AMD Radeon R7 M360 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark between these two mobile GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result favors the AMD Radeon R7 M360. The AMD part scores 4638 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 points. That translates to an 8.3% advantage for the R7 M360, a meaningful but not overwhelming lead in raw compute throughput as measured by this workload.

Looking at the broader database picture, the R7 M360 sits at the 29th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 460M sits at the 25th percentile. The average benchmark score for the R7 M360 is 4931, which is the figure derived from its two recorded tests. The GTX 460M has an average benchmark score of 4282, based on its single recorded test. The gap between their percentile ranks reflects the same story as the direct head-to-head: the AMD part is positioned slightly higher in the overall performance distribution.

The R7 M360 also has a second recorded benchmark result in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 5223 points. The GTX 460M has no Vulkan result in the database, so no direct comparison is possible for that API. This absence is itself informative, as it suggests the NVIDIA part may not have been tested under that workload or may not support it.

In terms of nearest rivals, the R7 M360's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R7 M265, which averages 4929 points, a delta of 0%. The NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 sits at 4893 points, 0.8% behind the R7 M360. The GTX 460M's closest rival is the AMD FirePro W2100 at 4295 points, which is 0.3% ahead, and the AMD Radeon Vega 3 at 4268 points, which is 0.3% behind. These rival deltas confirm that both cards are clustered with other entry-level or older midrange parts, but the R7 M360's cluster sits at a higher absolute score level.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon R7 M360 uses the Meso chip built on GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip built on the Fermi architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 40 nm process. The process node difference is substantial: 28 nm versus 40 nm gives the AMD part a density advantage that shows up in the transistor density figures.

The AMD chip packs 1,550 million transistors into a die size of 125 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip contains 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, giving a density of only 4.9 million transistors per square millimeter. This means the R7 M360 crams roughly 2.5 times more transistors into roughly half the die area, a direct consequence of the newer manufacturing process.

Compute resources also differ significantly. The R7 M360 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The AMD part has twice the shading units, but the NVIDIA part has more TMUs and three times the ROP count. These differences shape their respective strengths: the R7 M360 leans on shader throughput, while the GTX 460M has more pixel-pushing capacity.

The memory subsystems are also quite different. The R7 M360 uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has more than four times the memory bandwidth, a critical factor for texture-heavy workloads. Memory clock figures reflect this: the AMD part runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective, while the NVIDIA part runs at 625 MHz with 2.5 Gbps effective.

Pixel and texture rates follow the hardware configuration. The R7 M360 achieves 9.000 GPixel/s and 27.00 GTexel/s. The GTX 460M achieves 5.400 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. The AMD card is ahead in both fill rate metrics, despite having fewer ROPs, because its higher clock speeds compensate. The R7 M360 runs at a base clock of 1100 MHz with a boost of 1125 MHz, while the GTX 460M has no recorded base or boost clock in the database.

Floating-point performance is another clear differentiator. The R7 M360 delivers 864.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and matches that with 864.0 GFLOPS of FP16 performance. The GTX 460M delivers 518.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance and has no recorded FP16 capability. The AMD part is 66.7% ahead in FP32 throughput, which aligns with its shading unit advantage.

The bus interface also differs: the R7 M360 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 460M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded. The GTX 460M is specified with a 50 W TDP, a slot width of MXM Module, no power connectors, and display outputs described as portable device dependent. The R7 M360 has no TDP, slot width, power connector, or display output data recorded.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon R7 M360 as the stronger GPU in the one benchmark where both are measured. Its 8.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with its higher percentile rank (29th versus 25th) and higher average score (4931 versus 4282), makes it the safer pick for general compute workloads.

The R7 M360 also offers architectural advantages that matter for longevity. Its GCN 3.0 design on a 28 nm process is newer, it has more shading units, it supports Vulkan, and it provides higher FP32 throughput. The GTX 460M does retain a major bandwidth advantage with its GDDR5 memory and 192-bit bus, which can help in memory-bound scenarios, but the recorded benchmarks do not show this translating into a win.

For users choosing between these two in a used or legacy laptop market, the R7 M360 is the better default choice based on the recorded data. The GTX 460M might still be worth considering if a particular system configuration requires its MXM form factor or if the workload is heavily memory-bandwidth dependent, but the benchmark evidence favors AMD.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon R7 M360 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Meso | GF106 |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | Fermi |

| Process node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 1,170 million |

| Die size | 125 mm² | 238 mm² |

| Transistor density | 12.4M / mm² | 4.9M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1100 MHz | Not recorded |

| Boost clock | 1125 MHz | Not recorded |

| Memory clock | 900 MHz, 1800 Mbps effective | 625 MHz, 2.5 Gbps effective |

| Memory size | 2 GB DDR3 | 1536 MB GDDR5 |

| Memory bus width | 64 bit | 192 bit |

| Bandwidth | 14.40 GB/s | 60.00 GB/s |

| Shading units | 384 | 192 |

| TMUs | 24 | 32 |

| ROPs | 8 | 24 |

| Pixel rate | 9.000 GPixel/s | 5.400 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 27.00 GTexel/s | 21.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 864.0 GFLOPS | 518.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 864.0 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not recorded |

| TDP | Not recorded | 50 W |

| Slot width | Not recorded | MXM Module |

| Power connectors | Not recorded | None |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | Not recorded | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 (11_0) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | Not recorded |

| Release date | 2015-05-04 | 2010-09-02 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | GeForce 300M |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | GeForce 500M |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded head-to-head benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M360 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with 4638 points against 4282 points for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, an 8.3% advantage.

Q: How do their overall benchmark averages compare?

A: The R7 M360 has an average benchmark score of 4931, while the GTX 460M averages 4282. The R7 M360 also sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 25th percentile for the GTX 460M.

Q: Does the GTX 460M have any advantage in memory bandwidth?

A: Yes. The GTX 460M has 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth from its GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, compared to 14.40 GB/s for the R7 M360's DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus.

Q: What API support differences exist between the two cards?

A: The R7 M360 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 460M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support recorded.

Q: Are the nearest rivals for these two GPUs at similar performance levels?

A: Not exactly. The R7 M360's nearest rival cluster includes the AMD Radeon R7 M265 at 4929 points, while the GTX 460M's nearest rival cluster includes the AMD FirePro W2100 at 4295 points. The AMD clusters are about 13-14% apart in average score.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 M360 wins in compute-heavy workloads that leverage shader throughput. Its 384 shading units and 864.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance give it a clear edge in tasks like OpenCL compute benchmarks or any workload that scales with FP32 throughput. Its Vulkan support (1.2.170) and DirectX 12 (12_0) support also make it the more modern API-compliant option for software that uses newer graphics APIs. Its higher pixel rate (9.000 GPixel/s) and texture rate (27.00 GTexel/s) mean it also handles fill-rate-bound workloads well enough to edge out the NVIDIA part there as well.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M wins in memory-bound scenarios. Its 60.00 GB/s of memory bandwidth is over four times the R7 M360's 14.40 GB/s, which can matter in texture-heavy games or applications that saturate memory bandwidth. Its GDDR5 memory type on a 192-bit bus gives it a bandwidth profile that the AMD DDR3 implementation cannot match, even with its higher clock speeds. Its 32 TMUs and 24 ROPs also give it more traditional pixel-pushing capacity for older games that rely on these fixed-function units.

For users with newer software that supports Vulkan or DirectX 12 at the level the R7 M360 does, the AMD card is clearly ahead. For users locked into portable devices that require the GTX 460M's MXM module form factor or its 50 W TDP specification, the NVIDIA card is the only choice available, and its 60.00 GB/s bandwidth remains its strongest recorded asset.