AMD Radeon R7 M365X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE Comparison

The GeForce GTX 460 SE and the Radeon R7 M365X represent two very different eras of mobile and desktop GPU design, separated by nearly five years of architectural evolution. The data shows a clear, though not overwhelming, performance leader in the older NVIDIA part, driven by stark differences in memory bandwidth and raw compute allocation.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6,389 points, while the AMD Radeon R7 M365X scores 5,939 points. This gives the GTX 460 SE a victory with a delta of 7.6%. This is not a marginal win; it is a meaningful gap that places the two cards in different performance tiers.

To put that 7.6% lead into context, the GTX 460 SE's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M, which scores an identical 6,389 points, showing zero delta. It is also 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100. The GTX 460 SE sits in the 37th percentile of all GPUs. The R7 M365X, by contrast, sits in the 32nd percentile. Its average benchmark score across both OpenCL and Vulkan tests is 5,416, which is lower than its OpenCL-only score because the Vulkan result of 4,893 drags the average down.

The R7 M365X's nearest rivals show a tighter cluster. It is 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon 610M, 0.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P630, 0.9% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M4000, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R7 M445. This places the R7 M365X in a crowded field of entry-level parts, whereas the GTX 460 SE sits alongside more capable discrete solutions. The 7.6% lead of the GTX 460 SE in OpenCL is consistent with its higher percentile ranking, confirming that the older Fermi architecture still holds a decisive edge in this workload.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The GTX 460 SE uses the GF104 chip based on NVIDIA's Fermi architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,950 million transistors onto a die size of 332 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The R7 M365X uses the Litho chip based on AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a much smaller 28 nm process. It contains 950 million transistors on a die of only 77 mm², achieving a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter.

This difference in transistor density is stark: the R7 M365X packs more than double the transistors per square millimeter compared to the GTX 460 SE. However, the GTX 460 SE has the larger absolute transistor count and die area. The memory subsystems are also fundamentally different. The GTX 460 SE uses a 256-bit memory bus with 1,024 MB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective), yielding a bandwidth of 108.8 GB/s. The R7 M365X uses a 128-bit bus with the same 1,024 MB of GDDR5 but clocked at 1,000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), resulting in a bandwidth of only 64.00 GB/s. The GTX 460 SE's memory bandwidth is 70% higher, a critical factor in many compute tasks.

The compute resource layout also diverges. The GTX 460 SE has 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units. The R7 M365X has more shading units at 384, but far fewer TMUs at 24 and only 8 ROPs. This explains the throughput numbers: the GTX 460 SE delivers a pixel rate of 7.800 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 31.20 GTexel/s, while the R7 M365X delivers 6.600 GPixel/s and 19.80 GTexel/s. In terms of floating-point performance, the GTX 460 SE reaches 748.8 GFLOPS, while the R7 M365X reaches 633.6 GFLOPS. The GTX 460 SE wins on every throughput metric despite having fewer shading units, thanks to its higher clocks and wider memory interface.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has a bandwidth of 108.8 GB/s, which is significantly higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M365X's 64.00 GB/s. This is due to the GTX 460 SE's 256-bit bus compared to the 128-bit bus on the R7 M365X.

Q: Does the Radeon R7 M365X support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the R7 M365X supports Vulkan version 1.2.170. The GTX 460 SE has no Vulkan support listed in the database, which limits its compatibility with modern graphics APIs.

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

A: The R7 M365X has a transistor density of 12.3 million per square millimeter, while the GTX 460 SE has a density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The R7 M365X's 28 nm process allows for a much denser layout despite having fewer total transistors.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M365X has 384 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has 288. Despite this, the GTX 460 SE still achieves higher floating-point performance of 748.8 GFLOPS versus 633.6 GFLOPS.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The GTX 460 SE has an average benchmark score of 6,389, based on a single OpenCL test. The R7 M365X has an average score of 5,416, which combines its OpenCL score of 5,939 and its Vulkan score of 4,893.

Q: What are the pixel and texture rates for each card?

A: The GTX 460 SE achieves 7.800 GPixel/s and 31.20 GTexel/s, while the R7 M365X achieves 6.600 GPixel/s and 19.80 GTexel/s. The GTX 460 SE leads in both categories.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs in the database:

• Chip: GF104 (NVIDIA) versus Litho (AMD)
• Architecture: Fermi versus GCN 1.0
• Generation: GeForce 400 versus Gem System (R7 M300)
• Process Node: 40 nm versus 28 nm
• Transistors: 1,950 million versus 950 million
• Die Size: 332 mm² versus 77 mm²
• Transistor Density: 5.9M / mm² versus 12.3M / mm²
• Memory Clock: 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective) versus 1,000 MHz (4 Gbps effective)
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit versus 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 108.8 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s
• Shading Units: 288 versus 384
• TMUs: 48 versus 24
• ROPs: 32 versus 8
• Pixel Rate: 7.800 GPixel/s versus 6.600 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 31.20 GTexel/s versus 19.80 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 748.8 GFLOPS versus 633.6 GFLOPS
• TDP: 150 W versus not specified
• Slot Width: Dual-slot versus not specified
• Power Connectors: 2x 6-pin versus not specified
• Suggested PSU: 450 W versus not specified
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x8
• Display Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a versus not specified
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_0) versus 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan Support: not specified versus 1.2.170
• Dimensions (Length): 210 mm (8.3 inches) versus not specified
• Release Date: 2010-11-14 versus 2015-05-04
• Predecessor: GeForce 200 versus Solar System
• Successor: GeForce 500 versus Polaris Mobile
• Launch MSRP: 160 USD versus not specified

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE wins in all recorded benchmark comparisons. It is 7.6% ahead in OpenCL, has a higher pixel rate, higher texture rate, higher floating-point performance, and more than double the memory bandwidth. Its 256-bit memory bus is the key differentiator, providing 108.8 GB/s of bandwidth that the R7 M365X cannot match with its 64.00 GB/s. This makes the GTX 460 SE the clear choice for any workload that is bandwidth-sensitive, such as high-resolution texture filtering or compute tasks that stream large data sets. Its higher pixel rate of 7.800 GPixel/s also gives it an advantage in fill-rate-bound scenarios.

The AMD Radeon R7 M365X wins in the areas of architectural modernity and feature support. It is built on a smaller 28 nm process with a higher transistor density of 12.3M / mm², which typically indicates better power efficiency per unit of performance. It also supports Vulkan 1.2.170, a modern graphics API that the GTX 460 SE lacks entirely. This means the R7 M365X can run newer applications that require Vulkan, while the GTX 460 SE is limited to DirectX 11_0 and OpenGL 4.6. The R7 M365X also has more shading units (384 versus 288), which can help in workloads that scale well with parallel shader execution, though its lower clock speeds and memory bandwidth limit this advantage in practice.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE is the faster GPU. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 7.6%, holds a higher percentile ranking (37th versus 32nd), and dominates in every throughput metric recorded, including memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 compute. For any task that relies on raw graphics or compute throughput, the GTX 460 SE is the superior choice. Its 108.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth is a decisive advantage that the R7 M365X cannot overcome.

However, the choice is not solely about performance. The R7 M365X offers Vulkan support, a modern API that ensures compatibility with a wider range of current software. It also has a more efficient transistor layout on a smaller process node, which suggests better power characteristics, though the database does not list a TDP for the AMD card. The GTX 460 SE, with its 150 W TDP and dual-slot cooler, is a power-hungry desktop part, while the R7 M365X appears to be a more integrated solution without specified power connectors or slot width.

For a user building a system with legacy parts and prioritizing raw compute performance, the GTX 460 SE is the pick. For a user who needs Vulkan support or is constrained by physical space and power delivery, the R7 M365X is the only viable option. The GTX 460 SE is the performance winner, but the R7 M365X is the more forward-looking part in terms of software compatibility.