NVIDIA GeForce 830M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M and the NVIDIA GeForce 830M are two mobile graphics processors from different eras of NVIDIA's lineup. The data shows a close contest in raw compute benchmarks, but significant divergences in architecture, memory configuration, and feature support. This analysis breaks down how these two end-of-life mobile GPUs compare based strictly on the provided benchmark and specification data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is remarkably tight. The GeForce 830M scores 4324 points, while the GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 points. This gives the 830M a narrow 1% lead, a difference of just 42 points. While the 830M is the nominal winner, the performance delta is within a margin that could be considered negligible for real-world applications.

Looking at the broader context, both GPUs sit in a similar performance tier. The GTX 460M's score of 4282 places it at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, while the 830M's OpenCL score of 4324 places it at the 24th percentile. The average benchmark score for the 830M, however, is lower at 3957, dragged down by its Vulkan score of 3590, which the GTX 460M does not have data for. This suggests that while the 830M has a slight edge in pure compute, its overall average performance is lower when other API workloads are considered.

The nearest rival data reinforces this picture of parity. The GTX 460M's closest competitor is the AMD FirePro W2100, which scores 4295, a mere 0.3% higher. It also sits just 0.3% above the AMD Radeon Vega 3 and 1% above the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M. Interestingly, it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 by 1.2%, a signal of how close the scores are in this specific benchmark.

For the 830M, the competition is similarly clustered. It scores exactly 0% different from the AMD Radeon R5 M420, 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M, and 0.2% below the NVIDIA Quadro K2000. The data indicates that in the Geekbench OpenCL test, both the GTX 460M and the 830M are essentially performance peers, trading blows with a wide range of other low-end and older GPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent distinct architectural generations from NVIDIA. The GTX 460M is built on the Fermi architecture, utilizing the GF106 chip, while the 830M is based on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM108 chip. This generational leap is reflected in their manufacturing processes. The GTX 460M is fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC, while the 830M uses a more advanced 28 nm process, also from TSMC.

The transistor counts and die sizes tell a story of efficiency. The GTX 460M packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 4.9M / mm². In contrast, the 830M has slightly fewer transistors at 1,020 million, but crams them into a much smaller 77 mm² die, achieving a far higher density of 13.2M / mm². This indicates the 830M's architecture is significantly more efficient in terms of space and power.

The core configurations also differ substantially. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster output units (ROPs). The 830M, despite having fewer TMUs and ROPs, boasts a higher count of shading units at 256. This is a key architectural shift, with Maxwell favoring a wider array of simpler compute cores. The GTX 460M's clock speeds are listed only for memory, while the 830M has a base clock of 1082 MHz and a boost clock of 1150 MHz. The 830M's higher core count and clocks contribute to its higher FP32 performance of 588.8 GFLOPS, compared to the GTX 460M's 518.4 GFLOPS.

Memory architectures are a major point of divergence. The GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s. The 830M, on the other hand, uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a much narrower 64-bit bus, resulting in a bandwidth of only 14.40 GB/s. This is a massive difference, with the GTX 460M offering over four times the memory bandwidth. This could significantly impact performance in memory-intensive tasks, even if the 830M has a raw compute advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher raw compute performance in OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 830M has a slight edge, scoring 4324 in the Geekbench OpenCL test compared to the GTX 460M's 4282, a difference of 1%.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 460M's score is within 1% of several rivals, including the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295) and the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268). The 830M is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M (3953) in its average score.

Q: What are the key differences in their memory systems?

A: The GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the 830M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 64-bit bus with only 14.40 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 460M has significantly higher memory bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient based on the data?

A: The GeForce 830M has a lower TDP of 33 W compared to the GTX 460M's 50 W. The 830M also uses a more advanced 28 nm process with a much smaller die size of 77 mm².

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two GPUs?

A: The GTX 460M is based on NVIDIA's Fermi architecture, while the 830M is based on the Maxwell architecture.

Q: Does the GeForce 830M support any APIs that the GTX 460M does not?

A: Yes, the 830M lists support for Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 460M does not have a Vulkan version listed. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a picture of two GPUs that are very close in overall compute capability, with the choice between them depending on specific workload priorities. In the single available head-to-head test, the GeForce 830M wins by a single percentage point in OpenCL performance. Its architecture is also more modern and efficient, with a lower TDP of 33 W versus 50 W, a smaller die size, and a more advanced 28 nm process.

However, the GTX 460M holds a massive advantage in memory bandwidth. Its GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the 830M's 14.40 GB/s from its narrow 64-bit DDR3 interface. For tasks that are heavily bandwidth-dependent, the GTX 460M would likely be the stronger performer, despite its lower shading unit count and older architecture.

For a user prioritizing general compute performance, efficiency, and modern API support like Vulkan, the GeForce 830M is the clear choice based on its higher OpenCL score, lower power draw, and newer feature set. For a user whose applications are sensitive to memory bandwidth, the GTX 460M's specification sheet suggests it could hold an edge, but the lack of a direct benchmark in this data makes that a qualitative assessment. The data ultimately shows a narrow victory for the 830M in the single benchmark, but the GTX 460M remains competitive due to its superior memory subsystem.

Specification Differences

This section outlines the key specifications where the two GPUs differ, based solely on the provided data.

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M | NVIDIA GeForce 830M |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| Architecture | Fermi | Maxwell |

| Chip | GF106 | GM108 |

| Generation | GeForce 400M | GeForce 800M |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,170 million | 1,020 million |

| Die Size | 238 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 4.9M / mm² | 13.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 1082 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1150 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 625 MHz / 2.5 Gbps effective | 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective |

| Memory Size | 1536 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 60.00 GB/s | 14.40 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 192 | 256 |

| TMUs | 32 | 16 |

| ROPs | 24 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 5.400 GPixel/s | 9.200 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 21.60 GTexel/s | 18.40 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 518.4 GFLOPS | 588.8 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 50 W | 33 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | IGP |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Vulkan Support | Not listed | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2010-09-02 | 2014-03-11 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 300M | GeForce 700M |

| Successor | GeForce 500M | GeForce 900M |