NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single benchmark result for this pairing: Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 scores 9294, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 scores 7925. That is a 17.3% gap in favor of the GTX 465.

To put that number in perspective, look at the nearest rivals in the database. The GTX 465 sits at the 46th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 9294. Its closest competitors are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (9302, just 0.1% behind) and the AMD Radeon R7 M380 (9313, 0.2% behind). It also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273, 0.2% ahead) and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221, 0.8% ahead). The GTX 465 is essentially in a tight cluster with those parts, and its 17.3% lead over the GTX 460 is far larger than the differences among its own nearest rivals.

The GTX 460, meanwhile, sits at the 41st percentile with an average score of 7925. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K4100M (7906, 0.2% behind), the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (8039, 1.4% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (8040, 1.4% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8053, 1.6% behind). Notably, the GTX 460 beats the Quadro K4100M by a slim 0.2%, but it trails the other three by 1.4% to 1.6%. The delta between the two cards (17.3%) is more than ten times larger than any gap in their respective rival clusters, which underlines how much faster the GTX 465 is in this workload.

The win count is clean: the GTX 465 takes 1 win, the GTX 460 takes 0. There is no benchmark where the GTX 460 comes out ahead. The delta is not a near-miss either; 17.3% is a decisive margin for a single-generation pair of cards from the same architecture and manufacturer.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on NVIDIA's Fermi architecture, part of the GeForce 400 generation, and both use a 40 nm process node at TSMC. The transistor density is identical at 5.9M per mm², but the dies are very different in scale. The GTX 465 uses the GF100 chip, with 3,100 million transistors on a 529 mm² die. The GTX 460 uses the GF104 chip, with 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die. That means the GTX 465 has roughly 59% more transistors and a die that is about 59% larger, but the density is the same, so the difference is pure scale, not design density.

The compute resources diverge in interesting ways. The GTX 465 has 352 shading units and 44 texture mapping units (TMUs), while the GTX 460 has 336 shading units and 56 TMUs. So the GTX 465 has more shaders (352 vs 336, a 4.8% advantage) but fewer TMUs (44 vs 56, a 21.4% deficit). Raster operations units (ROPs) also favor the GTX 465: 32 vs 24, a 33% advantage. The pixel rate tells that story: 13.38 GPixel/s for the GTX 465 versus 9.450 GPixel/s for the GTX 460. The texture rate flips: the GTX 460 hits 37.80 GTexel/s while the GTX 465 manages 26.75 GTexel/s, because the GTX 460 has many more TMUs relative to its shader count.

Raw floating-point throughput is close. The GTX 465 delivers 855.4 GFLOPS, while the GTX 460 delivers 907.2 GFLOPS. That is a 6.1% advantage for the GTX 460 in pure FP32 compute, despite the GTX 465 having more shaders. This suggests the GTX 460 runs its shaders at a higher clock, which is consistent with the memory clocks: the GTX 465 memory runs at 802 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective), while the GTX 460 memory runs at 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration is a major split. The GTX 465 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 102.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 460 has only 768 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 86.40 GB/s. That is a 19% bandwidth advantage for the GTX 465, and a 33% bus width advantage. The GTX 460's smaller frame buffer and narrower bus make it a poor fit for high-resolution textures or heavy anti-aliasing, where the GTX 465 has a clear edge.

Power and physical specs also differ. The GTX 465 is rated at 200 W TDP with a suggested 550 W power supply, while the GTX 460 draws 160 W with a suggested 450 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards with 2x 6-pin power connectors. The GTX 465 is longer at 241 mm (9.5 inches) versus the GTX 460 at 210 mm (8.3 inches). Both use PCIe 2.0 x16 and offer the same display outputs: 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. DirectX support is identical (12 with 11_0 feature level) and OpenGL is 4.6 for both.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the GTX 465 wins the only benchmark that exists between the two, so the use-case split is heavily one-sided. However, the architecture differences give clues about which workloads would favor each card.

The GTX 465 wins in scenarios that depend on memory bandwidth and pixel throughput. Its 102.7 GB/s bandwidth versus 86.40 GB/s, combined with a 256-bit bus and 32 ROPs, makes it stronger for high-resolution gaming, heavy texture streaming, and multi-sample anti-aliasing. The 1024 MB frame buffer also helps with larger textures or running multiple monitors. If a game or application is bandwidth-limited, the GTX 465 has a 19% advantage that aligns with its 17.3% overall benchmark lead.

The GTX 460 wins in scenarios that depend on texture fill rate and raw FP32 compute. Its 37.80 GTexel/s versus 26.75 GTexel/s is a 41% advantage, which could matter in texture-heavy scenes with simple lighting. Its 907.2 GFLOPS versus 855.4 GFLOPS is a 6.1% edge in compute-heavy shaders, though that is a small margin. The GTX 460 also consumes less power (160 W vs 200 W) and requires a smaller PSU (450 W vs 550 W), which makes it the better fit for compact builds or older power supplies.

For gaming at 1080p with typical settings, the benchmark data suggests the GTX 465 is the faster card, and the margin is not small. The GTX 460 might be preferable for a system with strict power limits or where texture-heavy but pixel-light workloads dominate, but the database has no benchmark wins for the GTX 460 to back that up.

FAQ

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 scores 9294 versus 7925 for the GTX 460, a 17.3% advantage for the GTX 465.

Q: Do both cards use the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use NVIDIA's Fermi architecture from the GeForce 400 generation, built on a 40 nm TSMC process. The GTX 465 uses the GF100 chip, the GTX 460 uses the GF104 chip.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The GTX 465 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 102.7 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 460 has 768 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 86.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Why does the GTX 460 have a higher texture fill rate?

A: The GTX 460 has 56 TMUs versus 44 on the GTX 465, and it runs its memory at 900 MHz versus 802 MHz. This yields 37.80 GTexel/s versus 26.75 GTexel/s.

Q: Which card has higher power requirements?

A: The GTX 465 is rated at 200 W TDP with a suggested 550 W PSU. The GTX 460 is rated at 160 W with a suggested 450 W PSU. Both use 2x 6-pin connectors and are dual-slot cards.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card?

A: The GTX 465's closest rivals are the GTX 850M (9302, 0.1% behind), Radeon R7 M380 (9313, 0.2% behind), GTX 960 (9273, 0.2% ahead), and Radeon Vega 8 (9221, 0.8% ahead). The GTX 460's closest rivals are the Quadro K4100M (7906, 0.2% behind), Quadro P5000 (8039, 1.4% behind), GTX 880M (8040, 1.4% behind), and GTX 650 Ti (8053, 1.6% behind).

The Verdict

The data points to one clear conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 is the faster card. It wins the only benchmark in the database by 17.3%, which is a substantial margin for two cards from the same generation. Its higher bandwidth (102.7 GB/s vs 86.40 GB/s), larger frame buffer (1024 MB vs 768 MB), more ROPs (32 vs 24), and higher pixel rate (13.38 GPixel/s vs 9.450 GPixel/s) all align with that result.

The GTX 460 is not without merits. It has a higher texture fill rate (37.80 GTexel/s vs 26.75 GTexel/s) and slightly higher FP32 compute (907.2 GFLOPS vs 855.4 GFLOPS). It also draws less power (160 W vs 200 W) and is shorter (210 mm vs 241 mm), which makes it easier to fit into smaller cases. But none of that translates into a benchmark win in the recorded data.

Who should pick which? If you want maximum performance in compute and graphics workloads, the GTX 465 is the choice. Its 46th percentile ranking versus the GTX 460's 41st percentile confirms it sits higher in the overall GPU hierarchy. If you have a power supply at 450 W or a case that cannot fit a 241 mm card, the GTX 460 is the practical fallback, but you should expect noticeably lower performance. The launch MSRP for the GTX 465 was 279 USD, while the GTX 460 launched at 199 USD, reflecting the performance difference at the time. For a builder prioritizing speed, the GTX 465 wins outright.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 |

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

| Chip | GF100 | GF104 |

| Transistors | 3,100 million | 1,950 million |

| Die Size | 529 mm² | 332 mm² |

| Memory Clock | 802 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 768 MB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 102.7 GB/s | 86.40 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 352 | 336 |

| TMUs | 44 | 56 |

| ROPs | 32 | 24 |

| Pixel Rate | 13.38 GPixel/s | 9.450 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 26.75 GTexel/s | 37.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 855.4 GFLOPS | 907.2 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 200 W | 160 W |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Dimensions | 241 mm (9.5 inches) | 210 mm (8.3 inches) |

| Release Date | 2010-05-30 | 2010-07-11 |

| Launch MSRP | 279 USD | 199 USD |

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 9294 | 7925 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 46 | 41 |

Both cards share the same architecture (Fermi), process node (40 nm), foundry (TSMC), transistor density (5.9M/mm²), bus interface (PCIe 2.0 x16), power connectors (2x 6-pin), slot width (dual-slot), display outputs (2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a), DirectX support (12 with 11_0), OpenGL support (4.6), production status (end-of-life), predecessor (GeForce 200), and successor (GeForce 500).