GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 460M

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

2008Core: 576 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 460M

2010Core: 675 MHz

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 460M Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 460M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 460M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 260

2008

Why buy it

  • 46.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 896 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 896 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 264% higher power demand at 182W vs 50W.

GeForce GTX 460M

2010

Why buy it

  • 71.4% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 896 MB).
  • Draws 50W instead of 182W, a 132W reduction.
  • More future proof: Fermi (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 260 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2010 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 260 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 46.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 460M instead at 1,218 vs 1,200, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 260 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 260 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce GTX 260 vs GeForce GTX 460M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 260

The GeForce GTX 260 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,200 points. Launch price was $449.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 460M

The GeForce GTX 460M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 3 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 675 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,218 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 260 scores 1,200 and the GeForce GTX 460M reaches 1,218 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the GeForce GTX 460M uses Fermi, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 192 (GeForce GTX 460M). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260) vs 0.5184 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 460M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
G3D Mark Score
1,200
1,218+2%
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
Fermi
Process Node
65 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
192
192
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.4769 TFLOPS
0.5184 TFLOPS+9%
ROPs
28+17%
24
TMUs
64+100%
32
L2 Cache
224 KB
384 KB+71%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 260 has 896 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GTX 460M carries 2 GB. GeForce GTX 460M gives you 71.4% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 260 and 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 460M. L2 Cache: 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260) vs 384 KB (GeForce GTX 460M) — the GeForce GTX 460M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
VRAM Capacity
0.875 GB
1.5 GB+71%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
224 KB
384 KB+71%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 10_0 (GeForce GTX 260) vs 12 (11_0) (GeForce GTX 460M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
DirectX
10_0
12 (11_0)+20%
Max Displays
2
2
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 1st Gen (GeForce GTX 260) vs PureVideo HD VP4 (GeForce GTX 460M). Decoder: NVDEC 1st Gen vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 260) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GTX 460M).

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
Encoder
NVENC 1st Gen
PureVideo HD VP4
Decoder
NVDEC 1st Gen
PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs
H.264
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 ASP
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 260 draws 182W versus the GeForce GTX 460M's 50W — a 113.8% difference. The GeForce GTX 460M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 260) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 460M). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
TDP
182W
50W-73%
Recommended PSU
500W
350W-30%
Power Connector
2x 6-pin
1x 6-pin
Length
267mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
6.6
24.4+270%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 460M (2010 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce GTX 260GeForce GTX 460M
MSRP
$449
Codename
GT200
GF106
Release
June 16 2008
September 3 2010
Ranking
#821
#814

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