AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

# The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M and AMD Radeon Vega 3 are separated by a razor-thin margin in raw compute performance. Their average benchmark scores sit at 4282 and 4268 respectively, a delta of just 0.3% in favor of the NVIDIA part. Both land at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, placing them in the same performance tier. The GTX 460M wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 4282 against 3963 — an 8% advantage. However, the Vega 3 counters with additional benchmark coverage: it posts 4880 in Geekbench Metal and 3961 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the GTX 460M has no recorded scores in those APIs. Pick the GTX 460M if you need discrete graphics with dedicated GDDR5 memory and higher raw OpenCL throughput. Pick the Vega 3 if you want a modern feature set, including Vulkan 1.3 support and DirectX 12_1, plus the flexibility of shared system memory. The data suggests the GTX 460M edges ahead in compute, but the Vega 3 offers broader API compatibility and a much newer foundation.

# Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is built on the Fermi architecture using the GF106 chip, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². The AMD Radeon Vega 3, by contrast, uses the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Picasso chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 23.5M per mm² — roughly 4.8 times denser than the Fermi part.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The GTX 460M features 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory, with size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as system-dependent. This means the Vega 3's memory performance varies with the host system's RAM configuration, while the GTX 460M has fixed, dedicated bandwidth. The GTX 460M also operates its memory at 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective), while the Vega 3 has no fixed memory clock.

Shading unit counts are identical at 192, but other fixed-function hardware differs. The GTX 460M has 32 texture mapping units and 24 raster operation pipelines, while the Vega 3 has just 12 TMUs and 4 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 4.400 GPixel/s for AMD, and a texture rate of 21.60 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s. The Vega 3's clock behavior is also different: it runs at a 300 MHz base with a 1100 MHz boost, while the GTX 460M has no listed base or boost clocks. In FP32 compute, the GTX 460M reaches 518.4 GFLOPS, while the Vega 3 produces 422.4 GFLOPS — but the Vega 3 also supports FP16 at 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1 ratio), a feature the Fermi part lacks entirely.

API support tells a story of generational progress. The Vega 3 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 460M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed. Power consumption differs dramatically: the GTX 460M draws 50 W as an MXM module, while the Vega 3 is an IGP with a 15 W TDP. The Vega 3 also integrates into a larger Picasso die that includes the CPU, explaining its much higher transistor count despite a similar physical footprint.

# FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 on average, while the AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 4268. The difference is 0.3%, effectively a tie, with both sitting at the 25th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: How do the two compare in the only shared benchmark test?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 460M scores 4282 versus 3963 for the Vega 3, giving NVIDIA an 8% win. This is the only head-to-head benchmark recorded between the two.

Q: What API features does the Vega 3 offer that the GTX 460M lacks?

A: The Vega 3 supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), whereas the GTX 460M has no Vulkan support and only DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: How do memory configurations differ?

A: The GTX 460M has 1536 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory, with all memory parameters dependent on the host system.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GTX 460M has a 50 W TDP and uses an MXM module form factor. The Vega 3 is an integrated GPU with a 15 W TDP and an IGP form factor, consuming 35 W less.

Q: Which GPU has better texture and pixel throughput?

A: The GTX 460M leads with 21.60 GTexel/s and 5.400 GPixel/s, compared to 13.20 GTexel/s and 4.400 GPixel/s for the Vega 3. This stems from the NVIDIA part's 32 TMUs and 24 ROPs versus 12 TMUs and 4 ROPs.

# Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |

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

| Architecture | Fermi | GCN 5.0 |

| Chip | GF106 | Picasso |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 1,170 million | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | 238 mm² | 210 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 4.9M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 300 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1100 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective) | System Shared |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 60.00 GB/s | System Dependent |

| TMUs | 32 | 12 |

| ROPs | 24 | 4 |

| Pixel Rate | 5.400 GPixel/s | 4.400 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 13.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 518.4 GFLOPS | 422.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not listed | 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | IGP |

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

| Vulkan Support | Not listed | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2010-09-02 | 2019-11-19 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 300M | GCN 3.0 IGP |

| Successor | GeForce 500M | Vega II IGP |

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison between these two GPUs is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M posts a score of 4282 against the AMD Radeon Vega 3's 3963. That is an 8% advantage for NVIDIA, and it aligns with the architectural strengths of the Fermi part. The GTX 460M's dedicated 60.00 GB/s of GDDR5 bandwidth, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs give it clear throughput advantages in texture-heavy and pixel-bound workloads. Its FP32 output of 518.4 GFLOPS exceeds the Vega 3's 422.4 GFLOPS by roughly 23%, which helps explain the OpenCL gap.

However, the benchmark picture is incomplete without the Vega 3's additional scores. The Vega 3 records 4880 in Geekbench Metal and 3961 in Geekbench Vulkan. These tests are not available for the GTX 460M, which lacks Vulkan support entirely and has no Metal result listed. The Metal score of 4880 is notably higher than the GTX 460M's OpenCL result of 4282, suggesting that on Apple-oriented compute workloads, the Vega 3 could outperform the NVIDIA part. The Vulkan score of 3961 is close to the Vega 3's OpenCL result, indicating consistent performance across modern APIs.

Looking at the nearest rival data, the two GPUs are bracketed by the same competitors. The AMD FirePro W2100 scores 4295, which is 0.3% above the GTX 460M and 0.6% above the Vega 3. The NVIDIA Quadro K3000M scores 4241, which is 1% below the GTX 460M and 0.6% below the Vega 3. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 appears in both rivals lists with a score of 4335, sitting 1.2% above the GTX 460M and 1.5% above the Vega 3. This tight clustering — a spread of just 94 points between the lowest and highest scores — reinforces that all four GPUs occupy the same performance neighborhood despite their wildly different architectures and release dates.

In raw compute, the GTX 460M wins the only direct contest. But the Vega 3's newer architecture brings features that matter for modern workloads: Vulkan 1.3, DirectX 12_1, FP16 support at 844.8 GFLOPS, and a dramatically lower 15 W TDP versus 50 W. The GTX 460M's advantages are concentrated in fixed-function throughput — its pixel rate is 5.400 GPixel/s versus 4.400 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 21.60 GTexel/s versus 13.20 GTexel/s. The Vega 3 counters with higher clock headroom (boost up to 1100 MHz versus no listed boost for NVIDIA) and a 4.8x higher transistor density thanks to its 12 nm process. The data suggests a nuanced verdict: the GTX 460M is the stronger pure compute chip in OpenCL, but the Vega 3 is the more versatile and efficient solution for a modern system.