NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M are two end-of-life mobile graphics processors from different eras of NVIDIA’s laptop lineup. The GTX 460M, built on the Fermi architecture, targets older 400M-series notebooks, while the GT 740M, using Kepler 2.0, belongs to the 700M generation. Based on recorded benchmark data, the GTX 460M holds a narrow edge in raw compute performance, but the GT 740M counters with a more modern feature set, lower power draw, and support for newer API technologies. This analysis breaks down where each part wins, the architectural differences, and which type of user should favor one over the other.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 460M wins in the only direct benchmark comparison available in the database. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 460M scores 4282, while the GT 740M scores 3974. That is a 7.8% lead for the older Fermi-based chip. This makes the GTX 460M the better choice for compute-oriented workloads that rely on OpenCL acceleration, such as general-purpose GPU tasks or older applications optimized for that interface. The GTX 460M also sits at the 25th percentile of all GPUs in the database, which is three percentage points higher than the GT 740M’s 22nd percentile. Its average benchmark score of 4282 further confirms that it outperforms the GT 740M in aggregate.

The GT 740M, however, wins in areas not captured by the single head-to-head test. It has a Vulkan score of 3459, a benchmark the GTX 460M does not have recorded. The GTX 460M has no Vulkan support listed, while the GT 740M supports Vulkan 1.2.175. This means the GT 740M is the only one of the two that can run Vulkan-based applications and games, making it the better pick for modern titles or software that require this API. Additionally, the GT 740M draws less power, with a TDP of 33 W compared to the GTX 460M’s 50 W. For laptop users, that lower power consumption translates into less heat and potentially longer battery life, though the database does not provide specific battery or thermal metrics.

The GT 740M also has a higher boost clock, reaching 1033 MHz, and a higher base clock of 980 MHz, whereas the GTX 460M has no base or boost clocks recorded. While raw clock speed alone does not determine performance, the GT 740M’s higher clocks help it achieve a higher pixel rate of 8.264 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 33.06 GTexel/s, both of which exceed the GTX 460M’s 5.400 GPixel/s and 21.60 GTexel/s. For tasks that are fill-rate bound, such as certain older games or 2D rendering, the GT 740M has the edge.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural families. The GTX 460M uses the Fermi architecture with the GF106 chip, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The GT 740M uses the Kepler 2.0 architecture with the GK208 chip, also made by TSMC but on a 28 nm process. The smaller process node allows the GT 740M to pack more transistors per square millimeter: 11.7M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm² for the GTX 460M. Even though the GTX 460M has a larger die size at 238 mm² and more total transistors at 1,170 million, the GT 740M’s die is just 87 mm² with 1,020 million transistors. That density improvement is a hallmark of the newer manufacturing process.

The GT 740M has more shading units, with 384 compared to the GTX 460M’s 192. It also has the same number of texture mapping units, 32 each, but far fewer raster operation units: 8 versus 24. The GT 740M compensates with higher clock speeds to achieve better pixel and texture throughput. The GTX 460M, despite having fewer shading units, has a wider memory bus of 192 bit versus the GT 740M’s 64 bit, and uses faster GDDR5 memory. The GT 740M uses DDR3 memory. This creates a significant memory bandwidth gap: the GTX 460M delivers 60.00 GB/s, while the GT 740M manages only 14.40 GB/s. The GTX 460M also has slightly less memory at 1536 MB, while the GT 740M has 2 GB.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but the GT 740M adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, which the GTX 460M lacks. The GT 740M also uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, while the GTX 460M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. This means the GT 740M can take advantage of newer bus technology, though the practical impact depends on the laptop’s platform. Both are MXM modules with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs. The GT 740M has a lower TDP of 33 W versus 50 W for the GTX 460M, making it more power-efficient per the recorded specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the GTX 460M scores 4282, and the GT 740M scores 3974. The delta is 7.8% in favor of the GTX 460M. This is a meaningful margin for compute workloads, though not a dominant one. To put this in context, the GTX 460M’s nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W2100, which scores 4295 and is only 0.3% faster. The GTX 460M also edges out the AMD Radeon Vega 3 (4268, 0.3% slower) and the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (4241, 1% slower). Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 scores 4335, which is 1.2% higher than the GTX 460M, showing that even modern high-end parts are not far above this older chip in this specific OpenCL test.

The GT 740M, with its OpenCL score of 3974, is closely matched with the NVIDIA Quadro 3000M, which scores 3718, a 0% delta. It also sits near the NVIDIA GeForce 825M (3694, 0.6% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M (3740, 0.6% faster), while the AMD Radeon HD 6770 scores 3649, which is 1.9% slower. The GT 740M’s average benchmark score of 3717 is pulled down by its Vulkan score of 3459, which is lower than its OpenCL result. That Vulkan score is still a data point the GTX 460M cannot match, as it has no recorded Vulkan performance.

Breaking down the numbers, the GTX 460M’s advantage in OpenCL comes from its memory bandwidth. With 60.00 GB/s available, it can feed data to its 192 shading units faster than the GT 740M can with 14.40 GB/s and 384 shading units. The GT 740M’s higher FP32 throughput of 793.3 GFLOPS versus 518.4 GFLOPS suggests it has more raw compute capacity, but in practice, the memory bottleneck limits its OpenCL result. The GTX 460M, despite lower FP32, delivers a higher score in this test because its memory subsystem is less constrained.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scores 4282 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M scores 3974. The GTX 460M leads by 7.8%.

Q: Does the GT 740M support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the GT 740M supports Vulkan 1.2.175 and has a recorded Vulkan score of 3459. The GTX 460M has no Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The GTX 460M uses 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 60.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 740M uses 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus with 14.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GT 740M has 384 shading units, double the GTX 460M’s 192 shading units.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The GTX 460M has a TDP of 50 W, while the GT 740M has a TDP of 33 W, making the GT 740M more power-efficient.

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life?

A: Yes, both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The GTX 460M was released in 2010, and the GT 740M was released in 2013.

The Verdict

The data points to a split decision. If the priority is raw OpenCL compute performance, the GTX 460M is the better choice. Its 4282 score beats the GT 740M’s 3974 by 7.8%, and it also holds a higher percentile ranking at 25 versus 22. For users running legacy applications that rely on OpenCL, the GTX 460M delivers more throughput per the recorded metrics. The GTX 460M also has a wider memory bus and higher memory bandwidth, which is critical for data-heavy tasks.

However, the GT 740M is the more future-proof option. It supports Vulkan 1.2.175, which the GTX 460M does not, and it has a recorded Vulkan score of 3459. For modern games or software that require Vulkan, the GTX 460M is simply not an option. The GT 740M also consumes less power, at 33 W versus 50 W, making it a better fit for thin-and-light laptops where thermal headroom is limited. Its higher pixel rate of 8.264 GPixel/s and texture rate of 33.06 GTexel/s also suggest better performance in fill-rate-bound scenarios.

For a user who owns an older laptop with a GTX 460M and wants to upgrade, the GT 740M offers a newer architecture, more memory (2 GB versus 1536 MB), and lower power draw, but at the cost of some OpenCL performance. For someone choosing between these two for a new build, the GT 740M is likely the safer recommendation due to Vulkan support and efficiency, unless the workload is strictly OpenCL-based. The GTX 460M’s lead in the head-to-head test is real but narrow, and it comes with older technology that lacks modern API support.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Process Node: GTX 460M is 40 nm; GT 740M is 28 nm.
• Transistor Count: GTX 460M has 1,170 million; GT 740M has 1,020 million.
• Die Size: GTX 460M is 238 mm²; GT 740M is 87 mm².
• Transistor Density: GTX 460M is 4.9M / mm²; GT 740M is 11.7M / mm².
• Base Clock: GTX 460M has none recorded; GT 740M is 980 MHz.
• Boost Clock: GTX 460M has none recorded; GT 740M is 1033 MHz.
• Memory Clock: GTX 460M is 625 MHz (2.5 Gbps effective); GT 740M is 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective).
• Memory Size: GTX 460M is 1536 MB; GT 740M is 2 GB.
• Memory Type: GTX 460M is GDDR5; GT 740M is DDR3.
• Memory Bus Width: GTX 460M is 192 bit; GT 740M is 64 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: GTX 460M is 60.00 GB/s; GT 740M is 14.40 GB/s.
• Shading Units: GTX 460M has 192; GT 740M has 384.
• ROPs: GTX 460M has 24; GT 740M has 8.
• Pixel Rate: GTX 460M is 5.400 GPixel/s; GT 740M is 8.264 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: GTX 460M is 21.60 GTexel/s; GT 740M is 33.06 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: GTX 460M is 518.4 GFLOPS; GT 740M is 793.3 GFLOPS.
• TDP: GTX 460M is 50 W; GT 740M is 33 W.
• Bus Interface: GTX 460M is PCIe 2.0 x16; GT 740M is PCIe 3.0 x8.
• Vulkan Support: GTX 460M has none listed; GT 740M supports Vulkan 1.2.175.
• Release Date: GTX 460M is September 2, 2010; GT 740M is June 19, 2013.
• Generation: GTX 460M is GeForce 400M; GT 740M is GeForce 700M.
• Architecture: GTX 460M is Fermi; GT 740M is Kepler 2.0.
• Chip: GTX 460M is GF106; GT 740M is GK208.
• Predecessor: GTX 460M is GeForce 300M; GT 740M is GeForce 600M.
• Successor: GTX 460M is GeForce 500M; GT 740M is GeForce 800M.