AMD Radeon 890M vs NVIDIA Tesla M10 Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla M10 and AMD Radeon 890M represent two completely different philosophies in GPU design: a dedicated, end-of-life server accelerator from 2016 versus a modern, active integrated graphics processor from 2024. The benchmark data shows a stark generational divide, with the Radeon 890M dominating in every head-to-head comparison, but the Tesla M10 still holds relevance in specific legacy compute environments. This analysis breaks down where each GPU wins, their architectural differences, and what the raw numbers mean for potential users.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 890M is the clear winner in raw computational performance, taking both head-to-head benchmark victories. In Geekbench OpenCL, the 890M scores 37,254 against the Tesla M10’s 10,318, a 72.3% advantage. The gap widens even further in Geekbench Vulkan, where the 890M posts 40,808 versus 9,130, a 77.6% margin. These are not subtle differences; the 890M is in a different performance tier entirely.

However, the Tesla M10’s strengths lie in its design purpose rather than raw speed. As a dual-slot, 225 W PCIe 3.0 x16 card with 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory and 83.20 GB/s of bandwidth, it is built for server environments where dedicated, isolated memory and predictable power delivery matter more than peak throughput. The M10 has no display outputs, meaning it is intended purely for compute workloads in datacenters, not for driving monitors. In contrast, the 890M is an IGP with system-shared memory, making it inherently tied to the host CPU’s RAM and system architecture.

The 890M also wins on efficiency and versatility. Its 15 W TDP is a fraction of the M10’s 225 W, and it supports PCIe 4.0, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), and 16 ray tracing cores. The Tesla M10 is capped at DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no ray tracing hardware. For modern gaming or graphics workloads, the 890M is the only viable option; for legacy server-side compute tasks that rely on Maxwell-era CUDA optimizations, the M10 remains a functional, if outdated, choice.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is massive, spanning two process generations and fundamentally different design goals. The Tesla M10 is built on NVIDIA’s Maxwell architecture using the GM107 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm TSMC process. It packs 1,870 million transistors onto a 148 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². The 890M, by contrast, uses AMD’s RDNA 3.5 architecture with the Strix Point chip, built on TSMC’s 4 nm process. It integrates 34,000 million transistors across a 233 mm² die, achieving an extraordinary 145.9M transistors per mm² — a density more than 11 times higher than the M10.

The core configurations tell a similar story. The Tesla M10 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The Radeon 890M more than doubles those numbers with 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 890M also includes 16 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the M10. Clock speeds differ dramatically: the M10 runs at a 1033 MHz base and 1306 MHz boost, while the 890M has a 400 MHz base but boosts to 2900 MHz. This higher boost clock, combined with more execution units, explains the 890M’s massive performance lead.

Memory architecture is another fundamental divergence. The M10 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 83.20 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth. The 890M uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth described as “System Dependent.” This means the 890M’s memory performance is entirely reliant on the host system’s RAM speed and configuration, whereas the M10 offers consistent, predictable bandwidth regardless of the host platform.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is limited to two tests, but both are decisive wins for the AMD Radeon 890M. In Geekbench OpenCL, the 890M scores 37,254 against the Tesla M10’s 10,318. This 72.3% delta translates to the 890M delivering roughly 3.6 times the OpenCL performance of the M10. The result is consistent with the architectural advantages: the 890M has more shading units, higher clocks, and newer instruction set support.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an even larger gap. The 890M scores 40,808, while the M10 manages only 9,130, a 77.6% difference. This is notable because the Tesla M10 does support Vulkan 1.4, so the test is not limited by API availability. The M10’s Maxwell architecture simply cannot keep pace with RDNA 3.5’s modern Vulkan implementation and higher compute throughput.

It is also worth placing these scores in context with each GPU’s nearest rivals. The Tesla M10’s average benchmark score is 9,724, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9,716) and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (9,665). It sits 0.6% behind the GeForce GTX 1070 (9,780). The Radeon 890M’s average score of 9,210 is 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9,221) and 0.7% behind the GeForce GTX 960 (9,273). Interestingly, despite winning both head-to-head tests, the 890M’s average benchmark score (9,210) is actually lower than the M10’s (9,724). This is because the 890M’s average includes passmark scores in legacy DirectX 9 and 10 tests (97 and 33 respectively), which drag its average down. The M10, with only two Geekbench scores, benefits from a more uniform benchmark profile.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two GPUs differ on nearly every measurable field. The Tesla M10 is a 28 nm Maxwell chip with 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, while the 890M is a 4 nm RDNA 3.5 chip with 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die. The M10 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs; the 890M has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, plus 16 ray tracing cores.

Clock speeds favor the 890M on boost: 2900 MHz versus 1306 MHz, though the M10 has a higher base clock at 1033 MHz versus 400 MHz. Memory is radically different: the M10 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth, while the 890M uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. The M10’s pixel rate is 20.90 GPixel/s and texture rate is 52.24 GTexel/s; the 890M more than triples these with 92.80 GPixel/s and 185.6 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 1.672 TFLOPS for the M10 versus 5.939 TFLOPS for the 890M, a 3.5x difference. The 890M also supports FP16 at 5.939 TFLOPS (1:1), while the M10 lists no FP16 capability.

Power and physical specifications are equally divergent. The M10 is a dual-slot card requiring a 225 W TDP, one 8-pin power connector, and a 550 W suggested PSU. It measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length and uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The 890M is an IGP with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, no dedicated slot width, and a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The M10 has no display outputs; the 890M’s outputs are “Portable Device Dependent.” API support also differs: the M10 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), while the 890M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Production status and release dates complete the picture. The M10 was released on May 17, 2016, is end-of-life, and succeeded the Tesla Kepler line while being succeeded by Tesla Pascal. The 890M was released on July 14, 2024, is active, and succeeded the Navi II IGP. Neither GPU has a listed launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M is significantly faster, scoring 37,254 compared to the NVIDIA Tesla M10’s 10,318, a 72.3% advantage.

Q: Does the Tesla M10 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Tesla M10 has no ray tracing cores, while the AMD Radeon 890M includes 16 dedicated ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Tesla M10 has 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 890M uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning it relies on the host system’s RAM.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M boosts to 2900 MHz, while the NVIDIA Tesla M10 boosts to 1306 MHz. The M10 has a higher base clock at 1033 MHz versus the 890M’s 400 MHz.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Tesla M10 has a 225 W TDP and requires a dual-slot cooler with a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 550 W suggested PSU. The Radeon 890M is an IGP with a 15 W TDP and no power connectors.

Q: Which GPU supports newer DirectX features?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the NVIDIA Tesla M10 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.