AMD Radeon R7 M460 vs NVIDIA Quadro K4100M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded for both GPUs is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9149, while the AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612. That places the Quadro 38.4% ahead in this compute-oriented test, a substantial margin that reflects the fundamental differences between these two mobile graphics solutions.

Looking at the broader database context, the Quadro K4100M's average benchmark score of 7906 places it in the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 at 7925, a mere 0.2% difference, and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 at 8039, which is 1.7% ahead. The GeForce GTX 880M sits at 8040, also 1.7% ahead, while the GeForce GTX 650 Ti at 8053 leads by 1.8%. These tight margins suggest the K4100M is firmly positioned in a competitive mid-range cluster, where small architectural differences translate into single-digit percentage swings.

The Radeon R7 M460, by contrast, averages 6612 and sits in the 38th percentile. Its nearest rival list shows it nearly matching the AMD Radeon HD 7730M at 6581, a 0.5% advantage for the M460, and edging out the Intel UHD Graphics P750 at 6554 by 0.9%. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 at 6698 is 1.3% ahead, while the GeForce GTX 670M at 6513 trails the M460 by 1.5%. The R7 M460's position is less consolidated, with competitors on both sides separated by roughly one to two percent, indicating a more scattered performance neighborhood.

The head-to-head delta of 38.4% is not a marginal victory; it is a generational and architectural gap. In the OpenCL workload, the Quadro delivers compute throughput that the AMD part cannot approach. The data shows no reverse scenario: the R7 M460 has zero wins in the recorded head-to-head benchmarks. Every measurable contest that exists in the database favors the NVIDIA part.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M wins in raw compute performance, as evidenced by the Geekbench OpenCL score. This matters for workloads that offload parallel processing to the GPU, such as scientific simulations, rendering tasks, or any application leveraging OpenCL acceleration. The 38.4% lead over the R7 M460 is consistent across the entire recorded benchmark set, meaning there is no workload category in the database where the AMD part closes the gap.

The AMD Radeon R7 M460, based on the available data, does not win any recorded benchmark against the Quadro. However, its position in the percentile rankings and its rival comparisons suggest it occupies a lower performance tier. The R7 M460's nearest rival data shows it competitive with older mid-range parts like the GeForce GTX 670M, which it leads by 1.5%, and the HD 7730M, which it beats by 0.5%. These are narrow margins, indicating the M460 is best suited for light to moderate graphics workloads rather than demanding compute tasks.

The use-case split is therefore clear: the Quadro K4100M is the choice for any application where OpenCL throughput is a bottleneck, while the R7 M460 would be adequate for basic 3D acceleration, video playback, or light productivity tasks. The database offers no evidence that the R7 M460 excels in any particular discipline, as its single recorded benchmark places it firmly behind the Quadro.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial and explains the performance delta. The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M uses the GK104 chip, built on the Kepler architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The die contains 3,540 million transistors across 294 mm², yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon R7 M460 uses the Meso chip, based on the GCN 3.0 architecture, also on TSMC's 28 nm node. Its die is far smaller at 125 mm², with 1,550 million transistors and a slightly higher density of 12.4 million per square millimeter.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The Quadro fields 1,152 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. The R7 M460 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. That is a 3x difference in shading units, a 4x difference in texture units, and a 4x difference in ROPs. These ratios align with the 38.4% benchmark gap, though the raw hardware disparity suggests the performance difference could be even larger in certain workloads.

Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story. The Quadro runs at a flat 706 MHz for both base and boost, with memory at 800 MHz or 3.2 Gbps effective. The R7 M460 has a base clock of 730 MHz, boosting to 1024 MHz, with memory at 1125 MHz or 4.5 Gbps effective. The AMD part clocks higher, particularly in boost, but its narrower memory bus and fewer compute units cannot compensate for the Quadro's wider architecture.

Memory configuration is another major differentiator. The Quadro carries 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The R7 M460 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, yielding just 36.00 GB/s. The Quadro offers nearly 3x the memory bandwidth, a critical factor for texture-heavy scenes or large datasets. The R7 M460's higher memory clock partially offsets its narrow bus, but not enough to close the bandwidth gap.

The two GPUs also differ in interface and power characteristics. The Quadro uses an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface and is a 100 W TDP MXM Module with no power connectors, designed for mobile workstations. The R7 M460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8 and has no recorded TDP or power connector information. The Quadro's higher power budget is consistent with its larger die and greater compute throughput.

Feature support shows a different kind of competition. The Quadro supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The AMD part has a higher DirectX feature level, 12_0 versus 11_0, which could matter for certain modern games or applications that require that specific feature tier. The Vulkan versions are nearly identical, differing only in the patch number.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro K4100M scores 9149 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon R7 M460 scores 6612. The Quadro is 38.4% ahead in this single recorded head-to-head benchmark.

Q: How does the Radeon R7 M460 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The R7 M460 averages 6612, placing it 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7730M, 0.9% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics P750, 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010, and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The Quadro K4100M has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The R7 M460 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 36.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do the two GPUs support different DirectX versions?

A: Yes. The Quadro K4100M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Radeon R7 M460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The AMD part has a higher feature level.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The Quadro K4100M has 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The R7 M460 has 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Quadro K4100M has 1,152 shading units, compared to 384 on the R7 M460. The Quadro has exactly three times as many.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M is the superior GPU in every recorded benchmark. Its 38.4% lead in OpenCL is corroborated by a hardware configuration that dominates in shading units, TMUs, ROPs, memory bus width, and bandwidth. The Quadro's 41st percentile ranking versus the R7 M460's 38th percentile, while both are mid-pack, masks the fact that the Quadro's nearest rivals are all within 2% of its score, whereas the M460's rivals are a mix of parts both above and below it.

For users seeking compute performance in a mobile workstation form factor, the Quadro K4100M is the clear choice. Its 4 GB frame buffer and 256-bit memory interface make it suitable for larger workloads than the 2 GB, 64-bit R7 M460 can handle. The Quadro's 100 W TDP, while higher than the unrecorded TDP of the R7 M460, is consistent with its greater capabilities.

The R7 M460 is not without merit in specific contexts. Its DirectX 12 (12_0) support is a full feature level above the Quadro's 11_0, which could be relevant for applications that mandate that tier. Its boost clock of 1024 MHz is notably higher than the Quadro's flat 706 MHz, and its transistor density is slightly better at 12.4 million per square millimeter versus 12.0 million. However, these advantages do not translate into benchmark victories in the recorded data.

The verdict is straightforward: professionals and power users should select the Quadro K4100M. The R7 M460 is a lighter-duty part that, based on the database, cannot match the Quadro in any measured performance category.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA Quadro K4100M | AMD Radeon R7 M460 |

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

| Chip | GK104 | Meso |

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 3.0 |

| Transistors | 3,540 million | 1,550 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 125 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.0M / mm² | 12.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 706 MHz | 730 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 706 MHz | 1024 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 800 MHz (3.2 Gbps) | 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 102.4 GB/s | 36.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1152 | 384 |

| TMUs | 96 | 24 |

| ROPs | 32 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 16.94 GPixel/s | 8.192 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 67.78 GTexel/s | 24.58 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.627 TFLOPS | 786.4 GFLOPS |

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

| TDP | 100 W | Not recorded |

| Bus Interface | MXM-B (3.0) | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

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

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2013-07-22 | 2016-05-14 |

| Predecessor | Quadro Fermi-M | Solar System |

| Successor | Quadro Maxwell-M | Polaris Mobile |

| Launch MSRP | 1,499 USD | Not recorded |

The specification table reveals a pattern of trade-offs. The Quadro dominates in raw compute resources and memory subsystem, while the R7 M460 counters with higher clocks, a newer release date, and a superior DirectX feature level. The Quadro's launch MSRP of 1,499 USD reflects its workstation positioning, while the R7 M460 has no recorded launch price. The release dates, three years apart, explain some of the architectural differences, but the benchmark data shows that newer does not automatically mean faster in this comparison.