NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 are both end-of-life mobile and desktop graphics solutions from NVIDIA’s Fermi era. The recorded data shows a clear performance hierarchy in the Geekbench OpenCL test, with the GTX 460M scoring 4282 and the GT 545 scoring 3594. This represents a 19.1% advantage for the GTX 460M, and that is the single benchmark result in the database that directly compares the two. The GTX 460M wins the only head-to-head test, while the GT 545 has zero wins. However, the two cards serve different use cases based on their architecture, memory type, and physical design, and the data supports distinct conclusions for each.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 460M wins the only direct benchmark comparison. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 4282, which is 19.1% higher than the GT 545’s 3594. That margin is substantial and places the GTX 460M in a different performance tier. The GTX 460M also sits at the 25th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GT 545 sits at the 21st percentile. The GTX 460M’s nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W2100 with an average score of 4295 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon Vega 3 with 4268 (0.3% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M with 4241 (1% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 with 4335 (1.2% higher). This shows the GTX 460M is competitive with a much newer and more powerful GPU, the RTX 4070 GDDR6, which is only 1.2% ahead. The GT 545, in contrast, has nearest rivals like the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation at 3596 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M at 3616 (0.6% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 at 3629 (1% higher), and the AMD Radeon HD 6770 at 3649 (1.5% higher). The GT 545 trails all of these, and its score is closer to older and lower-end parts.

For raw compute performance, the GTX 460M is the clear winner. Its FP32 throughput is 518.4 GFLOPS, compared to 414.7 GFLOPS for the GT 545. The GTX 460M also has higher pixel and texture rates: 5.400 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s, versus 4.320 GPixel/s and 17.28 GTexel/s for the GT 545. These numbers indicate that the GTX 460M is better suited for tasks that rely on parallel floating-point operations, such as general-purpose GPU compute, image processing, or any workload that can leverage OpenCL. The GT 545, with lower scores across all these metrics, is not the winner in any measured category.

The GT 545 does win in one practical area: its memory clock is higher at 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) versus 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective) for the GTX 460M. However, that higher memory clock does not translate into higher bandwidth because the GT 545 uses DDR3 memory, which is slower per bit. The GTX 460M uses GDDR5, and its memory bandwidth is 60.00 GB/s, while the GT 545’s is only 38.40 GB/s. So the GT 545’s memory clock advantage is irrelevant in practice. The GT 545 also has a lower TDP of 70 W versus 50 W for the GTX 460M, but that is not a performance win; it is a power draw difference. The GT 545 is a single-slot card with a length of 145 mm (5.7 inches) and includes display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x VGA, while the GTX 460M is an MXM module with portable-device-dependent outputs. For a desktop user needing those specific connectors, the GT 545 is the only option, but that is a connectivity win, not a performance one.

FAQ

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is faster, scoring 4282 compared to the GT 545’s 3594. That is a 19.1% difference in favor of the GTX 460M.

Q: How does the GTX 460M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 460M’s score of 4282 is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268) and 1% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241). It is 0.3% lower than the AMD FirePro W2100 (4295) and 1.2% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 (4335). This puts it in a tight cluster with those four GPUs.

Q: What about the GT 545’s position relative to other GPUs?

A: The GT 545 scores 3594, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (3596), 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M (3616), 1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (3629), and 1.5% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 6770 (3649). It trails every one of its nearest rivals.

Q: Do the two cards have the same memory bandwidth?

A: No. The GTX 460M has a memory bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s, while the GT 545 has only 38.40 GB/s. The GTX 460M uses GDDR5 memory, and the GT 545 uses DDR3, both on a 192-bit bus.

Q: Are there differences in shading units, TMUs, and ROPs?

A: Yes. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operator units (ROPs). The GT 545 has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 460M is higher in all three categories.

Q: Which GPU has a lower power draw?

A: The GTX 460M has a TDP of 50 W, while the GT 545 has a TDP of 70 W. The GTX 460M draws less power despite delivering higher performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark recorded is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The GTX 460M scores 4282, and the GT 545 scores 3594. The winner is the GTX 460M, with a performance delta of 19.1%. That is a significant margin in a single test. To contextualize, the GTX 460M’s score is 47.8% of the way between the GT 545’s score and a hypothetical score of 5000, but more usefully, it is 688 points higher. This gap is larger than the gap between the GT 545 and any of its nearest rivals. For example, the GT 545 is only 0.1% behind the RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation, but 19.1% behind the GTX 460M. The GTX 460M’s nearest rival, the AMD FirePro W2100, is only 0.3% ahead, meaning the GTX 460M is essentially tied with that card while being nearly 20% faster than the GT 545.

Looking at the underlying specifications that drive this benchmark, the GTX 460M has 192 shading units versus 144 on the GT 545. That is 33.3% more shading units. Its FP32 throughput is 518.4 GFLOPS versus 414.7 GFLOPS, a 25% advantage. Its texture rate is 21.60 GTexel/s versus 17.28 GTexel/s, a 25% advantage. Its pixel rate is 5.400 GPixel/s versus 4.320 GPixel/s, a 25% advantage. Memory bandwidth is the biggest differential: 60.00 GB/s versus 38.40 GB/s, which is a 56.25% advantage for the GTX 460M. All of these factors contribute to the 19.1% benchmark delta, but memory bandwidth appears to be the largest single contributor because it is the widest gap.

The GT 545 does not have any benchmark where it wins. Its only potential advantages are a higher memory clock (800 MHz versus 625 MHz) and a lower power requirement in terms of suggested PSU (250 W versus none listed for the GTX 460M). But the memory clock is offset by DDR3’s lower effective throughput, and the suggested PSU is a system requirement, not a performance metric. In the recorded data, the GTX 460M wins the only test, and the GT 545 has zero wins.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in several key specifications. The GTX 460M uses the GF106 chip, while the GT 545 uses the GF116 chip. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The GT 545 has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The memory configuration differs: the GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5, and the GT 545 uses 1536 MB of DDR3. Both have a 192-bit memory bus, but the GTX 460M’s bandwidth is 60.00 GB/s, and the GT 545’s is 38.40 GB/s. The memory clock is 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective) for the GTX 460M and 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective) for the GT 545. The GTX 460M has a TDP of 50 W, and the GT 545 has a TDP of 70 W. The GTX 460M is an MXM module, while the GT 545 is a single-slot card measuring 145 mm (5.7 inches) in length. The GT 545 has display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x VGA, while the GTX 460M’s outputs are portable device dependent. The GT 545 has a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the GTX 460M has none listed. Both use PCIe 2.0 x16. Both are end-of-life, with the GTX 460M released on September 2, 2010, and the GT 545 released on May 13, 2011. The GTX 460M is part of the GeForce 400M generation, and the GT 545 is part of the GeForce 500 generation. The GTX 460M has a launch MSRP that is not recorded, while the GT 545 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on a 40 nm process at TSMC, with 1,170 million transistors and a die size of 238 mm². The transistor density is 4.9M per mm² for both. The architecture differs: the GTX 460M uses Fermi, and the GT 545 uses Fermi 2.0. This is a generational revision, but the core counts and memory subsystem changes are more impactful. The GTX 460M has 192 shading units, which is 33.3% more than the GT 545’s 144. The GTX 460M also has 32 TMUs and 24 ROPs, versus 24 TMUs and 16 ROPs on the GT 545. The GTX 460M’s FP32 output is 518.4 GFLOPS, and the GT 545’s is 414.7 GFLOPS. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support recorded. The GTX 460M uses GDDR5 memory, which is a key architectural difference because GDDR5 offers higher bandwidth per clock compared to DDR3. The GT 545 uses DDR3, which likely limits its performance despite a higher memory clock. The GTX 460M has a memory bandwidth of 60.00 GB/s, and the GT 545 has 38.40 GB/s. Neither has RT cores or tensor cores. The GTX 460M’s power draw is 50 W, and the GT 545’s is 70 W. The GTX 460M is a mobile module, and the GT 545 is a desktop card. The GT 545 succeeds the GeForce 400 and is succeeded by the GeForce 600, while the GTX 460M succeeds the GeForce 300M and is succeeded by the GeForce 500M.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M is the faster GPU in every measured performance category. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark with 4282 versus 3594, a 19.1% margin. It has higher shading unit counts, higher TMU and ROP counts, higher FP32 throughput, higher pixel and texture rates, and more than 56% higher memory bandwidth. Its TDP is lower at 50 W versus 70 W. If the task is any compute workload that uses OpenCL, the GTX 460M is the correct choice.

The GT 545 is not a performance winner anywhere in the database. Its only advantages are a higher memory clock (800 MHz versus 625 MHz) and a desktop form factor with specific display outputs. That means the GT 545 is the appropriate pick for a user who needs a single-slot desktop card with DVI, HDMI 1.3a, and VGA outputs, and who does not require high compute performance. The GT 545’s score of 3594 places it at the 21st percentile, below all of its nearest rivals, and it is 19.1% slower than the GTX 460M.

For a mobile user, the GTX 460M is the only option because the GT 545 is a desktop card. For a desktop user, the GTX 460M is still the better performer, but the GT 545 offers the convenience of a fixed 145 mm card with standard connectors. In terms of pure benchmark results, the GTX 460M should be selected for any performance-sensitive workload. The GT 545 should be selected only when its desktop form factor and display outputs are mandatory, and even then, the performance penalty is steep: nearly 20% lower in the recorded test. The GTX 460M also sits at a higher percentile (25th versus 21st), and its nearest rivals include much newer GPUs, whereas the GT 545’s nearest rivals are mostly older or lower-tier parts. The verdict is that the GTX 460M is the superior GPU by a wide margin, and the GT 545 is a lower-performance alternative that trades compute capability for a desktop-friendly design.