NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable measurement in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 scores 44,700, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 scores 8,743. That is a 411.3% advantage for the GTX 1070, meaning it delivers roughly five times the compute performance in this workload. For any modern application that relies on general-purpose GPU compute, this gap is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational chasm.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 1070’s average benchmark score sits at 9,780, which places it in the 47th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5000 (average score 9,803, 0.2% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (average score 9,832, 0.5% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (average score 9,724, 0.6% lower), and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (average score 9,716, 0.7% lower). The GTX 1070 is essentially neck-and-neck with these workstation and datacenter cards, which shows that despite being a consumer gaming card, its raw compute throughput holds up against professional hardware from the same era.

The GTX 460 v2, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 8,743 and sits in the 44th percentile. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (average score 8,746, essentially identical at 0% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (average score 8,686, 0.7% lower), the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (average score 8,851, 1.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (average score 8,863, 1.4% higher). The GTX 460 v2 is clustered with mobile and midrange workstation parts that are far newer, which reflects how much the GPU landscape has shifted. A card from the GeForce 400 generation still trading blows with modern mobile silicon is impressive for its age, but it is nowhere near the GTX 1070’s class.

The database records only one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards, and the GTX 1070 wins it outright. The wins tally is 1 for the GTX 1070 and 0 for the GTX 460 v2. That single data point is consistent with the overall average scores: the GTX 1070’s average is 9,780 versus 8,743 for the GTX 460 v2, a difference of 1,037 points. While the average score gap is smaller than the OpenCL delta, it still reflects a clear hierarchy. The GTX 1070 is not just faster in one niche test; it is faster across the board in every recorded metric where both cards have data.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the choice is unambiguous for anyone who needs compute performance. The GTX 1070 wins the only shared benchmark by 411.3%, and its average benchmark score is more than 1,000 points higher. If you are choosing between these two for any modern workload, the GTX 1070 is the only rational pick. The GTX 460 v2 is a legacy part that belongs in a retro build or as a display-only card, not as a primary GPU for compute or gaming.

The GTX 1070’s 47th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with its proximity to workstation cards like the Quadro M2000M and FirePro W5000, means it can still handle serious productivity tasks. The GTX 460 v2’s 44th percentile puts it in the same neighborhood as the RTX 3050 A Mobile, but that comparison is misleading: the RTX 3050 A Mobile is a low-power laptop part, whereas the GTX 460 v2 is a full desktop card with a 160 W TDP. In absolute terms, the GTX 460 v2 is a relic.

Strictly from the data, the GTX 1070 is the winner for anyone who wants to run modern games, CUDA workloads, or OpenCL compute. The GTX 460 v2 should only be considered if you have a specific legacy use case that requires its exact feature set or if you are collecting vintage hardware. There is no scenario in the numbers where the GTX 460 v2 comes out ahead.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9,780, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 has an average benchmark score of 8,743.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1070 in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The GTX 1070 scores 44,700 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 8,743 for the GTX 460 v2, which is a 411.3% advantage for the GTX 1070.

Q: Are these two cards from the same generation?

A: No. The GTX 1070 is from the GeForce 10-series (Pascal architecture), while the GTX 460 v2 is from the GeForce 400 series (Fermi 2.0 architecture).

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 256.3 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 460 v2 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 96.19 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1070 ranks in the 47th percentile, while the GTX 460 v2 ranks in the 44th percentile.

Q: Does the GTX 460 v2 support Vulkan?

A: The database lists no Vulkan support for the GTX 460 v2, whereas the GTX 1070 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The GTX 1070 uses a 16 nm process node from TSMC, while the GTX 460 v2 uses a 40 nm node from the same foundry. Transistor counts reflect the process gap: the GTX 1070 packs 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 22.9M per mm². The GTX 460 v2 has 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, which works out to 5.9M per mm². The GTX 460 v2 actually has a larger die, but it holds far fewer transistors because of the older, less dense process.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The GTX 1070 has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, with memory running at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GTX 460 v2 has no recorded base or boost clock, but its memory runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The memory subsystem is another major split: the GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, while the GTX 460 v2 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 96.19 GB/s.

Compute resources are dramatically different. The GTX 1070 has 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 460 v2 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Pixel and texture rates reflect this: the GTX 1070 outputs 107.7 GPixel/s and 202.0 GTexel/s, while the GTX 460 v2 manages 10.91 GPixel/s and 43.62 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 6.463 TFLOPS for the GTX 1070 versus 1,046.3 GFLOPS for the GTX 460 v2. The GTX 1070 also has a recorded FP16 figure of 101.0 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the GTX 460 v2 has no FP16 data.

Power and physical specs also differ. The GTX 1070 has a TDP of 150 W with one 8-pin power connector, while the GTX 460 v2 has a TDP of 160 W with two 6-pin connectors. Both suggest a 450 W power supply. The GTX 1070 is longer at 267 mm (10.5 inches) versus 210 mm (8.3 inches) for the GTX 460 v2, and it is dual-slot like the older card. The GTX 1070 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 460 v2 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the GTX 1070 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GTX 460 v2 has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide here is generational. The GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture, specifically the GP104 chip, and it belongs to the GeForce 10-series. The GTX 460 v2 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF114 chip, part of the GeForce 400 series. Both are manufactured by TSMC, but the process node difference, 16 nm versus 40 nm, is the single biggest architectural factor. That node shrink is what allows the GTX 1070 to fit 7,200 million transistors into a smaller die than the GTX 460 v2’s 1,950 million transistors.

The cache hierarchy and feature set are not fully enumerated in the database, but the API support tells a clear story. The GTX 1070 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 460 v2 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but it has no Vulkan support listed. That means the GTX 460 v2 cannot run Vulkan-based games or applications, which is a hard limitation for modern software. The DirectX 12 support on the GTX 460 v2 is also partial: it is listed as 12 (11_0), which means it only meets the baseline feature level, not the full 12_1 feature set that the GTX 1070 supports.

Shader and ROP organization reflects the architectural gap. The GTX 1070’s 1,920 shading units and 64 ROPs are arranged in a modern Pascal layout that scales efficiently, while the GTX 460 v2’s 336 shading units and 24 ROPs come from the Fermi design, which was already outdated when it launched. The GTX 460 v2’s FP32 output of 1,046.3 GFLOPS is less than one-sixth of the GTX 1070’s 6.463 TFLOPS. The GTX 1070 also has a dedicated FP16 path, albeit a limited one at 101.0 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, which indicates that it was not designed for heavy half-precision compute. Neither card has RT cores or tensor cores, as both predate the ray tracing and AI acceleration push.

The GTX 1070’s memory clock of 2002 MHz with 8 Gbps effective throughput is double the GTX 460 v2’s 1002 MHz and 4 Gbps effective. Combined with the wider 256-bit bus, the GTX 1070 achieves 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth versus 96.19 GB/s. That is not just a clock bump; it is a fundamental improvement in how much data the GPU can feed its compute units. For texture-heavy workloads, the GTX 1070’s 202.0 GTexel/s versus 43.62 GTexel/s means it can fill pixels and samples far faster, which directly translates to higher frame rates in games and faster rendering in productivity apps.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1070 wins every category where both cards have recorded data. In the single shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1070 is 411.3% faster. In average benchmark score, it leads by 1,037 points. In memory bandwidth, it offers 256.3 GB/s versus 96.19 GB/s. In pixel rate, it is 107.7 GPixel/s versus 10.91 GPixel/s. In texture rate, it is 202.0 GTexel/s versus 43.62 GTexel/s. In FP32 compute, it is 6.463 TFLOPS versus 1,046.3 GFLOPS. There is no metric in the database where the GTX 460 v2 comes out ahead.

The GTX 460 v2’s only theoretical advantage is its shorter length (210 mm versus 267 mm) and its lower launch MSRP. But the database rules prohibit price comparisons, so the only physical advantage is size. If you are building in a compact case that cannot fit a 267 mm card, the GTX 460 v2 could fit where the GTX 1070 cannot. The GTX 460 v2 also uses two 6-pin connectors instead of one 8-pin, which might be relevant if your power supply lacks an 8-pin cable, though both cards suggest the same 450 W PSU.

For practical use, the GTX 1070 is the clear choice for gaming at modern resolutions, CUDA acceleration, OpenCL compute, and any workload that benefits from Vulkan support. The GTX 460 v2 is limited to older DirectX 11-era games and applications that do not require Vulkan. Its 1024 MB memory buffer is a hard ceiling for modern textures and assets, and its 192-bit bus cannot feed enough data for high-resolution rendering. The GTX 460 v2 is a card for a museum, a test bench, or a very specific legacy system. The GTX 1070, despite being end-of-life, remains a viable GPU for 1080p gaming and entry-level compute tasks. The data is unambiguous: the GTX 1070 is the only sensible pick for anyone who needs actual performance.