 1.4 and has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5119. The GTX 560M has no Vulkan support listed in the data.

Q: Which card consumes less power?

A: The Quadro P400 has a TDP of 30 W, which is significantly lower than the GTX 560M’s 75 W. The P400 also suggests a 200 W power supply, while the GTX 560M has no suggested PSU listed.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GTX 560M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The P400 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 32.06 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card is better for a modern multi-monitor setup?

A: The P400 is clearly better, as it offers three mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs in a single-slot 150 mm form factor. The GTX 560M’s display outputs are "portable device dependent," meaning they are not standardized.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life. The GTX 560M was released in 2011, and the P400 was released in 2017.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisive. The GTX 560M scores 4855, while the Quadro P400 scores 4249. This gives the GTX 560M a 14.3% winning margin. This is a substantial difference, placing the GTX 560M in the 28th percentile of all GPUs and the P400 in the 27th. The delta is large enough that it is unlikely to be a statistical fluke.

However, this single test does not tell the whole story. The P400’s Vulkan score of 5119 is higher than its OpenCL score and higher than the GTX 560M’s OpenCL score. This indicates that in Vulkan-based workloads, the P400 would likely outperform the GTX 560M, which has no Vulkan support at all. The GTX 560M wins the compute race, but the P400 wins the modern API race. For OpenCL, the GTX 560M is 14.3% faster. For Vulkan, the P400 has a functional advantage that the GTX 560M cannot match. The wins are split: one for the GTX 560M in OpenCL, zero for the P400 in shared tests, but the P400’s Vulkan capability is a significant unquantified advantage.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards, based strictly on the data provided.

| Specification | GTX 560M | Quadro P400 |

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

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | Pascal |

| Process Node | 40 nm (TSMC) | 14 nm (Samsung) |

| Transistors | 1,170 million | 3,300 million |

| Die Size | 238 mm² | 132 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 4.9M / mm² | 25.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 1228 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1252 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2.5 Gbps effective | 4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus | 192 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 60.00 GB/s | 32.06 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 192 | 256 |

| TMUs | 32 | 16 |

| ROPs | 24 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 6.200 GPixel/s | 20.03 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.80 GTexel/s | 20.03 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 595.2 GFLOPS | 641.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 10.02 GFLOPS (1:64) |

| TDP | 75 W | 30 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Single-slot |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 200 W |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 3x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | Not listed | 1.4 |

| Dimensions | Not listed | 150 mm (5.9 in) x 69 mm (2.7 in) |

| Release Date | 2011-05-29 | 2017-02-06 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 400M | Quadro Maxwell |

| Successor | GeForce 600M | Quadro Volta |