AMD Radeon HD 8870M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8870M and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 are two end-of-life graphics cards from different eras and market segments. The data shows a single benchmark result, Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD card scores 8,462 points against the NVIDIA card’s 7,925 points. This represents a 6.8% advantage for the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, a modest but clear lead in raw compute performance as measured by this specific test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this benchmark, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M achieves a score of 8,462, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 scores 7,925. The deltaPct of 6.8% indicates that the AMD part is ahead by that margin. This is a decisive win for the AMD card, as it outperforms the NVIDIA card in the sole recorded head-to-head metric.

Looking at broader context, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M’s score of 8,462 places it at the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, which scores 8,458 (a 0.1% difference), and the AMD Radeon 880M, which scores 8,436 (a 0.3% difference). The AMD card also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, which scores 8,427, by a 0.4% margin. However, it trails the Intel Arc A380, which scores 8,558, by 1.1%. This positioning shows that the HD 8870M sits in a competitive cluster where very small score differences separate several cards.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, with its score of 7,925, sits at the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M, which scores 7,906 (a 0.2% difference), and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000, which scores 8,039 (a -1.4% difference). The GTX 460 also trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8,040) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8,053), both by a 1.4% and 1.6% margin respectively. This indicates that the GTX 460 is at the lower end of its performance cluster, with several cards scoring notably higher.

When comparing the two directly, the 6.8% deltaPct is significant. For context, the margin between the AMD card and its closest rival, the MX330, is only 0.1%. The gap between the AMD and NVIDIA cards here is 68 times larger than the gap between the AMD card and its immediate competitor. This suggests that the performance difference is not a statistical tie but a real, measurable advantage for the AMD Radeon HD 8870M in this workload.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M is the superior performer. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark with a 6.8% lead over the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460. The data shows one win for the AMD card and zero wins for the NVIDIA card. Anyone prioritizing raw OpenCL compute performance should choose the AMD Radeon HD 8870M.

However, the choice is not solely about performance. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is a desktop card with a 160 W TDP, dual-slot cooling, and 2x 6-pin power connectors, requiring a 450 W power supply. In contrast, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M is a mobile part with no listed TDP, slot width, or power connector requirements. The GTX 460 also has a longer physical footprint at 210 mm or 8.3 inches. If the use case demands a compact, low-power mobile solution, the AMD card is the only viable option, as the NVIDIA card’s specifications make it unsuitable for such environments.

For users with a desktop system that can accommodate a dual-slot, 160 W card, the GTX 460 offers a different feature set, including 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs. The AMD card’s display outputs are not specified in the data. The GTX 460 also has a launch MSRP of 199 USD. Ultimately, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M wins on performance, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins on desktop-specific features and physical connectivity.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The AMD Radeon HD 8870M uses the Venus chip based on the GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 1,500 million transistors on a die size of 123 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, in contrast, uses the GF104 chip based on the Fermi architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 40 nm process. It packs 1,950 million transistors into a much larger 332 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of only 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter.

This architectural divergence explains several performance characteristics. The AMD card’s smaller, denser 28 nm process allows for higher efficiency per square millimeter, while the NVIDIA card’s larger 40 nm die is less dense. In terms of compute resources, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M features 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 render output units (ROPs). The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the NVIDIA card has more TMUs and ROPs, which can affect texture fill and pixel throughput.

The memory subsystems also differ. The AMD card uses a 128-bit memory bus with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, providing 72.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card uses a wider 192-bit bus but only 768 MB of GDDR5 memory, delivering a higher 86.40 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card’s memory runs at an effective 4.5 Gbps, while the NVIDIA card’s runs at 3.6 Gbps effective. The higher bandwidth of the NVIDIA card is partially offset by its smaller memory capacity.

In terms of API support, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 also supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but it has no Vulkan support listed. This gives the AMD card a modern API advantage, particularly for Vulkan-based applications.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across several key specification fields. The AMD Radeon HD 8870M has a base clock of 725 MHz and a boost clock of 775 MHz, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has no base or boost clock listed. The AMD card’s memory clock is 1125 MHz with 4.5 Gbps effective, while the NVIDIA card’s memory clock is 900 MHz with 3.6 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity differs significantly: the AMD card has 2 GB, while the NVIDIA card has only 768 MB. The bus width also differs, with the AMD card using a 128-bit bus and the NVIDIA card using a 192-bit bus. Bandwidth favors the NVIDIA card at 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s for the AMD card.

Compute rates show a mixed picture. The AMD Radeon HD 8870M has a pixel rate of 12.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 31.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 992.0 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has a lower pixel rate of 9.450 GPixel/s but a higher texture rate of 37.80 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 907.2 GFLOPS. The AMD card leads in pixel fill and FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA card leads in texture fill.

The bus interface differs: the AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Power and physical specifications are only listed for the NVIDIA card, which has a 160 W TDP, dual-slot width, 2x 6-pin power connectors, a 450 W suggested PSU, and a length of 210 mm or 8.3 inches. The AMD card has no such listings.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8,462, which is 6.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460’s score of 7,925.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon HD 8870M compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce MX330?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8,462, which is a 0.1% difference from the NVIDIA GeForce MX330’s score of 8,458.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each card?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M has a memory bandwidth of 72.00 GB/s, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has a higher bandwidth of 86.40 GB/s.

Q: Which card offers Vulkan API support?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8870M has a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm², while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has a density of 5.9 million per mm².

Q: Does either card have a higher texture fill rate?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 has a texture rate of 37.80 GTexel/s, which is higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8870M’s 31.00 GTexel/s.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8870M wins in the direct benchmark comparison, delivering 6.8% higher OpenCL performance. It also wins on FP32 compute, with 992.0 GFLOPS versus 907.2 GFLOPS, and on pixel rate, with 12.40 GPixel/s versus 9.450 GPixel/s. The AMD card also has a larger memory capacity of 2 GB versus 768 MB, a faster effective memory clock of 4.5 Gbps versus 3.6 Gbps, and a more modern PCIe 3.0 x16 interface versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Additionally, it supports Vulkan, which the NVIDIA card does not.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins on memory bandwidth, delivering 86.40 GB/s versus 72.00 GB/s. It also has a higher texture fill rate at 37.80 GTexel/s versus 31.00 GTexel/s, aided by its 56 TMUs and 24 ROPs. The NVIDIA card has a wider 192-bit memory bus, which contributes to its bandwidth advantage. For desktop users, the NVIDIA card provides specific display outputs, including 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the AMD card’s outputs are unspecified. The NVIDIA card is also the only one with defined power and physical specifications, making it a more concrete option for desktop builds.

In summary, the AMD Radeon HD 8870M is the winner for compute-heavy workloads and modern API support, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is better suited for scenarios requiring higher memory bandwidth, texture throughput, and desktop-specific connectivity.