AMD Radeon R7 M460 vs AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M460 and the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile represent two distinct approaches to mobile graphics from the same manufacturer, separated by nearly three years of architectural evolution. The R7 M460 is a dedicated discrete GPU from the GCN 3.0 era, while the Vega 10 Mobile is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into a Raven Ridge APU. Benchmark data shows the discrete part holds a narrow 2.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL performance, scoring 6612 against the Vega 10 Mobile’s 6476, a margin that places both firmly in the same performance tier despite their fundamental design differences.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M460 wins the head-to-head benchmark with a score of 6612, which is 2.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile’s score of 6476.

Q: How do these two compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The R7 M460 is 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M and 0.5% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 7730M, but 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010. The Vega 10 Mobile is 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M and 0.6% slower than the GTX 670M.

Q: What are the architectural generations of these GPUs?

A: The R7 M460 uses the GCN 3.0 architecture on a 28 nm process, while the Vega 10 Mobile uses the newer GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm process.

Q: Do these GPUs have the same memory configuration?

A: No. The R7 M460 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with a 64-bit bus and 36.00 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the Vega 10 Mobile uses System Shared memory with bandwidth described as System Dependent.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile has a significantly higher boost clock at 1301 MHz, compared to the R7 M460’s boost clock of 1024 MHz.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The Vega 10 Mobile, built on 14 nm, packs 23.5M transistors per mm² across a 210 mm² die with 4,940 million transistors. The R7 M460, on 28 nm, has a density of 12.4M per mm² on a 125 mm² die with 1,550 million transistors.

Architecture Differences

The most fundamental difference lies in the process node and foundry. The R7 M460 is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the Vega 10 Mobile uses a more advanced 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This node advantage is evident in the transistor density: the Vega 10 Mobile achieves 23.5M transistors per mm², nearly double the R7 M460’s 12.4M per mm². Consequently, the Vega 10 Mobile integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the R7 M460 contains only 1,550 million transistors on a smaller 125 mm² die.

The architectures themselves span two generations. The R7 M460 is based on GCN 3.0, belonging to the Gem System (R7 M400) generation, while the Vega 10 Mobile is built on GCN 5.0 from the Vega IGP (Raven Ridge-M) generation. This architectural leap brings a different compute layout: the Vega 10 Mobile features 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 8 ROPs, whereas the R7 M460 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The Vega part’s larger shader count allows for higher theoretical throughput — 1.665 TFLOPS FP32 and 3.331 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 rate) versus the R7 M460’s 786.4 GFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 rate).

Memory architecture also diverges sharply. The R7 M460 uses dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus with a fixed 36.00 GB/s bandwidth, clocked at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective). In contrast, the Vega 10 Mobile relies entirely on System Shared memory, with its bus width and bandwidth listed as System Dependent. The Vega’s memory clock is also System Shared, meaning its performance is tied to the host system’s RAM rather than dedicated VRAM.

Clock behavior differs markedly. The R7 M460 has a base clock of 730 MHz and a boost of 1024 MHz. The Vega 10 Mobile starts much lower at 300 MHz base but boosts substantially higher to 1301 MHz. This aggressive boost curve compensates for its IGP nature. Power consumption is another differentiator: the Vega 10 Mobile is rated at a 10 W TDP with no power connectors and an IGP slot width, while the R7 M460 has no listed TDP or slot width in the data. The bus interface also differs, with the R7 M460 using PCIe 3.0 x8 and the Vega 10 Mobile using an integrated IGP interface.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a tight race, but the verdict depends on the use case context. For raw compute performance in the Geekbench OpenCL test, the R7 M460 edges out the Vega 10 Mobile with a 2.1% higher score (6612 vs 6476). This makes the discrete GPU the slight performance leader in a direct comparison. However, the margin is small enough that real-world differences would likely be imperceptible in most tasks.

The Vega 10 Mobile, despite losing the head-to-head, offers a compelling alternative due to its architectural modernity. Its 14 nm process and GCN 5.0 architecture provide a 2.1x advantage in FP16 throughput (3.331 TFLOPS vs 786.4 GFLOPS), which could matter for compute workloads that leverage half-precision. Its higher shader count (640 vs 384) and texture rate (52.04 GTexel/s vs 24.58 GTexel/s) suggest it has more raw parallel capability that may not be fully reflected in the OpenCL score. The 10 W TDP also indicates it is designed for power-constrained environments, fitting its IGP nature.

The R7 M460, on the other hand, offers the advantage of dedicated GDDR5 memory. With 2 GB of VRAM and a fixed 36.00 GB/s bandwidth, it does not compete with the host system for memory resources. This can be beneficial for graphics workloads that require consistent memory performance. Its PCIe 3.0 x8 interface also suggests it can be installed in a wider range of systems compared to the Vega’s integrated design.

For users prioritizing the highest OpenCL score, the R7 M460 is the safe choice given its 2.1% lead. For users who value newer architecture, lower power draw, and higher theoretical compute rates, the Vega 10 Mobile is arguably the more forward-looking option. The data shows both are end-of-life products, with the R7 M460 released in May 2016 and the Vega 10 Mobile in January 2019.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M460 | AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 5.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 210 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 730 MHz | 300 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1024 MHz | 1301 MHz |

| Memory Size | 2 GB GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 64 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 36.00 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 384 | 640 |

| TMUs | 24 | 40 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.192 GPixel/s | 10.41 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.58 GTexel/s | 52.04 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 786.4 GFLOPS | 1.665 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | 3.331 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | Not listed | 10 W |

| Slot Width | Not listed | IGP |

| Power Connectors | Not listed | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | IGP |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2019-01-07 |

| Predecessor | Solar System | GCN 3.0 IGP |

| Successor | Polaris Mobile | Navi II IGP |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only available head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and it shows a narrow victory for the R7 M460. The R7 M460 scores 6612 points against the Vega 10 Mobile’s 6476, yielding a delta of 2.1% in favor of the discrete GPU. This is the sole benchmark where both parts are directly compared, and the R7 M460 claims the win in this category.

Examining the rival context helps interpret this score. The R7 M460’s 6612 puts it 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581) and 0.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554), but 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 (6698). It also sits 1.5% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513). This places the R7 M460 in a tight cluster where performance differences between rivals are within a few percentage points.

The Vega 10 Mobile’s 6476 score is marginally lower. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M by 0.1% (6481) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M by 0.3% (6493), while sitting 0.6% behind the GTX 670M (6513). Interestingly, it is 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell (6407), a product with a vastly different positioning. The Vega’s percentile rank is 37 versus the R7 M460’s 38, confirming they occupy essentially the same performance tier.

The biggest wins for each side are not in the direct benchmark but in theoretical specifications. The Vega 10 Mobile’s FP32 throughput of 1.665 TFLOPS is 2.1x higher than the R7 M460’s 786.4 GFLOPS. Its FP16 output of 3.331 TFLOPS is 4.2x higher. The texture rate of 52.04 GTexel/s is 2.1x greater than the R7 M460’s 24.58 GTexel/s, and the pixel rate of 10.41 GPixel/s is 27% higher than the R7 M460’s 8.192 GPixel/s. These specification advantages, however, did not translate into a higher OpenCL score, suggesting that memory bandwidth and access patterns play a critical role in that benchmark. The R7 M460’s dedicated 36.00 GB/s GDDR5 bandwidth likely provides a more consistent memory pipeline than the Vega’s system-shared memory, which is described as System Dependent.