AMD Radeon R7 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results show a clear, though modest, win for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M. The GTX 460M scores 4282, while the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics scores 4015. That works out to a 6.2% deficit for the AMD integrated part, meaning the NVIDIA mobile discrete GPU holds a measurable lead in this compute workload.

Looking at the broader database averages, the same story holds. The GTX 460M has an average benchmark score of 4282, which places it at the 25th percentile among all GPUs. The Radeon R7 Graphics, despite having only one OpenCL score recorded, gets an average of 4998 across its two benchmark entries (OpenCL and Vulkan), putting it at the 29th percentile. So while the head-to-head OpenCL result favors NVIDIA, the AMD part's overall database standing is slightly higher, driven largely by its Vulkan score of 5980, a test the GTX 460M does not appear in.

The delta between the two in OpenCL is not enormous. A 6.2% gap is within the range of what different driver versions or thermal states could influence on a mobile platform. Still, for anyone looking strictly at raw compute throughput in OpenCL, the GTX 460M is the safer bet. The Radeon R7 Graphics does not win any of the recorded head-to-head tests; the database shows 0 wins for AMD and 1 for NVIDIA.

Worth noting is where each sits relative to its own nearest rivals. The Radeon R7 Graphics is bracketed by the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (0.4% higher average score) and the AMD Radeon R5 M430 (0.4% lower), with the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and FirePro W4170M also within roughly 0.7%. That clustering suggests the R7 Graphics is right at the edge of a performance tier, not clearly above or below its immediate competition. The GTX 460M, meanwhile, sits within 1.2% of the AMD FirePro W2100, the AMD Radeon Vega 3, the Quadro K3000M, and even the RTX 4070 GDDR6 in the database's average scoring, which shows just how tightly packed the mid-low range can be.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only direct benchmark comparison?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 4282 versus 4015 for the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, a 6.2% difference.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics have any benchmark where it performs better?

A: Yes, in Geekbench Vulkan, the Radeon R7 Graphics scores 5980. The GTX 460M has no recorded Vulkan score in the database, and it also lacks Vulkan API support entirely (its API list shows Vulkan as null), so this test is only available for the AMD part.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has an average benchmark score of 4998, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M averages 4282. The AMD part's average is higher because it includes the strong Vulkan result.

Q: What are their percentile rankings among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon R7 Graphics sits at the 29th percentile, while the GTX 460M sits at the 25th percentile. Both are low-end parts in the database, but the AMD IGP ranks slightly higher overall.

Q: Which GPU has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 460M has a fixed 60.00 GB/s bandwidth over a 192-bit bus with 1536 MB of GDDR5. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses system shared memory, so its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" and cannot be directly compared.

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The AMD part was released in February 2014, and the NVIDIA part was released in September 2010.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies separated by nearly four years of silicon evolution. The AMD Radeon GCN 2.0 IGP, based on the Spectre Lite chip, uses the GCN 2.0 architecture built on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 2,410 million transistors into a 245 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 9.8 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip with Fermi architecture from the GeForce 400M generation. It is built on TSMC's 40 nm process, with 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, for a density of 4.9 million per square millimeter. AMD fits more than twice the transistor count on a similarly sized die, which is exactly what a newer process node allows.

The shader configurations tell a different story. The Radeon R7 Graphics has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and only 8 ROPs. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. So while AMD has double the shader count, NVIDIA has more TMUs (32 versus 24) and three times the ROPs (24 versus 8). This explains why the pixel rate is nearly identical: 5.760 GPixel/s for AMD versus 5.400 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. The texture rate favors NVIDIA, at 21.60 GTexel/s versus 17.28 GTexel/s, because of the extra TMUs. The raw FP32 compute is close, with AMD at 553.0 GFLOPS and NVIDIA at 518.4 GFLOPS, a 6.7% advantage for AMD that mirrors the shader count difference.

Memory architecture is a major divergence. The Radeon R7 Graphics uses system shared memory, with no dedicated VRAM, no dedicated bus width, and bandwidth that depends entirely on the host system's memory configuration. The GTX 460M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, with a fixed 60.00 GB/s bandwidth and memory clocked at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). For gaming on a laptop, dedicated memory is often a decisive advantage because it does not compete with the CPU for bandwidth.

API support also differs. The Radeon R7 Graphics supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 460M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), which means it is technically listed as DirectX 12 but only at feature level 11_0, and OpenGL 4.6, but it has no Vulkan support at all. That makes the AMD part more future-proof for modern titles that rely on Vulkan.

Power and physical format are also distinct. The Radeon R7 Graphics is an IGP with a 25 W TDP, meaning it is integrated into the CPU package and uses motherboard-dependent display outputs. The GTX 460M is an MXM Module with a 50 W TDP, a discrete mobile card that uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface and portable-device-dependent outputs. The GTX 460M draws twice the power but also brings its own memory and a more traditional discrete GPU layout.

The Verdict

The data points to a split decision based on workload and platform. If the priority is modern API support and compute through Vulkan, the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics is the only option of the two, since it scores 5980 in that test and the GTX 460M has no Vulkan capability at all. Its higher average benchmark score (4998 versus 4282) and better percentile standing (29th versus 25th) also make it look stronger in the database overall.

However, for pure OpenCL compute, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is the winner, with a 6.2% higher score (4282 versus 4015). The GTX 460M also brings dedicated GDDR5 memory with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth, which is a huge practical advantage for gaming and texture-heavy workloads, because it does not have to share system memory with the CPU. The Radeon R7 Graphics is entirely dependent on the host system's memory, and its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning real-world performance can vary wildly.

A builder choosing between these two should think about the platform first. The Radeon R7 Graphics is an integrated part, so it costs nothing extra and consumes only 25 W. The GTX 460M is a discrete MXM module that draws 50 W and requires a compatible laptop slot. If the machine already has the GTX 460M, the OpenCL win and dedicated memory make it the better choice for legacy DX11-era games and compute tasks. If starting fresh with a modern APU, the Radeon R7 Graphics offers Vulkan support and a higher average score, but its shared memory will bottleneck it in many scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The process node is a clear generational gap: the AMD part uses 28 nm at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA part uses 40 nm at TSMC. Transistor count is 2,410 million for AMD versus 1,170 million for NVIDIA, and die size is 245 mm² versus 238 mm², respectively, with density at 9.8M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm². Clock speeds cannot be directly compared because the Radeon R7 Graphics lists no base or boost clock, only "System Shared" for memory clock, while the GTX 460M lists a memory clock of 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration is entirely different: the Radeon R7 Graphics uses "System Shared" for size, type, bus width, and bandwidth, with bandwidth marked "System Dependent." The GTX 460M has 1536 MB of GDDR5, a 192-bit bus width, and 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. Shading units favor AMD (384 versus 192), TMUs favor NVIDIA (32 versus 24), and ROPs favor NVIDIA (24 versus 8). Pixel rate is 5.760 GPixel/s for AMD versus 5.400 GPixel/s for NVIDIA, texture rate is 17.28 GTexel/s for AMD versus 21.60 GTexel/s for NVIDIA, and FP32 compute is 553.0 GFLOPS for AMD versus 518.4 GFLOPS for NVIDIA. TDP is 25 W for AMD versus 50 W for NVIDIA. Slot width is "IGP" for AMD versus "MXM Module" for NVIDIA, with no power connectors listed for AMD (none listed for NVIDIA) and no suggested PSU for either. Bus interface is "IGP" for AMD versus "PCIe 2.0 x16" for NVIDIA. Display outputs are "Motherboard Dependent" for AMD versus "Portable Device Dependent" for NVIDIA. API support shows AMD at DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, NVIDIA at DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan. Production status is end-of-life for both, release dates are 2014-02-16 for AMD and 2010-09-02 for NVIDIA, with predecessors being TeraScale 3 IGP for AMD and GeForce 300M for NVIDIA, and successors GCN 3.0 IGP for AMD and GeForce 500M for NVIDIA. Launch MSRP is null for both GPUs.

The transistor density gap (9.8M vs 4.9M per mm²) highlights the process advantage AMD had; the ROP and TMU counts highlight NVIDIA's rasterization focus; and the memory situation is the starkest practical difference.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics wins in any scenario that uses Vulkan, since the GTX 460M has no Vulkan support. Its Vulkan score of 5980 is the single highest benchmark result recorded for either GPU in the database, and its average score of 4998 beats the GTX 460M's 4282. The IGP also wins on power efficiency, with a 25 W TDP versus 50 W, and on transistor density, with a much newer process node. For light, modern esports titles that support Vulkan, or for any compute workload that can use that API, the Radeon R7 Graphics is the only viable choice between the two.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M wins in raw OpenCL performance, with a 6.2% higher score (4282 versus 4015). It also wins decisively on memory: 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth versus system-shared memory with dependent bandwidth. For older DirectX 11-era games, or any workload where dedicated VRAM prevents stutter and texture thrashing, the GTX 460M is the stronger part. Its higher TMU count (32 versus 24) and ROP count (24 versus 8) give it a real edge in texture-heavy and pixel-bound rendering, even though its FP32 compute is slightly lower. The GTX 460M also has a wider bus interface (PCIe 2.0 x16 versus IGP), which means it can move data more predictably in a discrete notebook configuration.

The practical takeaway: choose the Radeon R7 Graphics for modern API support, lower power draw, and Vulkan-capable software. Choose the GTX 460M for OpenCL compute, dedicated memory, and rasterization-heavy workloads that benefit from its ROPs and TMUs.