AMD Radeon Pro 580X vs NVIDIA Tesla M40 Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 and AMD Radeon Pro 580X are both end-of-life workstation-class graphics cards, but they target fundamentally different use cases. The Tesla M40 is a compute-focused accelerator with no display outputs, while the Radeon Pro 580X is an integrated GPU option for Apple Mac Pro systems. Benchmark results show the Tesla M40 winning both shared tests, but the Radeon Pro 580X counters with a Metal score that the M40 cannot match. This comparison breaks down where each card makes sense based strictly on the available performance data.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 wins both benchmarks that the two cards share. In Geekbench OpenCL, the M40 scores 39192 against the Radeon Pro 580X’s 36426, a 7.6% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap widens to 11.2%, with the M40 at 44602 and the Radeon Pro 580X at 40115. The M40’s average benchmark score of 41897 also sits comfortably ahead of the Radeon’s 38706.

The Radeon Pro 580X’s only measurable win is in Geekbench Metal, where it scores 39577. The Tesla M40 has no Metal benchmark listed, meaning the Radeon Pro 580X is the only one of the two that can claim a dedicated Apple ecosystem performance metric. The data shows the Radeon Pro 580X also has a Vulkan score of 40115, which sits within 1.9% of the M40’s OpenCL score, but the M40’s Vulkan result remains the higher of the two.

For compute-heavy workloads using OpenCL or Vulkan, the Tesla M40 is the clear winner. The Radeon Pro 580X’s Metal support gives it a unique advantage for macOS-specific applications, but only if that API is the primary workload. The M40’s percentile ranking of 83 versus the Radeon’s 82 further confirms the M40 sits slightly higher in the overall GPU hierarchy.

Architecture Differences

The Tesla M40 uses NVIDIA’s Maxwell 2.0 architecture on the GM200 chip, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die, with a transistor density of 13.3M per mm². The Radeon Pro 580X uses AMD’s GCN 4.0 architecture on the Ellesmere chip, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It contains 5,700 million transistors on a much smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a higher transistor density of 24.6M per mm².

The Tesla M40 has 3072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 580X has fewer of each: 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and only 32 ROPs. This ROP difference explains the massive gap in pixel rate — the M40 delivers 106.8 GPixel/s versus the Radeon’s 38.40 GPixel/s. The M40 also leads in texture rate at 213.5 GTexel/s compared to 172.8 GTexel/s.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Tesla M40 comes with 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, providing 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 580X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 218.9 GB/s. Clock speeds favor the Radeon Pro 580X, with a base of 1100 MHz and boost of 1200 MHz, versus the M40’s 948 MHz base and 1112 MHz boost. However, the M40’s wider memory bus and higher memory clock (1502 MHz vs 1710 MHz) still give it the bandwidth advantage.

FP32 compute performance goes to the Tesla M40 at 6.832 TFLOPS, while the Radeon Pro 580X delivers 5.530 TFLOPS. The Radeon Pro 580X does match its FP32 rate in FP16 at 5.530 TFLOPS (1:1), a feature the Tesla M40 does not list. API support shows the M40 with DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the Radeon Pro 580X has DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The M40 supports a higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the Tesla M40 scoring 39192 against the Radeon Pro 580X’s 36426, a 7.6% win for NVIDIA. This margin reflects the M40’s higher FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth, which matter in compute workloads. The Radeon Pro 580X’s higher clocks and smaller die cannot compensate for the M40’s raw resource advantages.

Geekbench Vulkan results are more decisive. The Tesla M40 posts 44602, beating the Radeon Pro 580X’s 40115 by 11.2%. This larger gap suggests Vulkan workloads scale better with the M40’s wider memory bus and higher ROP count. The Radeon Pro 580X’s Vulkan 1.3 support versus the M40’s Vulkan 1.4 does not translate into a performance advantage.

The Radeon Pro 580X’s Metal score of 39577 is its strongest result, though no direct comparison exists with the M40. When placed against the M40’s OpenCL score of 39192, the Radeon’s Metal result is only about 1% higher, but the different APIs make a direct comparison speculative. The M40’s average benchmark score of 41897 is 8.2% higher than the Radeon Pro 580X’s 38706, confirming the M40’s overall performance edge.

Looking at nearest rivals, the Tesla M40’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB, which scores 41707 with a delta of 0.5%, indicating the 12 GB variant tested here is essentially matched by its larger-memory sibling. The Radeon Pro 580X’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A at 38691 with a 0% delta, showing the Radeon sits exactly at that performance level.

The Verdict

Choose the NVIDIA Tesla M40 for raw compute performance, particularly in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. The data shows it leads by 7.6% in OpenCL and 11.2% in Vulkan, with a higher average benchmark score and percentile ranking. Its 12 GB memory and 384-bit bus make it suitable for memory-intensive tasks, though its lack of display outputs means it must be paired with a separate GPU for any visual output.

Choose the AMD Radeon Pro 580X if you need Metal performance in a Mac Pro environment. Its 39577 Metal score is its only listed benchmark win, and it comes with integrated GPU form factor and two HDMI 2.0b outputs. The Radeon Pro 580X also draws less power at 185 W versus the M40’s 250 W, and has a higher transistor density on a smaller die, which may matter for space-constrained systems.

The M40 wins on every shared benchmark, so for pure compute performance it is the data-backed choice. The Radeon Pro 580X’s justification rests entirely on Metal API support and display output capability, which the M40 lacks entirely. If your workload is Metal-based on macOS, the Radeon Pro 580X is the only option here; otherwise, the Tesla M40 provides superior numbers across the board.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 39192 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 7.6% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X’s 36426.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro 580X win any benchmark?

A: The Radeon Pro 580X scores 39577 in Geekbench Metal, a test the Tesla M40 does not have a result for. In all shared benchmarks (OpenCL and Vulkan), the M40 wins.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Tesla M40 has 12 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 580X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 218.9 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports a newer Vulkan version?

A: The Tesla M40 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Pro 580X supports Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the M40 has DirectX 12 (12_1) versus the Radeon’s DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: What are the power consumption figures?

A: The Tesla M40 has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W power supply with an 8-pin EPS connector. The Radeon Pro 580X has a TDP of 185 W and lists no power connector or PSU requirement.

Q: Which card has display outputs?

A: The Radeon Pro 580X has two HDMI 2.0b outputs. The Tesla M40 has no display outputs, making it a compute-only accelerator.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla M40 | AMD Radeon Pro 580X |

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

| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 8,000 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 601 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.3M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 948 MHz | 1100 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1112 MHz | 1200 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.4 GB/s | 218.9 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3072 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 192 | 144 |

| ROPs | 96 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 106.8 GPixel/s | 38.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 213.5 GTexel/s | 172.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 6.832 TFLOPS | 5.530 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not listed | 5.530 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 185 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 8-pin EPS | Not listed |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | Apple MPX |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 2x HDMI 2.0b |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2015-11-09 | 2019-03-17 |