NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data is narrow but decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 wins the only head-to-head comparison available, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 7,925 against the GeForce GT 555M's 6,493. That is a 22.1% advantage. The GTX 460 therefore claims the sole win in this comparison, while the GT 555M does not register a single victory in the database's measured tests.

Looking beyond the direct matchup, the GTX 460 sits at the 41st percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GT 555M sits at the 37th percentile. The percentile gap, though modest, reinforces the same ordering: the desktop part is positioned slightly higher in the overall performance distribution. The GTX 460's nearest rivals include the Quadro K4100M (0.2% ahead), the Quadro P5000 (1.4% behind), the GeForce GTX 880M (1.4% behind), and the GeForce GTX 650 Ti (1.6% behind). This clustering suggests the GTX 460 is competitive with a range of professional and high-end mobile parts despite its age. The GT 555M, by contrast, sits near the Quadro M5000M (0.2% ahead), the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (0.3% ahead), the GeForce GTX 670M (0.3% behind), and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (0.9% behind). Its neighborhood is populated by integrated graphics and lower-tier mobile discrete parts.

For use-case segmentation, the data points to the GTX 460 as the pick for any workload that stresses raw compute throughput, particularly OpenCL acceleration. The GT 555M offers no measured advantage in any category, so its case rests entirely on factors outside the benchmark suite, such as power draw and physical footprint, which are detailed in later sections. In pure performance terms, the GTX 460 wins outright.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Fermi architecture, the GeForce 400 and 500M generations respectively, and both are built on TSMC's 40 nm process. The similarities end there. The GTX 460 uses the GF104 chip with 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The GT 555M uses the GF106 chip with 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, for a density of 4.9 million per square millimeter. The GTX 460 is the larger, more complex chip by every measure: more transistors, larger die area, and higher density.

The compute configurations diverge sharply. The GTX 460 packs 336 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. That is more than twice the shader count on the GTX 460, more than double the TMUs, and 50% more ROPs. These are structural differences, not clock-dependent ones, and they explain the performance gap without needing to reference clock speeds.

Memory subsystems also differ fundamentally. The GTX 460 uses 768 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 86.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 555M uses 1,024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s. The GTX 460 has triple the memory bandwidth, despite having less capacity. The GT 555M's larger frame buffer is its only memory advantage, and that advantage comes with a severe bandwidth penalty. The recorded memory clocks are both 900 MHz, but the effective data rates differ: the GTX 460 runs at 3.6 Gbps effective, while the GT 555M runs at 1800 Mbps effective. The GTX 460's GDDR5 interface is the clear winner for data throughput.

Power and physical design reinforce the architectural split. The GTX 460 carries a 160 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, two 6-pin power connectors, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The GT 555M has a 35 W TDP, no specified slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU, reflecting its mobile design. The GTX 460 also has a defined length of 210 mm, while the GT 555M's dimensions are unlisted. The GTX 460 is a desktop card built for performance; the GT 555M is a notebook part built for efficiency.

Both support PCIe 2.0 x16, DirectX 12 (11_0), and OpenGL 4.6. Neither lists Vulkan support. The GT 555M's display outputs are marked "Portable Device Dependent," while the GTX 460 offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The GTX 460 scores 7,925, and the GT 555M scores 6,493. The delta is 22.1% in favor of the GTX 460. This is a substantial margin, large enough to be felt in real workloads that leverage OpenCL, such as video encoding, image processing, or compute acceleration.

Contextualizing the scores against their nearest rivals clarifies the magnitude. The GTX 460's 7,925 is within 1.6% of the GeForce GTX 650 Ti and within 1.4% of both the Quadro P5000 and GeForce GTX 880M. The GT 555M's 6,493 is within 0.9% of the Intel UHD Graphics P750, a processor-integrated GPU. In other words, the GTX 460 trades blows with dedicated mid-range and professional GPUs, while the GT 555M sits at the edge of integrated graphics territory. The 22.1% gap between the two Fermi parts is consistent with the architectural differences: the GTX 460 has 2.33 times the shaders, 2.33 times the TMUs, and 1.5 times the ROPs of the GT 555M.

The performance rates tell the same story. The GTX 460 achieves 9.450 GPixel/s pixel throughput and 37.80 GTexel/s texture throughput, while the GT 555M manages 3.540 GPixel/s and 14.16 GTexel/s. The GTX 460 is roughly 2.7 times faster in pixel rate and texture rate. Floating-point performance shows a similar gap: 907.2 GFLOPS for the GTX 460 versus 339.8 GFLOPS for the GT 555M, a factor of 2.67. Every measured throughput metric points the same direction.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 scores 7,925, which is 22.1% higher than the GeForce GT 555M's 6,493.

Q: What memory types do the two GPUs use?

A: The GTX 460 uses 768 MB of GDDR5 with a 192-bit bus and 86.40 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 555M uses 1,024 MB of DDR3 with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The GTX 460 has 336 shading units, while the GT 555M has 144. That is a 2.33x advantage for the GTX 460.

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The GTX 460 has a TDP of 160 W, while the GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The GTX 460 requires a dual-slot cooler and two 6-pin power connectors; the GT 555M lists no power connectors.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use the Fermi architecture and are built by TSMC on a 40 nm process. However, the GTX 460 uses the GF104 chip (1,950 million transistors), and the GT 555M uses the GF106 chip (1,170 million transistors).

Q: Which GPU sits higher in the overall performance distribution?

A: The GTX 460 is at the 41st percentile among all GPUs, while the GT 555M is at the 37th percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 | NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M |

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

| Chip | GF104 | GF106 |

| Generation | GeForce 400 | GeForce 500M |

| Transistors | 1,950 million | 1,170 million |

| Die Size | 332 mm² | 238 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 5.9M / mm² | 4.9M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 768 MB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 86.40 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Effective Memory Clock | 3.6 Gbps | 1800 Mbps |

| Shading Units | 336 | 144 |

| TMUs | 56 | 24 |

| ROPs | 24 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 9.450 GPixel/s | 3.540 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.80 GTexel/s | 14.16 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 907.2 GFLOPS | 339.8 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 160 W | 35 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Not specified |

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

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | Not specified |

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

| Length | 210 mm (8.3 inches) | Not specified |

| Release Date | 2010-07-11 | 2011-07-01 |

| Launch MSRP | 199 USD | Not specified |

The two GPUs share PCIe 2.0 x16, DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and the Fermi architecture. They differ in every other major specification category.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 outperforms the GeForce GT 555M by 22.1% in the only recorded benchmark, and it leads in every architectural specification that affects compute performance: shading units, TMUs, ROPs, pixel rate, texture rate, FP32 throughput, and memory bandwidth. The GTX 460's 907.2 GFLOPS versus the GT 555M's 339.8 GFLOPS is a 2.67x gap. Its 86.40 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 28.80 GB/s is a 3x gap. These are not marginal differences; they represent a different performance class.

The GT 555M's case rests on efficiency and mobility. Its 35 W TDP is a fraction of the GTX 460's 160 W. It requires no power connectors and no dual-slot cooler. It offers 1 GB of memory versus 768 MB, which may help in capacity-sensitive scenarios, albeit at a severe bandwidth cost. For a laptop, the GT 555M is the only viable option, as the GTX 460 is a 210 mm desktop card. The GT 555M's release date is also later, 2011-07-01 versus 2010-07-11, and it belongs to the GeForce 500M generation.

For any user choosing between these two based on performance, the GTX 460 is the correct pick. It wins the only benchmark, holds a higher percentile rank (41st versus 37th), and delivers more than double the compute throughput in most metrics. The GT 555M should be selected only when the constraints are physical, specifically when power draw below 35 W and portable device integration are mandatory. The recorded data shows no scenario where the GT 555M outperforms the GTX 460. The GTX 460's launch MSRP was 199 USD, but the GT 555M has no listed launch price, and the GTX 460 is end-of-life, as is the GT 555M. Buyers seeking maximum OpenCL performance from these two Fermi parts should choose the GTX 460 without hesitation.