AMD Radeon Pro 580X vs NVIDIA Tesla P4 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 580X and NVIDIA Tesla P4 are both end-of-life workstation-oriented GPUs, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers. The data shows a near-total statistical tie in average benchmark scores, with the AMD part averaging 38,706 points against the NVIDIA part’s37,628 points, a difference of roughly 2.8%. Both cards sit in the 81st and 82nd percentiles of all GPUs, respectively, placing them in the same performance tier despite their architectural divergence. The head-to-head benchmark results confirm this parity: across the two shared tests, each card claims one victory, with the margins being remarkably slim.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most direct comparison comes from the two Geekbench tests both cards completed. In the OpenCL workload, the AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 36,426 points, defeating the NVIDIA Tesla P4’s 34,947 points by a margin of 4.2%. This is the larger of the two deltas, indicating that AMD’s architecture holds a distinct advantage in this particular compute API. The OpenCL result aligns with the raw FP32 throughput figures from the fact pack, where the Radeon Pro 580X delivers 5.530 TFLOPS against the Tesla P4’s 5.704 TFLOPS, suggesting that AMD’s efficiency in OpenCL execution more than compensates for its slight theoretical throughput deficit.

However, the Vulkan results flip the script. Here, the NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 40,309 points, narrowly edging out the AMD Radeon Pro 580X’s 40,115 points by a razor-thin 0.5% margin. This is a statistical dead heat, yet it is notable because the Tesla P4 achieves this despite its significantly lower boost clock of 1114 MHz compared to the Radeon’s 1200 MHz. The Vulkan result suggests that NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture handles low-level graphics APIs with slightly better efficiency, even if the practical difference for end users would be imperceptible in real-world workloads.

Looking at the broader context from the nearest rivals data, both cards are clustered tightly with modern mobile and desktop parts. The Radeon Pro 580X’s average score of 38,706 places it within 0.9% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile and 1.1% of the GeForce MX570, while being 1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 575X. The Tesla P4’s average of 37,628 is within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400, while sitting 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070. These proximity scores underscore that neither card is a performance outlier; both are firmly entrenched in a mid-range compute bracket where generational differences matter less than API optimization.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is substantial, starting with their manufacturing processes. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA Tesla P4 uses a 16 nm process at TSMC. This gives AMD a slight density advantage, with 24.6 million transistors per square millimeter versus NVIDIA’s 22.9 million. However, the Tesla P4 packs more total transistors—7,200 million against 5,700 million—on a larger die of 314 mm² compared to AMD’s 232 mm².

The core configurations differ markedly. The Radeon Pro 580X utilizes the Ellesmere chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, featuring 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The Tesla P4 uses the GP104 chip with Pascal architecture, offering 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. This means NVIDIA has 11.1% more shading units and double the ROP count, which explains its significantly higher pixel rate of 71.30 GPixel/s against AMD’s 38.40 GPixel/s. Texture rates are closer, with NVIDIA’s 178.2 GTexel/s marginally ahead of AMD’s 172.8 GTexel/s.

Memory subsystems are similar in capacity but not in speed. Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, but the Radeon Pro 580X runs its memory at 6.8 Gbps effective, yielding 218.9 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Tesla P4 operates at 6 Gbps effective for 192.3 GB/s. This gives AMD a 13.8% bandwidth advantage, which likely contributes to its OpenCL victory. Clock speeds also favor AMD, with a base clock of 1100 MHz and boost of 1200 MHz against NVIDIA’s 886 MHz base and 1114 MHz boost.

The FP16 compute capabilities reveal a stark philosophical difference. The Radeon Pro 580X offers FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, both rated at 5.530 TFLOPS. The Tesla P4, by contrast, executes FP16 at a 1:64 ratio, delivering only 89.12 GFLOPS. This is a deliberate design choice: the Tesla P4 prioritizes FP32 throughput for inference workloads, while the Radeon Pro 580X provides balanced compute for graphics and general-purpose tasks. Additionally, the Tesla P4 supports DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Pro 580X is limited to DirectX 12_0 and Vulkan 1.3.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear picture for specific use cases. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is the better choice for OpenCL-heavy workloads, where its 4.2% advantage in that benchmark and superior memory bandwidth of 218.9 GB/s provide measurable benefits. Its FP16 capability at full rate also makes it more versatile for compute tasks that leverage mixed-precision arithmetic. The card’s integrated form factor (labeled as IGP with Apple MPX interface) and dual HDMI 2.0b outputs suggest it is designed for display-centric professional environments, likely within Apple’s Mac Pro ecosystem.

The NVIDIA Tesla P4, conversely, is optimized for headless compute deployment. Its single-slot design, 75 W TDP, and lack of display outputs indicate a server or data-center orientation. The data shows it wins the Vulkan benchmark by 0.5%, making it marginally better for Vulkan-based applications. Its lower power draw—75 W versus 185 W—is a significant operational advantage, allowing for denser server configurations without specialized cooling. The Tesla P4 also benefits from PCIe 3.0 x16 connectivity, a more universal interface than Apple’s proprietary MPX bus.

For a user selecting between these two, the decision hinges on platform and workload. If the target system is a Mac Pro requiring an integrated GPU with display output, the Radeon Pro 580X is the only viable option. If the goal is a low-power, single-slot accelerator for Vulkan-based inference or rendering in a standard PCIe server, the Tesla P4 is preferable. Benchmark parity means performance should not be the deciding factor; platform compatibility and power constraints should dominate the choice.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs, based solely on the fact pack data:

• Process Node: AMD uses 14 nm (GlobalFoundries); NVIDIA uses 16 nm (TSMC).
• Transistors: AMD has 5,700 million; NVIDIA has 7,200 million.
• Die Size: AMD is 232 mm²; NVIDIA is 314 mm².
• Transistor Density: AMD is 24.6M / mm²; NVIDIA is 22.9M / mm².
• Base Clock: AMD is 1100 MHz; NVIDIA is 886 MHz.
• Boost Clock: AMD is 1200 MHz; NVIDIA is 1114 MHz.
• Memory Clock: AMD is 1710 MHz (6.8 Gbps effective); NVIDIA is 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective).
• Memory Bandwidth: AMD is 218.9 GB/s; NVIDIA is 192.3 GB/s.
• Shading Units: AMD has 2,304; NVIDIA has 2,560.
• TMUs: AMD has 144; NVIDIA has 160.
• ROPs: AMD has 32; NVIDIA has 64.
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 38.40 GPixel/s; NVIDIA is 71.30 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: AMD is 172.8 GTexel/s; NVIDIA is 178.2 GTexel/s.
• FP32: AMD is 5.530 TFLOPS; NVIDIA is 5.704 TFLOPS.
• FP16: AMD is 5.530 TFLOPS (1:1); NVIDIA is 89.12 GFLOPS (1:64).
• TDP: AMD is 185 W; NVIDIA is 75 W.
• Slot Width: AMD is IGP; NVIDIA is Single-slot.
• Power Connectors: AMD has none listed; NVIDIA has none.
• Suggested PSU: AMD has none listed; NVIDIA is 250 W.
• Bus Interface: AMD is Apple MPX; NVIDIA is PCIe 3.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: AMD has 2x HDMI 2.0b; NVIDIA has no outputs.
• APIs: AMD supports DirectX 12_0 and Vulkan 1.3; NVIDIA supports DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4.
• Release Date: AMD is 2019-03-17; NVIDIA is 2016-09-12.
• Predecessor: AMD has none listed; NVIDIA is Tesla Maxwell.
• Successor: AMD has none listed; NVIDIA is Tesla Volta.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has an average benchmark score of 38,706, while the NVIDIA Tesla P4 averages 37,628, giving AMD a lead of roughly 2.8%.

Q: What is the score difference in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 36,426 in Geekbench OpenCL, defeating the NVIDIA Tesla P4’s 34,947 by 4.2%.

Q: Does the NVIDIA Tesla P4 win any benchmark against the AMD card?

A: Yes, the Tesla P4 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 40,309 against the Radeon Pro 580X’s 40,115, a margin of 0.5%.

Q: How do the power requirements compare between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has a TDP of 185 W, while the NVIDIA Tesla P4 has a TDP of 75 W. The Tesla P4 also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, while AMD lists none.

Q: Which GPU has more render output units (ROPs)?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has 64 ROPs, exactly double the 32 ROPs found on the AMD Radeon Pro 580X.

Q: What are the FP16 compute capabilities of each card?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X delivers 5.530 TFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio with FP32. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 delivers only 89.12 GFLOPS of FP16, at a 1:64 ratio relative to its FP32 throughput.