AMD Radeon 540 vs NVIDIA GRID K2 Comparison

The NVIDIA GRID K2 and AMD Radeon 540 represent two very different approaches to GPU design, separated by four years of architectural evolution. The GRID K2 is a dual-slot, power-hungry compute card from 2013 built on a 28 nm process, while the Radeon 540 is a single-slot, low-power OEM card from 2017 on a 14 nm process. Benchmark results show a clear performance hierarchy, but the data reveals that each card has distinct strengths that go beyond raw compute throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between these two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisive. The NVIDIA GRID K2 scores 10,602 points, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 6,184 points. This gives the GRID K2 a 71.4% advantage over the Radeon 540 in this particular test. The delta is substantial, indicating that the GRID K2 delivers nearly three-quarters more OpenCL compute performance than its younger competitor. This is not a marginal victory; it is a dominant showing that underscores the GRID K2's positioning as a high-throughput compute solution.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the GRID K2's average benchmark score is 8,080, which places it at the 42nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost (average score 8,067, just 0.2% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce 945M (score 8,099, 0.2% ahead), and the GTX 650 Ti (score 8,053, 0.3% behind). The GRID K2 sits in a tight cluster around the 8,000-point mark, showing that its overall performance is competitive with mid-range GeForce parts from its era.

The AMD Radeon 540, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 7,673, placing it at the 41st percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, which scores 7,723 — only 0.6% ahead. The Radeon 540 is also closely matched with the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (score 7,580, 1.2% behind) and the AMD Radeon R7 250 (score 7,557, 1.5% behind). These narrow margins show that the Radeon 540 sits in a competitive bracket, but it trails the GRID K2's average score by 407 points, or roughly 5.3%.

The Geekbench OpenCL result is the only direct head-to-head comparison available, and it heavily favors the GRID K2. The Radeon 540 does have a Geekbench Vulkan score of 9,162, but no corresponding Vulkan score exists for the GRID K2, so a direct comparison on that API is not possible. The GRID K2 also has a Geekbench Metal score of 5,557, which the Radeon 540 cannot match due to its lack of Metal support.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is significant. The NVIDIA GRID K2 uses the GK104 chip based on the Kepler architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The die measures 294 mm² and contains 3,540 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 12.0 million per mm². This is a large, complex chip designed for high compute throughput in virtualized environments.

The AMD Radeon 540 uses the Lexa chip based on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. The die is much smaller at 103 mm², containing 2,200 million transistors. The smaller process node gives it a higher transistor density of 21.4 million per mm², which is 78% denser than the GRID K2's chip. This density advantage is a direct result of the more modern manufacturing process, but the Radeon 540's smaller absolute transistor count means it has less raw hardware to work with.

The GRID K2 boasts 1,536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The Radeon 540 has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GRID K2 has four times the shading units and over five times the TMUs, which explains its massive compute advantage. The pixel rate of the GRID K2 is 23.84 GPixel/s versus 18.93 GPixel/s for the Radeon 540, and the texture rate is 95.36 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput tells a similar story: the GRID K2 delivers 2.289 TFLOPS, while the Radeon 540 delivers 908.5 GFLOPS — less than half.

Memory configuration further separates these cards. The GRID K2 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 540 has only 1,024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5 on a 32-bit bus, yielding just 24.00 GB/s. The GRID K2's memory bandwidth is 6.7 times higher, which is critical for compute workloads that require rapid data access.

The Radeon 540 does have one unique feature: FP16 performance at 908.5 GFLOPS, which is a 1:1 ratio with its FP32 throughput. The GRID K2 has no listed FP16 capability. This could be an advantage for certain machine learning workloads, though the GRID K2's sheer FP32 power likely compensates in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GRID K2 has an average benchmark score of 8,080, while the AMD Radeon 540 scores 7,673. The GRID K2 leads by 407 points, roughly 5.3%.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The GRID K2 scores 10,602 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Radeon 540 scores 6,184. This gives the GRID K2 a 71.4% advantage in this test.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The GRID K2 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the Radeon 540 has 1,024 MB (1 GB) of GDDR5. The GRID K2 also uses a 256-bit bus versus the Radeon 540's 32-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon 540 has a transistor density of 21.4M per mm², which is higher than the NVIDIA GRID K2's 12.0M per mm², despite the Radeon's smaller total transistor count.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The GRID K2 has a TDP of 225 W, while the Radeon 540 has a TDP of 50 W. The Radeon 540 requires no power connectors, whereas the GRID K2 needs one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The Radeon 540 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the GRID K2 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly establishes the NVIDIA GRID K2 as the superior compute performer. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 10,602 versus 6,184 represents a 71.4% advantage, and its average benchmark score of 8,080 surpasses the Radeon 540's 7,673. The GRID K2 also holds the 42nd percentile ranking versus the Radeon 540's 41st percentile, though both are near the middle of the pack.

For compute-heavy workloads that leverage OpenCL, the GRID K2 is the obvious choice. Its 4 GB memory capacity, 160.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 2.289 TFLOPS FP32 performance provide substantial headroom. The Radeon 540's advantage lies in its efficiency: a 50 W TDP, single-slot design, and no external power connectors make it far easier to integrate into small systems. It also offers more modern API support, including Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0), which the GRID K2 lacks.

The Radeon 540's FP16 capability at 908.5 GFLOPS is a notable feature absent from the GRID K2's specifications. For workloads that can utilize half-precision arithmetic, this could narrow the performance gap. However, the GRID K2's raw FP32 throughput of 2.289 TFLOPS is more than double the Radeon 540's 908.5 GFLOPS, making it the stronger choice for general compute.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark differences across nearly every category. The process node differs: the GRID K2 uses 28 nm from TSMC, while the Radeon 540 uses 14 nm from GlobalFoundries. The die size is 294 mm² for the GRID K2 versus 103 mm² for the Radeon 540. Transistor counts are 3,540 million versus 2,200 million, with densities of 12.0M/mm² versus 21.4M/mm².

Memory specifications diverge sharply. The GRID K2 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon 540 offers 1,024 MB on a 32-bit bus with 24.00 GB/s. The memory clock differs as well: 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the GRID K2 versus 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the Radeon 540.

Compute resources are heavily skewed toward the GRID K2: 1,536 shading units versus 384, 128 TMUs versus 24, and 32 ROPs versus 16. The pixel rate is 23.84 GPixel/s versus 18.93 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 95.36 GTexel/s versus 28.39 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 2.289 TFLOPS versus 908.5 GFLOPS. The Radeon 540 adds FP16 at 908.5 GFLOPS (1:1), which the GRID K2 does not list.

The TDP is 225 W for the GRID K2 versus 50 W for the Radeon 540. The GRID K2 is dual-slot with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors and a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the Radeon 540 is single-slot with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The GRID K2 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Radeon 540 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The GRID K2 has no display outputs, whereas the Radeon 540 has 2x DisplayPort 1.4a.

The GRID K2 measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, while the Radeon 540 has no listed dimensions. The GRID K2 was released on 2013-05-10 with a launch MSRP of 5,199 USD, while the Radeon 540 was released on 2017-04-19 with no launch MSRP listed. The Radeon 540's predecessor is Arctic Islands and its successor is Vega; the GRID K2 has no listed predecessor or successor.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GRID K2 wins decisively in compute-intensive tasks. Its 71.4% Geekbench OpenCL advantage over the Radeon 540 makes it the stronger card for applications that rely on OpenCL acceleration. The 4 GB memory capacity and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth provide ample room for large datasets, while the 2.289 TFLOPS FP32 throughput handles heavy arithmetic loads. The 42nd percentile ranking and average score of 8,080 place it above the Radeon 540 in overall performance.

The AMD Radeon 540 wins in efficiency and deployment flexibility. Its 50 W TDP is a fraction of the GRID K2's 225 W, and its single-slot design with no power connectors means it can fit into compact systems with minimal power requirements. The 14 nm process and higher transistor density (21.4M/mm² versus 12.0M/mm²) show a more modern manufacturing approach. The Radeon 540's Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0) support exceed the GRID K2's Vulkan 1.2.175 and DirectX 12 (11_0), making it better suited for modern graphics workloads.

For gaming or display output, the Radeon 540 is the only viable option, as the GRID K2 has no display outputs. The Radeon 540's 2x DisplayPort 1.4a connections allow direct monitor attachment, while the GRID K2 requires a separate display solution. The Radeon 540 also offers FP16 compute at 908.5 GFLOPS, which the GRID K2 lacks entirely.

In a head-to-head compute comparison, the GRID K2 wins the single shared benchmark. For users prioritizing raw OpenCL performance, memory bandwidth, or large memory capacity, the GRID K2 is the clear winner. For users prioritizing low power draw, compact size, modern API support, or display connectivity, the Radeon 540 holds the advantage. The data shows two cards optimized for different environments: the GRID K2 for server-side compute, the Radeon 540 for client-side efficiency.