AMD Radeon R7 M460 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

In the recorded Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 delivers a score of 7925, while the AMD Radeon R7 M460 reaches 6612. This gives the GTX 460 a decisive 19.9% advantage, the only head-to-head test in the database. The margin is substantial, not a narrow edge, and it places the two GPUs in different competitive tiers despite their similar naming conventions.

The GTX 460's score of 7925 puts it at the 41st percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the rankings are the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M at 7906, which trails by a marginal 0.2%, and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 at 8039, which leads by 1.4%. The GTX 460 also sits just behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8040, 1.4% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8053, 1.6% ahead). These narrow deltas indicate that the GTX 460 is positioned in a tightly contested performance cluster, where a few percentage points separate it from several competing desktop and mobile parts.

The AMD Radeon R7 M460, with its 6612 score, holds the 38th percentile. Its closest competitors are the AMD Radeon HD 7730M at 6581 (just 0.5% behind), the Intel UHD Graphics P750 at 6554 (0.9% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M at 6513 (1.5% behind). On the other side, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 scores 6698, which is 1.3% ahead of the R7 M460. The R7 M460 therefore sits in a lower-performing bracket, but one that is similarly dense with competing products.

The 19.9% delta between the two reviewed cards is far larger than any delta between either card and its nearest rivals. This suggests that the architectural and specification differences between the GTX 460 and the R7 M460 create a clear hierarchy, with the older NVIDIA part holding a firm lead in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design philosophies and manufacturing eras. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is built on the Fermi architecture, specifically the GF104 chip, using a 40 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 uses the GCN 3.0 architecture with the Meso chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 28 nm allows for higher transistor density at 12.4 million transistors per square millimeter, compared to 5.9 million for the 40 nm GTX 460.

Transistor counts tell an interesting story. The GTX 460 packs 1,950 million transistors onto a 332 mm² die, while the R7 M460 has 1,550 million transistors on a much smaller 125 mm² die. Despite having fewer transistors, the R7 M460 achieves a higher density due to the smaller process node. The GTX 460's larger die and older process explain its higher power draw and dual-slot cooler requirement.

Compute resources differ markedly. The GTX 460 has 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operations pipelines. The R7 M460 counters with 384 shading units, but only 24 TMUs and 8 ROPs. The higher shading unit count on the AMD card does not translate into a compute win, as the GTX 460's Fermi architecture extracts more throughput per unit in the OpenCL workload.

Memory subsystems are a major differentiator. The GTX 460 uses 768 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 86.40 GB/s. The R7 M460 has 2 GB of GDDR5, but on a narrow 64-bit bus, resulting in only 36.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 460 more than doubles the memory bandwidth, which is a critical factor in compute workloads that rely on data movement. The R7 M460's larger capacity is offset by its much lower bandwidth, and the benchmark results reflect this tradeoff.

Clock speeds favor the AMD card. The R7 M460 has a base clock of 730 MHz and a boost clock of 1024 MHz, while the GTX 460's base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database. Memory clocks also differ: the R7 M460 runs at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective), while the GTX 460 runs at 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective). The GTX 460 compensates with a wider bus and higher overall bandwidth.

Theoretical rates show the GTX 460 ahead in pixel and texture processing. It achieves 9.450 GPixel/s and 37.80 GTexel/s, versus the R7 M460's 8.192 GPixel/s and 24.58 GTexel/s. In raw FP32 compute, the GTX 460 delivers 907.2 GFLOPS, while the R7 M460 provides 786.4 GFLOPS. The AMD card also lists FP16 performance at 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), a capability not recorded for the GTX 460.

Feature support differs on the API front. The GTX 460 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support recorded. The R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD card has a more modern feature set, particularly with Vulkan support, which could matter in newer titles that leverage that API.

The bus interface differs as well: the GTX 460 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The newer PCIe 3.0 standard offers higher per-lane bandwidth, but the x8 width limits total throughput compared to a full x16 link.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins in every recorded benchmark, taking the single head-to-head test with a 19.9% margin. Its advantages are rooted in memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 compute. For workloads that stress raw throughput, such as OpenCL compute tasks, the GTX 460 is the stronger choice.

The AMD Radeon R7 M460 does not win any recorded benchmark against the GTX 460. However, the data shows areas where it holds qualitative advantages. It has a smaller die (125 mm² versus 332 mm²), which suggests lower manufacturing costs and potentially easier integration into compact systems. It also has a lower recorded process node (28 nm versus 40 nm), which typically translates to better efficiency per transistor. The R7 M460 offers 2 GB of memory versus 768 MB, which could be an advantage in workloads that require larger framebuffers or data sets, even if the bandwidth is lower.

The R7 M460 also supports more modern APIs, including Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the GTX 460 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan. For software that relies on Vulkan, the AMD card is the only option between the two. The GTX 460's display outputs are recorded as 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the R7 M460 has no display outputs listed, indicating it may be designed for mobile or embedded use without direct video connections.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU scores higher in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 scores 7925, which is 19.9% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 M460's 6612.

Q: How does the GTX 460 compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The GTX 460 sits within 1.6% of the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M, Quadro P5000, GeForce GTX 880M, and GeForce GTX 650 Ti. It leads the Quadro K4100M by 0.2% and trails the other three by 1.4% to 1.6%.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth differences between the two cards?

A: The GTX 460 has a 192-bit bus with 86.40 GB/s bandwidth, while the R7 M460 has a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s. The GTX 460 provides more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Does the R7 M460 have any API advantages over the GTX 460?

A: Yes, the R7 M460 supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0), while the GTX 460 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan support recorded.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M460 has a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter on a 28 nm process, versus 5.9 million per square millimeter for the GTX 460 on a 40 nm process.

Q: What is the FP32 compute output for each card?

A: The GTX 460 delivers 907.2 GFLOPS, while the R7 M460 delivers 786.4 GFLOPS. The GTX 460 is ahead by roughly 15% in this metric.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 | AMD Radeon R7 M460 |

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

| Architecture | Fermi | GCN 3.0 |

| Chip | GF104 | Meso |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,950 million | 1,550 million |

| Die Size | 332 mm² | 125 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.9M / mm² | 12.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not recorded | 730 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not recorded | 1024 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective) | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 768 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 86.40 GB/s | 36.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 336 | 384 |

| TMUs | 56 | 24 |

| ROPs | 24 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 9.450 GPixel/s | 8.192 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.80 GTexel/s | 24.58 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 907.2 GFLOPS | 786.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not recorded | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 160 W | Not recorded |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Not recorded |

| Power Connectors | 2x 6-pin | Not recorded |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | Not recorded |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | Not recorded |

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

| OpenGL Support | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | Not recorded | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2010-07-11 | 2016-05-14 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 200 | Solar System |

| Successor | GeForce 500 | Polaris Mobile |

| Launch MSRP | 199 USD | Not recorded |

The Verdict

The data points clearly in one direction for compute workloads. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins the sole head-to-head benchmark by 19.9%, and it holds advantages in memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput. Its 86.40 GB/s of bandwidth is a decisive factor, nearly 2.4 times that of the AMD Radeon R7 M460. For anyone running OpenCL compute tasks, the GTX 460 is the stronger performer.

The AMD Radeon R7 M460 is not without merit. Its 28 nm process node and smaller die indicate a more modern manufacturing approach, and its 2 GB of memory doubles the GTX 460's 768 MB capacity. It also supports Vulkan and a newer DirectX feature level, which matters for software that relies on those APIs. These attributes make it a reasonable choice for modern workloads that favor API compatibility and larger memory pools over raw bandwidth.

However, the benchmark database records only one win for the GTX 460 and zero for the R7 M460. The performance gap is not marginal; it is a clear 19.9% difference. Users who prioritize compute performance should select the GTX 460. Users who need Vulkan support, larger memory capacity, or a more power-efficient design based on the smaller process node should consider the R7 M460, despite its lower benchmark score. The GTX 460 also carries a recorded launch MSRP of 199 USD, while the R7 M460 has no launch MSRP in the database, which may reflect its mobile-oriented positioning.