AMD Radeon 740M vs NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm Comparison

The Verdict

The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm is the clear performance winner in this matchup, taking the only head-to-head benchmark with a decisive 40.9% advantage. However, the AMD Radeon 740M is the more modern, efficient, and versatile product for integrated graphics use cases. The data shows two GPUs separated by a decade of architecture evolution, with the Tesla K20Xm leveraging raw compute muscle while the Radeon 740M counters with contemporary features and a fraction of the power draw. Choose the Tesla K20Xm if raw OpenCL throughput is the sole priority and you have the power budget and physical space for a dual-slot, 235 W accelerator. Choose the Radeon 740M if you need an integrated solution with modern API support, ray tracing hardware, and a 4 nm process node that sips power at 45 W. The benchmark average scores are nearly identical — 12870 for the Radeon versus 12625 for the Tesla — but the distribution of wins and the underlying specifications tell a story of two completely different design philosophies.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap here is generational. The AMD Radeon 740M is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using TSMC's 4 nm process node, packing 20,900 million transistors into a 137 mm² die. That translates to a transistor density of 152.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm, in contrast, uses the Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process node from the same foundry, with 7,080 million transistors spread across a massive 561 mm² die. The density difference is stark: 152.6M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm². The Radeon 740M is a Phoenix2 chip from the Navi III IGP generation, while the Tesla K20Xm is a GK110 chip from the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation.

The Radeon 740M integrates 256 shading units, 16 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output pipelines, along with 4 dedicated ray tracing cores. The Tesla K20Xm counters with 2688 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, but has no ray tracing cores. The Radeon's memory subsystem is entirely system-shared, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent," while the Tesla features 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus with 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon's base clock is 800 MHz with a boost of 2800 MHz, whereas the Tesla's clocks are listed without base or boost figures, only a memory clock of 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective). In terms of API support, the Radeon 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla K20Xm manages DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is unambiguous. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm scores 17215, while the AMD Radeon 740M scores 10172. That is a delta of -40.9% for the Radeon, meaning the Tesla delivers roughly 69% more OpenCL compute performance. This is a massive single-test victory for the older Kepler part, driven by its 2688 shading units and dedicated 249.6 GB/s memory bandwidth versus the Radeon's 256 shading units and system-dependent memory performance.

However, the broader benchmark picture tempers this victory. The Radeon 740M also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 15568, which the Tesla cannot match because it lacks a Vulkan result in the data. The average benchmark scores are nearly tied: the Radeon averages 12870 across its tests, while the Tesla averages 12625. The Radeon's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 53, slightly ahead of the Tesla's 52. The nearest rivals for the Radeon include the AMD Radeon RX 580 at 12928 (-0.4% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 at 12830 (+0.3% delta). The Tesla's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 at 12773 (-1.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT at 12710 (-0.7% delta). These rival comparisons show both parts sit in a similar performance tier despite the OpenCL gap.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance in the shared benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm wins the Geekbench OpenCL test decisively, scoring 17215 versus the AMD Radeon 740M's 10172, a 40.9% difference in favor of the Tesla.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 12870, compared to the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm's 12625. The difference is approximately 1.9% in favor of the Radeon.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: Does the Tesla K20Xm have ray tracing support?

A: No. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm has no ray tracing cores listed. The AMD Radeon 740M includes 4 dedicated ray tracing cores.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M has a TDP of 45 W and uses no power connectors, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm has a TDP of 235 W and requires a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: Which GPU has more memory and bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus with 249.6 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 740M uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm wins decisively in raw OpenCL compute, delivering 17215 versus 10172, a 40.9% margin. This makes it the clear choice for workloads that are heavily dependent on OpenCL compute throughput, such as certain scientific simulations, data processing, or compute acceleration tasks that can leverage its 2688 shading units and 224 TMUs. Its dedicated 6 GB GDDR5 memory with 249.6 GB/s bandwidth also provides predictable, high-bandwidth memory access that does not depend on the host system's memory configuration. The Tesla's 40.99 GPixel/s pixel rate and 164.0 GTexel/s texture rate are substantially higher than the Radeon's 22.40 GPixel/s and 44.80 GTexel/s, indicating advantages in fill-rate-bound scenarios.

The AMD Radeon 740M wins on efficiency, modernity, and feature set. Its 45 W TDP is dramatically lower than the Tesla's 235 W, and its 4 nm process node represents a massive manufacturing advantage over the 28 nm Kepler part. The Radeon supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, enabling modern gaming and compute features that the Tesla's DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175 cannot match. The inclusion of 4 ray tracing cores gives the Radeon hardware-accelerated ray tracing capability that the Tesla completely lacks. The Radeon's Vulkan score of 15568 demonstrates strong performance in that API, which is relevant for modern cross-platform workloads. Its IGP form factor means it occupies no expansion slot and requires no power connectors, making it suitable for compact, low-power systems where the Tesla's dual-slot, 267 mm length would be impractical.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 740M | NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 20,900 million | 7,080 million |

| Die Size | 137 mm² | 561 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 152.6M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 256 | 2688 |

| TMUs | 16 | 224 |

| ROPs | 8 | 48 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 4 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 2.867 TFLOPS | 3.935 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 2.867 TFLOPS (1:1) | Not listed |

| Pixel Rate | 22.40 GPixel/s | 40.99 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 44.80 GTexel/s | 164.0 GTexel/s |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 249.6 GB/s |

| TDP | 45 W | 235 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | Not listed |

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | No outputs |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2024-01-30 | 2012-11-11 |

| Predecessor | Navi II IGP | Tesla Fermi |

| Successor | Navi III IGP | Tesla Maxwell |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 7,699 USD |

| Average Benchmark Score | 12870 | 12625 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 53 | 52 |