AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT vs NVIDIA Tesla K10 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 are separated by seven years of GPU architecture, and the benchmark data reflects that gulf. In the only direct comparison available, the RX 5500 XT dominates, delivering a 234.8% higher score in Geekbench OpenCL. The Tesla K10, a dual-GPU compute card from 2012, cannot match the modern RDNA 1.0 architecture in raw throughput, though it holds its own in the overall performance percentile rankings.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark result is decisive. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 46,965, while the NVIDIA Tesla K10 scores 14,029. This represents a 234.8% advantage for the AMD card. To put that in perspective, the RX 5500 XT’s score is more than three times higher than the Tesla K10’s, indicating a massive generational leap in compute performance per GPU. The Tesla K10’s dual-chip design simply cannot compensate for the architectural efficiency of the newer 7 nm process and RDNA 1.0 design.

Looking at broader benchmark context, the RX 5500 XT’s average benchmark score of 14,692 places it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (average score 14,747, delta -0.4%), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (14,532, delta 1.1%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404, delta 2%). This shows the RX 5500 XT sits in a competitive mid-range tier, trading blows with older high-end cards. In contrast, the Tesla K10’s average benchmark score of 14,029 puts it in the 55th percentile, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (14,150, delta -0.9%) and the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871, delta 1.1%). Despite its age, the Tesla K10 remains within 4.7% of the RX 5500 XT in average score, proof of the raw power of its dual Kepler GPUs.

However, the average scores mask the compute discrepancy. The RX 5500 XT achieves 5.196 TFLOPS FP32 performance, while the Tesla K10 manages only 2.289 TFLOPS. This 127% difference in theoretical compute is directly reflected in the OpenCL benchmark. The RX 5500 XT also has a higher memory bandwidth at 224.0 GB/s versus the Tesla K10’s 160.0 GB/s, further widening the gap in memory-intensive workloads. The Tesla K10’s 256-bit bus is wider, but the GDDR5 memory at 5 Gbps effective cannot match the GDDR6 at 14 Gbps effective used by the RX 5500 XT.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT has an average benchmark score of 14,692, compared to the NVIDIA Tesla K10’s 14,029. This puts the RX 5500 XT in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the Tesla K10 sits in the 55th percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RX 5500 XT scores 46,965 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 234.8% higher than the Tesla K10’s 14,029. This is the only benchmark where both cards have been tested directly.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card based on average score?

A: For the RX 5500 XT, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (14,747, -0.4%), NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (14,532, 1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404, 2%). For the Tesla K10, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (14,150, -0.9%), AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871, 1.1%), and NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821, 1.5%).

Q: Do both cards have the same amount of memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 have 4 GB of memory. However, the RX 5500 XT uses GDDR6 memory, while the Tesla K10 uses GDDR5.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT has a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA Tesla K10’s 160.0 GB/s. This is despite the Tesla K10 having a wider 256-bit memory bus versus the RX 5500 XT’s 128-bit bus.

Q: What is the production status of these GPUs?

A: Both the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 are end-of-life products. The RX 5500 XT was released on 2019-12-11, while the Tesla K10 was released on 2012-04-30.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT for virtually any modern workload. Its 234.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with higher FP32 compute (5.196 TFLOPS vs 2.289 TFLOPS), higher memory bandwidth (224.0 GB/s vs 160.0 GB/s), and a more recent architecture, makes it the superior choice for compute tasks, gaming, and general GPU acceleration. The Tesla K10’s only advantage lies in its wider 256-bit memory bus and higher shading unit count (1536 vs 1408), but these do not translate into real-world performance wins in the available data.

For users seeking a GPU for DirectX 12 gaming or modern API support, the RX 5500 XT is the only viable option, as it supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Tesla K10 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Tesla K10 also has no display outputs, making it unsuitable for any visual output tasks. The RX 5500 XT, on the other hand, offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

However, the Tesla K10 is not without merit in its niche. Its average benchmark score of 14,029 is within 4.7% of the RX 5500 XT, and it ranks in the 55th percentile overall. For legacy compute workloads that were optimized for Kepler architecture, or for systems where the dual-GPU design is specifically required, the Tesla K10 could still serve a purpose. But for any new deployment, the RX 5500 XT is the clear winner based on the benchmark evidence.

Specification Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and NVIDIA Tesla K10 differ fundamentally in their specs. The RX 5500 XT uses a 7 nm process node, while the Tesla K10 uses 28 nm. The RX 5500 XT has a die size of 158 mm² and 6,400 million transistors, compared to the Tesla K10’s 294 mm² and 3,540 million transistors. This results in a transistor density of 40.5M / mm² for the RX 5500 XT versus 12.0M / mm² for the Tesla K10.

Clock speeds also differ: the RX 5500 XT has a base clock of 1607 MHz, a boost clock of 1845 MHz, and a game clock of 1717 MHz, while the Tesla K10 does not have listed base, boost, or game clocks. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the RX 5500 XT and 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for the Tesla K10.

The RX 5500 XT has 1408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the Tesla K10 has 1536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 5500 XT achieves pixel rates of 59.04 GPixel/s and texture rates of 162.4 GTexel/s, whereas the Tesla K10 manages 23.84 GPixel/s and 95.36 GTexel/s. The RX 5500 XT also supports FP16 at 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1), while the Tesla K10 has no FP16 capability listed.

Power requirements differ substantially: the RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W and requires a 300 W suggested PSU with a single 8-pin connector, while the Tesla K10 has a TDP of 225 W and requires a 550 W suggested PSU with 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors. The RX 5500 XT is also shorter at 180 mm (7.1 inches) versus the Tesla K10’s 272 mm (10.7 inches). The RX 5500 XT uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the Tesla K10 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is stark. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is built on RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 14 chip, part of the Navi (RX 5000) generation. It uses a 7 nm process at TSMC and features a unified design with 1408 shading units. The Tesla K10, in contrast, uses the Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip, part of the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The RX 5500 XT supports FP16 compute at 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), leveraging its RDNA 1.0 design for efficient half-precision workloads. The Tesla K10 has no FP16 support listed, reflecting its older Kepler design that predates the widespread adoption of FP16 in compute. Both cards lack ray tracing cores and tensor cores, but the RX 5500 XT supports modern APIs including DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla K10 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The predecessor and successor lines also differ: the RX 5500 XT succeeds the Vega architecture and is succeeded by Navi II, while the Tesla K10 succeeds Tesla Fermi and is succeeded by Tesla Maxwell. The RX 5500 XT also has a game clock (1717 MHz), a feature specific to AMD’s RDNA cards, which the Tesla K10 lacks entirely.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT wins decisively in compute performance. Its 234.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL makes it the clear choice for OpenCL-based workloads, machine learning inference, and any compute task that leverages modern RDNA 1.0 features. Its higher FP32 throughput (5.196 TFLOPS) and FP16 support (10.39 TFLOPS) give it a massive edge in scientific computing, rendering, and AI inference. The RX 5500 XT also wins in memory bandwidth (224.0 GB/s vs 160.0 GB/s), making it better for memory-bound tasks. With display outputs, it is also the only choice for any task requiring visual output, including gaming, desktop use, or content creation.

The NVIDIA Tesla K10 wins only in a few narrow specification areas. It has more shading units (1536 vs 1408), more TMUs (128 vs 88), and a wider 256-bit memory bus. Its dual-GPU design provides a unique compute profile that could theoretically benefit workloads specifically optimized for multi-GPU Kepler configurations. The Tesla K10’s higher TDP (225 W) suggests it was designed for sustained compute loads in server environments, and its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface offers more bus lanes than the RX 5500 XT’s PCIe 4.0 x8. However, in the actual benchmark data, the Tesla K10 has no wins. Its only benchmark score (Geekbench OpenCL) is 14,029, which is far below the RX 5500 XT’s 46,965. For any practical use case measured by the data, the RX 5500 XT is the superior card. The Tesla K10’s relevance is limited to legacy systems or specialized compute deployments where its specific Kepler architecture is a requirement.