NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE records an average benchmark score of 6389, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731. That puts the GTX 460 SE ahead by 11.5% in the recorded Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: How do these cards rank against all other GPUs in the database?

A: The GTX 460 SE sits at the 37th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 550 Ti sits at the 33rd percentile. Both are firmly in the lower half of the database, but the GTX 460 SE holds a measurable position advantage.

Q: Are these cards built on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both use TSMC's 40 nm process node. However, the GTX 460 SE uses the GF104 chip with 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, while the GTX 550 Ti uses the GF116 chip with 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die.

Q: Which card consumes more power according to the database?

A: The GTX 460 SE has a TDP of 150 W and requires a 450 W suggested PSU with 2x 6-pin power connectors. The GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W, needs only a 300 W suggested PSU, and uses a single 6-pin connector.

Q: Do both cards support the same modern APIs?

A: Yes, both report DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. Neither card lists Vulkan support in the recorded data.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card in the database?

A: The GTX 460 SE's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580M with a matching score of 6389 (0% delta), followed by the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell at 6407 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 at 6330 (0.9%), and AMD Radeon R7 M350 at 6327 (1%). The GTX 550 Ti's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX at 5721 (0.2% ahead of the 550 Ti), with the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 at 5712 (0.3%), AMD Radeon HD 8790M at 5691 (0.7%), and AMD Radeon R7 M465 at 5841 (-1.9%).

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 460 SE wins the only recorded benchmark between the two, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 6389 against 5731. That 11.5% advantage makes it the clear choice for any workload that leans on OpenCL compute performance, which is the only metric tracked in this comparison. The GTX 550 Ti does not win any recorded benchmark in this head-to-head.

Looking beyond raw compute, the GTX 460 SE also carries more shading units (288 vs 192), more texture mapping units (48 vs 32), and more ROPs (32 vs 24). The pixel rate is 7.800 GPixel/s versus 7.200 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 31.20 GTexel/s versus 28.80 GTexel/s. These figures suggest the GTX 460 SE should handle fill-rate-bound scenes with more headroom.

The GTX 550 Ti wins on efficiency and installation requirements. Its 116 W TDP is well below the GTX 460 SE's 150 W, and it asks for a 300 W PSU versus 450 W. It also needs only one 6-pin power connector instead of two. For a system with an older or smaller power supply, the GTX 550 Ti is the more practical drop-in.

Memory bandwidth also favors the GTX 460 SE. It has a 256 bit bus with 108.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 550 Ti uses a 192 bit bus with 98.50 GB/s. The GTX 550 Ti runs its GDDR5 memory at a higher effective speed of 4.1 Gbps versus 3.4 Gbps, but the narrower bus gives it less total bandwidth.

In short, the GTX 460 SE wins on compute, fill rate, and memory bandwidth. The GTX 550 Ti wins on power draw, PSU demands, and physical connector requirements. There is no recorded scenario where the GTX 550 Ti outperforms the GTX 460 SE in the benchmark data.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the Fermi architecture family, but the GTX 550 Ti is labeled as Fermi 2.0 while the GTX 460 SE is plain Fermi. The GTX 460 SE is part of the GeForce 400 generation, and the GTX 550 Ti belongs to the GeForce 500 generation. That generational step explains why the GTX 550 Ti's chip, GF116, is a newer design even though it is smaller.

The transistor counts differ substantially. The GTX 460 SE packs 1,950 million transistors into a 332 mm² die, giving a density of 5.9M per mm². The GTX 550 Ti has 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, with a density of 4.9M per mm². The GTX 460 SE is both larger physically and denser, which is why it offers more execution resources.

Both chips come from TSMC's 40 nm process, so the architectural changes between Fermi and Fermi 2.0 are not tied to a node shrink. The GTX 460 SE uses the GF104, a chip that also appears in other GeForce 400 products. The GTX 550 Ti uses GF116, a refined version of the Fermi design with a smaller footprint.

The API support is identical: DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed for either. Both cards are end-of-life products with the same display outputs, 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. Both use a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface.

The GTX 460 SE's larger die and higher transistor count translate directly into more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, as noted above. The GTX 550 Ti compensates with a higher memory clock, but it cannot overcome the GTX 460 SE's wider memory bus and larger compute pool.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every internal specification except for memory size, process node, foundry, slot width, bus interface, display outputs, and API support.

Memory: Both have 1024 MB of GDDR5, but the GTX 460 SE uses a 256 bit bus with 108.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 550 Ti uses a 192 bit bus with 98.50 GB/s. The GTX 550 Ti runs its memory at 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective), while the GTX 460 SE runs at 850 MHz (3.4 Gbps effective).

Compute units: The GTX 460 SE has 288 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 24 ROPs.

Rates: The GTX 460 SE delivers 7.800 GPixel/s and 31.20 GTexel/s. The GTX 550 Ti delivers 7.200 GPixel/s and 28.80 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 748.8 GFLOPS for the GTX 460 SE and 691.2 GFLOPS for the GTX 550 Ti.

Power: The GTX 460 SE has a 150 W TDP, needs a 450 W PSU, and uses 2x 6-pin connectors. The GTX 550 Ti has a 116 W TDP, needs a 300 W PSU, and uses 1x 6-pin connector.

Physical dimensions: Both are 210 mm (8.3 inches) long and dual-slot. There is no height or width data recorded for either.

Release and pricing: The GTX 460 SE launched on 2010-11-14 with a launch MSRP of 160 USD. The GTX 550 Ti launched on 2011-03-14 with a launch MSRP of 149 USD. The GTX 460 SE's predecessor is the GeForce 200 series and its successor is the GeForce 500 series. The GTX 550 Ti's predecessor is the GeForce 400 series and its successor is the GeForce 600 series.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records only one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 460 SE scores 6389, and the GTX 550 Ti scores 5731. That is an 11.5% win for the GTX 460 SE.

Context from the nearest rivals helps interpret that margin. The GTX 460 SE sits exactly level with the GTX 580M at 6389, and it trails the RTX PRO 5000 72 GB Blackwell by just 0.3% at 6407. It beats the AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 by 0.9% and the AMD Radeon R7 M350 by 1%. Those are tight margins, which means the GTX 460 SE is performing right at the top of its immediate competitive cluster.

The GTX 550 Ti's rival cluster is slightly lower. It trails the GTX 670MX by 0.2% (5721), trails the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 by 0.3% (5712), and trails the AMD Radeon HD 8790M by 0.7% (5691). It beats the AMD Radeon R7 M465 by 1.9% (5841). The GTX 550 Ti is competitive within its own tier, but that tier sits roughly 10% lower than the GTX 460 SE's tier.

The delta between the two cards, 11.5%, is larger than any of the deltas between either card and its nearest rivals. In other words, the gap between these two cards is more significant than the gap between either card and the competition around it. The GTX 460 SE is not just marginally faster; it is clearly a class above the GTX 550 Ti in compute performance.

Fill-rate and pixel-rate figures support the same conclusion. The GTX 460 SE's 31.20 GTexel/s and 7.800 GPixel/s exceed the GTX 550 Ti's 28.80 GTexel/s and 7.200 GPixel/s. FP32 compute also favors the GTX 460 SE at 748.8 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS. Every performance metric in the database points the same direction.

The Verdict

Choose the GTX 460 SE if compute performance is the priority. It wins the only recorded benchmark by 11.5%, and it leads in shading units, TMUs, ROPs, memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput. Its percentile rank of 37 vs 33 also places it higher in the overall database. The GTX 460 SE is simply the faster card.

Choose the GTX 550 Ti if power and system integration matter more than raw speed. Its 116 W TDP, 300 W PSU recommendation, and single 6-pin connector make it far easier to install in a modest system. It also carries a lower launch MSRP of 149 USD compared to 160 USD. The GTX 550 Ti is the card for a rig with limited power headroom.

There is no recorded benchmark where the GTX 550 Ti beats the GTX 460 SE. The GTX 460 SE is the pick for anyone who wants maximum performance from this pairing. The GTX 550 Ti is the pick for anyone who wants a lighter load on their power supply and does not need the extra compute headroom.

Both cards are end-of-life products, so neither should be considered for a modern high-end build. But within this specific comparison, the data is unambiguous: the GTX 460 SE outperforms the GTX 550 Ti in every measured performance category. The GTX 550 Ti's only advantages are efficiency and installation convenience.