AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT vs NVIDIA Tesla K20c Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c and AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT are separated by more than a decade of GPU architecture, and the benchmark data reflects that chasm. The single head-to-head result available—Geekbench OpenCL—shows the AMD part delivering a score of 74,869 against the NVIDIA’s 11,479. That is a delta of -84.7% from the perspective of the Tesla, meaning the RX 7600M XT is roughly 6.5 times faster in this compute test. The Tesla K20c sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 7600M XT sits at the 52nd percentile, yet their average benchmark scores diverge sharply: 11,479 for the Tesla versus 12,710 for the AMD. This apparent contradiction is explained by the fact that the AMD card’s average includes multiple test types, while the Tesla’s average is derived solely from its one OpenCL result.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is not close. The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT scores 74,869, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11,479. The deltaPct of -84.7% indicates the Tesla trails by that margin. In practical terms, the RX 7600M XT delivers more than six times the OpenCL compute throughput. This is a generational leap, not an incremental improvement. The Tesla’s nearest rivals in the database—AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11,528), AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (11,627), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11,680)—all score within 1.7% of it, confirming the K20c is firmly in that performance tier. Meanwhile, the RX 7600M XT’s nearest rivals—NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (12,773), NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm (12,625), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (12,830)—are all within 0.9% of its average, showing a much higher baseline.

The delta between the two cards in OpenCL is so large that it dwarfs any other comparison. The Tesla K20c’s 3.524 TFLOPS FP32 rate and 208.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are simply outclassed by the RX 7600M XT’s 20.23 TFLOPS FP32 and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory also doubles the Tesla’s 5 GB of GDDR5. While the Tesla has more shading units (2,496 vs 2,048) and more texture mapping units (208 vs 128), the AMD card compensates with higher clocks—boost up to 2469 MHz versus the Tesla’s unspecified boost—and a newer architecture. The result is that the RX 7600M XT’s texture rate of 316.0 GTexel/s is more than double the Tesla’s 146.8 GTexel/s, and its pixel rate of 158.0 GPixel/s is over four times the Tesla’s 36.71 GPixel/s.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT is the clear winner in raw compute, as evidenced by the OpenCL benchmark. It also holds advantages in every measurable specification that influences modern workloads: memory capacity (8 GB vs 5 GB), memory type (GDDR6 vs GDDR5), memory bandwidth (288.0 GB/s vs 208.0 GB/s), and FP32 throughput (20.23 TFLOPS vs 3.524 TFLOPS). The RX 7600M XT additionally supports FP16 at 40.45 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature the Tesla lacks entirely. For tasks like machine learning inference, video encoding, or general-purpose GPU compute, the AMD part is overwhelmingly superior.

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c does retain a few theoretical advantages. It has more shading units (2,496 vs 2,048) and more TMUs (208 vs 128), which could matter in certain legacy workloads that favor raw ALU count over clock speed. Its 320-bit memory bus is wider than the RX 7600M XT’s 128-bit bus, though the AMD card’s faster GDDR6 compensates in effective bandwidth. The Tesla also has a higher TDP at 225 W versus 120 W, which suggests it may sustain heavy compute loads for longer, but this is not a performance win—it is a power drawback. The Tesla’s only real advantage is its end-of-life status, which means it is a legacy product; the RX 7600M XT is active and supported.

In the broader benchmark context, the Tesla’s average score of 11,479 places it near the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M and GeForce GTX 1660, both of which are mainstream parts from a much later era. The RX 7600M XT’s average of 12,710 places it near the GeForce GTX 670 and GTX 590, which are older high-end cards. This suggests the RX 7600M XT, despite being a mobile part, performs like a desktop GPU from a previous generation, while the Tesla K20c performs like a mid-range desktop card from its own era.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT is the superior GPU for virtually any modern workload. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 74,869 is over six times higher than the Tesla K20c’s 11,479, and its FP32 throughput is nearly six times greater. The RX 7600M XT also wins on memory capacity, bandwidth, process node (6 nm vs 28 nm), and API support, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus the Tesla’s DirectX 12 (11_0). The Tesla K20c’s only niche would be someone specifically needing a legacy Kepler compute card with a 320-bit bus, but even then, the RX 7600M XT’s performance advantage is too large to ignore.

For anyone choosing between these two, the RX 7600M XT is the only sensible pick. It is active, lower power (120 W vs 225 W), and massively faster. The Tesla K20c is end-of-life, has no display outputs, and offers no performance advantage in any tested metric. The benchmark data shows the RX 7600M XT at the 52nd percentile versus the Tesla’s 51st, but that near-tie in percentile is misleading; the AMD card’s average score is 10.7% higher, and its OpenCL result is in a completely different league. The Tesla K20c should only be considered if the requirement is specifically a Kepler-based compute card with 5 GB of GDDR5, and even then, the performance penalty is severe.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT scores 74,869 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11,479. The AMD card is 84.7% faster, based on the deltaPct of -84.7% from the Tesla’s perspective.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT has an average benchmark score of 12,710, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c has an average of 11,479. The AMD card is about 10.7% higher on average.

Q: Does the Tesla K20c have any specification advantage?

A: Yes, the Tesla K20c has more shading units (2,496 vs 2,048) and more texture mapping units (208 vs 128). It also has a wider 320-bit memory bus versus the RX 7600M XT’s 128-bit bus, though the AMD card’s GDDR6 memory provides higher effective bandwidth.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Tesla K20c has 5 GB of GDDR5 with a 320-bit bus and 208.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7600M XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports newer APIs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What about power consumption?

A: The Tesla K20c has a 225 W TDP, while the RX 7600M XT has a 120 W TDP. The AMD card consumes 105 W less power while delivering significantly higher performance.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c is built on the Kepler architecture using the GK110 chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip (codename "Hotpink Bonefish"), manufactured on a 6 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 13,300 million transistors on a much smaller 204 mm² die, achieving a density of 65.2M per mm². This five-fold density advantage is a direct result of the newer process node.

The Tesla K20c features 2,496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 40 ROPs, with no ray tracing or tensor cores. The RX 7600M XT has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 ray tracing cores. The AMD card’s FP32 throughput is 20.23 TFLOPS versus the Tesla’s 3.524 TFLOPS, and it adds FP16 support at 40.45 TFLOPS (2:1). The Tesla has no listed FP16 capability. Memory architectures also differ: the Tesla uses 5 GB GDDR5 on a 320-bit bus, while the RX 7600M XT uses 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. The Tesla’s memory clock is 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the AMD card runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

The Tesla K20c is a dual-slot card requiring a 550 W suggested PSU and 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors. The RX 7600M XT is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and no separate PSU requirement. The Tesla uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the AMD card uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The Tesla has no display outputs, while the RX 7600M XT’s display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by laptop implementation.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification. The Tesla K20c was released on 2012-11-11 and is end-of-life, with a launch MSRP of 3,199 USD. The RX 7600M XT was released on 2023-01-03 and is active, with no launch MSRP listed. The Tesla is from the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation, while the AMD card is from the Navi Mobile (RX 7000M) generation. The Tesla’s predecessor is Tesla Fermi and its successor is Tesla Maxwell; the AMD card’s predecessor is Polaris Mobile and it has no successor listed.

Clock speeds: the Tesla has no base or boost clock listed, but its memory runs at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective). The RX 7600M XT has a base clock of 1280 MHz, a boost clock of 2469 MHz, and a game clock of 2023 MHz, with memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The Tesla’s pixel rate is 36.71 GPixel/s and texture rate is 146.8 GTexel/s; the AMD card’s pixel rate is 158.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 316.0 GTexel/s.

Power and physical dimensions: the Tesla has a 225 W TDP, is dual-slot, and measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length. The RX 7600M XT has a 120 W TDP, is an IGP with no slot width, and has no listed dimensions. The Tesla uses a 550 W suggested PSU and 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors; the AMD card has none. The Tesla supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175; the RX 7600M XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla has no ray tracing cores, while the AMD card has 32.