AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT vs NVIDIA Tesla K80 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two GPUs into entirely different eras and purposes. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT wins every head-to-head benchmark in the database, taking both recorded comparisons. The NVIDIA Tesla K80 does not win a single recorded test. That does not mean the K80 is without merit, but its strengths are not visible in modern gaming or compute workloads that stress current API paths.

The RX 7700 XT dominates in OpenCL compute, posting a score of 138,383 against the K80's 18,620, a gap of 643.2 percent. That is not a close contest. The Vulkan result tells the same story, 46,443 for the AMD part versus 19,111 for the NVIDIA board, a 143 percent advantage. For anyone running OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the RX 7700 XT is the only rational choice based on these measurements.

The K80's role in the database is different. It sits at the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7700 XT sits at the 67th percentile. That is a modest overall gap, but the average benchmark scores tell a sharper story. The RX 7700 XT averages 22,549 across its recorded tests, while the K80 averages 18,866. The K80's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (0.4 percent ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (0.9 percent ahead). The RX 7700 XT's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (0.5 percent ahead) and the GeForce RTX 2080 (1.5 percent ahead). The K80 is competitive with mid-range GPUs from several generations later, but it cannot approach the RX 7700 XT in any measured discipline.

The data implies the K80 is a legacy compute accelerator that has been overtaken by consumer architectures. The RX 7700 XT is a current-generation part with active production status. Where each one wins is simple: the RX 7700 XT wins everywhere the database has measurements, and the K80 wins nowhere in the recorded tests.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is enormous, and the numbers make the generational chasm explicit. The RX 7700 XT uses the Navi 32 chip built on RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The K80 uses the GK210 chip on Kepler 2.0 architecture, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm node. The process difference alone explains much of the performance gulf.

Transistor counts illustrate the shift. The RX 7700 XT packs 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 81.2 million per square millimeter. The K80 has 7,100 million transistors on a larger 561 mm² die, with a density of just 12.7 million per square millimeter. The newer part crams nearly four times as many transistors into a smaller area.

Clock speeds are equally divergent. The RX 7700 XT runs a base clock of 1435 MHz, boosts to 2544 MHz, and has a game clock of 2171 MHz. The K80 runs a base clock of 562 MHz and boosts to 824 MHz. The AMD part operates at over three times the boost clock of the NVIDIA board. Memory clocks follow the same pattern: the RX 7700 XT uses 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective transfer, while the K80 uses 1253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective.

The memory subsystems differ in bus width and type. Both have 12 GB of memory, but the RX 7700 XT uses GDDR6 on a 192 bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The K80 uses GDDR5 on a wider 384 bit bus, yet manages only 240.6 GB/s. The wider bus cannot compensate for the older memory technology and lower clocks.

Feature support shows the K80's age. The RX 7700 XT has 54 ray tracing cores, while the K80 has none. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the K80 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1). Vulkan support also differs, with the RX 7700 XT at version 1.4 and the K80 at 1.2.175. The K80 has no display outputs, marking it as a pure compute accelerator. The RX 7700 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C.

The RX 7700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the K80 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Power delivery also diverges: the RX 7700 XT requires two 8-pin connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU, while the K80 needs one 8-pin connector but a 700 W suggested PSU. The K80's higher system power recommendation despite lower performance suggests an inefficient design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains two direct comparisons, and both go decisively to the AMD part. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7700 XT scores 138,383 against the K80's 18,620. That is a 643.2 percent difference. The K80 is not merely slower; it is an order of magnitude behind in raw compute throughput.

The Vulkan test narrows the gap somewhat but still favors the RX 7700 XT heavily. The AMD card scores 46,443, while the K80 scores 19,111, a 143 percent advantage. The K80's Vulkan support is limited to version 1.2.175, which may explain part of the deficit, but the sheer compute gap dominates.

The FP32 throughput numbers in the specification data confirm these results. The RX 7700 XT delivers 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The K80 delivers 4.113 TFLOPS. That is an 8.5 times advantage for the AMD part. The RX 7700 XT also matches its FP32 rate in FP16 at 35.17 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The K80 has no recorded FP16 figure.

Pixel and texture rates follow the same trend. The RX 7700 XT achieves 244.2 GPixel/s and 549.5 GTexel/s. The K80 manages 42.85 GPixel/s and 171.4 GTexel/s. The shading unit counts differ as well, 3456 for the AMD part versus 2496 for the NVIDIA board, though the K80 has more TMUs at 208 versus 216, a minor advantage that does not translate into a win anywhere.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers 35.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA Tesla K80 delivers 4.113 TFLOPS. The AMD part is over eight times faster in this metric.

Q: Do both cards have the same amount of memory?

A: Yes, both have 12 GB of memory. However, the RX 7700 XT uses GDDR6 on a 192 bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the K80 uses GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus with 240.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has ray tracing support?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has ray tracing cores, with 54 RT cores. The NVIDIA Tesla K80 has no ray tracing cores listed in the database.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is listed as Active production. The NVIDIA Tesla K80 is listed as End-of-life.

Q: How do the cards compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RX 7700 XT scores 46,443 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the K80 scores 19,111. The AMD card is 143 percent faster. The RX 7700 XT also supports Vulkan 1.4, while the K80 supports Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 22,549, placing it at the 67th percentile of all GPUs. The K80 has an average of 18,866, placing it at the 63rd percentile.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The RX 7700 XT uses a 5 nm process, the K80 uses 28 nm. The RX 7700 XT has 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, the K80 has 7,100 million on 561 mm². Transistor density is 81.2M per mm² for AMD, 12.7M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds: the RX 7700 XT runs at 1435 MHz base and 2544 MHz boost. The K80 runs at 562 MHz base and 824 MHz boost. The RX 7700 XT has a game clock of 2171 MHz; the K80 has none recorded. Memory clocks are 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for AMD and 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA.

Memory: both have 12 GB, but the RX 7700 XT uses GDDR6 with a 192 bit bus and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The K80 uses GDDR5 with a 384 bit bus and 240.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: the RX 7700 XT has 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 54 RT cores. The K80 has 2496 shading units, 208 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with no RT cores. The RX 7700 XT achieves 244.2 GPixel/s and 549.5 GTexel/s; the K80 achieves 42.85 GPixel/s and 171.4 GTexel/s.

Power and connectivity: the RX 7700 XT has a TDP of 245 W, uses 2x 8-pin connectors, and suggests a 550 W PSU. The K80 has a TDP of 300 W, uses 1x 8-pin, and suggests a 700 W PSU. The RX 7700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16; the K80 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Display and API support: the RX 7700 XT has 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C. The K80 has no display outputs. The RX 7700 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The K80 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Release and status: the RX 7700 XT was released on September 5, 2023, and remains Active. The K80 was released on November 16, 2014, and is End-of-life. The K80's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database.

The Verdict

The data leaves little room for debate. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT wins every recorded benchmark, both head-to-head and in the broader average scores. The Geekbench OpenCL result alone, 643.2 percent ahead of the K80, settles the compute argument. The RX 7700 XT also holds the process advantage, the clock advantage, the bandwidth advantage, and the feature set advantage.

The NVIDIA Tesla K80 should only be considered by someone looking at legacy Kepler-era hardware specifically, and the database shows it, the K80 remains competitive with mid-range cards from later generations. Its nearest rivals include the GeForce RTX 2070 and the Radeon RX 6600, both within one percentage point. That is a respectable position for a 2014 compute card, but it is not a position that challenges a current-generation RDNA 3.0 part.

For any modern workload, the RX 7700 XT is the clear pick. It has ray tracing cores, modern API support, a smaller die, a denser transistor layout, and dramatically higher throughput in every measured category. The K80 has a wider memory bus and a larger die, but neither translates into a benchmark win. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 7700 XT outperforms the K80 in every recorded test, and the K80's only remaining value is as a historical reference point in the database's percentile rankings.