AMD Radeon 780M vs NVIDIA Tesla K40m Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison between the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and the AMD Radeon 780M comes down to a single recorded head-to-head test: Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the Tesla K40m scores 19,885 against the Radeon 780M's 18,602, a 6.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card. That is a clear win, but not a dominant one, and it only tells part of the story.

Looking at the broader database, the Tesla K40m sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the Radeon 780M sits at the 61st percentile. Both are mid-pack performers, but the Tesla K40m is measurably ahead in this specific compute workload. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD FirePro W7000 at 19,905 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT at 19,765 (0.6% behind), and the AMD FirePro D300 at 19,637 (1.3% behind). The Tesla K40m's 19,885 score places it just 0.1% behind the FirePro W7000, a gap small enough to be considered noise, and 0.6% ahead of the RX 6650 XT.

The Radeon 780M, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 17,588, which is dragged down by its other results. Its OpenCL score of 18,602 is its strongest showing in the synthetic compute test, but it also records a Geekbench Vulkan score of 33,683 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 480. The 3DMark result is low, but that test is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the Radeon 780M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) while the Tesla K40m only reaches DirectX 12 (11_1). The Tesla K40m has no recorded Vulkan or 3DMark scores in the database, so the Radeon 780M's win in those areas is unopposed.

The Radeon 780M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17,639 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Radeon HD 7790 at 17,666 (0.4% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17,551 (0.2% behind). This puts the 780M in a tight cluster where a few percent separates all competitors. The Tesla K40m's 6.9% lead over the 780M in OpenCL is the only direct head-to-head data point, but it is consistent with the percentile ranking. The Tesla K40m wins the one recorded comparison, and the database records one win for the NVIDIA card and zero for AMD.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras and different design philosophies. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m uses the GK110B chip, built on Kepler architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon 780M uses the Phoenix chip, built on RDNA 3.0, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 4 nm process. It contains 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, for a transistor density of 142.6 million per square millimeter. That is a massive density advantage, more than 11 times higher, and it explains how AMD fits so many transistors into such a small package.

The Tesla K40m is a discrete accelerator with 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. It has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The Radeon 780M is an integrated graphics processor with 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. Despite having far fewer shading units, the Radeon 780M reaches higher clock speeds: a base of 800 MHz and a boost of 2,900 MHz, compared to the Tesla K40m's 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. That clock advantage helps the 780M achieve 8.909 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput, while the Tesla K40m manages 5.046 TFLOPS. The Radeon 780M also records FP16 performance at 8.909 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the Tesla K40m has no recorded FP16 figure.

Memory is another major divergence. The Tesla K40m uses 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 780M uses system shared memory, with system dependent bandwidth and no dedicated VRAM. That means the Tesla K40m has a massive bandwidth advantage in memory-bound workloads, while the Radeon 780M relies on the host system's memory controller. The Tesla K40m's memory clock is listed as 1,502 MHz, or 6 Gbps effective, while the Radeon 780M's memory speed is simply listed as "System Shared."

The Tesla K40m is a dual-slot card, 267 mm long (10.5 inches), with no display outputs, and it requires a 550 W suggested power supply. Its TDP is 245 W. The Radeon 780M is an IGP, meaning it has no slot width, no power connectors, no length dimension, and its display outputs are motherboard dependent. Its TDP is 15 W. The bus interface also differs: the Tesla K40m uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Radeon 780M uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

API support is a mixed bag. The Tesla K40m supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon 780M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Radeon 780M is clearly more modern in API coverage, which matters for newer games and applications, but the Tesla K40m's compute credentials are still respectable given its age.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture: pick the NVIDIA Tesla K40m if you need raw compute throughput in OpenCL workloads and have the power budget and physical space for a dual-slot card. Its 6.9% OpenCL lead over the Radeon 780M, combined with its 65th percentile ranking versus the 780M's 61st, makes it the stronger choice for compute-focused tasks where its 12 GB of GDDR5 and 288.4 GB/s bandwidth can be fully utilized.

Pick the AMD Radeon 780M if you need an integrated solution with modern API support, ray tracing cores, and dramatically lower power consumption. Its 15 W TDP versus the Tesla K40m's 245 W is a 16-fold difference, and its 8.909 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is 76% higher than the Tesla K40m's 5.046 TFLOPS. The 780M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while the Tesla K40m is stuck on DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The 780M records a Vulkan score of 33,683 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 480, neither of which the Tesla K40m can contest.

For general use, the Radeon 780M is the more practical choice. It is an active product, released on 2024-01-30, while the Tesla K40m is end-of-life, released on 2013-11-21. The Tesla K40m has a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD, and it is a legacy accelerator with no display outputs. The Radeon 780M is integrated into a motherboard, uses system shared memory, and is designed for modern systems. If you are building a new system, the Radeon 780M is the obvious pick. If you are running legacy compute workloads that favor OpenCL and need dedicated VRAM, the Tesla K40m still holds its own.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40m scores 19,885 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 6.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M's 18,602.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 780M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, it has 12 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Tesla K40m has a TDP of 245 W and requires a 550 W suggested power supply. The Radeon 780M has a TDP of 15 W and uses no power connectors.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The Tesla K40m has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 780M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The Radeon 780M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla K40m supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: Is the Tesla K40m still in production?

A: No, it is end-of-life. The Radeon 780M is an active product.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla K40m wins in OpenCL compute. Its 19,885 score beats the Radeon 780M by 6.9%, and its 12 GB of GDDR5 memory with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth gives it a clear edge in memory-bound workloads. It also has a higher pixel rate of 52.56 GPixel/s, though the Radeon 780M counters with 92.80 GPixel/s. The Tesla K40m is the better choice for legacy compute tasks, especially those that rely on OpenCL and do not need modern API features. Its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs also puts it slightly ahead of the Radeon 780M's 61st percentile.

The AMD Radeon 780M wins in raw FP32 throughput, modern API support, and power efficiency. Its 8.909 TFLOPS FP32 figure is 76% higher than the Tesla K40m's 5.046 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance matches at 8.909 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Tesla K40m is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The 780M also has 12 ray tracing cores, which the Tesla K40m lacks entirely. Its 15 W TDP makes it suitable for systems with minimal power delivery, and its Vulkan score of 33,683 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 480 show it can handle modern graphics workloads that the Tesla K40m cannot run. The 780M's texture rate of 139.2 GTexel/s is lower than the Tesla K40m's 210.2 GTexel/s, but its pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s is significantly higher.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every major specification category. The NVIDIA Tesla K40m uses the GK110B chip on 28 nm TSMC process, with 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. The AMD Radeon 780M uses the Phoenix chip on 4 nm TSMC process, with 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. Transistor density is 12.6M per mm² for the Tesla K40m versus 142.6M per mm² for the Radeon 780M.

Clock speeds: the Tesla K40m runs at 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost, with memory at 1,502 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The Radeon 780M runs at 800 MHz base and 2,900 MHz boost, with system shared memory.

Memory: the Tesla K40m has 12 GB GDDR5, 384 bit bus, 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 780M has system shared memory, system dependent bandwidth.

Compute units: the Tesla K40m has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The Radeon 780M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores.

Performance rates: the Tesla K40m delivers 52.56 GPixel/s pixel rate and 210.2 GTexel/s texture rate. The Radeon 780M delivers 92.80 GPixel/s and 139.2 GTexel/s. FP32 is 5.046 TFLOPS for the Tesla K40m and 8.909 TFLOPS for the Radeon 780M. FP16 is not recorded for the Tesla K40m, while the Radeon 780M records 8.909 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical: the Tesla K40m has a 245 W TDP, dual-slot width, 267 mm length (10.5 inches), and a 550 W suggested PSU. The Radeon 780M has a 15 W TDP, IGP slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU.

Interface and outputs: the Tesla K40m uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and has no display outputs. The Radeon 780M uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and has motherboard dependent display outputs.

APIs: the Tesla K40m supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon 780M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Production and release: the Tesla K40m is end-of-life, released 2013-11-21, with a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD. The Radeon 780M is active, released 2024-01-30, with no launch MSRP recorded.