AMD Radeon RX 560 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 560 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M: the data shows a decisive generational gap. The RX 560 holds an average benchmark score of 4569 against the GTX 460M’s 4282, placing it in the 26th percentile of all GPUs compared to the 25th for the older NVIDIA part. In the single shared test available, Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 560 scores 16472 versus 4282, a 284.7% advantage. This is not a close contest; it is a comparison between a modern entry-level discrete card and a legacy mobile part from a different era.

The Verdict

From the benchmark data alone, the AMD Radeon RX 560 is the clear choice for anyone needing general-purpose compute or modern API support. Its 284.7% lead in Geekbench OpenCL over the GTX 460M is overwhelming, and its additional test results show a well-rounded performer across DirectX workloads. The RX 560 wins the only head-to-head benchmark and holds a 6.7% higher average score overall. The GTX 460M, by contrast, offers only one benchmark result and sits in the 25th percentile, essentially tied with the AMD Radeon Vega 3 in its nearest rival list. For legacy systems where a mobile Fermi part is the only option, the GTX 460M remains functional, but the data provides no scenario where it outperforms the RX 560. The verdict is simple: if both are available, the RX 560 is the superior part by every measurable metric.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 560 wins in every category where data exists. Its Passmark scores show strengths across the board: DirectX 9 at 57, DirectX 10 at 16, DirectX 11 at 25, and DirectX 12 at 21. The compute-oriented Passmark GPU Compute score is 1437, and the 2D score is 485. The GTX 460M has no corresponding Passmark results, so its only win condition is the absence of data—it cannot be compared on those tests. In the single shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 560’s 16472 dwarfs the GTX 460M’s 4282. The GTX 460M’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 with a deltaPct of -1.2%, which is a statistical artifact of averaging, not a real competitive position. The RX 560’s rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M at -1.3%, showing it trades blows with much higher-tier mobile parts. For use-case splits, the RX 560 is the pick for any modern DirectX 12 workload, OpenCL compute, or Vulkan application. The GTX 460M is only relevant for preserving a period-specific system where its MXM form factor and 50 W TDP are required.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is stark. The RX 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process, packing 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 24.4 million per square millimeter. The GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip on TSMC’s 40 nm process, with 1,170 million transistors spread across a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in just 4.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The RX 560 is built on GCN 4.0 architecture, supporting DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 460M is Fermi-based, supporting DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support. The RX 560 also offers 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 460M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with only 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 560 has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs; the GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The RX 560’s pixel rate is 20.40 GPixel/s and texture rate is 81.60 GTexel/s, versus 5.400 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s for the GTX 460M. FP32 performance is 2.611 TFLOPS for the RX 560, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1), while the GTX 460M manages 518.4 GFLOPS with no FP16 capability. The RX 560 also has a dual-slot form factor, no power connectors, and a 75 W TDP, while the GTX 460M is an MXM module with a 50 W TDP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 560 has 112.0 GB/s, which is 86.7% higher than the GTX 460M’s 60.00 GB/s, despite the GTX 460M having a wider 192-bit bus versus 128-bit.

Q: Does the GTX 460M support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 460M lists no Vulkan support in its API table, while the RX 560 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RX 560 achieves 24.4 million transistors per square millimeter on a 14 nm process, while the GTX 460M achieves 4.9 million per square millimeter on a 40 nm process—a five-fold difference in density.

Q: Which card has better DirectX 12 support?

A: The RX 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and scores 21 in Passmark DirectX 12. The GTX 460M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0), and has no Passmark DirectX 12 score.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 560 averages 4569 across nine benchmarks, while the GTX 460M averages 4282 from a single Geekbench OpenCL result. The RX 560 is 6.7% higher.

Q: What is the form factor difference?

A: The RX 560 is a dual-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GTX 460M is an MXM module with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is emphatic. The AMD Radeon RX 560 scores 16472, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282. This is a deltaPct of 284.7% in favor of the RX 560. To contextualize, the RX 560’s nearest rival in its own list is the AMD Radeon R5 M230 at -0.2% delta, meaning the RX 560 is essentially tied with that low-end part in average score. The GTX 460M’s nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W2100 at -0.3%, also a near tie. But in the actual test, the RX 560’s OpenCL score is nearly four times higher. Looking at other RX 560 benchmarks, its Passmark G3D score is 3671, which is far above the GTX 460M’s absent result. The RX 560’s Passmark GPU Compute score of 1437 further demonstrates its compute advantage. The GTX 460M has no such results, so the data cannot show any test where it wins. The RX 560 also outperforms in pixel throughput (20.40 GPixel/s vs 5.400 GPixel/s) and texture throughput (81.60 GTexel/s vs 21.60 GTexel/s). The verdict from the head-to-head is unambiguous: the RX 560 wins the only shared benchmark by a factor of 3.85, and every other specification point reinforces that lead.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The RX 560 uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries; the GTX 460M uses 40 nm from TSMC. Transistor count is 3,000 million versus 1,170 million, with die sizes of 123 mm² and 238 mm² respectively. Memory configuration diverges sharply: 4 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth for the RX 560, versus 1536 MB GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s for the GTX 460M. Shading units are 1024 against 192; TMUs are 64 against 32; ROPs are 16 against 24. The RX 560 has base and boost clocks of 1175 MHz and 1275 MHz, while the GTX 460M lists no base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective). The RX 560’s memory clock is 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). Pixel rate is 20.40 GPixel/s versus 5.400 GPixel/s; texture rate is 81.60 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 2.611 TFLOPS versus 518.4 GFLOPS, and the RX 560 also has FP16 at 2.611 TFLOPS, while the GTX 460M has no FP16. TDP is 75 W versus 50 W. The RX 560 uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface; the GTX 460M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the RX 560 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 460M is “Portable Device Dependent”. The RX 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 460M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and no Vulkan. Both support OpenGL 4.6. Release dates are 2017-04-17 for the RX 560 and 2010-09-02 for the GTX 460M. The RX 560 has a launch MSRP of 99 USD.