GeForce GTX 480 vs GeForce GTX 860M SLI

In this comparison between GeForce GTX 480 and GeForce GTX 860M SLI you will find out which graphics card performs better in today's games. Bear in mind that third-party versions may have more efficient cooling and higher clock speeds. This will increase cards' performance, though not by much. In addition to raw power you should also take into account the dimensions. Thicker models simply will not fit into a small mini-ITX case. The resolution of your monitor also affects the choice, since 4K gameplay requires a more powerful GPU. And don't overspend on the graphics card. Other parts of your build may also need to be upgraded, save some money for the CPU or power supply. For some people GeForce GTX 480 will be the best choice, for others GeForce GTX 860M SLI will be their preference. Study the comparison tables below and make your choice.

GeForce GTX 860M SLI is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: GeForce GTX 860M SLI is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with GeForce GTX 860M SLI here:

Main Specs

  GeForce GTX 480 GeForce GTX 860M SLI
Power consumption (TDP) 250 Watt 120 Watt
Interface PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors 6-pin & 8-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 1536 MB 2x 4 GB
Display Connectors 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI
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  • GeForce GTX 480 has 108% more power consumption, than GeForce GTX 860M SLI.
  • GeForce GTX 480 has 1534 GB more memory, than GeForce GTX 860M SLI.
  • GeForce GTX 480 is used in Desktops, and GeForce GTX 860M SLI - in Laptops.
  • GeForce GTX 480 is build with Fermi architecture, and GeForce GTX 860M SLI - with Maxwell.
  • Core clock speed of GeForce GTX 860M SLI is 329 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 480.
  • GeForce GTX 480 is manufactured by 40 nm process technology, and GeForce GTX 860M SLI - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of GeForce GTX 860M SLI is 3152 MHz higher, than GeForce GTX 480.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 21−24 21−24
ultra / 1080p 12−14 14−16
QHD / 1440p 6−7 8−9
4K / 2160p 5−6 5−6
low / 720p 40−45 40−45
medium / 1080p 24−27 27−30
The average gaming FPS of GeForce GTX 860M SLI in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 5% more, than GeForce GTX 480.

Full Specs

  GeForce GTX 480 GeForce GTX 860M SLI
Architecture Fermi Maxwell
Code name GF100
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 7 December 2010 12 March 2014
Pipelines 480 1280
Core clock speed 700 MHz 1029 MHz
Transistor count 3,100 million 2x 1870 Million
Manufacturing process technology 40 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 42 billion/sec
Floating-point performance 1,345.0 gflops
Length 10.5" (267 mm) (26.7 cm)
Memory bus width 384 Bit 2x 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 1848 MHz (3696 data rate) 5000 MHz
Memory bandwidth 177.4 GB/s
Shared memory - -
DirectX 12 (11_0) DirectX 12 (FL 11_0), Shader 5.0
Shader Model 5.1
OpenGL 4.2
OpenCL 1.1
Vulkan N/A
CUDA + +
CUDA cores 480
Bus support 16x PCI-E 2.0
Height 4.376" (111 mm) (11.1 cm)
SLI options + +
Multi monitor support +
HDMI +
HDCP +
Maximum VGA resolution 2048x1536
Audio input for HDMI Internal
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 117 Mh/s
Laptop size large
Optimus +
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