Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE in OpenCL performance?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 scores 9,082 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6,389. This gives the Intel part a 42.2% advantage in the only benchmark where both are measured.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 achieves 9.000 GPixel/s, which is higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE's 7.800 GPixel/s. The Intel part also leads in texture rate at 72.00 GTexel/s versus 31.20 GTexel/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 has an average benchmark score of 7,170, placing it in the 39th percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has an average score of 6,389, putting it in the 37th percentile.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. Both the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE are marked as end-of-life in the database.

Q: What is the difference in transistor density between the two chips?

A: The Intel chip, built on a 14 nm+ process, does not have a published transistor count or die size in the database. The NVIDIA GF104 chip contains 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, resulting in a density of 5.9M per mm².

Q: Does the NVIDIA card support Vulkan?

A: The database does not list a Vulkan version for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 supports Vulkan 1.3, while both GPUs support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is built on Intel's Generation 9.0 architecture, using the Skylake GT4e chip manufactured on a 14 nm+ process at Intel's own foundry. It belongs to the HD Graphics-W (Skylake) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE uses the Fermi architecture with the GF104 chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process. This is a significant process gap, with Intel's node being considerably more advanced.

The memory subsystem differs fundamentally. The Intel part uses system shared memory, meaning its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The NVIDIA card has dedicated memory: 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 108.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This dedicated memory gives the GTX 460 SE a deterministic memory performance profile, whereas the Intel IGP depends entirely on the host system's memory configuration.

Compute resources show a notable split. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 has 576 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 9 ROPs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This means Intel packs more shader and texture hardware, while NVIDIA has more than triple the ROP count, which affects rasterization throughput.

Clock behavior also differs. The Intel GPU has a base clock of 350 MHz and a boost clock of 1000 MHz. The NVIDIA card does not have base or boost clock values listed in the database, but its memory runs at 850 MHz with 3.4 Gbps effective speed. The Intel part's memory clock is "System Shared," so no standalone frequency is recorded.

Power and physical design separate these products sharply. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is an integrated GPU (IGP) with a 15 W TDP and a Ring Bus interface, meaning it requires no power connectors and fits no expansion slot. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE is a dual-slot discrete card with a 150 W TDP, requiring two 6-pin power connectors and a suggested 450 W power supply. The NVIDIA card measures 210 mm (8.3 inches) in length. Display outputs are motherboard dependent for the Intel part, while the NVIDIA card offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

The API feature sets differ in Vulkan support. The Intel part lists Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA card has no Vulkan entry. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the DirectX version differs: Intel lists 12 (12_1), while NVIDIA lists 12 (11_0).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 scores 9,082, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE scores 6,389. This yields a 42.2% delta in favor of the Intel part, which wins the only direct comparison. The Intel GPU's average benchmark score of 7,170 also exceeds the NVIDIA card's 6,389 by a margin of roughly 12.2%.

Context from the nearest rivals helps interpret these scores. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE, which averages 7,171, a 0% delta. It also tracks closely with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 (7,157, 0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7,203, -0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7,222, -0.7% delta). This places the Intel IGP in a competitive band with older midrange discrete cards, despite being an integrated solution.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE has a different competitive context. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M, which also averages 6,389, a 0% delta. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell averages 6,407, a -0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 averages 6,330, a 0.9% delta, and the AMD Radeon R7 M350 averages 6,327, a 1% delta. These are all within a narrow range, indicating the GTX 460 SE performs consistently with these other cards.

The raw specification deltas support the OpenCL result. The Intel GPU delivers 1,152.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA card delivers 748.8 GFLOPS, a 53.8% raw compute advantage for Intel. The Intel part also produces 72.00 GTexel/s versus 31.20 GTexel/s, a 130.8% texture rate lead. The pixel rate is closer: 9.000 GPixel/s for Intel versus 7.800 GPixel/s for NVIDIA, a 15.4% Intel advantage.

The NVIDIA card does not list an FP16 figure, while the Intel GPU lists 2.304 TFLOPS FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, indicating half-rate FP16 relative to FP32. This is not measured in the benchmark comparison but reflects architectural capability.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE |

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

| Architecture | Generation 9.0 | Fermi |

| Process Node | 14 nm+ | 40 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not listed | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | Not listed | 332 mm² |

| Transistor Density | Not listed | 5.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 350 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1000 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | System Shared | 850 MHz / 3.4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 108.8 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 576 | 288 |

| TMUs | 72 | 48 |

| ROPs | 9 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 9.000 GPixel/s | 7.800 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 72.00 GTexel/s | 31.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,152.0 GFLOPS | 748.8 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 2.304 TFLOPS (2:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | 15 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | Ring Bus | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

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

| Vulkan | 1.3 | Not listed |

| Length | Not listed | 210 mm / 8.3 inches |

| Release Date | 2015-08-31 | 2010-11-14 |

| Predecessor | Not listed | GeForce 200 |

| Successor | Not listed | GeForce 500 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 160 USD |

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 in raw compute and measured performance. Its 42.2% OpenCL advantage over the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE is substantial, and its average benchmark score of 7,170 versus 6,389 reinforces that lead. The Intel part also offers higher pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput, all while consuming only 15 W compared to 150 W.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE retains advantages in dedicated memory and rasterization resources. Its 1024 MB GDDR5 frame buffer with 108.8 GB/s bandwidth provides a fixed memory performance envelope that the Intel IGP cannot match, since the latter depends on system memory. The NVIDIA card's 32 ROPs versus 9 ROPs indicates stronger fill-rate capacity for certain rendering workloads, despite the lower overall pixel rate figure.

Architecturally, the Intel part benefits from a much newer process node (14 nm+ versus 40 nm) and a later release date (2015 versus 2010). The NVIDIA card's Fermi architecture is from an earlier generation, and its lack of Vulkan support in the database limits its modern API compatibility. The Intel IGP supports Vulkan 1.3, making it more future-proof for contemporary applications.

For users with no discrete GPU slot or power budget, the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is the clear choice from the data. It delivers superior compute scores and higher throughput metrics in every measured category except ROP count. Its 39th percentile ranking versus the NVIDIA card's 37th percentile also reflects a higher standing in the overall GPU distribution.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE makes sense only for scenarios requiring its dedicated 1024 MB GDDR5 memory and dual-slot discrete form factor. Its 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate a system with adequate power delivery. The card's 160 USD launch MSRP places it as a midrange discrete option from its era, though the database does not indicate ongoing availability or pricing.

The database records one win for the Intel part and zero for the NVIDIA card in head-to-head benchmarks. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 is the recommended component based on recorded measurements, with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE remaining a legacy option with specific memory and rasterization characteristics.