AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs NVIDIA Tesla P40 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split is decisive: the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X wins the only head-to-head test recorded, taking Geekbench OpenCL with a 26.5% margin over the NVIDIA Tesla P40. The AMD card posts a score of 78,467 versus 62,017 for the Tesla, which is the sole comparison available in the data. That means the AMD card wins 1 test, and the Tesla P40 wins 0 tests, a clean sweep in the recorded benchmark suite.

However, the broader benchmark picture tells a more nuanced story. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X holds an average benchmark score of 80,959 across all tests, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA Tesla P40, by contrast, averages 65,095 and sits in the 89th percentile. The 15,864-point gap in average scores is substantial, but the percentile difference is only 3 points, suggesting both cards are firmly in the high-end tier. The AMD card's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (just 1.3% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (1.4% behind the Vega), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (1.7% and 2% behind). The Tesla P40's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 (1.4% behind), the AMD Radeon VII (1.4% ahead), and the NVIDIA CMP 30HX and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP (both 2% behind).

The data indicates the AMD card is the stronger all-around performer, but the Tesla P40 is not far off in percentile ranking. The AMD card wins the only direct test, yet the Tesla P40's 89th percentile shows it remains competitive in the wider GPU landscape. For OpenCL workloads specifically, the AMD card is the clear choice, but the lack of additional head-to-head tests means the Tesla P40's strengths in other API workloads are not directly measured here.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X uses the Vega 10 chip built on GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA Tesla P40 uses the GP102 chip based on Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process at TSMC. The transistor counts are close — 12,500 million for AMD versus 11,800 million for NVIDIA — and the die sizes are similar at 495 mm² and 471 mm² respectively. The transistor densities are nearly identical: 25.3M per mm² for AMD and 25.1M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Memory architecture is where the cards diverge sharply. The AMD card features 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla P40 has 24 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, providing 347.1 GB/s. The AMD card's HBM2 gives it 47.4% more memory bandwidth despite having 8 GB less capacity. The Tesla P40 compensates with 50% more memory capacity, which matters for workloads that exceed 16 GB.

Compute resources also differ. The AMD card has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Tesla P40 has 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. While AMD has more shading units and TMUs, NVIDIA has 50% more ROPs. Clock speeds favor NVIDIA: the Tesla P40 runs at 1303 MHz base and 1531 MHz boost, while the AMD card runs at 1250 MHz base and 1468 MHz boost. The AMD card's higher shading unit count and memory bandwidth push its FP32 performance to 12.03 TFLOPS versus 11.76 TFLOPS for NVIDIA. The FP16 comparison is stark: AMD achieves 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while NVIDIA manages just 183.7 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio).

Power and physical design differ as well. Both cards are rated at 250 W TDP, but the AMD card is an IGP with no power connectors, while the Tesla P40 is a dual-slot card requiring an 8-pin EPS connector and a 600 W suggested PSU. The Tesla P40 has no display outputs, while the AMD card's outputs are portable device dependent. The AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x16, as does the Tesla P40. The NVIDIA card measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the AMD card's dimensions are not specified.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 78,467 against the Tesla P40's 62,017. That is a 26.5% advantage for the AMD card. This is a commanding margin, particularly in a compute-oriented API like OpenCL. The AMD card's 12.03 TFLOPS FP32 output and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth appear to translate directly into this OpenCL advantage, as the Tesla P40's higher boost clock (1531 MHz vs 1468 MHz) and larger ROP count (96 vs 64) cannot compensate.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this pattern. The AMD card averages 80,959 across its recorded tests, which includes the Geekbench Metal score of 83,450 in addition to the OpenCL result. The Tesla P40 averages 65,095, including its Geekbench OpenCL score of 62,017 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 68,172. The AMD card's Metal score of 83,450 is 34.5% higher than the Tesla P40's Vulkan score of 68,172, though these are different APIs and not directly comparable. Still, the pattern holds: AMD dominates in compute throughput.

The deltaPct figures from the nearest rivals provide context. The AMD card is 1.3% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W6600, 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, and 1.7-2% ahead of the Tesla P100 variants. The Tesla P40 is 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100, 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon VII, and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 30HX and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP. These figures place the AMD card in a slightly higher performance tier than the Tesla P40, consistent with the 26.5% head-to-head OpenCL margin.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for compute workloads: the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. It wins the only recorded head-to-head test by 26.5%, holds a 24.4% higher average benchmark score (80,959 vs 65,095), and sits in a higher percentile (92nd vs 89th). The AMD card's advantages in shading units (4,096 vs 3,840), memory bandwidth (512.0 GB/s vs 347.1 GB/s), and FP32 throughput (12.03 vs 11.76 TFLOPS) explain its benchmark dominance.

The Tesla P40 is not without merits. It offers 24 GB of memory versus 16 GB, which is critical for workloads that require large model residency. Its 96 ROPs versus 64 give it a pixel rate advantage (147.0 GPixel/s vs 93.95 GPixel/s), and its higher boost clock (1531 MHz vs 1468 MHz) suggests better rasterization potential. The Tesla P40 also supports Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card is limited to Vulkan 1.3. For users prioritizing memory capacity or Vulkan compatibility, the Tesla P40 remains viable.

However, for raw compute performance in OpenCL, the AMD card is the definitive choice. The 26.5% margin is decisive. The AMD card's FP16 throughput of 24.05 TFLOPS versus the Tesla P40's 183.7 GFLOPS makes it vastly superior for half-precision workloads. If the workload fits within 16 GB and requires maximum compute throughput, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is the data-supported pick. If the workload demands more than 16 GB of memory or relies on Vulkan, the Tesla P40 is the safer option despite its lower benchmark scores.

FAQ

Q: Which card has better OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X wins Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 78,467 versus 62,017 for the NVIDIA Tesla P40, a 26.5% advantage.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD card averages 80,959 across all tests, while the Tesla P40 averages 65,095. The AMD card sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, compared to 89th for the Tesla.

Q: Which card has more memory capacity?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P40 has 24 GB of GDDR5, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X has 16 GB of HBM2. The AMD card has higher bandwidth at 512.0 GB/s versus 347.1 GB/s.

Q: What are the FP16 compute capabilities?

A: The AMD card delivers 24.05 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio), while the Tesla P40 manages only 183.7 GFLOPS FP16 (1:64 ratio). The AMD card is dramatically stronger in half-precision workloads.

Q: Which card is better for display output?

A: The Tesla P40 has no display outputs, while the AMD card's outputs are portable device dependent. Neither card is designed for traditional display connectivity.

Q: How do the power requirements differ?

A: Both cards are rated at 250 W TDP. The AMD card is an IGP with no power connectors, while the Tesla P40 is a dual-slot card requiring an 8-pin EPS connector and a 600 W suggested PSU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X | NVIDIA Tesla P40 |

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

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | Pascal |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 16 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 12,500 million | 11,800 million |

| Die Size | 495 mm² | 471 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1250 MHz | 1303 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1468 MHz | 1531 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 24 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 2048 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 347.1 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) | 1808 MHz (7.2 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 256 | 240 |

| ROPs | 64 | 96 |

| Pixel Rate | 93.95 GPixel/s | 147.0 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 375.8 GTexel/s | 367.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 12.03 TFLOPS | 11.76 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1) | 183.7 GFLOPS (1:64) |

| TDP | 250 W | 250 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 8-pin EPS |

| Suggested PSU | — | 600 W |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | No outputs |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2019-03-18 | 2016-09-12 |

| Launch MSRP | — | 5,699 USD |

| Predecessor | — | Tesla Maxwell |

| Successor | — | Tesla Volta |