AMD Radeon RX 570X vs NVIDIA Tesla K20c Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 570X and NVIDIA Tesla K20c occupy different corners of the GPU landscape, one a consumer-oriented graphics card from the Polaris generation, the other a compute-focused accelerator from the Kepler era. The recorded data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD part posts 38,939 points against the NVIDIA part’s 11,479 points. That is a 239.2% advantage for the RX 570X, a massive margin that frames the entire comparison. The database records one win for the RX 570X and zero for the Tesla K20c, so the quantitative story is one-sided, but the architectural and specification differences explain why these parts were built for different purposes. This analysis walks through the benchmark data, the underlying hardware, and the practical implications for anyone choosing between them.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11,479. The percentage difference, 239.2%, means the RX 570X delivers more than three times the OpenCL performance of the K20c in this test. That is a decisive win for the AMD card, and it aligns with other metrics in the pack, such as FP32 throughput: the RX 570X is rated at 5.095 TFLOPS, while the K20c is rated at 3.524 TFLOPS. The RX 570X is also ahead in pixel rate, 39.81 GPixel/s versus 36.71 GPixel/s, and texture rate, 159.2 GTexel/s versus 146.8 GTexel/s. Every measurable compute or graphics throughput number favors the AMD part, often by a wide margin.

The K20c’s closest rivals in the database, based on average benchmark score, are the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M at 11,528 (a 0.4% deficit for the K20c), the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT at 11,627 (1.3% deficit), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 at 11,680 (1.7% deficit). The K20c beats the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M, which scores 11,261, by 1.9%. These figures place the K20c in a low-performance tier, roughly comparable to integrated or older mobile GPUs. Meanwhile, the RX 570X’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile at 13,821 (0.4% ahead of the RX 570X), the AMD Radeon 660M at 13,812 (0.4% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT at 13,745 (0.9% ahead). The RX 570X also sits above the NVIDIA Tesla K10, which scores 14,029, by 1.1%. In other words, the RX 570X’s average benchmark score of 13,871 is roughly 21% higher than the K20c’s 11,479, even though the head-to-head OpenCL test shows a much larger gap. The average score includes two PassMark tests, G2D at 750 and G3D at 1,923, which the K20c lacks, so the comparison is not perfectly aligned. Still, the OpenCL result is the clearest signal: the RX 570X is dramatically faster in that workload.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers, foundries, and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die size is 232 mm², with 5,700 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA Tesla K20c uses the GK110 chip, built on Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The die is much larger at 561 mm², with 7,080 million transistors, but the density is lower at 12.6 million per square millimeter. The K20c packs more transistors and a bigger die, but the older process and architecture limit its efficiency and raw compute output.

The RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The K20c has 2,496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. Despite having more of every execution unit, the K20c produces lower throughput numbers, which points to lower clock speeds. The RX 570X has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, while the K20c’s base and boost clocks are not recorded in the database. The memory subsystems also differ: the RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The K20c has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 208.0 GB/s. The RX 570X has more capacity and higher bandwidth, despite the narrower bus, because of the faster memory clock.

The feature sets diverge sharply. The RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The K20c supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RX 570X has display outputs: one DVI, one HDMI 2.0b, and three DisplayPort 1.4a. The K20c has no display outputs at all, confirming its role as a compute-only accelerator. The RX 570X uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the K20c uses PCIe 2.0 x16, which halves the available bus bandwidth for data transfers. The RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector, with a suggested power supply of 450 W. The K20c has a TDP of 225 W, requires one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 550 W power supply. The K20c is also longer at 267 mm (10.5 inches) versus the RX 570X’s 241 mm (9.5 inches). Both are dual-slot cards.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for general-purpose and graphics workloads: the AMD Radeon RX 570X. It wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark by 239.2%, has higher FP32 throughput, higher pixel and texture rates, more memory capacity, higher memory bandwidth, a newer PCIe interface, and a lower power draw. It also has display outputs, making it a usable graphics card, whereas the K20c has none. The RX 570X’s average benchmark score of 13,871 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the K20c’s 11,479 places it in the 51st percentile. That percentile difference is modest, but the OpenCL gap is enormous.

The Tesla K20c is not without merit in its intended role. It was designed for compute acceleration in servers and workstations, where display output is irrelevant and the focus is on double-precision or specialized workloads. The database does not list double-precision performance for either card, so no direct comparison is possible. The K20c has more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, which could theoretically help in certain compute tasks if clock speeds were higher, but the recorded data shows lower raw throughput in every category. The K20c also has a higher TDP, requiring more power for less performance, which is a disadvantage in any modern deployment. The production status for both is end-of-life, so neither is a new purchase, but the RX 570X is the more capable part across every metric in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11,479, giving the RX 570X a 239.2% advantage.

Q: Does the Tesla K20c have any display outputs?

A: No, the K20c has no display outputs, while the RX 570X has one DVI, one HDMI 2.0b, and three DisplayPort 1.4a connections.

Q: Which card has more memory and higher bandwidth?

A: The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the K20c has 5 GB of GDDR5 with 208.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W with a single 6-pin connector and a 450 W suggested power supply. The K20c has a TDP of 225 W, requires a 6-pin plus an 8-pin connector, and suggests a 550 W power supply.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RX 570X is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the K20c is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The K20c has 2,496 shading units, compared to the RX 570X’s 2,048, but the RX 570X still achieves higher FP32 performance at 5.095 TFLOPS versus 3.524 TFLOPS.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins in every recorded benchmark and in every throughput metric. It is the clear choice for OpenCL compute workloads, as shown by the 239.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. It is also superior for graphics rendering, given its pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s versus 36.71 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s versus 146.8 GTexel/s. The RX 570X has more memory (8 GB versus 5 GB) and higher bandwidth (224.0 GB/s versus 208.0 GB/s), which benefits large textures or datasets. It supports newer APIs, including DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the K20c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RX 570X also consumes less power (150 W versus 225 W) and connects via PCIe 3.0, doubling the theoretical bus bandwidth of the K20c’s PCIe 2.0 interface.

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c wins only in raw execution unit counts. It has 2,496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 40 ROPs, compared to the RX 570X’s 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It also has a larger die (561 mm² versus 232 mm²) and more transistors (7,080 million versus 5,700 million). In the database, the K20c beats the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M by 1.9% in average benchmark score, which shows it is not the slowest GPU in its tier, but those advantages do not translate into higher performance in any recorded test. For workloads that rely purely on the number of execution units and ignore clock speed, memory bandwidth, and driver efficiency, the K20c might have a theoretical edge, but the data does not support that conclusion. The RX 570X is faster in every measurable way.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification field. The RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, while the K20c uses the GK110 chip with Kepler architecture. The process nodes are 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) for the RX 570X and 28 nm (TSMC) for the K20c. The RX 570X has 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, while the K20c has 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. Clock speeds: the RX 570X has a base of 1168 MHz and boost of 1244 MHz; the K20c has no recorded base or boost clocks. Memory: the RX 570X has 8 GB GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) with a 256-bit bus and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth; the K20c has 5 GB GDDR5 at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) with a 320-bit bus and 208.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the K20c has 2,496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. Pixel rates are 39.81 GPixel/s for the RX 570X and 36.71 GPixel/s for the K20c. Texture rates are 159.2 GTexel/s and 146.8 GTexel/s, respectively. FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS for the RX 570X and 3.524 TFLOPS for the K20c. The RX 570X supports FP16 at 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1), while the K20c has no FP16 support listed. TDP is 150 W for the RX 570X and 225 W for the K20c. Power connectors: one 6-pin for the RX 570X, one 6-pin plus one 8-pin for the K20c. The suggested power supply is 450 W versus 550 W. Bus interfaces are PCIe 3.0 x16 and PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs: the RX 570X has multiple outputs, the K20c has none. API support differs, with the RX 570X at DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, versus the K20c at DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. Physical dimensions are 241 mm (9.5 inches) for the RX 570X and 267 mm (10.5 inches) for the K20c. The release dates are 2018-04-10 for the RX 570X and 2012-11-11 for the K20c, nearly six years apart.