AMD Radeon Pro 460 vs NVIDIA Tesla K20m Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data is clear: the NVIDIA Tesla K20m is the stronger compute performer of the two, winning both recorded head-to-head tests. It leads in Geekbench OpenCL by 6.3% and in Geekbench Vulkan by a substantial 30.4%. The Tesla K20m also holds a higher overall percentile rank at 64 versus the Radeon Pro 460's 61. The average benchmark score reinforces this, with the Tesla K20m at 19,089 and the Radeon Pro 460 at 17,509.

However, the choice is not simply about raw speed. The Radeon Pro 460 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 35 W TDP, while the Tesla K20m is a dual-slot, 225 W add-in card requiring external power. The data suggests the Tesla K20m is designed for dedicated compute workloads in a workstation or server context, where its higher throughput and larger memory pool matter more than power efficiency. The Radeon Pro 460, in contrast, fits into portable Mac systems, where its low power draw and integrated nature are essential. The Radeon Pro 460 also supports a newer DirectX feature level (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, giving it an API compatibility edge over the Tesla K20m's DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

For users prioritizing maximum compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the Tesla K20m is the clear winner from the recorded data. For those needing a low-power, integrated GPU with newer API support and portable device compatibility, the Radeon Pro 460 is the only sensible option. The numbers do not suggest the Radeon Pro 460 can match the Tesla K20m in raw performance; they show it as a different class of product with a different purpose.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and foundries. The NVIDIA Tesla K20m uses the GK110 chip built on Kepler architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon Pro 460 uses the Baffin chip based on GCN 4.0, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a much smaller 123 mm² die, achieving a higher transistor density of 24.4M per mm².

The compute resources differ significantly. The Tesla K20m has 2,496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 460 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This explains the large gap in pixel and texture rates: the Tesla K20m delivers 36.71 GPixel/s and 146.8 GTexel/s, while the Radeon Pro 460 manages 14.51 GPixel/s and 58.05 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput also favors the Tesla K20m at 3.524 TFLOPS versus 1.858 TFLOPS. Notably, the Radeon Pro 460 offers FP16 performance at 1.858 TFLOPS (1:1), a feature the Tesla K20m does not list.

Memory architecture is another major divider. The Tesla K20m has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, delivering 208.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 460 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 81.28 GB/s. The Tesla K20m's memory clock is 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the Radeon Pro 460 runs at 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The Tesla K20m also has a much larger memory bus, which directly contributes to its bandwidth advantage.

The Tesla K20m uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, while the Radeon Pro 460 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The Tesla K20m has no display outputs, confirming its compute-only role. The Radeon Pro 460 has "Portable Device Dependent" outputs, meaning it relies on the host system for display. The Tesla K20m requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector and a suggested 550 W PSU, while the Radeon Pro 460 has no power connectors at all. The Tesla K20m is 267 mm (10.5 inches) long, whereas the Radeon Pro 460 has no listed dimensions, consistent with its IGP form factor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20m has an average benchmark score of 19,089, which is higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 460's 17,509. The Tesla K20m also sits at the 64th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the Radeon Pro 460's 61st percentile.

Q: How much faster is the Tesla K20m in Vulkan?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Tesla K20m scored 21,936 versus 16,816 for the Radeon Pro 460, a delta of 30.4%. This is the largest performance gap between the two in any recorded test.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 460 win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. In the two head-to-head tests recorded, the Tesla K20m wins both. The Radeon Pro 460's best result is in Geekbench Metal, where it scores 20,426, but the Tesla K20m has no comparable Metal score in the database.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Tesla K20m has a TDP of 225 W and requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector, with a suggested 550 W power supply. The Radeon Pro 460 has a TDP of 35 W and requires no power connectors, as it is an integrated GPU.

Q: Which GPU supports newer APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 460 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA Tesla K20m supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon Pro 460 has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Tesla K20m has a memory bandwidth of 208.0 GB/s, while the Radeon Pro 460 has 81.28 GB/s. This is driven by the Tesla K20m's 320-bit bus versus the Radeon Pro 460's 128-bit bus.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla K20m | AMD Radeon Pro 460 |

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

| Chip | GK110 | Baffin |

| 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 |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 850 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 907 MHz |

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

| Memory Size | 5 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 128 bit |

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

| Shading Units | 2496 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 208 | 64 |

| ROPs | 40 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 36.71 GPixel/s | 14.51 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 146.8 GTexel/s | 58.05 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.524 TFLOPS | 1.858 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 1.858 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 225 W | 35 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

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

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | Not 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 | 2013-01-04 | 2016-10-29 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the Tesla K20m scoring 16,241 against the Radeon Pro 460's 15,284. This is a 6.3% advantage for the Tesla K20m. The margin is modest but consistent with the Tesla K20m's larger compute core count and higher memory bandwidth, which allow it to sustain more parallel work in OpenCL kernels. The Radeon Pro 460's lower FP32 throughput (1.858 TFLOPS) and narrower memory bus (128-bit) place it behind in this workload.

The Geekbench Vulkan test is where the Tesla K20m pulls away decisively. It scores 21,936 versus 16,816 for the Radeon Pro 460, a 30.4% lead. This larger delta suggests the Tesla K20m's 2,496 shading units and 208 TMUs are better utilized under Vulkan's low-level API, allowing higher geometry throughput and texture fill rates. The Radeon Pro 460, despite supporting Vulkan 1.3, cannot overcome its hardware deficit of 1,024 shading units and 16 ROPs.

The Tesla K20m also has a higher average benchmark score of 19,089, while the Radeon Pro 460 averages 17,509. This places the Tesla K20m at the 64th percentile versus the 61st percentile for the Radeon Pro 460. In terms of nearest rivals, the Tesla K20m sits close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (0.2% difference), AMD Radeon RX 6600 (0.3% difference), and NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (0.3% difference), while being 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780. The Radeon Pro 460 is nearly tied with the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (0.2% difference) and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.2% behind), while trailing the AMD Radeon 780M by 0.5% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by 0.7%.

Where Each One Wins

The Tesla K20m wins in every recorded compute benchmark. Its 30.4% Vulkan lead and 6.3% OpenCL lead make it the superior choice for raw compute tasks. The combination of 5 GB memory, 208.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 3.524 TFLOPS FP32 performance indicates a design intended for heavy parallel processing. The data supports its use in scenarios where throughput is paramount, such as scientific computing, rendering, or any workload that can leverage OpenCL or Vulkan. Its higher percentile rank (64) and average score (19,089) confirm it belongs to a higher performance tier.

The Radeon Pro 460 wins in power efficiency and API modernity. Its 35 W TDP is dramatically lower than the Tesla K20m's 225 W, and it requires no external power connectors, making it suitable for portable or integrated systems. It also supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, offering newer feature sets than the Tesla K20m's DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. In a portable Mac environment, the Radeon Pro 460 is the only viable option between the two, given the Tesla K20m's dual-slot size, external power needs, and lack of display outputs. The Radeon Pro 460's FP16 capability (1.858 TFLOPS) is also an advantage for workloads that can use reduced precision, though the database does not include a head-to-head test for this.

The verdict is straightforward: the Tesla K20m for compute performance, the Radeon Pro 460 for integrated, low-power deployment with newer API support. There is no overlap in use cases that the data can support.