AMD Radeon 540 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is close. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6389, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 6184. That gives the GTX 460 SE a 3.2% advantage. This is a narrow margin, not a decisive victory. The Radeon 540 trails by roughly the same margin that separates it from its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, which sits only 0.6% higher in average score.

Looking at the broader average benchmark results, the gap widens. The Radeon 540 carries an average benchmark score of 7673 across its recorded tests, compared to 6389 for the GTX 460 SE. That is a 20.1% difference in favor of the AMD card. However, the GTX 460 SE only has one benchmark entry in the database, so its average is based on a single data point. The Radeon 540 has two entries, which gives its average more statistical weight.

The Geekbench Vulkan result for the Radeon 540 is notably strong. It scores 9162 in that test, far above its OpenCL result. The GTX 460 SE has no recorded Vulkan score, and its architecture does not support Vulkan according to the API table. This explains part of the average score gap. The Radeon 540's Vulkan performance is its best recorded result and contributes significantly to its higher standing in the overall percentile ranking.

The Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile among all GPUs in the database. The GTX 460 SE sits at the 37th percentile. In terms of nearest rivals, the Radeon 540 is 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100, 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon R7 250, and 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A310. The GTX 460 SE is exactly matched with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M at 0% delta, 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100, and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M350.

The head-to-head winner in the recorded OpenCL test is the GTX 460 SE, but only by a slim margin. The Radeon 540 wins on average score and overall percentile. Verdicts depend on which metric matters more for the intended workload.

For compute workloads using OpenCL, the GTX 460 SE has a measurable lead. For anything involving Vulkan, the Radeon 540 is the only one of the two with a recorded score. The data does not include Vulkan results for the GTX 460 SE, and the API specification lists Vulkan support as absent for that card.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different eras of GPU design. The AMD Radeon 540 uses the Lexa chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, and belongs to the Polaris generation (RX 500). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE uses the GF104 chip, built on Fermi architecture, and belongs to the GeForce 400 generation.

The manufacturing process differs sharply. The Radeon 540 is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The GTX 460 SE uses a 40 nm process at TSMC. The Radeon 540 packs 2,200 million transistors into a 103 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 21.4 million per square millimeter. The GTX 460 SE has 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, with a density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The Radeon 540 achieves more transistors in a much smaller area.

Shader configuration differs in important ways. The Radeon 540 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The GTX 460 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The NVIDIA card has more TMUs and ROPs, while the AMD card has more shading units.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. Both cards have 1024 MB of GDDR5, but the bus widths are very different. The Radeon 540 uses a 32-bit bus with 24.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 460 SE uses a 256-bit bus with 108.8 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a 4.5x difference in memory bandwidth, favoring the NVIDIA card. The memory clock also differs: the Radeon 540 runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 460 SE runs at 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective).

Compute rates tell a mixed story. The Radeon 540 has a pixel rate of 18.93 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 28.39 GTexel/s. The GTX 460 SE has a pixel rate of 7.800 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 31.20 GTexel/s. The Radeon 540 is faster at pixel fill, while the NVIDIA card is faster at texture fill. FP32 performance favors the Radeon 540 at 908.5 GFLOPS versus 748.8 GFLOPS. The Radeon 540 also supports FP16 at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the GTX 460 SE has no recorded FP16 capability.

Thermal and power characteristics are far apart. The Radeon 540 has a TDP of 50 W, uses no power connectors, and requires a 250 W suggested PSU. The GTX 460 SE has a TDP of 150 W, requires two 6-pin power connectors, and requires a 450 W suggested PSU. The Radeon 540 is a single-slot card; the GTX 460 SE is dual-slot and measures 210 mm (8.3 inches in length).

The bus interface differs as well. The Radeon 540 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 460 SE uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs are also distinct: the Radeon 540 offers 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 460 SE offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

API support differs notably. The Radeon 540 lists DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 460 SE lists DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and no Vulkan support. The DirectX feature level difference is meaningful for newer titles.

Release dates reflect the generational gap. The Radeon 540 launched on April 19, 2017. The GTX 460 SE launched on November 14, 2010. Both are end-of-life products. The Radeon 540's predecessor is Arctic Islands, and its successor is Vega. The GTX 460 SE's predecessor is GeForce 200, and its successor is GeForce 500.

The Verdict

The data points to different winners for different workloads. For pure OpenCL compute, the GTX 460 SE holds a 3.2% edge over the Radeon 540. That is the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, and it favors NVIDIA, but the margin is small enough that real-world differences would be minor.

For overall benchmark average, the Radeon 540 is clearly ahead. Its average score of 7673 versus 6389 represents a 20.1% advantage. The Radeon 540 also has the better Vulkan result at 9162, a test the GTX 460 SE cannot run due to missing Vulkan support. The percentile ranking favors AMD as well: 41st versus 37th.

The GTX 460 SE has advantages in memory bandwidth and texture throughput. Its 108.8 GB/s bandwidth dwarfs the Radeon 540's 24.00 GB/s. Its texture rate of 31.20 GTexel/s edges out the Radeon's 28.39 GTexel/s. These factors could matter in bandwidth-sensitive or texture-heavy workloads.

The Radeon 540 counters with higher pixel rate, higher FP32 compute, FP16 support, lower power draw, and a more modern feature set including Vulkan 1.3 and a higher DirectX feature level. Its 50 W TDP versus 150 W means far less thermal burden. The 250 W suggested PSU versus 450 W also indicates a much lighter system requirement.

For modern workloads, the Radeon 540 is the better choice. Its Vulkan support, higher feature level, and better average score make it more capable in current software. For legacy OpenCL workloads, the GTX 460 SE is competitive and even slightly ahead, but its lack of Vulkan and older architecture limit its relevance.

The GTX 460 SE carries a launch MSRP of 160 USD. The Radeon 540 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification category. The Radeon 540 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries; the GTX 460 SE uses 40 nm at TSMC. Transistor counts are 2,200 million versus 1,950 million. Die sizes are 103 mm² versus 332 mm². Transistor densities are 21.4M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm².

Shading units: 384 versus 288. TMUs: 24 versus 48. ROPs: 16 versus 32. Memory size is the same at 1024 MB, but bus width is 32 bit versus 256 bit. Bandwidth is 24.00 GB/s versus 108.8 GB/s. Memory clock is 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective).

Pixel rate: 18.93 GPixel/s versus 7.800 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 28.39 GTexel/s versus 31.20 GTexel/s. FP32: 908.5 GFLOPS versus 748.8 GFLOPS. FP16: 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1) versus no recorded support.

TDP: 50 W versus 150 W. Slot width: single-slot versus dual-slot. Power connectors: none versus 2x 6-pin. Suggested PSU: 250 W versus 450 W. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs: 2x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

DirectX support: 12 (12_0) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan: 1.3 versus none. OpenGL is the same at 4.6. The GTX 460 SE has a recorded length of 210 mm (8.3 inches); the Radeon 540 has no dimensions recorded. Release dates: April 19, 2017 versus November 14, 2010.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 has an average benchmark score of 7673, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has an average of 6389. That is a 20.1% difference in favor of the Radeon 540.

Q: Does the GTX 460 SE beat the Radeon 540 in any benchmark?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The GTX 460 SE scores 6389 versus the Radeon 540's 6184, a 3.2% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: Does the Radeon 540 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the Radeon 540 lists Vulkan 1.3 support and has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9162. The GTX 460 SE has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The GTX 460 SE has 108.8 GB/s of bandwidth on a 256-bit bus, while the Radeon 540 has 24.00 GB/s on a 32-bit bus. The NVIDIA card has significantly more bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Radeon 540 has a TDP of 50 W, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The GTX 460 SE has a TDP of 150 W, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 450 W.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon 540 is at the 41st percentile, while the GTX 460 SE is at the 37th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 460 SE wins in OpenCL compute. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6389 beats the Radeon 540's 6184. It also wins on memory bandwidth, texture rate, TMU count, and ROP count. For bandwidth-heavy workloads, legacy OpenCL tasks, or texture-bound scenarios, the NVIDIA card has the edge. Its 256-bit bus and 108.8 GB/s bandwidth are strong assets that the Radeon 540 cannot match.

The Radeon 540 wins on average benchmark score, percentile ranking, and Vulkan performance. Its Vulkan score of 9162 is its best recorded result and is a category the GTX 460 SE cannot enter. It also wins on pixel rate, FP32 compute, FP16 support, power efficiency, and modern API support. The 50 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU make it far easier to integrate into a system. The DirectX 12 (12_0) feature level is higher than the GTX 460 SE's 12 (11_0).

For modern gaming or compute workloads that leverage Vulkan, the Radeon 540 is the clear pick. For older OpenCL applications or scenarios where memory bandwidth is the bottleneck, the GTX 460 SE remains competitive. The data shows a split decision: NVIDIA wins the single recorded head-to-head, AMD wins the overall average and feature set. Users who need Vulkan or FP16 support should choose the Radeon 540. Users who prioritize raw memory bandwidth in legacy compute tasks may find the GTX 460 SE sufficient.