AMD Radeon R7 M340 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it shows a clear victory for the AMD Radeon R7 M340. The AMD part scores 4932 points against 4282 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, a 15.2% advantage. That is a meaningful gap in raw compute workloads, and it is not a narrow margin; 15.2% is enough to place these two mobile parts in noticeably different performance tiers.

The AMD Radeon R7 M340 sits at the 30th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M sits at the 25th percentile. The percentile difference is modest, but it reinforces the direct benchmark result. The AMD part is not just ahead in one test, it is also positioned higher in the overall distribution of recorded scores.

The average benchmark score for the AMD Radeon R7 M340 is 5063, which is exactly equal to the average score of the AMD Radeon R7 240, a desktop part. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has an average score of 4282, and its nearest rival in the database is the AMD FirePro W2100 at 4295, a delta of negative 0.3%. That means the GTX 460M is essentially neck-and-neck with an entry-level workstation card, not with anything in the midrange.

There is only one head-to-head test recorded, so the database does not show a second benchmark where NVIDIA might strike back. The absence of a Vulkan score for the GTX 460M is itself informative. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 5193, while the NVIDIA part has no Vulkan result at all. This points to API support differences that matter for modern workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and different process nodes. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses the Meso chip built on GCN 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip built on the Fermi architecture, manufactured on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 28 nm versus 40 nm means the AMD part is built on a more modern manufacturing technology.

Transistor counts tell a similar story. The AMD chip packs 1,550 million transistors on a die size of 125 mm², giving a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip has 1,170 million transistors on a much larger die of 238 mm², resulting in a density of just 4.9 million per square millimeter. The AMD part crams more transistors into a smaller area, which is consistent with the newer process node. The NVIDIA Fermi die is nearly twice the size of the AMD Meso die, yet it contains fewer transistors.

The compute resources are organized differently. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has 320 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The AMD part has more shader cores, while NVIDIA has more texture units and ROPs. That imbalance explains some of the benchmark behavior: the GTX 460M has higher texture fill rate at 21.60 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s for the AMD part, but lower pixel rate at 5.400 GPixel/s versus 8.168 GPixel/s.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has a base clock of 943 MHz and a boost clock of 1021 MHz. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has no recorded base or boost clock in the database, only a memory clock of 625 MHz with 2.5 Gbps effective. The AMD part's boost behavior gives it a raw frequency advantage that contributes to its FP32 throughput of 653.4 GFLOPS, compared to 518.4 GFLOPS for NVIDIA.

Memory subsystems are completely different. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 16.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s. NVIDIA's memory bandwidth is 3.75 times higher, which is a massive advantage for bandwidth-heavy workloads. The AMD part compensates with faster core clocks and more shader units, but the memory gap is the single largest architectural difference between these two.

Power characteristics differ as well. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has a recorded TDP of 50 W, while the AMD Radeon R7 M340 has no TDP listed in the database. The GTX 460M is an MXM module with no power connectors, while the AMD part does not specify slot width or power connectors. The NVIDIA part's older 40 nm process and larger die likely contribute to its power draw, but the database does not record a comparable figure for AMD.

The Verdict

The recorded data favors the AMD Radeon R7 M340 in compute performance. The 15.2% OpenCL lead and the higher percentile ranking are both concrete measurements. For users running OpenCL workloads, the AMD part is the stronger choice based strictly on the numbers. The Vulkan score of 5193 for the AMD part adds another dimension, as the NVIDIA part has no Vulkan result recorded at all.

However, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has one clear advantage in the database: memory bandwidth. At 60.00 GB/s versus 16.00 GB/s, the NVIDIA part offers nearly four times the bandwidth. For workloads that are bandwidth-limited rather than compute-limited, the GTX 460M could plausibly outperform the AMD part, even though the database does not contain a benchmark that directly demonstrates this.

The GTX 460M also has a higher texture fill rate at 21.60 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s, and more ROPs at 24 versus 8. These are not reflected in the single head-to-head benchmark, but they suggest that the NVIDIA part may handle certain rendering tasks differently. The database only records one direct comparison, so the full picture is incomplete.

The AMD Radeon R7 M340 is the better choice for users who prioritize compute throughput and modern API support. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is the better choice for users who need memory bandwidth and texture throughput, based on the specification differences recorded in the database. Neither GPU is current, both are end-of-life, but the data points to AMD for general compute.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every major specification category. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses the Meso chip on GCN 3.0 architecture, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip on Fermi architecture. The AMD part is built on a 28 nm process, the NVIDIA part on a 40 nm process. Transistor counts differ: 1,550 million for AMD versus 1,170 million for NVIDIA. Die size differs substantially: 125 mm² for AMD versus 238 mm² for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds are recorded differently. The AMD part has a base clock of 943 MHz and a boost clock of 1021 MHz. The NVIDIA part has no base or boost clock recorded, only a memory clock of 625 MHz with 2.5 Gbps effective. The AMD memory clock is 1000 MHz with 2 Gbps effective.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. AMD has 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. NVIDIA has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. Shading units: 320 for AMD, 192 for NVIDIA. TMUs: 20 for AMD, 32 for NVIDIA. ROPs: 8 for AMD, 24 for NVIDIA.

Pixel rate: 8.168 GPixel/s for AMD, 5.400 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate: 20.42 GTexel/s for AMD, 21.60 GTexel/s for NVIDIA. FP32 throughput: 653.4 GFLOPS for AMD, 518.4 GFLOPS for NVIDIA. The AMD part records FP16 at 653.4 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the NVIDIA part has no FP16 figure.

Power and interface differ. The NVIDIA part has a TDP of 50 W, an MXM Module slot width, and no power connectors. The AMD part has no TDP, no slot width, and no power connector information. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 for AMD, PCIe 2.0 x16 for NVIDIA. Display outputs are listed as portable device dependent for NVIDIA, with no listing for AMD.

API support shows a generational gap. Both support DirectX 12, but AMD supports version 12 (12_0) while NVIDIA supports 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6. AMD supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while NVIDIA has no Vulkan support recorded.

Release dates are far apart. The AMD Radeon R7 M340 was released on 2015-05-04, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M was released on 2010-09-02. The predecessor and successor lines reflect this: AMD's predecessor is Solar System, successor is Polaris Mobile, while NVIDIA's predecessor is GeForce 300M, successor is GeForce 500M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU scores higher in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 scores 4932, which is 15.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M's score of 4282.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M have any specification advantage?

A: Yes, it has significantly higher memory bandwidth at 60.00 GB/s versus 16.00 GB/s, a higher texture fill rate at 21.60 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s, and more ROPs at 24 versus 8.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 is built on a 28 nm process, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is built on a 40 nm process, both at TSMC.

Q: Which GPU supports Vulkan?

A: Only the AMD Radeon R7 M340 has a Vulkan score recorded, at 5193. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has no Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: How do the transistor counts compare?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M has 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M340 uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with 16.00 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M340 wins in compute throughput. Its FP32 performance of 653.4 GFLOPS exceeds the NVIDIA part's 518.4 GFLOPS by a wide margin. It also has a higher pixel rate at 8.168 GPixel/s versus 5.400 GPixel/s, and more shading units at 320 versus 192. The OpenCL benchmark confirms this advantage with a 15.2% lead. The Vulkan score of 5193 gives AMD another win in modern API workloads, while the NVIDIA part has no Vulkan result. The AMD part also benefits from a more modern process node, higher transistor density, and a boost clock of 1021 MHz.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M wins in memory bandwidth and texture throughput. The 192-bit GDDR5 memory subsystem delivers 60.00 GB/s, which is 3.75 times the bandwidth of the AMD part. The 32 TMUs give it a texture fill rate of 21.60 GTexel/s, slightly ahead of the AMD part's 20.42 GTexel/s. The 24 ROPs are triple the AMD count, which could benefit certain rendering pipelines. The PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is wider than the AMD part's PCIe 3.0 x8, though the newer PCIe generation on AMD partially compensates. The NVIDIA part also has a recorded TDP of 50 W, providing a known power envelope that the database does not list for AMD.

For users choosing between these two end-of-life mobile GPUs, the database points to AMD for general compute and modern API support, while NVIDIA retains a clear edge in memory-heavy workloads. The single recorded benchmark favors AMD, but the specification differences suggest the GTX 460M could win in scenarios that depend on bandwidth, such as high-resolution texture streaming or certain compute kernels that are memory-bound. Without additional benchmark data, those scenarios remain theoretical, but the recorded specifications support that interpretation.