AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile represent two very different philosophies in GPU design: one is a discrete desktop card from 2010, the other a mobile integrated processor from 2019. The data shows a clear, if narrow, victory for the older discrete card in raw compute benchmarks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it yields a close contest. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 scores 7,925 points, while the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile scores 7,435 points. This gives the GTX 460 a 6.6% lead over the Vega 8 Mobile. While the older card wins, the margin is not overwhelming; it is a single-test victory, and the data shows the Vega 8 Mobile is competitive despite being an integrated solution.

Looking at the broader context, the GTX 460's score places it at the 41st percentile of all GPUs, just above the AMD's 39th percentile. The GTX 460's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M (7,906, a 0.2% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8,053, a -1.6% difference). The Vega 8 Mobile, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7,222, a -0.3% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7,171, a 0.4% difference). This suggests that while the GTX 460 is faster, both cards occupy a similar performance tier, with the Vega 8 Mobile trading blows with a slightly older mid-range discrete GPU.

It is importantly the Vega 8 Mobile has a second benchmark result, Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 6,970 points. No Vulkan score is available for the GTX 460, so a direct comparison on that API is impossible from the data. The lack of a Vulkan score for the GTX 460 is likely a consequence of its age, as its API support is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan listed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is vast, reflecting nearly a decade of GPU evolution. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is built on the Fermi architecture, using the GF104 chip, and is fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,950 million transistors onto a 332 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Raven-M chip, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a smaller 210 mm² die, resulting in a much higher density of 23.5 million per mm². This density difference is a direct result of the newer manufacturing process, allowing AMD to pack more than twice the transistors into a smaller area.

The compute configurations also differ sharply. The GTX 460 has 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, but only 32 TMUs and 8 ROPs. This is a classic trade-off: the integrated chip has more raw shader cores but fewer texture and pixel output units, which limits its fillrate capabilities. The pixel rate of the GTX 460 is 9.450 GPixel/s versus 8.808 GPixel/s for the Vega 8 Mobile, and the texture rate is 37.80 GTexel/s versus 35.23 GTexel/s. Despite having fewer shaders, the GTX 460's higher clock speeds compensate, resulting in a higher fillrate.

Memory architecture is another fundamental divider. The GTX 460 uses 768 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 86.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the integrated GPU's performance is heavily reliant on the system's RAM speed and configuration, a significant disadvantage in memory-intensive workloads. The GTX 460's dedicated memory provides predictable, high-bandwidth access, whereas the Vega 8 Mobile must contend with the system memory bus.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is faster, scoring 7,925 compared to the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile's 7,435, a 6.6% difference.

Q: How does the Vega 8 Mobile's integrated design affect its performance?

A: The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning its performance is tied to the system's RAM. This is in contrast to the GTX 460's dedicated 768 MB GDDR5 memory with 86.40 GB/s of bandwidth, which provides a fixed and higher bandwidth path.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 460 has a TDP of 160 W and requires a 450 W power supply with 2x 6-pin connectors. The Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of just 25 W and requires no external power connectors, as it is an integrated GPU (IGP).

Q: Does the Vega 8 Mobile support newer graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the Vega 8 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 460 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but its Vulkan support is listed as null.

Q: Which GPU has a higher theoretical compute throughput?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has a higher FP32 rate at 1,127.4 GFLOPS, compared to the GTX 460's 907.2 GFLOPS. The Vega 8 Mobile also supports FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature the GTX 460 lacks.

Q: What are the production statuses and release dates?

A: Both are end-of-life products. The GTX 460 was released on July 11, 2010, while the Vega 8 Mobile was released on January 7, 2019. The GTX 460 had a launch MSRP of 199 USD.

Specification Differences

The most glaring differences lie in their physical and memory configurations. The GTX 460 is a dual-slot, 210 mm (8.3 inches) long discrete card using PCIe 2.0 x16, requiring a 450 W PSU and 2x 6-pin power connectors. The Vega 8 Mobile is an IGP with no slot width, no dimensions, and no power connectors, integrated directly into a system with a bus interface listed simply as "IGP." Its display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," while the GTX 460 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

The process node is a major differentiator: 40 nm for NVIDIA versus 14 nm for AMD. This leads to a difference in transistor counts (1,950 million vs 4,940 million) and die sizes (332 mm² vs 210 mm²). The GTX 460 has a 192-bit memory bus with 768 MB GDDR5, while the Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory. The GTX 460's memory clock is 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective), whereas the Vega 8 Mobile's memory clock is simply "System Shared." The Vega 8 Mobile has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1101 MHz, while the GTX 460's base and boost clocks are not listed.

The core counts also diverge: 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs on the GTX 460 versus 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs on the Vega 8 Mobile. The GTX 460 has higher pixel and texture rates (9.450 GPixel/s and 37.80 GTexel/s) compared to the Vega 8 Mobile (8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s). Finally, the GTX 460's FP32 performance is lower at 907.2 GFLOPS versus 1,127.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8 Mobile, which also adds FP16 support.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins in the only head-to-head benchmark available, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 6.6%. It also has a superior memory subsystem with dedicated GDDR5 and higher bandwidth, which would likely benefit memory-intensive tasks like high-resolution texturing. Its higher pixel and texture rates suggest an advantage in traditional rasterization workloads where fillrate is the bottleneck. The GTX 460 also holds a slight edge in overall percentile ranking (41st vs 39th).

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins on raw compute throughput, with a higher FP32 rating (1,127.4 GFLOPS) and the inclusion of FP16 support. This suggests an advantage in compute-heavy applications that can leverage these features. It also supports newer APIs, including Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), which could provide better performance in modern titles that use these APIs. Its massive power efficiency advantage, with a 25 W TDP versus 160 W, makes it the clear winner for mobile or low-power environments. The Vega 8 Mobile's higher transistor density (23.5M / mm² vs 5.9M / mm²) also reflects a more modern and efficient design.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture. For a user looking for a dedicated, older discrete GPU with consistent memory bandwidth and a slight edge in the OpenCL benchmark, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is the pick. Its 6.6% lead in the head-to-head test is the only direct performance metric, and it wins that round. It also offers higher fillrates, which may translate to better performance in older or fillrate-bound games.

However, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is the more forward-looking choice. Its higher FP32 compute, FP16 support, and modern API set (Vulkan 1.3, DirectX 12_1) make it better suited for newer software. Its dramatically lower power draw (25 W vs 160 W) and integrated nature make it the only viable option for thin-and-light laptops. The fact that it comes within 6.6% of a discrete card from 2010, while using shared system memory and a fraction of the power, confirms architectural efficiency. The GTX 460 wins the benchmark, but the Vega 8 Mobile wins the argument for modern, efficient computing. Choose the GTX 460 if you need dedicated memory and a slight edge in the measured test; choose the Vega 8 Mobile if you need modern API support, compute capability, and power efficiency in a mobile form factor.