GPU Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 560 and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c represent two distinct eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data places them in remarkably close contention despite their architectural differences. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, the Radeon Pro 560 posts an average of 17,551 against the Tesla K40c’s 17,468, with a delta of just 0.5% favoring the AMD part. Both cards occupy the 61st percentile among all GPUs, indicating that they deliver a similar overall performance tier. However, the single head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, reveals a clear winner: the Tesla K40c scores 17,468 against the Radeon Pro 560’s 15,504, a decisive 11.2% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is not close. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c achieves 17,468 points, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 manages 15,504 points. This translates to an 11.2% performance deficit for the Radeon, a substantial margin that underscores the Tesla’s compute-oriented design. The Tesla K40c’s victory is not surprising given its raw specifications, but the magnitude of the win is notable because the two cards’ average scores are so close.

Interestingly, the average benchmark scores tell a different story. The Radeon Pro 560’s average of 17,551 is actually higher than the Tesla K40c’s 17,468, even though the Radeon loses the OpenCL test. This discrepancy arises because the Radeon Pro 560 has additional benchmark results, Geekbench Metal at 20,918 and Geekbench Vulkan at 16,232, which pull its average upward. The Tesla K40c has only the one OpenCL score, so its average equals that single result. In the nearest-rival context, the Radeon Pro 560 sits within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509) and 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639), while the Tesla K40c trails the same RTX 4060 by 1.0%. The data indicates that in OpenCL workloads specifically, the Tesla K40c holds a clear edge over the Radeon Pro 560, but across a broader benchmark suite, the AMD card’s extra API support makes its aggregate performance competitive.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process technologies. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip based on GCN 4.0, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This modern node packs 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4 million per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip based on the older Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Tesla’s die is vastly larger at 561 mm² and contains 7,080 million transistors, but its density is lower at 12.6 million per mm². The process node difference is significant: the 14 nm Radeon achieves nearly double the transistor density of the 28 nm Tesla, allowing AMD to deliver competitive performance with far fewer resources.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The Tesla K40c fields 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, while the Radeon Pro 560 has only 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This gives the Tesla a 2.8x advantage in shading units and a 3.75x advantage in TMUs. Consequently, the Tesla’s theoretical peak rates are much higher: it produces 210.2 GTexel/s and 52.56 GPixel/s compared to the Radeon’s 58.05 GTexel/s and 14.51 GPixel/s. The FP32 throughput tells the same story, the Tesla reaches 5.046 TFLOPS versus the Radeon’s 1.858 TFLOPS, a 2.7x gap. The Radeon does support FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (1.858 TFLOPS), whereas the Tesla has no listed FP16 capability, but this does not compensate for the raw FP32 deficit.

Memory architecture also separates the two. The Tesla K40c ships with 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding just 81.28 GB/s. The memory clock rates are similar in effective terms, 6 Gbps for the Tesla and 5.1 Gbps for the Radeon, but the Tesla’s wider bus provides 3.5x the bandwidth. The Tesla’s power envelope is correspondingly larger, with a 245 W TDP and both a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector, while the Radeon sips at 75 W with no external power connectors. The Tesla also uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, double the width of the Radeon’s x8 link.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla K40c wins decisively in raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth, making it the stronger choice for OpenCL workloads that stress FP32 arithmetic and large data sets. The 11.2% OpenCL victory is backed by the 2.7x FP32 advantage and the 3.5x memory bandwidth edge. For tasks like scientific simulation, machine learning inference on older frameworks, or any compute kernel that can utilize the full 12 GB frame buffer, the Tesla’s architecture is clearly superior. Its 288.4 GB/s bandwidth allows it to feed its 2,880 shading units without stalling, and the 12 GB capacity means it can hold large models or datasets that would exhaust the Radeon’s 4 GB.

The AMD Radeon Pro 560 wins in API versatility and efficiency. It supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the Tesla K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon’s Geekbench Metal score of 20,918 is its strongest result, indicating that Apple-centric or Metal-based applications run very well on it. The Vulkan score of 16,232 also exceeds its OpenCL score, suggesting that modern cross-platform APIs are a strength. The Radeon’s 75 W TDP and IGP form factor make it suitable for integrated or low-power systems, whereas the Tesla K40c is a dual-slot card with no display outputs, requiring a 550 W power supply. For a workstation that needs display output, the Radeon’s "Portable Device Dependent" outputs are more practical, while the Tesla’s "No outputs" configuration mandates a separate graphics card for any visual tasks.

The Radeon also wins in the broader benchmark average due to its multiple API results. Its average of 17,551 is higher than the Tesla’s 17,468, and it matches or beats rivals like the Radeon Pro 460 and the GeForce RTX 4060 within 0.5%. This suggests that for a mixed workload involving Metal, Vulkan, and OpenCL, the Radeon Pro 560 is the more balanced performer. The Tesla’s single OpenCL result, while strong, leaves it vulnerable in any comparison that values API diversity.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is faster, scoring 17,468 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 560’s 15,504, an 11.2% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560 has a higher average benchmark score of 17,551, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c averages 17,468. The difference is 0.5% in favor of the Radeon, despite the Tesla winning the OpenCL test.

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

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 has 4 GB. The Tesla also has a wider 384-bit bus versus the Radeon’s 128-bit bus.

Q: Which card supports more modern graphics APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, so the Radeon has newer API versions.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560 has a 75 W TDP and no external power connectors, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c has a 245 W TDP and requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector, with a suggested power supply of 550 W.

Q: Which card has higher theoretical compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40c reaches 5.046 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 delivers 1.858 TFLOPS. The Tesla also has higher pixel and texture rates.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification. The process node is a fundamental split: the AMD Radeon Pro 560 uses 14 nm at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c uses 28 nm at TSMC. The transistor counts reflect this, the Radeon has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the Tesla has 7,080 million on a 561 mm² die. The transistor density is 24.4M per mm² for the Radeon versus 12.6M per mm² for the Tesla.

Clock speeds differ as well. The Radeon Pro 560 has no listed base or boost clock, but its memory runs at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective data rate. The Tesla K40c has a base clock of 745 MHz and a boost clock of 876 MHz, with memory at 1502 MHz and 6 Gbps effective. Memory capacity and bandwidth diverge sharply: the Radeon has 4 GB on a 128-bit bus for 81.28 GB/s, while the Tesla has 12 GB on a 384-bit bus for 288.4 GB/s.

The compute unit counts are dramatically different. The Radeon Pro 560 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, producing 14.51 GPixel/s and 58.05 GTexel/s. The Tesla K40c has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, yielding 52.56 GPixel/s and 210.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 1.858 TFLOPS for the Radeon and 5.046 TFLOPS for the Tesla. The Radeon supports FP16 at 1.858 TFLOPS, while the Tesla has no FP16 specification.

Power and physical characteristics are also distinct. The Radeon Pro 560 has a 75 W TDP, is an IGP slot width, uses no power connectors, and has a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The Tesla K40c has a 245 W TDP, dual-slot width, requires a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector, suggests a 550 W PSU, and uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The Tesla is 267 mm long (10.5 inches), while the Radeon has no listed dimensions. Display outputs differ completely: the Radeon has "Portable Device Dependent" outputs, while the Tesla has no outputs. The Tesla K40c has a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD.