GPU Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 450 and NVIDIA Tesla M10 represent two very different solutions from the same era, with the data showing a split decision across the two available benchmark tests. The Tesla M10 takes the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 10,318 against the Radeon's 9,002, a margin of 12.8%, while the Radeon Pro 450 counters with a 15.2% lead in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 10,518 versus 9,130. This 1-1 split in wins means the choice between them depends heavily on the intended workload, with each card demonstrating clear strengths in different compute APIs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL result is the Tesla M10's strongest showing. Its score of 10,318 places it 12.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro 450's 9,002, a substantial gap that reflects the Tesla's higher raw compute throughput. The M10's average benchmark score of 9,724 across all tests also benefits from this OpenCL performance, though it trails the Radeon's overall average of 10,804. In the broader context of the nearest rivals, the Tesla M10's OpenCL advantage aligns with its position among peers like the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (deltaPct 0.1) and the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (deltaPct 0.6), indicating it is competitive within its performance class for this type of workload.

The Radeon Pro 450's Vulkan result tells a different story. Scoring 10,518, it beats the Tesla M10's 9,130 by 15.2%, a decisive victory that shows the AMD architecture's strength in this newer API. This Vulkan score is also the Radeon's best individual benchmark result, exceeding its OpenCL score of 9,002 by a notable margin. When looking at the Radeon's nearest rivals, its average benchmark score of 10,804 places it slightly ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (deltaPct 0.4) and the NVIDIA GeForce MX350 (deltaPct -0.7), showing that its overall performance is well-regarded in its segment.

The deltaPct values in the head-to-head comparison reveal an interesting asymmetry. The Tesla M10's 12.8% OpenCL win is a larger absolute margin than the Radeon's 15.2% Vulkan win when measured from the opposite direction, but the Radeon's victory is more significant relative to its own score. In practical terms, the Geekbench OpenCL test appears to favor the Tesla's Maxwell architecture, while the Vulkan test clearly favors the Radeon's GCN 4.0 design. This divergence is consistent with the different design priorities of each card, with the Tesla optimized for compute-heavy tasks and the Radeon offering more balanced performance across modern APIs.

Architecture Differences

The underlying architectures of these two GPUs are fundamentally different. The Radeon Pro 450 uses the Baffin chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. This newer node allows for a transistor density of 24.4M per mm², packing 3,000 million transistors into a die size of 123 mm². In contrast, the Tesla M10 uses the GM107 chip based on Maxwell architecture, built by TSMC on a 28 nm process. This older node results in a lower transistor density of 12.6M per mm², with 1,870 million transistors spread across a larger 148 mm² die. The 14 nm process gives the Radeon a significant manufacturing advantage, enabling higher density in a smaller package.

Clock speeds show a clear difference in approach. The Tesla M10 has a base clock of 1033 MHz and a boost clock of 1306 MHz, while the Radeon Pro 450 lists no base or boost clock in the data. The Tesla's memory clock is 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective speed, slightly higher than the Radeon's 1270 MHz and 5.1 Gbps effective. Despite this clock advantage, the Tesla's memory bandwidth of 83.20 GB/s is only marginally better than the Radeon's 81.28 GB/s, because both use a 128-bit memory bus. The memory configuration differs more substantially: the Radeon has 2 GB of GDDR5, while the Tesla M10 offers 8 GB of GDDR5, a four-fold increase in capacity that is critical for large datasets.

Compute resources are surprisingly similar at the core level. Both GPUs feature 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. This identical configuration means the architectural differences manifest primarily in clock speeds and efficiency rather than raw resource counts. The Tesla M10 achieves a pixel rate of 20.90 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 52.24 GTexel/s, both significantly higher than the Radeon's 12.80 GPixel/s and 32.00 GTexel/s. The Tesla also leads in FP32 performance with 1.672 TFLOPS versus the Radeon's 1,024.0 GFLOPS, a 63% advantage. However, the Radeon lists FP16 performance at 1,024.0 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the Tesla M10 has no FP16 data available.

Power and form factor differences are stark. The Tesla M10 draws 225 W TDP and requires a dual-slot design with a 1x 8-pin power connector and a suggested 550 W power supply. It measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length and has no display outputs. The Radeon Pro 450, by contrast, has a 35 W TDP and uses an MXM module form factor, with display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent." This makes the Radeon suitable for mobile or compact systems, while the Tesla is a dedicated server or workstation card. The Tesla's predecessor is listed as Tesla Kepler and its successor as Tesla Pascal, showing its place in NVIDIA's product line, while the Radeon belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (400 Series) generation.

Where Each One Wins

The Tesla M10 wins decisively in raw compute throughput, as evidenced by its 12.8% OpenCL advantage and higher FP32 performance of 1.672 TFLOPS. This makes it the better choice for workloads that rely heavily on OpenCL, such as certain scientific computing, data processing, or server-side acceleration tasks. Its 8 GB of memory is another clear advantage, allowing it to handle larger datasets and models that would exceed the Radeon's 2 GB capacity. The Tesla's higher pixel rate of 20.90 GPixel/s and texture rate of 52.24 GTexel/s also indicate stronger fill-rate performance for graphics-intensive compute tasks.

The Radeon Pro 450 wins in Vulkan performance, with its 15.2% lead in that benchmark being the most substantial victory in the head-to-head comparison. This makes it the better option for applications that leverage Vulkan, which is increasingly common in modern game engines and compute frameworks. The Radeon's 14 nm process node and higher transistor density of 24.4M per mm² suggest better efficiency per transistor, which aligns with its dramatically lower 35 W TDP. Its MXM form factor and portable device-dependent display outputs make it suitable for mobile workstations where power consumption and space are constrained.

The power envelope is a major differentiator. The Radeon's 35 W TDP is a fraction of the Tesla's 225 W, meaning it can operate in systems without dedicated power connectors and with minimal cooling requirements. The Tesla's need for a 550 W suggested PSU and dual-slot cooler limits it to desktop or rack-mounted systems where power is available. For mobile or compact deployments, the Radeon is the only viable option. However, for rack-mounted compute nodes where power is not a constraint, the Tesla's higher performance per card and larger memory make it more suitable.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 450 has an average benchmark score of 10,804, while the NVIDIA Tesla M10 has an average of 9,724. The Radeon also holds a higher percentile rank at 49 versus the Tesla's 47.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Geekbench Vulkan performance?

A: The Radeon Pro 450 scores 10,518 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 15.2% higher than the Tesla M10's score of 9,130. This is the largest margin of victory in the head-to-head results.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The Tesla M10 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the Radeon Pro 450 has 2 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit memory bus, with the Tesla's bandwidth of 83.20 GB/s slightly exceeding the Radeon's 81.28 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a lower power consumption rating?

A: The Radeon Pro 450 has a TDP of 35 W, compared to the Tesla M10's 225 W. The Radeon uses an MXM module form factor, while the Tesla is a dual-slot card requiring a 550 W suggested power supply.

Q: Are the shading unit counts different between the two GPUs?

A: No, both the Radeon Pro 450 and the Tesla M10 have 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The performance differences come from clock speeds and architecture rather than core counts.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX version?

A: The Radeon Pro 450 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Tesla M10 supports DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the Tesla has a slightly higher Vulkan version at 1.4 versus the Radeon's 1.3.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the AMD Radeon Pro 450 is the better choice for Vulkan-based workloads and scenarios where power efficiency is paramount. Its 15.2% Vulkan lead, combined with a 35 W TDP and MXM form factor, makes it ideal for mobile workstations or compact systems. The Radeon's higher average benchmark score of 10,804 and better percentile rank of 49 further support its overall performance advantage in the tests available. Its 14 nm process node also suggests better architectural efficiency.

The NVIDIA Tesla M10 is the superior option for OpenCL-heavy compute tasks and workloads that require large memory capacity. Its 12.8% OpenCL lead and 8 GB memory capacity are significant advantages in server or workstation environments where datasets exceed 2 GB. The Tesla's higher FP32 performance of 1.672 TFLOPS and faster pixel/texture rates indicate stronger raw throughput, but this comes at the cost of 225 W power draw and a dual-slot footprint. The Tesla's lower average score of 9,724 and percentile rank of 47 reflect its narrower performance profile.

For users who prioritize modern API support and efficiency, the Radeon Pro 450 is clearly preferable. For those who need maximum compute throughput and memory capacity in a fixed installation, the Tesla M10 is the data-backed choice. The 1-1 split in wins means neither card is universally better; the decision depends entirely on whether OpenCL or Vulkan matters more for the intended applications.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 450 | NVIDIA Tesla M10 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Maxwell |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 1,870 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 148 mm² |

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

| Base Clock | Not specified | 1033 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not specified | 1306 MHz |

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

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 81.28 GB/s | 83.20 GB/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1,024.0 GFLOPS | 1.672 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 1,024.0 GFLOPS (1:1) | Not specified |

| TDP | 35 W | 225 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not specified | 550 W |

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

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | No outputs |

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

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Length | Not specified | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Release Date | 2016-10-29 | 2016-05-17 |