GPU Comparison

The data places the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 at the same performance percentile (41st) among all GPUs, yet their average benchmark scores tell a starkly different story. The Quadro P5000 averages 8,039 points, while the GTX 460 averages 7,925 points, a difference of roughly 1.4% in favor of the newer card. This near-identical percentile ranking, despite the P5000’s overwhelming victory in the single shared benchmark, suggests the GTX 460’s legacy driver optimizations or the nature of the specific tests keep it competitive in aggregate scoring. The verdict is clear: for any modern workload involving DirectX 12, Vulkan, or large memory footprints, the Quadro P5000 is the only viable choice. The GTX 460, with its 768 MB of memory and lack of Vulkan support, is relegated to legacy applications or basic 2D tasks, where its lower power draw and smaller physical footprint might be preferable.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 is the definitive winner for virtually all compute and modern graphics scenarios. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 52,509 is 562.6% higher than the GTX 460’s 7,925, a margin that dwarfs any other comparison. For users running professional applications, DirectX 12 titles, or any workload that leverages Vulkan, the P5000 is the only card in this pairing that can deliver acceptable performance. The GTX 460, while matching the P5000’s 41st percentile ranking and averaging only 1.4% lower overall, achieves this solely through its single OpenCL result, which is still 84.9% slower than the P5000. The GTX 460’s 768 MB memory capacity is a severe bottleneck for modern textures and datasets, making it unsuitable for anything beyond older games or light productivity. However, if the task is purely legacy, such as running an older DirectX 9 application or a 2D workstation setup, the GTX 460’s lower 160 W TDP and shorter 210 mm length could make it a more practical fit for small form-factor builds. The data does not support any scenario where the GTX 460 outperforms the P5000; it only offers a lower-power, physically smaller alternative for non-demanding tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent entirely different eras of NVIDIA design. The Quadro P5000 is built on the Pascal architecture using the GP104 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 16 nm process. It packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the GTX 460 uses the Fermi architecture with the GF104 chip, built on a 40 nm process. It contains 1,950 million transistors spread across a larger 332 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 5.9 million transistors per square millimeter. This generational leap explains the P5000’s massive resource advantage: it has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, versus the GTX 460’s 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The memory subsystems are equally divergent. The P5000 uses 16 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, achieving 288.5 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 460 uses 768 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, yielding only 86.40 GB/s. The P5000 also supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1), whereas the GTX 460 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support. Both cards are end-of-life and use a dual-slot cooler, but the P5000 requires a single 8-pin power connector versus the GTX 460’s two 6-pin connectors.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Only one benchmark appears in both cards’ datasets: Geekbench OpenCL. The results are lopsided. The Quadro P5000 scores 52,509, while the GTX 460 scores 7,925, giving the P5000 a commanding 562.6% lead. This single data point is the only direct comparison available, but it is decisive. The P5000’s OpenCL performance is 6.6 times higher, which aligns with its vastly superior hardware specifications, more than 7.6 times the shading units and more than 3.3 times the memory bandwidth. The GTX 460’s 7,925 score is actually lower than the P5000’s average benchmark score of 8,039, meaning the older card cannot even match the P5000’s average performance across all tests. While the GTX 460 has no wins in this head-to-head, its aggregate average of 7,925 is only 114 points below the P5000’s average, which is a statistical curiosity. This suggests that the P5000’s other benchmarks (like Passmark G3D at 12,634 or 3DMark Steel Nomad at 1,330) may be dragged down by driver or workload inefficiencies, while the GTX 460’s single OpenCL result benefits from simpler test conditions. Regardless, for any user relying on OpenCL compute, the P5000 is the only rational choice.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P5000 is vastly superior, scoring 52,509 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the GTX 460’s 7,925, a 562.6% difference. This is the only benchmark shared by both cards.

Q: Can the GTX 460 run Vulkan applications?

A: No. The GTX 460 has no Vulkan support listed in its API specifications, while the Quadro P5000 supports Vulkan 1.4. This makes the P5000 the only option for Vulkan-based games or software.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Quadro P5000 has 16 GB of GDDR5X memory, while the GTX 460 has 768 MB of GDDR5. The P5000’s memory is 21.3 times larger and offers 288.5 GB/s bandwidth versus 86.40 GB/s.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Quadro P5000 has a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter, thanks to its 16 nm process. The GTX 460 has only 5.9 million per square millimeter on its 40 nm process.

Q: Are both cards the same physical width?

A: Yes, both are dual-slot cards. However, the P5000 is longer at 267 mm (10.5 inches) versus the GTX 460’s 210 mm (8.3 inches), and the P5000 also has a specified height of 111 mm (4.4 inches), while the GTX 460’s height is not listed.

Q: Do both cards support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, but with different feature levels. The Quadro P5000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GTX 460 supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The P5000’s higher feature level indicates better support for advanced rendering features.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro P5000 wins in every measurable performance category. It dominates OpenCL compute, supports Vulkan, has 16 GB of memory, and offers significantly higher pixel and texture rates, 110.9 GPixel/s and 277.3 GTexel/s, respectively, versus the GTX 460’s 9.450 GPixel/s and 37.80 GTexel/s. The P5000 is the clear choice for professional 3D rendering, video editing, scientific compute, or any modern game. Its 8.873 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is 9.8 times higher than the GTX 460’s 907.2 GFLOPS, making it suitable for compute-heavy tasks like machine learning inference. The GTX 460’s only advantages are physical and power-related: it draws 160 W versus the P5000’s 180 W, and it is 57 mm shorter. It also uses two 6-pin connectors instead of one 8-pin, which may be more compatible with older power supplies. For a user with a small case, a modest PSU, and a need to run only legacy DirectX 9 or 10 applications (where the GTX 460’s Passmark scores are 170 and 77, respectively), the GTX 460 could suffice. But for anything requiring performance, memory, or modern API support, the P5000 is the only winner.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification. The P5000 uses the GP104 chip on a 16 nm process, while the GTX 460 uses GF104 on 40 nm. Transistor counts are 7,200 million versus 1,950 million, and die sizes are 314 mm² versus 332 mm². The P5000 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs; the GTX 460 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Memory is 16 GB GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus versus 768 MB GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, with bandwidths of 288.5 GB/s and 86.40 GB/s. Clock speeds differ: the P5000 has a base clock of 1607 MHz and boost of 1733 MHz, while the GTX 460 has no listed base or boost clocks, only a memory clock of 900 MHz (3.6 Gbps effective). Pixel rates are 110.9 GPixel/s versus 9.450 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 277.3 GTexel/s versus 37.80 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 8.873 TFLOPS versus 907.2 GFLOPS. The P5000 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 460 has no Vulkan support. Display outputs: P5000 has 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a; GTX 460 has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. Power requirements are 180 W with 1x 8-pin for the P5000, versus 160 W with 2x 6-pin for the GTX 460. Both share a 450 W suggested PSU, but the P5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 while the GTX 460 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The P5000’s launch MSRP was 2,499 USD; the GTX 460’s was 199 USD.