AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT vs NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 18,290 points, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9,716 points. That is a delta of 88.2% in favor of the AMD card. In practical terms, the RX 7800 XT delivers nearly double the compute throughput in this OpenCL workload. The margin is so large that it does not merely represent a generational step; it represents a complete redefinition of the performance class these two products occupy.

Looking at the broader database averages, the RX 7800 XT posts an average benchmark score of 11,627, while the Tesla C2070 sits at 9,716. The difference of roughly 1,911 points translates to a 19.7% gap in average performance. Interestingly, the RX 7800 XT's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (average score 11,680, delta -0.5%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (average score 11,842, delta -1.8%). This places the RX 7800 XT in a tightly contested mid-range tier where a few percentage points separate competitors. The Tesla C2070, by contrast, is bracketed by the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (average score 9,724, delta -0.1%) and the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (average score 9,665, delta 0.5%). Its performance neighborhood is far more modest, anchored around the 9,700-point mark.

The head-to-head data reveals that the RX 7800 XT wins the sole comparative test, but the score alone understates the gap. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7800 XT achieves a score that is 88.2% higher than the Tesla C2070's. This is not a marginal victory; it is a landslide that reflects fundamental differences in architecture, memory subsystem, and compute resources. The Tesla C2070, despite its 384-bit memory bus, simply cannot keep pace with the RX 7800 XT's modern design.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast, spanning over a decade of semiconductor evolution. The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT uses the Navi 32 chip, built on RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 28,100 million transistors onto a 346 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 81.2 million per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 uses the GF100 chip, based on Fermi architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 3,100 million transistors on a much larger 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of just 5.9 million per mm². The RX 7800 XT achieves 13.8 times the transistor density of the Tesla C2070, evidence of process node advancements.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The RX 7800 XT features 3,840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, 96 raster output units, and 60 ray tracing cores. The Tesla C2070 offers only 448 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, with no ray tracing capability. The RX 7800 XT's FP32 throughput is 37.32 TFLOPS, whereas the Tesla C2070 manages 1,027.7 GFLOPS (approximately 1.03 TFLOPS). That is a 36.3-fold advantage for the AMD card in raw single-precision floating-point performance. The pixel rate tells a similar story: 233.3 GPixel/s for the RX 7800 XT versus 16.07 GPixel/s for the Tesla C2070. Texture rate is 583.2 GTexel/s versus 32.14 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is another point of divergence. The RX 7800 XT comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla C2070 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, yet only achieves 143.4 GB/s. The wider bus of the Tesla card cannot compensate for the slower memory technology and lower effective clock. The RX 7800 XT's memory runs at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective), while the Tesla's memory runs at 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective). The bandwidth advantage of the RX 7800 XT is 4.35 times.

Feature support also separates the two. The RX 7800 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla C2070 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support. The RX 7800 XT also includes modern display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1), while the Tesla C2070 is limited to a single DVI output. The RX 7800 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, whereas the Tesla C2070 is restricted to PCIe 2.0 x16.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7800 XT wins in every measurable category available in the database. Beyond the Geekbench OpenCL head-to-head, its individual benchmark results are consistently strong: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 scores 4,157, Geekbench Vulkan scores 54,228, and Passmark G3D scores 24,176. The Passmark GPU Compute score of 13,473 further underscores its compute-oriented strength. These numbers place it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, meaning it sits above the median but below the top-tier enthusiast cards.

The Tesla C2070, with only a Geekbench OpenCL score of 9,716 in the database, lacks comparable data across other tests. Its 47th percentile ranking is slightly below the median, but the limited dataset makes broad conclusions difficult. What the data does show is that the Tesla C2070 was designed for a different era and a different purpose. Its Fermi architecture, introduced in 2011, targeted professional and scientific computing workloads, not modern gaming or real-time graphics. Its 6 GB of GDDR5 memory and 384-bit bus were impressive for its time, but they now lag far behind even entry-level contemporary GPUs.

For gaming, the RX 7800 XT is the clear choice. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support, ray tracing cores, and high texture and pixel rates align with modern game requirements. The Tesla C2070, with its DirectX 12 (11_0) support and no ray tracing, cannot run many current titles at acceptable settings. For compute workloads, the RX 7800 XT's FP32 throughput of 37.32 TFLOPS dwarfs the Tesla's 1,027.7 GFLOPS. Even in double-precision-heavy tasks, where Fermi was historically strong, the raw throughput gap is likely insurmountable given the 36-fold difference in single-precision performance.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the superior product in almost every respect. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 88.2% higher than the Tesla C2070's, and its average benchmark score is 19.7% higher. The RX 7800 XT also holds a 51st percentile ranking versus the Tesla's 47th, indicating better overall standing in the database. For anyone building a system today, the RX 7800 XT offers modern features, higher memory bandwidth, and dramatically more compute power.

The Tesla C2070, however, retains a niche appeal. Its end-of-life status and lack of modern API support make it unsuitable for contemporary workloads. Its only advantage is historical: it was a capable compute card in its day, with a 384-bit memory bus and 6 GB of GDDR5. But the database shows no benchmark where it outperforms the RX 7800 XT. The verdict for most users is straightforward: choose the RX 7800 XT. The Tesla C2070 should be considered only for legacy systems or specialized applications where its specific Fermi-era features are required, and even then, the performance gap is severe.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference in Geekbench OpenCL between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 18,290, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9,716. This gives the RX 7800 XT an 88.2% advantage.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has 6 GB of GDDR5.

Q: Does the Tesla C2070 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Tesla C2070 has no ray tracing cores, whereas the RX 7800 XT includes 60 ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RX 7800 XT is built on a 5 nm process, while the Tesla C2070 uses a 40 nm process. Both are fabricated by TSMC.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 11,627, while the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 has an average score of 9,716.

Q: What is the transistor count for each GPU?

A: The RX 7800 XT contains 28,100 million transistors, while the Tesla C2070 contains 3,100 million transistors.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT | NVIDIA Tesla C2070 |

|---------------|----------------------|--------------------|

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Fermi |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 28,100 million | 3,100 million |

| Die Size | 346 mm² | 529 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 81.2M / mm² | 5.9M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 448 |

| TMUs | 240 | 56 |

| ROPs | 96 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 60 | None |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 624.1 GB/s | 143.4 GB/s |

| FP32 Performance | 37.32 TFLOPS | 1,027.7 GFLOPS |

| Pixel Rate | 233.3 GPixel/s | 16.07 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 583.2 GTexel/s | 32.14 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 263 W | 238 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x DVI |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | None |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-09-05 | 2011-07-24 |

| Launch MSRP | 499 USD | None |