AMD Radeon R5 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it delivers a decisive result. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics scores 5183 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 points. That is a 17.4% advantage for the AMD part, making it the clear winner in the one head-to-head measurement available. The delta is substantial enough that it is not a marginal victory; the Radeon R5 Graphics outperforms the GTX 460M by a wide margin in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL.

Looking at the broader database context, the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics sits at the 23rd percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M sits at the 25th percentile. Despite the lower percentile ranking, the AMD part's OpenCL score is higher, which suggests that the percentile calculation may incorporate a different weighting or a broader set of benchmarks. The raw score comparison, however, is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is 901 points ahead in OpenCL performance.

The nearest rivals for each card further contextualize their standing. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is within 1% of the AMD FirePro W2100 (which scores 4295, a 0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268, a 0.3% delta in the other direction), and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241, a 1% delta). Interestingly, the database also lists the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 as a nearest rival with a score of 4335, just 1.2% higher than the GTX 460M, which highlights how tightly clustered this performance tier is. For the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro 2000 (3898, a 0.4% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro K2000D (3919, a 0.9% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro 2000D (3930, a 1.2% delta). The AMD part's 5183 OpenCL score is well above all of these, yet its average benchmark score of 3883 is dragged down by its weaker Vulkan result, which we will examine shortly.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a 17.4% margin. This is its clear strength: the 256 shading units and GCN 2.0 architecture deliver strong compute performance in OpenCL workloads. The database also records a Geekbench Vulkan score of 2582 for the AMD part, but there is no corresponding Vulkan score for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, so no direct comparison is possible in that API. Still, the presence of a Vulkan score indicates the AMD part can run Vulkan workloads, and the fact that it has a Vulkan API version of 1.2.170 in its feature set suggests it is more modern in that regard.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, by contrast, has no recorded Vulkan score and no Vulkan support listed in its API table. It does have a higher pixel rate (5.400 GPixel/s versus 3.032 GPixel/s) and a higher texture rate (21.60 GTexel/s versus 12.13 GTexel/s), which means it is likely stronger in fill-rate-bound scenarios such as traditional rasterization at high resolutions. Its FP32 compute is also higher at 518.4 GFLOPS compared to the AMD part's 388.1 GFLOPS, which is a notable discrepancy given that the AMD part wins the OpenCL benchmark. This suggests that the OpenCL test may favor architectural efficiencies rather than raw peak FLOPs, or that the AMD part's memory bandwidth advantage (system shared versus dedicated) plays a role in how the workload is executed.

For use-case planning, the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is the better choice for OpenCL compute tasks, and it also offers Vulkan support, which broadens its API compatibility. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is better suited for scenarios that rely on pixel and texture throughput, given its higher fill rates, but its lack of Vulkan support and its older Fermi architecture limit its modern software compatibility.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural eras. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is built on the Fermi architecture, specifically the GF106 chip, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics uses the GCN 2.0 architecture, with the Spectre SL chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The process node difference is significant: 40 nm versus 28 nm means the AMD part uses a more advanced manufacturing process, which allows for higher transistor density. Indeed, the AMD chip packs 2,410 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, yielding a density of 9.8M transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip has 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, for a density of just 4.9M per square millimeter. That is exactly double the density, a direct consequence of the newer process node.

The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for the Kaveri generation of AMD APUs. It uses system shared memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead relies on the host system's RAM for both storage and bandwidth. Its memory bus width, size, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which means performance scales with the host memory configuration. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, by contrast, is a discrete mobile GPU with 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. That is a fundamental architectural difference: dedicated memory versus shared memory, which affects latency, bandwidth consistency, and overall performance predictability.

The shading unit counts also differ markedly. The AMD part has 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and only 4 render output units. The NVIDIA part has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The AMD part has more shading units but far fewer ROPs, which explains its lower pixel rate despite the higher shader count. The NVIDIA part's 24 ROPs contribute to its higher pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s versus 3.032 GPixel/s. The TMU count also favors NVIDIA (32 versus 16), giving it a higher texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s versus 12.13 GTexel/s.

The API support differs as well. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. This is a meaningful generational difference: the AMD part supports a higher DirectX feature level and includes Vulkan, while the NVIDIA part is limited to the older DirectX 11_0 feature level and has no Vulkan capability.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field in the database. The process node is 40 nm for NVIDIA versus 28 nm for AMD. The foundries are different: TSMC for NVIDIA, GlobalFoundries for AMD. Transistor counts are 1,170 million for NVIDIA versus 2,410 million for AMD, and die sizes are 238 mm² versus 245 mm². Transistor density is 4.9M per mm² for NVIDIA versus 9.8M per mm² for AMD.

Memory configurations are entirely different. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics uses system shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, no fixed bus width, and bandwidth described as system dependent. The AMD part's memory clock is also listed as "System Shared," meaning it has no independent memory clock.

Shading units: 192 for NVIDIA versus 256 for AMD. TMUs: 32 versus 16. ROPs: 24 versus 4. Pixel rates: 5.400 GPixel/s versus 3.032 GPixel/s. Texture rates: 21.60 GTexel/s versus 12.13 GTexel/s. FP32 compute: 518.4 GFLOPS versus 388.1 GFLOPS. TDP: 50 W for NVIDIA versus 15 W for AMD. The NVIDIA part is an MXM module with no power connectors, while the AMD part is an IGP with no power connectors listed. Bus interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 for NVIDIA versus IGP for AMD. Display outputs: portable device dependent for NVIDIA versus motherboard dependent for AMD. DirectX support: 12 (11_0) for NVIDIA versus 12 (12_0) for AMD. Vulkan: not listed for NVIDIA versus 1.2.170 for AMD. Release dates: September 2010 for NVIDIA versus September 2014 for AMD.

The production status for both is end-of-life. The NVIDIA part's predecessor is the GeForce 300M and its successor is the GeForce 500M. The AMD part's predecessor is the TeraScale 3 IGP and its successor is the GCN 3.0 IGP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics scores 5183 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282. That is a 17.4% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M support Vulkan?

A: No. The database lists no Vulkan support for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics, by contrast, supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 2582.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics uses system shared memory, with size, bus width, and bandwidth all dependent on the host system.

Q: Which GPU has higher pixel and texture rates?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has a pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s. The AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has a pixel rate of 3.032 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 12.13 GTexel/s.

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has a TDP of 50 W, while the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics has a TDP of 15 W. The AMD part consumes significantly less power.

Q: How do their FP32 compute capabilities compare?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M delivers 518.4 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the AMD Radeon R5 Graphics delivers 388.1 GFLOPS. Despite the NVIDIA part having higher peak FP32, the AMD part wins the OpenCL benchmark, suggesting architectural efficiency differences.