AMD Radeon R9 370X vs NVIDIA Tesla K10 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single direct comparison between the AMD Radeon R9 370X and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The result is decisive: the R9 370X scores 25,893 points against 14,029 points for the Tesla K10. That is an 84.6% advantage for the AMD card, a margin so large that it defines the entire head-to-head picture. The R9 370X wins the only shared benchmark, giving it a 1-0 record in direct comparisons.

Context from the broader database reinforces the gap. The R9 370X posts an average benchmark score of 15,862 across all recorded tests, while the Tesla K10 averages 14,029. The AMD card also sits higher in the overall percentile ranking, at the 58th percentile of all GPUs compared to the 55th for the Tesla. Neither card is near the top of the database, but the R9 370X consistently lands ahead.

The Geekbench OpenCL result is not a close call. The 84.6% delta means the R9 370X delivers nearly double the compute throughput in that workload. For context, the Tesla K10's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 at 14,150 (0.9% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 570X at 13,871 (1.1% lower). The R9 370X's nearest rivals cluster much higher: the AMD Radeon RX 9060 at 16,014 (1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti at 16,129 (1.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15,679 (1.2% lower). The R9 370X competes in a faster neighborhood entirely.

The Tesla K10 has no recorded Geekbench Metal or Vulkan scores, while the R9 370X shows 12,676 in Metal and 9,018 in Vulkan. These additional results do not contribute to the direct head-to-head, but they indicate the AMD card has a broader testing footprint. The absence of those numbers for the Tesla K10 limits the comparison, yet the one available test is unambiguous.

Where Each One Wins

The R9 370X wins the OpenCL workload outright, and that is the only benchmark where both cards have recorded results. Its 25,893 OpenCL score towers over the Tesla K10's 14,029. This makes the AMD card the clear choice for compute tasks that rely on OpenCL acceleration.

The Tesla K10 does not win any recorded benchmark in this comparison. Its 4 GB memory capacity is double the R9 370X's 2 GB, which could matter in memory-bound scenarios, but no benchmark in the database captures that advantage. The Tesla K10 also has higher texture rate (95.36 GTexel/s vs 82.40 GTexel/s) and more texture mapping units (128 vs 80), yet the R9 370X counters with a higher pixel rate (32.96 GPixel/s vs 23.84 GPixel/s) and higher FP32 throughput (2.637 TFLOPS vs 2.289 TFLOPS).

For users choosing between the two strictly from the data, the R9 370X wins every measured category. The Tesla K10's strengths are real in theory, larger memory capacity and superior texture throughput, but they do not translate into any recorded benchmark victory. The AMD card is the safer pick for anyone prioritizing measured performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 25,893, while the NVIDIA Tesla K10 scores 14,029. The R9 370X leads by 84.6% in this test.

Q: How do these cards compare in overall database ranking?

A: The R9 370X sits at the 58th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 15,862. The Tesla K10 sits at the 55th percentile with an average score of 14,029.

Q: Does the Tesla K10 win any benchmark in the head-to-head?

A: No. The only shared test is Geekbench OpenCL, and the R9 370X wins it. The Tesla K10 records zero wins in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: What additional benchmark scores does the R9 370X have?

A: The R9 370X records 12,676 in Geekbench Metal and 9,018 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Tesla K10 has no recorded scores for either of those tests.

Q: How does each card compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The R9 370X is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700, 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060, and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. The Tesla K10 is 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 570X, 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile, and 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 660M.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K10 has 1,536 shading units, compared to 1,280 on the AMD Radeon R9 370X. Despite this, the R9 370X still wins the OpenCL benchmark.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ sharply in memory capacity. The Tesla K10 offers 4 GB of GDDR5, while the R9 370X offers 2 GB. Both use a 256-bit memory bus, but the R9 370X achieves higher bandwidth at 179.2 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s for the Tesla. The R9 370X also runs faster effective memory at 5.6 Gbps compared to 5 Gbps.

Clock speeds differ as well. The R9 370X has a base clock of 980 MHz and a boost clock of 1030 MHz. The Tesla K10 has no recorded base or boost clocks in the database, only a 1250 MHz memory clock. Compute rates follow the clock advantage: the R9 370X delivers 2.637 TFLOPS FP32, while the Tesla K10 delivers 2.289 TFLOPS.

Rasterization rates also split. The R9 370X hits 32.96 GPixel/s pixel rate and 82.40 GTexel/s texture rate. The Tesla K10 counters with 23.84 GPixel/s pixel rate and 95.36 GTexel/s texture rate. The Tesla has more TMUs (128 vs 80) and more shading units (1,536 vs 1,280), but both have 32 ROPs.

Power requirements favor the AMD card. The R9 370X has a TDP of 180 W and needs a 450 W suggested PSU with two 6-pin connectors. The Tesla K10 draws 225 W and requires a 550 W suggested PSU with one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector.

Physical dimensions differ. The R9 370X measures 221 mm (8.7 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height. The Tesla K10 is longer at 272 mm (10.7 inches) with no recorded height. Both are dual-slot cards with PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces.

Display outputs separate them completely. The R9 370X provides two DVI ports, one HDMI 1.4a, and one DisplayPort 1.2. The Tesla K10 has no display outputs at all, reflecting its compute-focused design.

API support shows minor differences. The R9 370X supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170. The Tesla K10 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon R9 370X uses the Trinidad chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, part of the Pirate Islands generation from the R9 300 series. The NVIDIA Tesla K10 uses the GK104 chip built on Kepler architecture, part of the Tesla Kepler generation. Both are manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

Transistor counts and die sizes differ. The Tesla K10 packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The R9 370X contains 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die. Transistor density is slightly higher on the AMD chip at 13.2M per mm² versus 12.0M per mm² for the NVIDIA chip.

The Tesla K10 has a structural advantage in raw shader count with 1,536 shading units and 128 TMUs. The R9 370X has 1,280 shading units and 80 TMUs. Both cards have 32 ROPs. Despite the Tesla's higher shader count, the R9 370X wins the OpenCL benchmark, suggesting that clock speed and architecture efficiency matter more than raw unit counts in this workload.

Neither card includes dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores. Both are end-of-life products. The R9 370X was released on 2015-08-26, while the Tesla K10 is older, released on 2012-04-30. The R9 370X succeeded the Volcanic Islands generation and was succeeded by Arctic Islands. The Tesla K10 succeeded Tesla Fermi and was succeeded by Tesla Maxwell.

The R9 370X's launch MSRP was 199 USD. The Tesla K10's launch MSRP was 5,099 USD.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the AMD Radeon R9 370X is the stronger performer in measured benchmarks. Its 84.6% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the only direct comparison available, and it is decisive. The R9 370X also holds a higher average benchmark score (15,862 vs 14,029) and a higher percentile rank (58th vs 55th).

Users who need OpenCL compute performance should choose the R9 370X. It delivers nearly double the score of the Tesla K10 in that workload, draws less power (180 W vs 225 W), and offers display outputs for general use. The Tesla K10's advantages are limited to memory capacity (4 GB vs 2 GB) and texture throughput (95.36 GTexel/s vs 82.40 GTexel/s), but those do not translate into any recorded benchmark win.

The Tesla K10 may appeal to those who specifically need 4 GB of memory or the higher TMU count, but the database offers no measured evidence that those features produce better results. Its lack of display outputs also makes it unsuitable for desktop use without additional hardware.

For anyone choosing strictly from the recorded data, the R9 370X wins the comparison. It is faster in the only shared test, more efficient in power draw, smaller in physical footprint, and more versatile with its display connectivity. The Tesla K10 remains a niche product whose theoretical strengths never materialize in the benchmark results. The launch MSRP difference is stark, with the R9 370X at 199 USD and the Tesla K10 at 5,099 USD, but the performance gap does not justify the Tesla's premium from a purely data-driven perspective.