AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 vs NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 represent two very different eras of professional GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a decisive generational shift. The single available head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 delivering a score of 24,217, which is a massive 59.9% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla C2070’s score of 9,716. This is not a close contest; the AMD card is in a different performance class in compute workloads, despite the Tesla C2070 having a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs. The data indicates that for anyone choosing between these two for modern compute tasks, the performance gap is the defining factor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a decisive victory for the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100. The AMD card scores 24,217, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9,716. This translates to a 59.9% performance advantage for the AMD card, meaning it is nearly two and a half times faster in this specific compute metric. This is a massive delta that dwarfs the differences seen in the nearest rival comparisons for either card.

To contextualize the Tesla C2070’s score, its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9,724), NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (9,665), AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 (9,653), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (9,780). The C2070’s score of 9,716 places it firmly in this cluster, with a deltaPct of -0.1% compared to the Tesla M10 and 0.5% ahead of the Quadro P4000. This shows that while the C2070 is competitive with these specific cards, they are all in the same performance tier. The AMD card, in contrast, sits in a higher bracket. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8,851), AMD Radeon 550X (8,918), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8,746), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8,743). The WX 5100’s average benchmark score of 8,863 is only slightly above these rivals, but its peak OpenCL score of 24,217 is what matters most in this comparison.

The delta between the two cards in the head-to-head test is so large that it overshadows any other considerations. The Tesla C2070’s 47th percentile ranking versus the WX 5100’s 44th percentile is misleading; it reflects the average of all benchmarks for each card, but the WX 5100 has a much higher peak score in the one test they share. The data strongly suggests that in raw compute throughput, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the clear winner.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is significantly faster, scoring 24,217 compared to the NVIDIA Tesla C2070’s 9,716. This represents a 59.9% performance advantage for the AMD card.

Q: How does the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 compare to its own nearest rivals?

A: The Tesla C2070’s OpenCL score of 9,716 is essentially on par with its closest competitors. It is 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9,724) and 0.5% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (9,665). It is also 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 (9,653) and 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (9,780).

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has an average benchmark score of 9,716, which is based on its single Geekbench OpenCL result. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 has an average benchmark score of 8,863, which is an average of its multiple benchmark results including OpenCL, Metal, Vulkan, and Passmark tests.

Q: Which card has higher peak performance in any benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 achieves a peak score of 29,003 in the Geekbench Metal benchmark. This is its highest single score and far exceeds the Tesla C2070’s best score of 9,716 in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: In the head-to-head comparison, how many benchmarks does each card win?

A: Out of the single benchmark test they share, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 wins 1 test, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 wins 0 tests.

Q: Based on the data, which card is in a higher performance tier?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is in a higher performance tier based on its OpenCL score. Its result of 24,217 places it far above the cluster of scores around 9,700 where the Tesla C2070 and its nearest rivals reside.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 wins the only benchmark they share, and it wins decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, it outperforms the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 by 59.9%, making it the clear choice for any workload that relies on OpenCL compute. The WX 5100 also demonstrates strength across multiple modern APIs, with strong scores in Geekbench Metal (29,003) and Geekbench Vulkan (26,909), indicating broad software support. Its Passmark G3D score of 5,496 also suggests capable graphics rendering performance for its class.

The NVIDIA Tesla C2070, while losing the compute comparison, still holds its own in a specific context. Its single Geekbench OpenCL score of 9,716 is competitive with its immediate rivals like the Tesla M10 and Quadro P4000, showing it was a solid performer in its generation. The data does not show any benchmark where the Tesla C2070 beats the WX 5100, so its only "win" is being a viable option within its own older performance tier. For a legacy system or a specific application that relies on the Fermi architecture’s characteristics, it could be a consideration, but the data cannot support a win against the AMD card.

In terms of feature set, the AMD card is more modern, offering a broader range of display outputs with four DisplayPort 1.4a connections, while the Tesla C2070 is limited to a single DVI output. The AMD card also supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_0), whereas the Tesla C2070 only lists support for DirectX 12 (11_0) and lacks Vulkan support. This makes the WX 5100 far more versatile for contemporary professional environments.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in almost every major specification. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 160.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a wider 384-bit bus, but its bandwidth is lower at 143.4 GB/s. This means the AMD card has both more memory and higher bandwidth, which is advantageous for large datasets.

The compute specifications heavily favor the AMD card. The Radeon Pro WX 5100 boasts 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. In contrast, the Tesla C2070 has 448 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. This results in a massive difference in raw throughput: the AMD card delivers 3.892 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA card delivers 1,027.7 GFLOPS (approximately 1.03 TFLOPS). The WX 5100 also offers FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio (3.892 TFLOPS), while the Tesla C2070 does not list any FP16 capability. The pixel and texture rates also tell the story: the AMD card has a pixel rate of 34.75 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 121.6 GTexel/s, compared to the NVIDIA card’s 16.07 GPixel/s and 32.14 GTexel/s.

Power and physical requirements are also starkly different. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 has a TDP of 75 W, requires no external power connectors, and is a single-slot card with a length of 173 mm. The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has a TDP of 238 W, requires a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connector, and is a dual-slot card with a length of 248 mm. The suggested PSU for the AMD card is 250 W, while the NVIDIA card suggests a 550 W PSU. The AMD card is clearly more power-efficient and physically easier to integrate into a system. The bus interface also differs, with the AMD card using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the NVIDIA card using the older PCIe 2.0 x16.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 is built on the Fermi architecture using the GF100 chip, manufactured on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 3,100 million transistors on a large 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 5.9M / mm². This is an older, power-hungry design. Its generation is listed as "Tesla Fermi (x20xx)" and its production status is end-of-life.

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is built on the GCN 4.0 architecture using the Ellesmere chip, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 5,700 million transistors on a much smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.6M / mm². This newer process node allows for more than double the transistor density. Its generation is listed as "Radeon Pro Polaris (WX x100)" and it is also end-of-life.

The memory clocks also differ. The AMD card has a base clock of 713 MHz and a boost clock of 1,086 MHz, while the NVIDIA card does not list base or boost clocks. The AMD card’s memory runs at 1,250 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA card’s memory runs at 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective). These architectural differences—process node, transistor density, and core design—directly explain the performance disparity. The GCN 4.0 architecture is far more efficient and powerful per watt than the older Fermi design. The AMD card also has a newer API support list, including Vulkan 1.3, which the NVIDIA card lacks entirely.

The Verdict

The choice between these two cards is clear from the data: the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the superior product for almost any use case. Its 59.9% lead in the shared OpenCL benchmark is conclusive. The AMD card offers more memory (8 GB vs 6 GB), higher bandwidth (160.0 GB/s vs 143.4 GB/s), and massively higher compute throughput (3.892 TFLOPS vs 1,027.7 GFLOPS FP32). It is also far more efficient, with a 75 W TDP compared to 238 W, and requires no external power connectors, making it a much easier fit in a modern workstation.

The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 is a relic of a previous era. While it was competitive with its own peers in the 2011 timeframe, it is outclassed by the 2016-era AMD card. The data shows no scenario where the Tesla C2070 wins. Its only potential appeal is for a legacy system where specific Fermi-era software support is required, but even then, its performance is simply not in the same league. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is the recommended choice for anyone needing professional compute or graphics performance, offering a better feature set, lower power draw, and significantly higher benchmark scores.