AMD Radeon 540 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database clearly separates these two end-of-life graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 is the outright performance winner in the recorded OpenCL test, scoring 8,743 points against the AMD Radeon 540's 6,184 points. That is a 41.4% advantage for the NVIDIA card. The GTX 460 v2 also holds a higher overall percentile rank, sitting at the 44th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile. For any workload that relies on raw compute throughput, the GTX 460 v2 is the choice.

However, the Radeon 540 is not without its strengths. It is a much more modern design in terms of feature support and efficiency. It offers DirectX 12 (12_0) support, Vulkan 1.3, and a 14 nm manufacturing process, whereas the GTX 460 v2 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), no Vulkan support, and a 40 nm process. The Radeon 540 also consumes far less power, with a 50 W TDP versus 160 W for the NVIDIA card, and it fits in a single slot with no auxiliary power connectors. The GTX 460 v2 requires a dual-slot cooler and two 6-pin power connectors.

The verdict is straightforward. If the task is purely about peak compute performance in legacy OpenCL workloads, the GTX 460 v2 wins decisively. If the task involves modern API compatibility, lower power draw, and a smaller physical footprint, the Radeon 540 is the better fit. The GTX 460 v2 is a late-2011 performance part, while the Radeon 540 is a 2017 low-profile solution. They serve different niches, and the data reflects that split.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras and different designers. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 uses the GF114 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon 540 uses the Lexa chip, built on the GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 2,200 million transistors on a much smaller 103 mm² die, yielding a far higher transistor density of 21.4 million per square millimeter.

The NVIDIA card features 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units. The AMD card has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Although the AMD card has more shading units, its compute throughput is lower. The GTX 460 v2 delivers 1,046.3 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Radeon 540 delivers 908.5 GFLOPS. The AMD card also supports FP16 at a 1:1 rate, offering 908.5 GFLOPS in half precision, while the NVIDIA card has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory architecture differs substantially. The GTX 460 v2 uses a 192-bit memory bus with 1,024 MB of GDDR5 at 4 Gbps effective, yielding 96.19 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 540 uses a very narrow 32-bit bus with the same 1,024 MB of GDDR5 but at 6 Gbps effective, yielding only 24.00 GB/s. This bandwidth gap is a major reason for the NVIDIA card's compute advantage. The NVIDIA card also has higher texture and pixel rates, at 43.62 GTexel/s and 10.91 GPixel/s respectively, versus the AMD card's 28.39 GTexel/s and 18.93 GPixel/s. Notably, the Radeon 540 has a higher pixel rate despite fewer ROPs, due to its higher memory clock and architecture.

API support is a clear differentiator. The GTX 460 v2 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support. The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Radeon also uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs also differ, with the NVIDIA card offering 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the AMD card offers 2x DisplayPort 1.4a.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the recorded OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 scores 8,743 points, which is 41.4% higher than the AMD Radeon 540's score of 6,184 points.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 540 support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 460 v2 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support.

Q: Which card consumes less power?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 has a 50 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 has a 160 W TDP and requires two 6-pin power connectors.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The GTX 460 v2 has a 192-bit bus and delivers 96.19 GB/s, while the Radeon 540 has a 32-bit bus and delivers 24.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has four times the bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher overall benchmark percentile ranking?

A: The GTX 460 v2 sits at the 44th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon 540 sits at the 41st percentile.

Q: What are the manufacturing process nodes for each card?

A: The GTX 460 v2 uses a 40 nm process at TSMC, while the Radeon 540 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification category. The process node is 40 nm for the NVIDIA card versus 14 nm for the AMD card. The die size is 332 mm² for the NVIDIA card versus 103 mm² for the AMD card. Transistor count is 1,950 million versus 2,200 million, but transistor density is 5.9M per mm² versus 21.4M per mm².

Memory clock differs: the GTX 460 v2 runs at 1002 MHz with 4 Gbps effective, while the Radeon 540 runs at 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. The bus width is 192-bit versus 32-bit, and bandwidth is 96.19 GB/s versus 24.00 GB/s. Both have 1,024 MB of GDDR5.

Shading units are 336 versus 384, but TMUs are 56 versus 24, and ROPs are 24 versus 16. Pixel rate is 10.91 GPixel/s versus 18.93 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 43.62 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1,046.3 GFLOPS versus 908.5 GFLOPS. The AMD card also has FP16 at 908.5 GFLOPS, which the NVIDIA card lacks.

TDP is 160 W versus 50 W. Slot width is dual-slot versus single-slot. Power connectors are 2x 6-pin versus none. Suggested PSU is 450 W versus 250 W. Bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a versus 2x DisplayPort 1.4a. DirectX support is 12 (11_0) versus 12 (12_0), and Vulkan is absent versus 1.3.

Physical dimensions differ, with the NVIDIA card measuring 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length, while the AMD card has no recorded length. Release dates are also different: the GTX 460 v2 launched on September 23, 2011, while the Radeon 540 launched on April 19, 2017. The NVIDIA card has a recorded launch MSRP of 199 USD, while the AMD card has no launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The results are decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 scores 8,743 points, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 6,184 points. The delta is 41.4% in favor of the NVIDIA card. This is not a marginal win; it is a substantial performance gap.

Looking at the nearest rivals for context, the GTX 460 v2's score of 8,743 places it just below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8,746, 0% delta) and just above the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8,686, 0.7% delta). It trails the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8,851, -1.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8,863, -1.4% delta). This shows the GTX 460 v2 is competitive with much newer mobile and workstation parts in raw OpenCL compute.

The Radeon 540's score of 6,184 sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (7,723, -0.6% delta, meaning the Radeon is 0.6% behind), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7,580, 1.2% delta, meaning the Radeon is 1.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7,557, 1.5% delta), and the Intel Arc A310 (7,550, 1.6% delta). The Radeon 540's average benchmark score, including its Vulkan result of 9,162 points, is 7,673, which is still well below the GTX 460 v2's single recorded score of 8,743. Even with the Vulkan advantage, the Radeon 540's average is 12.2% lower than the GTX 460 v2's OpenCL score.

The only benchmark win in the head-to-head table belongs to the NVIDIA card, with one win for the GTX 460 v2 and zero for the Radeon 540. The data shows no recorded test where the AMD card wins.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 wins in raw compute performance. Its OpenCL score of 8,743 is 41.4% ahead of the Radeon 540's 6,184. It also wins on memory bandwidth, with 96.19 GB/s versus 24.00 GB/s, and on texture throughput, with 43.62 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s. Its FP32 compute of 1,046.3 GFLOPS exceeds the AMD card's 908.5 GFLOPS. For any legacy workload that relies on high memory bandwidth and high shading throughput, the GTX 460 v2 is the better performer. Its 192-bit bus is a fundamental advantage that the 32-bit bus of the Radeon 540 cannot overcome.

The AMD Radeon 540 wins in efficiency and modern feature support. Its 50 W TDP is less than a third of the GTX 460 v2's 160 W. It requires no power connectors and only a 250 W suggested PSU, versus 450 W for the NVIDIA card. It fits in a single slot, while the NVIDIA card needs dual slots. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, making it compatible with modern graphics APIs that the GTX 460 v2 cannot run. It also supports FP16 compute at 908.5 GFLOPS, which the NVIDIA card lacks entirely.

The Radeon 540 also wins on pixel rate, delivering 18.93 GPixel/s versus 10.91 GPixel/s, despite having fewer ROPs. This suggests it is more efficient at fill-rate-bound tasks. Its display outputs are DisplayPort 1.4a, a newer standard than the mini-HDMI 1.3a on the NVIDIA card.

Use-case split: For compute-heavy legacy applications, video encoding tasks that favor high bandwidth, or any benchmark that matches the recorded OpenCL test, the GTX 460 v2 is the clear winner. For low-power systems, small form factor builds, modern API compatibility, or tasks that benefit from FP16, the Radeon 540 is the appropriate choice. The GTX 460 v2 is a performance relic, while the Radeon 540 is a compatibility-focused modern low-profile card.