GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 560 SE

NVIDIA

GeForce 945A

2015Core: 1006 MHzBoost: 1189 MHz
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VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 560 SE

2012Core: 736 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 560 SE Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 560 SE FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 560 SE: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 945A

2015

Why buy it

  • 12.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $50 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Delivers 50.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 18.5 vs 12.3 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • Draws 33W instead of 150W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2015 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GTX 560 SE

2012

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce 945A across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 50% HIGHER MSRP
    $150 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.3 vs 18.5 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • 354.5% higher power demand at 150W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce 945A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 12.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (1,852 vs 1,847), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 945A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 28nm process instead of 40nm and a newer 2015 generation instead of 2012. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce 945A makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $150, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 50.4% (18.5 vs 12.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 945A vs GeForce GTX 560 SE Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 945A

The GeForce 945A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 13 2015. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1006 MHz to 1189 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,852 points.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 560 SE

The GeForce GTX 560 SE is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2012. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 736 MHz. It has 288 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,847 points. Launch price was $89.99.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 945A scores 1,852 and the GeForce GTX 560 SE reaches 1,847 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 945A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GTX 560 SE uses Fermi 2.0, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 945A) vs 288 (GeForce GTX 560 SE). Raw compute: 0.9132 TFLOPS (GeForce 945A) vs 0.8479 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 560 SE).

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
G3D Mark Score
1,852
1,847
Architecture
Maxwell
Fermi 2.0
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
384+33%
288
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.9132 TFLOPS+8%
0.8479 TFLOPS
ROPs
8
24+200%
TMUs
24
48+100%
L1 Cache
192 KB
384 KB+100%
L2 Cache
1 MB+163%
0.38 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 945A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 560 SE carries 1 GB. GeForce GTX 560 SE gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 945A and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 560 SE. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 945A) vs 0.38 MB (GeForce GTX 560 SE) — the GeForce 945A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
1 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+163%
0.38 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 945A) vs 12_0 (GeForce GTX 560 SE). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
DirectX
12 (11_0)
12_0
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell) (GeForce 945A) vs NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 560 SE). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs NVDEC 1st Gen.

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
Encoder
4th Gen NVENC (Maxwell)
NVENC 1st Gen
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
NVDEC 1st Gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 945A draws 33W versus the GeForce GTX 560 SE's 150W — a 127.9% difference. The GeForce 945A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 945A) vs 500W (GeForce GTX 560 SE). Power connectors: Legacy vs 2x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
TDP
33W-78%
150W
Recommended PSU
350W-30%
500W
Power Connector
Legacy
2x 6-pin
Length
210mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
56.1+356%
12.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 945A came in at $100, while the GeForce GTX 560 SE launched at $150. On MSRP, GeForce 945A was 33.3% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 18.5 (GeForce 945A) vs 12.3 (GeForce GTX 560 SE) — the GeForce 945A offers 50.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce 945A (2015 vs 2012).

FeatureGeForce 945AGeForce GTX 560 SE
MSRP
$100-33%
$150
Performance per Dollar
18.5+50%
12.3
Codename
GM108
GF114
Release
March 13 2015
February 20 2012
Ranking
#705
#706

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