AMD FirePro W4100 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE Comparison

The Verdict

Benchmark data clearly separates these two GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, scoring 6389 in Geekbench OpenCL against the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478 — a 16.6% advantage. However, the AMD card counters with a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496, a test the NVIDIA card lacks entirely. The GTX 460 SE also holds a higher percentile rank at 37 versus the FirePro W4100's 34, and its average benchmark score of 6389 sits above the AMD's 5987.

The data suggests different buyers. The GTX 460 SE is the pick for raw OpenCL compute throughput and legacy DirectX workloads, given its 16.6% lead in that specific test. The FirePro W4100 is the pick for modern API support, multi-display professional setups, and power-constrained systems — it offers Vulkan 1.2.170 support, four mini-DisplayPort outputs, and a 50 W TDP that requires no power connectors. Neither card is a current-generation performer; both are end-of-life products, but their strengths are distinct enough that the choice hinges on workload rather than overall superiority.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 460 SE wins decisively in OpenCL compute. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6389 beats the FirePro W4100's 5478 by 16.6%. This aligns with its hardware configuration: 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, paired with a 256-bit memory bus delivering 108.8 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro W4100 counters with 512 shading units but only 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs, and its 128-bit bus yields just 64.00 GB/s. In raw fill-rate terms, the NVIDIA card's texture rate of 31.20 GTexel/s outpaces the AMD's 20.16 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 7.800 GPixel/s, while lower than the FirePro's 10.08 GPixel/s, still contributes to a different performance profile.

The FirePro W4100 wins in API modernity and display flexibility. It supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1), whereas the GTX 460 SE reaches DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan support listed. The AMD card's four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs far exceed the NVIDIA's two DVI and one mini-HDMI 1.3a. For multi-monitor professional environments, the FirePro's display configuration is clearly superior. The Vulkan score of 6496 on the FirePro also suggests strong performance in Vulkan-based applications, a category where the GTX 460 SE has no data at all.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is generational. The GTX 460 SE uses NVIDIA's Fermi architecture on a 40 nm TSMC process, packing 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die — a transistor density of 5.9M per mm². The FirePro W4100 employs AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture on a 28 nm TSMC node, with 1,500 million transistors in a 123 mm² die, achieving 12.2M transistors per mm². The smaller, denser process gives AMD a manufacturing advantage, but the NVIDIA chip's larger die allows for a wider memory bus.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The GTX 460 SE offers 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 108.8 GB/s bandwidth at 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective). The FirePro W4100 doubles capacity to 2 GB of GDDR5 but halves the bus to 128-bit, resulting in 64.00 GB/s bandwidth at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). This trade-off — more capacity versus more bandwidth — is a defining architectural difference. The NVIDIA card's shading unit count is 288, lower than the AMD's 512, but the NVIDIA card's TMU count of 48 exceeds the AMD's 32. ROP counts also differ: 32 for NVIDIA versus 16 for AMD.

Power and physical design diverge sharply. The GTX 460 SE consumes 150 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, two 6-pin power connectors, and a 450 W suggested PSU. It measures 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length. The FirePro W4100 sips 50 W TDP, fits in a single slot, needs no power connectors, and asks for just a 250 W PSU. Its length is 171 mm (6.7 inches) with a height of 69 mm (2.7 inches). The bus interface also differs: PCIe 2.0 x16 on the NVIDIA, PCIe 3.0 x16 on the AMD.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6389, which is 16.6% higher than the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478 in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: Does the AMD FirePro W4100 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the FirePro W4100 supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6496. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has no Vulkan support listed in the data.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The GTX 460 SE delivers 108.8 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the FirePro W4100 provides 64.00 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA card has nearly double the bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 460 SE has a 150 W TDP, requires two 6-pin power connectors, and needs a 450 W suggested PSU. The FirePro W4100 has a 50 W TDP, requires no power connectors, and needs only a 250 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which card supports more display outputs?

A: The AMD FirePro W4100 supports four mini-DisplayPort 1.2 outputs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE supports two DVI and one mini-HDMI 1.3a output, totaling three.

Q: What are the transistor counts and process nodes?

A: The GTX 460 SE uses 1,950 million transistors on a 40 nm process with a 332 mm² die. The FirePro W4100 uses 1,500 million transistors on a 28 nm process with a 123 mm² die.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE wins with a score of 6389 against the AMD FirePro W4100's 5478. The 16.6% delta is substantial and reflects the underlying hardware differences. The NVIDIA card's 256-bit memory bus and 108.8 GB/s bandwidth provide 70% more bandwidth than the AMD's 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s. Its texture rate of 31.20 GTexel/s exceeds the AMD's 20.16 GTexel/s by roughly 55%. The FP32 compute figures also favor NVIDIA: 748.8 GFLOPS versus 645.1 GFLOPS, a 16% edge that tracks closely with the observed benchmark delta.

The FirePro W4100's counterpoint comes from a benchmark the GTX 460 SE cannot contest. The AMD card scores 6496 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is higher than the NVIDIA card's OpenCL score of 6389. Even though these are different APIs, the existence of a Vulkan score for the FirePro W4100 and none for the GTX 460 SE indicates a software capability gap. The AMD card's 512 shading units, while less effective in OpenCL due to memory bottlenecks, provide a theoretical advantage in compute-heavy workloads that fit within its 64.00 GB/s bandwidth envelope.

Looking at nearest rivals provides context. The GTX 460 SE's 6389 OpenCL score ties exactly with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M (deltaPct 0), sits 0.3% below the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell's 6407, and beats the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100's 6330 by 0.9%. The FirePro W4100's average score of 5987 places it level with the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (deltaPct 0) and Quadro K4000 (deltaPct 0.1), while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M by 0.2%. These comparisons show the GTX 460 SE performing at a higher tier than the FirePro W4100 in overall average benchmarks.

Specification Differences

The specification table shows clear divergence across nearly every field. The GTX 460 SE uses the GF104 chip under Fermi architecture, while the FirePro W4100 uses Cape Verde under GCN 1.0. Process nodes differ: 40 nm versus 28 nm. Transistor counts are 1,950 million versus 1,500 million, with die sizes of 332 mm² versus 123 mm². Transistor density heavily favors AMD: 12.2M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm².

Memory specifications show the trade-off between capacity and bandwidth. The GTX 460 SE has 1024 MB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus at 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective), yielding 108.8 GB/s. The FirePro W4100 has 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), yielding 64.00 GB/s. Shading units favor AMD at 512 versus 288, but TMUs favor NVIDIA at 48 versus 32, and ROPs favor NVIDIA at 32 versus 16.

Compute and fill rates differ meaningfully. The GTX 460 SE outputs 7.800 GPixel/s pixel rate and 31.20 GTexel/s texture rate, with 748.8 GFLOPS FP32. The FirePro W4100 posts 10.08 GPixel/s pixel rate and 20.16 GTexel/s texture rate, with 645.1 GFLOPS FP32. NVIDIA leads in texture rate and FP32, while AMD leads in pixel rate. Power consumption is dramatically different: 150 W TDP versus 50 W TDP. The GTX 460 SE requires a dual-slot design, two 6-pin connectors, and a 450 W PSU; the FirePro W4100 is single-slot, connector-free, and needs only 250 W.

Physical dimensions and outputs vary. The GTX 460 SE is 210 mm long, while the FirePro W4100 is 171 mm long and 69 mm tall. Display outputs: NVIDIA offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a; AMD offers 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.2. Bus interfaces: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. API support: NVIDIA lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6; AMD lists DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Release dates are 2010-11-14 for NVIDIA and 2014-08-12 for AMD. The GTX 460 SE launched at 160 USD MSRP; the FirePro W4100 has no listed launch MSRP.