AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT vs NVIDIA Tesla M2090 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single direct comparison between these two cards: the Geekbench OpenCL test. This is a lopsided result. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 46,965, while the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 scores 13,075. The delta is a massive 259.2% in favor of the AMD card. That means the RX 5500 XT delivers nearly three and a half times the raw compute throughput in this specific workload.

For context on how each card sits in the broader field, the database's average benchmark score tells a similar story. The RX 5500 XT averages 14,692 across all its recorded tests, while the Tesla M2090's average is 13,075. The RX 5500 XT sits in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the Tesla M2090 is in the 53rd percentile. These are not distant performance tiers, but the single head-to-head test shows the architectural gulf between them. The RX 5500 XT's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 at 14,747 (0.4% higher), the Quadro M2000 at 14,532 (1.1% lower), the GTX 965M at 14,404 (2% lower), and the Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14,385 (2.1% lower). The Tesla M2090's nearest rivals are the GTX 1660 SUPER at 12,986 (0.7% lower), the GTX 950 at 13,189 (0.9% higher), the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 12,940 (1% lower), and the RX 580 at 12,928 (1.1% lower). The RX 5500 XT is effectively trading blows with mid-range GeForce cards from the last decade, while the Tesla M2090 is in the same neighborhood as much newer entry-level and mobile parts.

The wins tally is 1 for the AMD card and 0 for the NVIDIA card in the direct comparison. No other benchmark results are shared between the two in the database, so the analysis rests on this one OpenCL data point, supported by each card's individual benchmark suite.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT uses the Navi 14 chip, built on RDNA 1.0 architecture. It is fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC, packing 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die. That works out to a transistor density of 40.5 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 uses the GF110 chip, based on Fermi 2.0 architecture. It is built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC, with 3,000 million transistors on a much larger 520 mm² die. Its transistor density is only 5.8 million per square millimeter. The manufacturing process difference is stark: the 7 nm node allows AMD to fit more than double the transistors into roughly one-third the silicon area.

The compute resources differ just as sharply. The RX 5500 XT has 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The Tesla M2090 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite the Tesla having more ROPs, its pixel fill rate is only 20.83 GPixel/s versus 59.04 GPixel/s for the AMD card. The texture rate tells the same story: 41.66 GTexel/s for the Tesla versus 162.4 GTexel/s for the RX 5500 XT. The AMD card's FP32 throughput is listed at 5.196 TFLOPS, while the Tesla is at 1,332.2 GFLOPS (roughly 1.33 TFLOPS). The AMD card also has FP16 support at 10.39 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio; the Tesla has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory architecture is another fundamental divergence. The RX 5500 XT uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla M2090 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, but its memory clock is much lower, resulting in only 177.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card's memory runs at 14 Gbps effective, while the Tesla's is at 3.7 Gbps effective. The RX 5500 XT uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, whereas the Tesla M2090 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The AMD card has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Tesla has no outputs at all, reflecting its compute-oriented design.

API support also separates them. The RX 5500 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla M2090 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The Tesla's DirectX 12 feature level is older, which matters for compatibility with modern titles.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 5500 XT wins every recorded comparison. In the Geekbench OpenCL head-to-head, it is 259.2% faster than the Tesla M2090. That is not a marginal gap; it is a generational leap. The AMD card also wins on every raw specification that matters for modern gaming and general compute: pixel rate, texture rate, FP32 throughput, and memory bandwidth. Its 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth versus 177.4 GB/s gives it a clear edge in bandwidth-bound workloads, even though the Tesla has a wider bus.

The Tesla M2090 does have some advantages, but they are narrow. It has more memory capacity at 6 GB versus 4 GB, which could matter for holding larger datasets in VRAM. It also has more ROPs (48 versus 32) and a wider memory bus (384-bit versus 128-bit). However, the lower clocks and older architecture nullify those advantages in practice. The Tesla's only recorded benchmark score is the OpenCL result, so there is no data suggesting it wins in any specific test category.

For use cases, the RX 5500 XT is clearly suited for gaming and desktop workloads. It has display outputs, modern API support, and the performance to drive contemporary titles at 1080p. The Tesla M2090 is a compute accelerator from 2011, designed for server racks where display output is irrelevant. Its 6 GB of VRAM and dual-slot form factor with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors point to workstation duty, not consumer gaming.

Specification Differences

The following table highlights only the fields where the two cards differ in the database:

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT | NVIDIA Tesla M2090 |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 6,400 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 158 mm² | 520 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 40.5M / mm² | 5.8M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 14 Gbps effective | 3.7 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 177.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1408 | 512 |

| TMUs | 88 | 64 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 59.04 GPixel/s | 20.83 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 162.4 GTexel/s | 41.66 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.196 TFLOPS | 1,332.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1) | None |

| TDP | 130 W | 250 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | None |

| Length | 180 mm (7.1 inches) | 248 mm (9.8 inches) |

| Release Date | 2019-12-11 | 2011-07-24 |

| Predecessor | Vega | Tesla |

| Successor | Navi II | Tesla Kepler |

The Tesla M2090's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database. The RX 5500 XT has a launch MSRP of 169 USD, stated once here for reference.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the only shared benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 46,965 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 13,075 for the NVIDIA Tesla M2090, a 259.2% difference.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 5500 XT has an average score of 14,692 across all its tests, while the Tesla M2090 averages 13,075. The RX 5500 XT is in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, the Tesla in the 53rd.

Q: Does the Tesla M2090 have more memory?

A: Yes, the Tesla M2090 has 6 GB of GDDR5, while the RX 5500 XT has 4 GB of GDDR6. However, the AMD card's bandwidth is higher at 224.0 GB/s versus 177.4 GB/s.

Q: Can the Tesla M2090 output video to a display?

A: No, the Tesla M2090 has no display outputs. The RX 5500 XT has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W and requires a 300 W PSU. The Tesla M2090 has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W PSU.

Q: Which card supports newer APIs?

A: The RX 5500 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla M2090 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but no Vulkan.

The Verdict

The data makes the choice straightforward. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is the better card for any task that requires modern graphics, gaming, or general compute. It beats the Tesla M2090 by 259.2% in the only shared benchmark, has higher pixel and texture rates, more than three times the FP32 throughput, and more memory bandwidth. It also consumes less power (130 W versus 250 W), requires a smaller PSU (300 W versus 600 W), and physically fits in a shorter slot (180 mm versus 248 mm). The RX 5500 XT is end-of-life, but it is from 2019, eight years after the Tesla's 2011 release.

The Tesla M2090 is only sensible if you specifically need 6 GB of VRAM on a 384-bit bus for a legacy compute workload that does not rely on modern APIs or FP16. Its 48 ROPs and wider bus are its only structural advantages, but the clock speeds and architecture are too old to exploit them. The database shows it trading blows with much newer low-end cards like the GTX 950 and GTX 1660 SUPER, which says everything about its standing in 2024.

For anyone building a system today, the RX 5500 XT is the clear pick. It has display outputs, modern API support, and performance that dwarfs the Tesla. The only reason to choose the Tesla M2090 is if you have a specific server workload that requires its exact memory configuration and you cannot use a newer card. Otherwise, the RX 5500 XT wins on every measurable axis in the records.