GeForce GTX 560M SLI vs Radeon HD 5970

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 GTX 560M SLI vs Radeon HD 5970 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 GTX 560M SLI vs Radeon HD 5970: 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 GTX 560M SLI

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 294W, a 194W reduction.
✅More future proof: Fermi (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5970 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 3.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Radeon HD 5970

2009

Why buy it

✅11.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 3.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌194% higher power demand at 294W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 5970 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 11.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1% in PassMark G3D (2,297 vs 2,274), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce GTX 560M SLI is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2011 generation instead of 2009. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 5970 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 5970 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 560M SLI has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 560M SLI vs Radeon HD 5970 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTX 560M SLI

The GeForce GTX 560M SLI is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 6 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 775 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,274 points.

Radeon HD 5970

The Radeon HD 5970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 18 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1600 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 294W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,297 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 560M SLI scores 2,274 and the Radeon HD 5970 reaches 2,297 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 560M SLI is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 5970 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GTX 560M SLI) vs 1,600 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
G3D Mark Score	2,274	2,297+1%
Architecture	Fermi	TeraScale 2
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	384	1600 ×2+317%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 560M SLI gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 5970 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 560M SLI and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5970.

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 560M SLI) vs 11.2 (Radeon HD 5970). Vulkan: 1.2 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.0 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
DirectX	12 (11_0)+7%	11.2
Vulkan	1.2	N/A
OpenGL	4.0	4.4+10%
Max Displays	2	3+50%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 560M SLI) vs None (Radeon HD 5970). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP4 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 560M SLI) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5970).

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
Encoder	PureVideo HD VP4	None
Decoder	PureVideo HD VP4	UVD 2.2
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2

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Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 560M SLI draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 5970's 294W — a 98.5% difference. The GeForce GTX 560M SLI is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 560M SLI) vs 650W (Radeon HD 5970). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 6-pin + 8-pin. Typical load temperature: 90°C vs 90.

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
TDP	100W-66%	294W
Recommended PSU	350W-46%	650W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	—	305mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	90°C	90
Perf/Watt	22.7+191%	7.8

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 560M SLI (2011 vs 2009).

Feature	GeForce GTX 560M SLI	Radeon HD 5970
MSRP	—	$699
Codename	N12E-GS	Hemlock
Release	January 6 2011	November 18 2009
Ranking	#632	#651

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