AMD Radeon HD 8950M vs NVIDIA Tesla M2090 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 8950M and the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 are both end-of-life parts, but they target entirely different workloads. The data shows a narrow victory for the AMD mobile GPU in the single available benchmark, but the specifications reveal a stark contrast in design philosophy: one is a power-efficient mobile graphics solution, the other a compute-oriented accelerator with a massive memory footprint. Based on the benchmark results, the Radeon HD 8950M holds a 5.3% lead over the Tesla M2090 in Geekbench OpenCL, a modest but definitive margin that places them in adjacent performance tiers. However, the Tesla’s specifications suggest it was built for a different class of tasks entirely, making a direct "winner" declaration dependent on the intended use case.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon HD 8950M scores 13,772 against the NVIDIA Tesla M2090’s 13,075. This translates to a 5.3% advantage for the AMD part, a win that is consistent with its higher average benchmark score of 13,376 versus the Tesla’s 13,075. While a single test does not constitute a comprehensive analysis, the delta is meaningful enough to establish a performance hierarchy in general-purpose compute workloads.

The AMD Radeon HD 8950M’s victory is not an outlier when viewed against its peer group. Its average score of 13,376 places it within a tight cluster of rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro 555X (13,321, 0.4% slower) and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13,407, 0.2% faster). This indicates that the HD 8950M is a solidly mid-pack performer, sitting at the 54th percentile of all GPUs. The Tesla M2090, by contrast, sits at the 53rd percentile, and its average score of 13,075 is bracketed by rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (13,189, 0.9% faster) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940, 1% slower). The 5.3% spread between the two compared parts is larger than the deltas seen among their respective nearest rivals, underscoring that the HD 8950M holds a genuine, if small, edge in this specific metric.

It is worth remembering the Tesla M2090 has no Vulkan benchmark score, while the HD 8950M posts a respectable 12,979 in that test. This absence limits the comparison, but the OpenCL result remains the single data point that separates them. The AMD part’s higher pixel rate (17.20 GPixel/s) and texture rate (51.60 GTexel/s) do not directly translate into a larger OpenCL win, but they do hint at a more balanced architecture. The Tesla’s higher pixel rate (20.83 GPixel/s) and larger ROP count (48 versus 16) are offset by its lower shading unit count (512 versus 768), which likely explains its deficit in the compute benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8950M is faster, scoring 13,772 compared to the NVIDIA Tesla M2090’s 13,075, a 5.3% difference.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The HD 8950M’s average score of 13,376 is within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon Pro 555X and 0.2% of the AMD Radeon Pro 555. The Tesla M2090’s average of 13,075 is 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 580.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is three times the 2 GB found on the AMD Radeon HD 8950M. The Tesla also has a wider 384-bit bus versus 128-bit, leading to 177.4 GB/s bandwidth compared to 88.00 GB/s.

Q: Do these cards support modern APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8950M supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 has 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, while the AMD Radeon HD 8950M has 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die.

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8950M has a TDP of 100 W, while the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 has a TDP of 250 W. The Tesla also requires a 600 W suggested PSU and dual-slot cooling.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures from different eras. The AMD Radeon HD 8950M uses the GCN 2.0 architecture on a 28 nm process node, manufactured by TSMC. Its chip, codenamed Saturn, packs 2,080 million transistors into a 160 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.0M / mm². This modern, dense design is reflected in its support for DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, features absent or limited on the older NVIDIA part.

The NVIDIA Tesla M2090, in contrast, is based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process node, also by TSMC. Its GF110 chip is physically massive at 520 mm² and contains 3,000 million transistors, but the older process yields a lower density of just 5.8M / mm². The Fermi architecture was designed for compute-heavy workloads, which explains its 6 GB memory capacity and 384-bit bus, but it lacks modern API support, with DirectX 12 (11_0) and no Vulkan. The Tesla’s compute focus is also evident in its lack of display outputs, confirming it as a dedicated accelerator rather than a consumer graphics card.

The shading unit counts also differ significantly: the AMD part has 768 shading units, while the Tesla has 512. However, the Tesla compensates with more texture mapping units (64 versus 48) and ROPs (48 versus 16), leading to a higher pixel rate (20.83 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s) but a lower texture rate (41.66 GTexel/s versus 51.60 GTexel/s). These architectural choices reflect divergent priorities: AMD optimized for compute and modern features, while NVIDIA focused on memory bandwidth and raw fill rate.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge sharply on nearly every specification. The AMD Radeon HD 8950M is a mobile MXM module with a 100 W TDP, while the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is a dual-slot, 250 W card measuring 248 mm in length. The Tesla requires both a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector and a 600 W PSU, while the AMD card’s power connectors are unspecified, and it uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface versus the Tesla’s PCIe 2.0 x16.

Memory is a major differentiator: the AMD card has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective). The Tesla offers 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 177.4 GB/s bandwidth at a memory clock of 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective). The Tesla’s memory advantage is double the bandwidth and triple the capacity, which is critical for large datasets.

Compute performance also differs: the AMD card outputs 1.651 TFLOPS FP32, while the Tesla is rated at 1,332.2 GFLOPS. The AMD card has more shading units (768 versus 512) but fewer TMUs (48 versus 64) and ROPs (16 versus 48). The Tesla has no display outputs, while the AMD card’s outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," indicating it is meant for laptops. Release dates are also distant: the AMD card launched on 2013-05-13, while the Tesla launched earlier on 2011-07-24.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is clear: the AMD Radeon HD 8950M outperforms the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 in Geekbench OpenCL by 5.3%, making it the faster card for general-purpose compute tasks in this comparison. Its higher shading unit count and modern architecture give it a decisive edge in this specific test, and its support for Vulkan and DirectX 12 makes it more versatile for contemporary software. However, this is not a blanket recommendation.

The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is a specialized compute accelerator, not a general-purpose GPU. Its 6 GB memory capacity and 177.4 GB/s bandwidth are unmatched by the AMD card, making it the superior choice for workloads that require large memory footprints, such as scientific simulations or data processing. The Tesla’s lack of display outputs confirms it was never intended for desktop or gaming use. The AMD card, with its 2 GB memory and mobile form factor, is better suited for laptop deployments where power efficiency (100 W TDP) and modern API support are priorities.

The data suggests that users should choose based on workload requirements. If the task involves large datasets and memory bandwidth is paramount, the Tesla M2090 is the logical pick despite its lower compute score. If the task involves modern APIs, portability, and general compute efficiency, the AMD Radeon HD 8950M is the winner. Neither card is a clear all-around champion; they are tools built for different jobs, and the benchmark results reflect that specialization.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8950M wins in compute performance, as evidenced by its 5.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. It also wins on architectural modernity, offering DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.2.170, and a higher FP32 throughput of 1.651 TFLOPS. Its lower TDP of 100 W makes it the only viable option for portable or thermally constrained systems, and its MXM form factor is designed for laptops. The card’s higher texture rate (51.60 GTexel/s) also suggests better performance in texture-bound workloads.

The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 wins decisively on memory capacity and bandwidth. With 6 GB of GDDR5 and 177.4 GB/s bandwidth, it offers triple the capacity and double the bandwidth of the AMD card, making it the superior choice for memory-intensive compute tasks. It also wins on raw fill rate, with a pixel rate of 20.83 GPixel/s versus 17.20 GPixel/s, and its 48 ROPs provide better rasterization throughput. The Tesla’s larger transistor count (3,000 million) and die size (520 mm²) indicate a more complex chip, though this does not translate to higher compute scores. For users running workloads that exceed 2 GB of memory, the Tesla M2090 is the only option that fits the requirement.