AMD Radeon R7 M440 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded head-to-head measurement in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it delivers a decisive result. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6389 points, while the AMD Radeon R7 M440 scores 5214 points. That is a 22.5% advantage for the NVIDIA part, a substantial margin that places the two cards in different performance tiers despite their similar positioning in the mobile and entry-level desktop space.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 460 SE sits at the 37th percentile among all GPUs, while the R7 M440 sits at the 32nd percentile. The GTX 460 SE's average benchmark score of 6389 places it in a cluster with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M (6389, 0% delta), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell (6407, -0.3%), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 (6330, +0.9%), and the AMD Radeon R7 M350 (6327, +1%). This is a tight grouping where the GTX 460 SE is effectively at parity with its nearest rivals, trading fractions of a percent in either direction.

The R7 M440's average score of 5483 puts it alongside the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467, +0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (5501, -0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, -0.5%), and the AMD Radeon 610M (5444, +0.7%). Again, the clustering is tight, but the absolute gap between the two cards is the headline: the GTX 460 SE leads by more than a fifth in raw OpenCL compute performance.

The R7 M440 does have a Vulkan score of 5751 in the database, which is higher than its OpenCL result of 5214, suggesting the architecture handles Vulkan workloads relatively better. However, the GTX 460 SE has no recorded Vulkan benchmark, so no direct cross-API comparison is possible from the data. The only direct comparison, OpenCL, favors the NVIDIA card by a clear margin.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and manufacturing processes, which explains much of the performance disparity. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE uses the GF104 chip based on the Fermi architecture, built on TSMC's 40 nm process. It packs 1,950 million transistors into a die size of 332 mm², yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million transistors per mm². The AMD Radeon R7 M440 uses the Meso chip based on GCN 3.0, also built by TSMC but on a more advanced 28 nm process. It contains 1,550 million transistors on a much smaller 125 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.4 million transistors per mm². The AMD part is denser and more modern in fabrication, but the NVIDIA part has more raw silicon area and a higher transistor count.

Memory configurations differ sharply. The GTX 460 SE comes with 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 108.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The R7 M440 offers 4 GB of DDR3 memory but on a narrow 64-bit bus, resulting in only 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The bandwidth gap is enormous: the NVIDIA card has over seven times the memory bandwidth of the AMD card. The AMD card compensates with more total memory capacity, but for compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, bandwidth is often the limiting factor.

Compute unit configurations also favor the NVIDIA part. The GTX 460 SE has 288 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The R7 M440 has 320 shading units but only 20 TMUs and 8 ROPs. While the AMD card has more shaders, its texture and pixel throughput rates are lower: 17.82 GTexel/s and 7.128 GPixel/s respectively, versus 31.20 GTexel/s and 7.800 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA card. The FP32 throughput tells a similar story: the GTX 460 SE delivers 748.8 GFLOPS, while the R7 M440 delivers 570.2 GFLOPS. The AMD card does support FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (570.2 GFLOPS), a feature the Fermi architecture lacks, but the database records no FP16 benchmark for either card.

Power and physical characteristics also differentiate the pair. The GTX 460 SE carries a 150 W TDP, uses dual-slot cooling, requires two 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 450 W power supply. It measures 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length and uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. The R7 M440 is an integrated-class part with no listed TDP, no power connectors, no suggested PSU, and is labeled as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. Its display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile-oriented design.

API support leans toward the AMD card. The R7 M440 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 460 SE supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, but has no listed Vulkan support. This makes the AMD part more future-proof for modern graphics APIs, even if its raw compute performance is lower.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE wins in raw compute performance. Its OpenCL score of 6389 versus 5214 is a 22.5% lead, and its higher FP32 throughput (748.8 GFLOPS versus 570.2 GFLOPS), higher texture rate (31.20 GTexel/s versus 17.82 GTexel/s), and higher pixel rate (7.800 GPixel/s versus 7.128 GPixel/s) all point to superior performance in workloads that stress traditional GPU compute and rendering pipelines. The 256-bit memory bus and 108.8 GB/s bandwidth give it a massive advantage in memory-bound tasks, such as large data transfers, texture-heavy rendering, and compute kernels that repeatedly access the frame buffer or intermediate data.

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 wins in memory capacity and API modernity. Its 4 GB of DDR3 memory is four times the capacity of the GTX 460 SE's 1024 MB, which matters for workloads that need to hold large datasets in VRAM rather than streaming them from system memory. The Vulkan 1.2.170 support is a clear advantage over the GTX 460 SE, which has no recorded Vulkan support. The AMD card also has a higher shading unit count (320 versus 288) and a more modern 28 nm process with higher transistor density, which suggests better efficiency per transistor, though the database does not record power consumption for the R7 M440.

The R7 M440 also has a higher recorded Vulkan score (5751) than its OpenCL score (5214), indicating that its GCN 3.0 architecture responds well to modern low-level APIs. The GTX 460 SE has no Vulkan data, so its performance in that API is unmeasured and likely unsupported. For users running Vulkan-based applications or games, the AMD card is the safer choice based on the recorded data.

The Verdict

The database records one direct comparison, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE wins it decisively. A 22.5% lead in OpenCL performance, combined with higher texture and pixel rates, higher FP32 throughput, and over seven times the memory bandwidth, makes it the clear choice for compute-heavy workloads, traditional DirectX 11-era gaming, and any task that depends on rapid data movement across a wide memory bus.

The AMD Radeon R7 M440 is the choice for users who prioritize memory capacity and modern API support. Its 4 GB frame buffer is useful for holding large textures or datasets, and its Vulkan support opens the door to contemporary graphics applications that the Fermi-based GTX 460 SE cannot access. The R7 M440 also consumes no listed discrete power, operates as an IGP, and requires no external power connectors, making it suitable for thin-and-light portable systems.

For users building a desktop with a dedicated power budget, the GTX 460 SE is the stronger performer. For users who need a low-power integrated solution with modern API coverage and ample memory, the R7 M440 is the appropriate pick. The data does not support a universal recommendation; it supports a workload-dependent one.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6389 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R7 M440 scores 5214. The NVIDIA card leads by 22.5%.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 460 SE has a 256-bit bus with 108.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the R7 M440 has a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card offers roughly 7.5 times the bandwidth.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R7 M440 support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the R7 M440 lists Vulkan 1.2.170 support. The GTX 460 SE has no Vulkan support recorded in the database.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M440 has 320 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has 288. However, the GTX 460 SE has higher FP32 throughput (748.8 GFLOPS versus 570.2 GFLOPS).

Q: What is the memory capacity of each card?

A: The GTX 460 SE has 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory, while the R7 M440 has 4 GB of DDR3 memory. The AMD card has four times the capacity.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel rate?

A: The GTX 460 SE has a pixel rate of 7.800 GPixel/s, while the R7 M440 has 7.128 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA card is about 9% faster in this metric.