AMD Radeon RX 6500M vs NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6500M and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 represent two distinctly different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a generational chasm. The RX 6500M, a modern mobile part from the Radeon RX 6000 series, and the Tesla C2070, a professional compute card from NVIDIA's Fermi generation, are both end-of-life products. However, their performance profiles, architectural philosophies, and physical requirements could not be more different. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark result, but the specifications and surrounding context paint a complete picture of two products built for entirely different purposes.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisively one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 6500M scores 38,586 points, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 manages 9,716 points. This yields a delta of 297.1% in favor of the RX 6500M. To put that in perspective, the RX 6500M is nearly four times faster than the Tesla C2070 in this compute-oriented workload. The RX 6500M’s score is not just higher; it is in a different performance class altogether.

This result is particularly striking when considering the context of each card’s average benchmark score. The RX 6500M has an average benchmark score of 10,362, while the Tesla C2070 sits at 9,716. Interestingly, the RX 6500M’s average is pulled down by its much weaker PassMark scores, which are not part of the head-to-head comparison. The Geekbench OpenCL test appears to be a workload where the RX 6500M’s architecture excels, while the Tesla C2070, despite its compute-focused design, falls far behind. The data indicates that in this specific test, the RX 6500M has no rival in this pairing, winning the only available head-to-head contest.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast, starting with the manufacturing process. The RX 6500M is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, while the Tesla C2070 uses a 40 nm process, also from TSMC. This process difference is a major contributor to the performance and efficiency gap. The RX 6500M packs 5,400 million transistors into a die size of 107 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 50.5 million per mm². The Tesla C2070, by contrast, has 3,100 million transistors spread across a massive 529 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of only 5.9 million per mm². The RX 6500M is not only more advanced but also far more efficient in terms of space and power.

The fundamental architecture also differs. The RX 6500M is based on RDNA 2.0, while the Tesla C2070 uses Fermi. This is reflected in their feature sets. The RX 6500M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla C2070 only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support at all. Furthermore, the RX 6500M includes 16 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Tesla C2070. The RX 6500M also has a significantly higher shader count with 1,024 shading units, compared to 448 on the Tesla C2070. The texture mapping units (TMUs) and render output units (ROPs) also differ, with the RX 6500M having 64 TMUs and 32 ROPs versus 56 TMUs and 48 ROPs on the Tesla C2070.

Clock speeds and memory configurations further separate the two. The RX 6500M has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a game clock of 2191 MHz. The Tesla C2070 has no listed base, boost, or game clock, but its memory clock is 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective). The RX 6500M’s memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 144.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla C2070 has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a much wider 384-bit bus, but its bandwidth is 143.4 GB/s, nearly identical to the RX 6500M. The Tesla C2070’s wider bus compensates for its slower memory clock, but the newer GDDR6 technology in the RX 6500M achieves the same bandwidth with a fraction of the bus width.

The power and physical profiles are also dramatically different. The RX 6500M has a TDP of 50 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, making it suitable for portable devices. The Tesla C2070 has a TDP of 238 W, is a dual-slot card requiring both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W. The Tesla C2070 is 248 mm (9.8 inches) long, while the RX 6500M’s dimensions are listed as portable device dependent. The bus interface also differs: the RX 6500M uses PCIe 4.0 x4, while the Tesla C2070 uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is the superior performer in compute tasks. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 38,586 is 297.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla C2070’s 9,716. This is not a close contest. The RX 6500M also has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs, sitting at the 48th percentile, compared to the Tesla C2070’s 47th percentile. While the percentile difference is small, the actual benchmark scores show a massive gap. The RX 6500M’s average benchmark score of 10,362 is also higher than the Tesla C2070’s 9,716, although the RX 6500M’s average is skewed by its low PassMark scores.

For anyone choosing between these two, the RX 6500M is the clear choice for modern workloads. It offers ray tracing support, a newer architecture, and dramatically better compute performance per the data. The Tesla C2070, on the other hand, is a relic of a bygone era. Its only advantage is its larger 6 GB memory pool and wider 384-bit bus, but even that results in lower bandwidth than the RX 6500M. The Tesla C2070’s 238 W TDP and dual-slot form factor make it impractical for most modern systems, especially when the RX 6500M achieves vastly better performance at just 50 W. The data suggests that the RX 6500M is the only viable option for anyone prioritizing performance and efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M scores 38,586, which is 297.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla C2070’s 9,716.

Q: Does the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 support ray tracing?

A: No, the Tesla C2070 has no ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon RX 6500M includes 16 ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has a TDP of 50 W, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has a TDP of 238 W.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has 144.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has 143.4 GB/s. The RX 6500M is slightly higher.

Q: What is the process node for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M is built on a 6 nm process, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 uses a 40 nm process.

Q: How many shading units does each GPU have?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M has 1,024 shading units, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has 448.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6500M wins in every measurable compute benchmark, particularly in the Geekbench OpenCL test where it leads by 297.1%. Its architecture is also far more modern, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, which are absent or limited on the Tesla C2070. The RX 6500M’s 16 ray tracing cores give it a feature that the Tesla C2070 cannot match. Furthermore, its 6 nm process node and 50 W TDP make it vastly more power-efficient and suitable for portable devices. The RX 6500M also has a higher average benchmark score of 10,362 versus 9,716 for the Tesla C2070.

The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has only a few nominal advantages, though they do not translate into performance wins. It has a larger memory capacity of 6 GB versus 4 GB on the RX 6500M. It also has a wider 384-bit memory bus, but this only results in nearly identical bandwidth (143.4 GB/s vs 144.0 GB/s). The Tesla C2070 has more ROPs (48 vs 32), but its pixel rate of 16.07 GPixel/s is far lower than the RX 6500M’s 76.80 GPixel/s. The Tesla C2070’s PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is wider but older than the RX 6500M’s PCIe 4.0 x4. Ultimately, the Tesla C2070 does not win any benchmark comparison in the data.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ significantly across nearly every specification. The AMD Radeon RX 6500M uses a 6 nm process, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 uses 40 nm. Transistor counts are 5,400 million versus 3,100 million, and die sizes are 107 mm² versus 529 mm². The RX 6500M has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, while the Tesla C2070 has no listed base or boost clocks. Memory clocks are 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the RX 6500M and 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective) for the Tesla C2070. Memory capacity is 4 GB GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus for the RX 6500M, versus 6 GB GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus for the Tesla C2070. Bandwidth is nearly the same at 144.0 GB/s versus 143.4 GB/s.

Shading units are 1,024 versus 448, TMUs are 64 versus 56, and ROPs are 32 versus 48. The RX 6500M has 16 ray tracing cores, while the Tesla C2070 has none. Pixel rates are 76.80 GPixel/s versus 16.07 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 153.6 GTexel/s versus 32.14 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 4.915 TFLOPS versus 1,027.7 GFLOPS. The RX 6500M supports FP16 at 9.830 TFLOPS (2:1), while the Tesla C2070 has no FP16 listing. TDP is 50 W versus 238 W, and slot width is IGP versus dual-slot. Power connectors are none versus 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin, with a suggested PSU of 550 W for the Tesla C2070. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x4 versus PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs are portable device dependent versus 1x DVI. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (11_0), and Vulkan support is 1.4 versus none. Finally, the Tesla C2070 has a length of 248 mm (9.8 inches), while the RX 6500M’s length is not listed.