AMD Radeon R9 M275X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split decision. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X is the faster card in raw compute performance, leading by 28.1% in the only shared benchmark. Its average benchmark score of 10582 places it in the 49th percentile of all GPUs, which is meaningfully ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2's 44th percentile ranking.

However, the choice is not simply about speed. The AMD card is a mobile part, designed for laptops, while the NVIDIA card is a desktop card with a 160 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and dual 6-pin power connectors. The GTX 460 v2 also has a higher memory bandwidth of 96.19 GB/s compared to 72.00 GB/s, which can matter in certain workloads.

For users seeking pure compute performance in a portable form factor, the R9 M275X is the pick. For those building a desktop system with an older power supply and needing a card that slots into a standard PCIe 2.0 slot, the GTX 460 v2 is the more practical choice despite being slower. The data suggests the AMD card wins on performance, but the NVIDIA card wins on desktop compatibility and memory bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is substantial, reflecting nearly three years of GPU development. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X uses the Venus chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². This is a mobile-first design with a 128-bit memory bus and 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 uses the GF114 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 1,950 million transistors spread across a much larger 332 mm² die, giving a transistor density of just 5.9 million per mm². This is a desktop-oriented design with a 192-bit memory bus and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory.

The core configurations differ significantly. The AMD card has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The NVIDIA card has 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. Despite having fewer shading units, the NVIDIA card has more texture units and ROPs, which explains its higher texture rate of 43.62 GTexel/s compared to 37.00 GTexel/s for the AMD card.

In terms of feature support, the AMD card supports Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (11_1), while the NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The AMD card also uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the NVIDIA card uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon R9 M275X wins in the only head-to-head test available. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 11200 against the GTX 460 v2's 8743, a 28.1% advantage. This is a significant margin that suggests the AMD card is substantially better at general-purpose compute tasks, which often translate to better performance in physics simulations, video encoding, and other GPGPU workloads.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2, however, has advantages in memory bandwidth. Its 96.19 GB/s bandwidth versus 72.00 GB/s for the AMD card means it can move data faster, which can benefit memory-intensive workloads. It also has more texture units (56 versus 40) and more ROPs (24 versus 16), giving it a higher texture rate of 43.62 GTexel/s versus 37.00 GTexel/s, which may help in texture-heavy scenarios.

The GTX 460 v2 also has a higher pixel rate of 10.91 GPixel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s for the AMD card, though this is one area where the AMD card actually wins. The AMD card's 14.80 GPixel/s suggests it can handle higher resolutions and more complex pixel shading better. The GTX 460 v2 wins on raw bandwidth and fill-rate in some metrics, but the AMD card wins on overall compute throughput.

FAQ

Q: Which card performs better in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 11200 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 28.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2's score of 8743. This makes the AMD card the clear winner in compute performance.

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

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 72.00 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 96.19 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth despite less capacity.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 suitable for desktop use?

A: Yes, the GTX 460 v2 is a desktop card with a 160 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and 2x 6-pin power connectors. It also has a 450 W suggested PSU and measures 210 mm in length. It uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface and has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a display outputs.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R9 M275X support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the AMD card supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 has no Vulkan support listed. The AMD card also supports DirectX 12 (11_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_0) for the NVIDIA card.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between these cards?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X has a transistor density of 12.2M per mm² with 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 has a density of 5.9M per mm² with 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die. The AMD card is significantly denser due to its newer 28 nm process.

Q: How do these cards compare in overall benchmark percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 M275X sits in the 49th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 10582. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 sits in the 44th percentile with an average score of 8743.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between these two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisive. The AMD Radeon R9 M275X scores 11200, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 scores 8743. This gives the AMD card a 28.1% advantage, a substantial margin that places it in a different performance class.

To contextualize the AMD card's score, it sits just 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (which scores 10629) and 1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 550X (which scores 10481). It is also 1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (which scores 10690) and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (which scores 10761). This places the R9 M275X in a competitive position against much newer hardware.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2, by contrast, scores 8743, which is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8686, 0.7% delta). It trails the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8851, -1.2%) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8863, -1.4%) by small margins. This shows the GTX 460 v2 is competitive with entry-level modern cards, but it is clearly outpaced by the R9 M275X.

The 28.1% delta between the two cards is the single largest performance gap in the head-to-head data. No other comparison in the rival lists comes close to this margin. This suggests that the architectural advantages of the GCN 1.0 design, combined with the newer 28 nm process, give the AMD card a decisive edge in compute-heavy workloads.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification, reflecting their different target markets and generations.

| Specification | AMD Radeon R9 M275X | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Chip | Venus | GF114 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 332 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.2M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 72.00 GB/s | 96.19 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 336 |

| Texture Mapping Units | 40 | 56 |

| Raster Output Units | 16 | 24 |

| Pixel Rate | 14.80 GPixel/s | 10.91 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.00 GTexel/s | 43.62 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,184.0 GFLOPS | 1,046.3 GFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 160 W |

| Slot Width | Not listed | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

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

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

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2014-01-27 | 2011-09-23 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 199 USD |

The memory clock differs as well, with the AMD card running at 1125 MHz (4.5 Gbps effective) versus 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) for the NVIDIA card. The AMD card also has a base clock of 900 MHz with a boost of 925 MHz, while the NVIDIA card has no base or boost clock listed. These differences in clock speeds and core configurations explain the performance gap seen in the benchmark data.