AMD Radeon RX 570X vs NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two cards into very different usage profiles. The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by a decisive margin. Its score of 38,939 versus 17,215 for the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm represents a 126.2% advantage, which is not a small gap but a fundamental difference in compute throughput for that workload.

The RX 570X also holds a higher average benchmark score across all recorded tests, at 13,871 versus 12,625 for the K20Xm. That places the AMD card in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA card sits at the 52nd percentile. These are adjacent performance tiers, but the RX 570X edges ahead in the aggregate.

However, the K20Xm has its own territory. It is the only one of the two with a recorded Geekbench Metal score, at 8,035. The RX 570X has no Metal result in the database, which suggests the AMD card was never tested under that API or does not support it in the same way. For any workload relying on Metal, the K20Xm is the only option with data behind it.

The K20Xm also wins on memory bandwidth. Its 249.6 GB/s exceeds the 224.0 GB/s of the RX 570X, despite having a smaller frame buffer. That matters for bandwidth-sensitive compute tasks, where raw throughput to VRAM can matter more than raw shader count. The RX 570X counters with double the memory capacity, 8 GB versus 6 GB, which helps when datasets exceed the smaller buffer.

The wins split cleanly: the RX 570X dominates in the OpenCL compute test and overall average, while the K20Xm offers the only Metal path, higher memory bandwidth, and a larger memory bus. Neither card is universally superior; the right choice depends on whether the workload is OpenCL-heavy or bandwidth-bound, and whether Metal support is required.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different manufacturing generations and entirely different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon RX 570X uses the Polaris 20 chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm uses the GK110 chip, based on Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The node difference is substantial: 14 nm versus 28 nm means the AMD chip is built with much smaller transistors, which typically translates to better power efficiency and higher density.

Transistor counts tell an interesting story. The K20Xm packs more total transistors, 7,080 million, versus 5,700 million for the RX 570X. But the RX 570X achieves a much higher transistor density, 24.6 million per square millimeter, compared to 12.6 million for the K20Xm. The die sizes reflect this: the AMD chip is 232 mm², while the NVIDIA chip is 561 mm². The K20Xm is physically a much larger chip, but it is less dense because of the older process.

Compute resources differ in ways that explain the benchmark results. The K20Xm has more shading units, 2,688 versus 2,048 for the RX 570X. It also has more texture mapping units, 224 versus 128, and more render output units, 48 versus 32. Yet the RX 570X still wins the OpenCL test handily. The reason appears to be clock speeds. The RX 570X runs at a base of 1168 MHz and a boost of 1244 MHz, while the K20Xm has no base or boost clock listed in the database. The AMD card also has a much higher FP32 throughput, 5.095 TFLOPS versus 3.935 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, despite fewer shaders. That suggests the Kepler architecture on the K20Xm was not extracting as much work per clock as GCN 4.0 on the RX 570X.

The RX 570X also has FP16 capability listed at 5.095 TFLOPS, matching its FP32 rate at a 1:1 ratio. The K20Xm has no FP16 data recorded. For workloads that can use reduced precision, the AMD card offers a clear path forward, while the NVIDIA card appears to have no such support or at least no recorded performance for it.

Memory architecture differs as well. The RX 570X uses a 256-bit bus with 8 GB of GDDR5, while the K20Xm uses a wider 384-bit bus with 6 GB of GDDR5. The wider bus gives the K20Xm higher bandwidth, 249.6 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s, but the smaller capacity limits how much data can reside on the card at once. The RX 570X memory runs at 1750 MHz with 7 Gbps effective, while the K20Xm runs at 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective.

API support also separates them. The RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The K20Xm supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD card has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version, which matters for modern applications and games.

Display outputs are another major divider. The RX 570X has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The K20Xm has no outputs at all. This is a compute card, not a display card, which fundamentally changes how it can be used in a system.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm scores 17,215. The delta is 126.2% in favor of the AMD card. That is more than double the score, which indicates the RX 570X is delivering dramatically better OpenCL compute performance in this specific test.

The magnitude of this win is worth examining. A 126.2% advantage means the RX 570X is not just faster, it is in a different performance class for this workload. Despite having fewer shading units, fewer TMUs, and fewer ROPs, the AMD card wins because of its higher clocks and higher FP32 throughput. The RX 570X has 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the K20Xm has 3.935 TFLOPS. The RX 570X also has a 14 nm process advantage that likely allows it to sustain higher frequencies.

The K20Xm has no wins in the head-to-head data. It loses the only recorded comparison. However, the database does not include a Metal benchmark for the RX 570X, so the K20Xm's Metal score of 8,035 stands unchallenged. For any Metal-based workload, the K20Xm is the only card with recorded performance, which is a form of win by default.

The average benchmark scores also favor the AMD card. The RX 570X averages 13,871 across all tests, while the K20Xm averages 12,625. The RX 570X sits at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, and the K20Xm sits at the 52nd percentile. These are close, but the AMD card is consistently ahead in the aggregate.

Nearest rival data provides context. The RX 570X's closest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile with an average score of 13,821 and a delta of 0.4%, the AMD Radeon 660M with 13,812 and a delta of 0.4%, and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT with 13,745 and a delta of 0.9%. The K20Xm's closest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT with 12,710 and a delta of -0.7%, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 with 12,773 and a delta of -1.2%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 with 12,830 and a delta of -1.6%. Neither card is an outlier in its tier; both sit within a few percentage points of their nearest competitors.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins with a score of 38,939, compared to 17,215 for the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm, a difference of 126.2%.

Q: Does the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm have any benchmark where it is the only option?

A: Yes, the K20Xm has a Geekbench Metal score of 8,035. The RX 570X has no Metal benchmark recorded in the database.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The K20Xm has higher bandwidth at 249.6 GB/s, using a 384-bit bus, while the RX 570X has 224.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which card has more memory capacity?

A: The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5, while the K20Xm has 6 GB of GDDR5.

Q: How do their FP32 compute performances compare?

A: The RX 570X delivers 5.095 TFLOPS, while the K20Xm delivers 3.935 TFLOPS, making the AMD card about 29% higher in this metric.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: No. The RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, while the K20Xm supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category in the database.

The process node is 14 nm for the RX 570X versus 28 nm for the K20Xm, with GlobalFoundries producing the AMD chip and TSMC producing the NVIDIA chip. Transistor counts are 5,700 million versus 7,080 million, but transistor density favors the RX 570X at 24.6M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm². Die size is 232 mm² for the AMD card and 561 mm² for the NVIDIA card.

Clock speeds: the RX 570X has a base of 1168 MHz and a boost of 1244 MHz, while the K20Xm has no base or boost clocks recorded. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz with 7 Gbps effective for the RX 570X, versus 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective for the K20Xm.

Memory configuration: 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus for the RX 570X, versus 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus for the K20Xm. Bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s versus 249.6 GB/s.

Compute resources: the RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The K20Xm has 2,688 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Pixel rates are 39.81 GPixel/s for the AMD card and 40.99 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA card. Texture rates are 159.2 GTexel/s versus 164.0 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 5.095 TFLOPS versus 3.935 TFLOPS. The RX 570X has FP16 at 5.095 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the K20Xm has no FP16 data.

Power and physical specs: the RX 570X has a TDP of 150 W with a 1x 6-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 450 W. The K20Xm has a TDP of 235 W, no listed power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 550 W. Both are dual-slot cards. The RX 570X is 241 mm long, while the K20Xm is 267 mm long.

Display outputs: the RX 570X has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The K20Xm has no outputs. API support differs in DirectX version and Vulkan version as noted above. The RX 570X was released on 2018-04-10, while the K20Xm was released on 2012-11-11. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear decision for most workloads. The AMD Radeon RX 570X is the better choice for OpenCL compute, delivering a 126.2% higher score in the only direct head-to-head test. It also has a higher average benchmark score, 13,871 versus 12,625, and a higher percentile ranking, 55th versus 52nd. Its FP32 throughput is higher at 5.095 TFLOPS versus 3.935 TFLOPS, and it has double the memory capacity at 8 GB versus 6 GB. For any user running OpenCL workloads, the RX 570X is the stronger card by a wide margin.

The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm is the choice only when specific requirements demand it. It has no display outputs, so it cannot drive a monitor. It has a narrower API feature set, with DirectX 12 (11_0) versus 12_0 for the AMD card, and an older Vulkan version. Its only recorded advantage is memory bandwidth, 249.6 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s, and its larger memory bus of 384-bit versus 256-bit. It also has the only Metal benchmark in the comparison, at 8,035, making it the only option if Metal support is essential.

The K20Xm has more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, but those resources do not translate into better benchmark results. The RX 570X wins where it matters in the recorded data. The K20Xm's higher TDP of 235 W versus 150 W also means it consumes more power, with no performance benefit in the tests available.

For a system that needs compute performance, display output, modern API support, and efficiency, the RX 570X is the clear pick. For a compute-only node with no display requirements, where Metal compatibility is mandatory, or where the wider memory bus matters more than raw compute, the K20Xm remains a valid, if older, option. The records show one dominant winner in direct comparison, and it is the AMD card.