AMD Radeon R7 M460 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX230 Comparison

The AMD Radeon R7 M460 and NVIDIA GeForce MX230 are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions aimed at thin-and-light laptops, but the data shows they achieve their performance in fundamentally different ways. While the R7 M460 is the older part, built on a larger process node, it actually holds the performance edge in the single cross-platform benchmark available, whereas the MX230 counters with architectural modernity and a significantly lower power envelope. This analysis breaks down where each GPU wins, how their architectures diverge, and what the raw numbers mean for a potential user.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents a clear, albeit narrow, split in use cases. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 is the outright winner in raw compute performance as measured by Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 6612 places it 15.2% ahead of the MX230’s 5739 in the same test. This suggests that for any workload that leans heavily on general-purpose GPU compute or raw shader throughput—such as video encoding acceleration or certain productivity filters—the R7 M460 is the stronger option. Its percentile ranking of 38 versus the MX230’s 35 also reflects this slight overall performance advantage against the broader GPU landscape.

Conversely, the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 wins in the efficiency and feature-set arena. With a TDP of just 10 W, it is designed for sustained operation in ultra-thin chassis where thermal headroom is scarce. The R7 M460 has no listed TDP in the data, but its 28 nm process node and higher transistor count suggest a less efficient design. The MX230 is also the only one of the two with a Vulkan benchmark score (6414), which indicates a more robust modern API implementation. For users prioritizing longer battery life, cooler operation, and compatibility with the latest graphics APIs, the MX230 is the logical choice, even if its raw compute score is lower.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different design philosophies and generations. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 is built on the GCN 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It uses the Meso chip, which packs 1,550 million transistors into a 125 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.4 million per square millimeter. This is a larger, older chip that relies on a high number of shading units (384) to achieve its performance.

In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 is based on the Pascal architecture, manufactured by Samsung on a much more advanced 14 nm process. Its GP108 chip contains 1,800 million transistors—more than the AMD part—but fits them into a much smaller 74 mm² die, achieving a density of 24.3 million per square millimeter. This is a more modern and denser design. The MX230’s memory configuration is also superior: while both have 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, the NVIDIA part runs at 6 Gbps effective, yielding 48.06 GB/s of bandwidth compared to the R7 M460’s 36.00 GB/s. The MX230 also features 16 ROPs (double the AMD’s 8) and a higher pixel rate of 24.50 GPixel/s, which is crucial for fill-rate-bound scenarios like high-resolution textures.

Another key divergence is in API support. The MX230 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M460 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The MX230’s higher feature level (12_1 vs 12_0) and newer Vulkan version provide access to more advanced rendering techniques and better driver optimization for modern games. The MX230 is also an integrated-on-package part (IGP) with no power connectors, while the R7 M460 is a discrete chip, though both are mobile-oriented.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is a decisive win for the AMD Radeon R7 M460. The AMD part scores 6612, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 scores 5739. This represents a 15.2% delta in favor of the AMD solution. This is a substantial margin, indicating that in compute-heavy tasks, the R7 M460 is not just marginally faster but significantly more capable. The R7 M460’s advantage likely stems from its 384 shading units versus the MX230’s 256, which allows it to execute more parallel operations per clock cycle, even though its clock speeds are lower (1024 MHz boost vs 1531 MHz boost).

The MX230 does not win this benchmark, but it offers other data points. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 6414 is notably higher than its OpenCL score, suggesting that its Pascal architecture is better optimized for the Vulkan API. While this score cannot be directly compared to the AMD part (which lacks a Vulkan result), it demonstrates that the MX230 is highly capable in modern graphics workloads. The MX230’s pixel rate of 24.50 GPixel/s is exactly three times that of the R7 M460 (8.192 GPixel/s), which would give it a distinct advantage in rasterization-heavy tasks like gaming at high resolutions, even if its compute score lags.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 M460. It scores 6612 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 15.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce MX230’s score of 5739.

Q: Is the NVIDIA MX230 more power-efficient?

A: Yes. The MX230 has a rated TDP of just 10 W, while the R7 M460 has no listed TDP. The MX230 also uses a more advanced 14 nm process node compared to the R7 M460’s 28 nm node.

Q: Which GPU offers better memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX230. It provides 48.06 GB/s of bandwidth compared to the AMD Radeon R7 M460’s 36.00 GB/s, despite both using 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: Are these GPUs suitable for modern gaming APIs?

A: The MX230 has a slight edge. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The MX230 also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6414.

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

A: The R7 M460 is 0.5% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 7730M and 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M, but 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010. The MX230 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0% delta) and is 1% faster than the AMD Radeon 760M.

Q: What is the production status of these chips?

A: Both the AMD Radeon R7 M460 and the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 are listed as end-of-life products. The R7 M460 was released in May 2016, while the MX230 came later in February 2019.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights the key specifications where the two GPUs differ, based solely on the provided data.

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 M460 | NVIDIA GeForce MX230 |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | Pascal |

| Process Node | 28 nm (TSMC) | 14 nm (Samsung) |

| Transistors | 1,550 million | 1,800 million |

| Die Size | 125 mm² | 74 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.4M / mm² | 24.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 730 MHz | 1519 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1024 MHz | 1531 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) | 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 36.00 GB/s | 48.06 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 384 | 256 |

| TMUs | 24 | 16 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 8.192 GPixel/s | 24.50 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 24.58 GTexel/s | 24.50 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 786.4 GFLOPS | 783.9 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 786.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | 12.25 GFLOPS (1:64) |

| TDP | Not listed | 10 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x4 |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2016-05-14 | 2019-02-20 |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 6612 | 5739 |

| Geekbench Vulkan | Not available | 6414 |

| Avg Benchmark Score | 6612 | 6077 |

| Percentile (All GPUs) | 38 | 35 |