NVIDIA GeForce 940MX vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains a single direct comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M, and it is a decisive one. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the 940MX scores 4939 against 4282 for the GTX 460M, a difference of 15.3 percent. That is not a marginal edge; it is a clear generational gap that shows up in raw compute throughput.

The 940MX also holds the higher average benchmark score of 4844, while the GTX 460M sits at 4282. That puts the 940MX roughly 13.1 percent ahead on the aggregate metric, which aligns closely with the single OpenCL result. The GTX 460M does not have a Vulkan score in the database, so the comparison relies on OpenCL data, but the pattern is consistent.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the picture. The 940MX sits at the 28th percentile among all GPUs, and its closest competitors in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M at 4855, the AMD Radeon R6 M255DX at 4867, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 at 4893. Against those, the 940MX is effectively neck-and-neck, trailing by only 0.2 to 1 percent. Interestingly, the database also lists the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB at 4791, which is 1.1 percent behind the 940MX in this particular aggregate metric. That result is an artifact of the benchmark suite rather than a real-world performance claim, but it does illustrate how the 940MX clusters with a specific performance tier.

The GTX 460M, by contrast, sits at the 25th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W2100 at 4295, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 at 4268, and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M at 4241. The GTX 460M is within 1.2 percent of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 at 4335, which again is a benchmark-specific quirk rather than a practical comparison. The broader point is that the GTX 460M occupies a lower performance band, and the 15.3 percent gap between the two cards in the head-to-head test is consistent with their respective positions in the overall distribution.

The 940MX wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark, giving it a 1 to 0 win tally. There is no test in which the GTX 460M comes out ahead. That makes the directional story simple: newer architecture, higher compute score, and a measurable lead in the one metric the database tracks for both.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and different manufacturing processes. The 940MX is built on the Maxwell architecture using the GM107 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 460M uses the older Fermi architecture with the GF106 chip, also from TSMC but on a 40 nm process. That process shrink is one of the clearest reasons the 940MX achieves higher performance while consuming less power.

Transistor counts and die sizes tell the rest of the story. The GM107 packs 1,870 million transistors into a 148 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The GF106, by contrast, contains 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, yielding a density of just 4.9 million per square millimeter. The 940MX is not only denser, it is also physically smaller, which is a direct consequence of the newer process node and more efficient design.

The compute resources differ substantially. The 940MX has 512 shading units and 32 texture mapping units, but only 8 ROPs. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The shading unit advantage is enormous for the 940MX, nearly 2.7 times as many, which explains its higher FP32 throughput of 881.7 GFLOPS versus 518.4 GFLOPS for the GTX 460M. The GTX 460M does have three times the ROP count, which helps with pixel fill, but its pixel rate of 5.400 GPixel/s is still lower than the 940MX's 6.888 GPixel/s. The texture rates tell a similar story: 27.55 GTexel/s for the 940MX versus 21.60 GTexel/s for the GTX 460M.

Memory configurations diverge as well. The 940MX comes with 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, producing 40.10 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 460M has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on a much wider 192-bit bus, yielding 60.00 GB/s. That is a significant bandwidth advantage for the older card, roughly 50 percent higher, which could matter in texture-heavy workloads. The memory clock also differs: the 940MX runs at 1253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective, while the GTX 460M runs at 625 MHz with 2.5 Gbps effective. The wider bus on the GTX 460M compensates for the lower clock speed, but the 940MX's higher per-pin throughput reflects newer memory technology.

Power consumption is a major differentiator. The 940MX has a TDP of 23 W, while the GTX 460M draws 50 W. That is more than double the power for less compute performance, which illustrates how far mobile GPU efficiency advanced between the Fermi and Maxwell generations. Both cards use MXM modules with no power connectors, and both are marked end-of-life in the database.

The interface also differs. The 940MX uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 460M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The newer card's interface is narrower but faster per lane, which is typical for the era. API support is similar for the common features: both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The 940MX adds Vulkan 1.4 support, while the GTX 460M has no Vulkan entry in the database. That could matter for modern titles that rely on Vulkan for lower overhead.

Where Each One Wins

The 940MX wins in raw compute and overall benchmark performance. Its 15.3 percent lead in OpenCL and its higher average score make it the stronger choice for general-purpose GPU compute and for tasks that scale with shading unit count. The Maxwell architecture's higher FP32 throughput, 881.7 GFLOPS versus 518.4 GFLOPS, reinforces that advantage. For anyone running OpenCL workloads, the 940MX is the clear pick.

The GTX 460M is not without its own strengths, even if they do not show up in the recorded benchmark. Its 192-bit memory bus delivers 60.00 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 49.6 percent higher than the 940MX's 40.10 GB/s. In scenarios that are bandwidth-bound rather than compute-bound, such as certain texture streaming or large buffer operations, the GTX 460M could hold its own. Its 24 ROPs also give it a higher theoretical pixel throughput ceiling in some situations, although the measured pixel rate is actually lower due to clock differences. Still, the wider bus is a genuine architectural advantage for the older card.

The 940MX also wins on efficiency. With a 23 W TDP versus 50 W, it delivers more performance at less than half the power draw. That makes it the better fit for thin-and-light laptops where thermal and battery constraints matter. The GTX 460M, with its higher power budget, would have been more at home in larger gaming laptops of its era.

For modern use, the 940MX's Vulkan 1.4 support gives it a compatibility edge. The GTX 460M lacks a Vulkan entry in the database, which could limit its usefulness in contemporary games and applications. The 940MX also has the advantage in shading units by a factor of 2.7, which translates directly to better shader-bound performance.

In summary, the 940MX is the better all-around card for compute, efficiency, and modern API support. The GTX 460M retains a niche advantage in memory bandwidth and ROP count, but those do not translate into any recorded benchmark win.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce 940MX scores 4939 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282. That gives the 940MX a 15.3 percent lead.

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

A: The 940MX has an average benchmark score of 4844, while the GTX 460M averages 4282.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The 940MX has 512 shading units, compared to 192 on the GTX 460M. That is a 2.7-to-1 ratio in favor of the 940MX.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The GTX 460M has the higher memory bandwidth at 60.00 GB/s, thanks to its 192-bit bus. The 940MX delivers 40.10 GB/s over a 64-bit bus.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for the two GPUs?

A: The 940MX has a TDP of 23 W, while the GTX 460M is rated at 50 W. The 940MX uses less than half the power.

Q: Does the GTX 460M support Vulkan?

A: The database lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 460M. The 940MX supports Vulkan 1.4.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category.

• Architecture: 940MX uses Maxwell (GM107), GTX 460M uses Fermi (GF106).
• Process Node: 940MX is 28 nm, GTX 460M is 40 nm, both from TSMC.
• Transistors: 940MX has 1,870 million, GTX 460M has 1,170 million.
• Die Size: 940MX is 148 mm², GTX 460M is 238 mm².
• Transistor Density: 940MX is 12.6M per mm², GTX 460M is 4.9M per mm².
• Memory Size: 940MX has 2 GB, GTX 460M has 1536 MB.
• Memory Bus Width: 940MX is 64-bit, GTX 460M is 192-bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: 940MX is 40.10 GB/s, GTX 460M is 60.00 GB/s.
• Memory Clock: 940MX is 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), GTX 460M is 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective).
• Shading Units: 940MX has 512, GTX 460M has 192.
• ROPs: 940MX has 8, GTX 460M has 24.
• Pixel Rate: 940MX is 6.888 GPixel/s, GTX 460M is 5.400 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: 940MX is 27.55 GTexel/s, GTX 460M is 21.60 GTexel/s.
• FP32: 940MX is 881.7 GFLOPS, GTX 460M is 518.4 GFLOPS.
• TDP: 940MX is 23 W, GTX 460M is 50 W.
• Bus Interface: 940MX is PCIe 3.0 x8, GTX 460M is PCIe 2.0 x16.
• Vulkan Support: 940MX supports Vulkan 1.4, GTX 460M has no Vulkan entry.
• Release Date: 940MX launched on 2016-06-27, GTX 460M launched on 2010-09-02.
• Generation: 940MX is GeForce 900M, GTX 460M is GeForce 400M.
• Predecessor: 940MX follows GeForce 800M, GTX 460M follows GeForce 300M.
• Successor: 940MX leads to GeForce 10 Mobile, GTX 460M leads to GeForce 500M.

The shared traits are limited to the manufacturer, GDDR5 memory type, MXM module form factor, lack of power connectors, DirectX 12 (11_0) support, OpenGL 4.6 support, and end-of-life production status. Everything else separates these two generations.