GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c and AMD Radeon Pro 450 occupy very different corners of the GPU landscape, one a dual-slot compute accelerator from 2012 and the other a low-power mobile module from 2016. The benchmark data shows a single head-to-head result, with the Tesla K20c winning the only shared test, but the broader picture is more nuanced when considering each card's own benchmark suite and architectural intent.

Where Each One Wins

The data presents a clear split in workload focus. The NVIDIA Tesla K20c wins the only directly comparable test, Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 11479 against the Radeon Pro 450's 9002. That is a 27.5% advantage for the Tesla. This aligns with its positioning as a compute-oriented accelerator, and its average benchmark score of 11479 places it at the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, which scores 11528, a negligible 0.4% difference. The Tesla also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11680, 1.3% behind) and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (11627, 1.3% behind), while sitting 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M (11261).

The AMD Radeon Pro 450, meanwhile, does not win any direct comparison against the Tesla, but its own benchmark results tell a different story. It has three recorded scores: Geekbench Metal at 12893, Geekbench Vulkan at 10518, and Geekbench OpenCL at 9002. The Metal score is particularly notable, exceeding its OpenCL result by 43.2%. This suggests the Radeon Pro 450 is better optimized for Apple's Metal API, which is consistent with its "Radeon Pro Mac" generation name. Its average benchmark score across all tests is 10804, placing it at the 49th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 at 10761, with the Radeon Pro 450 sitting 0.4% ahead. It also leads the AMD Radeon RX 6600S by 1.7% and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti by 1.1%, while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce MX350 by 0.7%.

The practical interpretation is that the Tesla K20c wins on raw compute throughput in OpenCL, while the Radeon Pro 450 shows its strength in Metal-based workloads, a metric the Tesla cannot even compete in due to its lack of display outputs and different driver focus.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The NVIDIA Tesla K20c uses the GK110 chip based on the Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm². The AMD Radeon Pro 450 uses the Baffin chip based on GCN 4.0, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a higher transistor density of 24.4 million per mm².

The compute resources differ drastically. The Tesla K20c has 2496 shading units, 208 texture mapping units, and 40 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 450 has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 36.71 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 146.8 GTexel/s for the Tesla, versus 12.80 GPixel/s and 32.00 GTexel/s for the AMD card. Floating-point performance shows the Tesla's compute focus: it delivers 3.524 TFLOPS of FP32, while the Radeon Pro 450 delivers 1,024.0 GFLOPS (or 1.024 TFLOPS). Notably, the AMD card also offers FP16 at 1,024.0 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, a feature the Tesla does not list at all.

Memory systems diverge as well. The Tesla K20c has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, providing 208.0 GB/s of bandwidth at a memory clock of 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective). The Radeon Pro 450 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 81.28 GB/s at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The Tesla's memory bandwidth is more than 2.5 times higher.

Power and physical specifications show the intended use cases. The Tesla K20c has a 225 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors, and needs a 550 W suggested PSU. It is a 267 mm (10.5 inches) card with no display outputs, using a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. The Radeon Pro 450 is a 35 W MXM module with no listed power connectors or PSU requirement, uses PCIe 3.0 x8, and has display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." This makes the AMD card suitable for laptops and compact systems, while the Tesla is a dedicated compute card for workstations.

API support also differs. The Tesla K20c lists DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon Pro 450 lists DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The AMD card has a more modern DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20c delivers 3.524 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 450's 1,024.0 GFLOPS. The Tesla also wins the Geekbench OpenCL test 11479 to 9002, a 27.5% margin.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro 450 support any features the Tesla lacks?

A: Yes, the Radeon Pro 450 offers FP16 at 1,024.0 GFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, while the Tesla has no listed FP16 performance. The AMD card also supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the Tesla supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: How do their benchmark percentiles compare?

A: The Tesla K20c sits at the 51st percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 11479. The Radeon Pro 450 sits at the 49th percentile with an average score of 10804 across its three benchmark results.

Q: Which GPU has better memory bandwidth?

A: The Tesla K20c has 208.0 GB/s of bandwidth from a 320-bit bus and 5 GB of GDDR5. The Radeon Pro 450 has 81.28 GB/s from a 128-bit bus and 2 GB of GDDR5.

Q: Are these GPUs suitable for the same type of system?

A: No. The Tesla K20c is a 225 W dual-slot card with no display outputs, requiring external power connectors and a 550 W PSU. The Radeon Pro 450 is a 35 W MXM module with display outputs, designed for portable systems with no separate power connectors.

Q: What is the release timeline for these products?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20c was released on 2012-11-11, with a launch MSRP of 3,199 USD. The AMD Radeon Pro 450 was released on 2016-10-29 and has no launch MSRP listed. Both are now end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla K20c | AMD Radeon Pro 450 |

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

| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 24.4M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 5 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 208.0 GB/s | 81.28 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) | 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 2496 | 640 |

| TMUs | 208 | 40 |

| ROPs | 40 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 36.71 GPixel/s | 12.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 146.8 GTexel/s | 32.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.524 TFLOPS | 1,024.0 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | None listed | 1,024.0 GFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 225 W | 35 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | None listed |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2012-11-11 | 2016-10-29 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only overlapping benchmark between the two cards is Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11479 against the AMD Radeon Pro 450's 9002, giving the Tesla a 27.5% victory. This is a substantial margin and reflects the Tesla's superior compute resources: nearly four times the shading units (2496 vs 640), over five times the texture units (208 vs 40), and more than double the memory bandwidth (208.0 GB/s vs 81.28 GB/s). The Tesla also has a much larger memory pool at 5 GB versus 2 GB, which can matter for large datasets.

However, the Radeon Pro 450 shows its own strengths in the benchmarks it uniquely supports. Its Geekbench Metal score of 12893 is 43.2% higher than its OpenCL score, indicating that Metal-optimized workloads would run significantly better on the AMD card. The Tesla cannot run Metal at all, as it has no display outputs and is not designed for Apple's ecosystem. The Radeon Pro 450's Vulkan score of 10518 is also worth noting, coming in 16.8% above its OpenCL result. This suggests that the AMD card benefits from modern API optimizations that the older Kepler architecture may not fully leverage.

In terms of relative standing among rivals, the Tesla K20c's 11479 OpenCL score is within 1.7% of the GeForce GTX 1660's 11680 and within 1.3% of the Radeon RX 7800 XT's 11627, showing it remains competitive with much newer hardware in this specific test. The Radeon Pro 450's average score of 10804 puts it 0.4% ahead of the Quadro K2200 and 1.1% ahead of the GeForce GTX 560 Ti, but 0.7% behind the GeForce MX350.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear decision based on workload. The NVIDIA Tesla K20c is the choice for pure compute tasks that rely on OpenCL and require high memory bandwidth and large frame buffer capacity. Its 27.5% lead over the Radeon Pro 450 in the shared OpenCL benchmark, combined with its 5 GB memory and 208.0 GB/s bandwidth, makes it suitable for data-heavy compute jobs. Its 51st percentile ranking and proximity to newer cards like the GeForce GTX 1660 (only 1.7% behind) indicate that its compute performance has aged reasonably well.

The AMD Radeon Pro 450, on the other hand, is the pick for systems requiring low power consumption and modern API support. Its 35 W TDP versus the Tesla's 225 W makes it appropriate for portable devices, and its MXM form factor confirms this. The Metal score of 12893 is a standout figure, suggesting that in Apple-centric environments, the Radeon Pro 450 would outperform its OpenCL numbers would suggest. Its DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 support also provide a more up-to-date feature set than the Tesla's DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

There is no universal winner here. The Tesla K20c wins the only head-to-head test, but the Radeon Pro 450 wins in API modernity, power efficiency, and Metal performance. Users with compute-heavy OpenCL workloads should look to the Tesla, while those needing a low-power GPU with broad modern API support should consider the Radeon Pro 450. The data does not support declaring one card superior across all metrics; it supports matching the card to the task.