AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 vs NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes two cross-platform compute tests, and the results split cleanly between the two products. In Geekbench Metal, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 posts a score of 17,086, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm records 8,035. That is a 112.6% advantage for the AMD part, meaning the Vega 11 delivers more than double the Metal performance of the Tesla K20Xm. The gap is substantial and suggests that for any workload leveraging Apple's Metal API, the AMD integrated processor is the clear choice.

The opposite is true in Geekbench OpenCL. There, the Tesla K20Xm scores 17,215, against 12,525 for the Radeon RX Vega 11. The delta is 27.2% in favor of the NVIDIA card, which means the Tesla part outperforms the AMD IGP by roughly a quarter in this particular compute environment. The OpenCL result aligns with the traditional role of the Tesla K20Xm as a dedicated compute accelerator, whereas the Vega 11 is an integrated graphics solution sharing system resources.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores, the AMD part records 14,385 across all tests, while the NVIDIA card averages 12,625. That puts the Vega 11 about 13.9% higher on average, but the average is heavily influenced by the inclusion of the Metal test, where the AMD part dominates. The Tesla K20Xm's average is dragged down by its weak Metal showing, even though it wins decisively in OpenCL.

The percentile rankings place the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at the 56th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm sits at the 52nd percentile. The difference is modest, reflecting the fact that each product has distinct strengths and weaknesses rather than one being universally superior. The nearest rivals for the AMD part include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at an average score of 14,373 (0.1% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M at 14,404 (0.1% ahead), the AMD Radeon Vega 11 at 14,352 (0.2% behind), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14,315 (0.5% behind). For the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm, the closest competitors are the AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT at 12,710 (0.7% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 at 12,773 (1.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 at 12,830 (1.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 at 12,831 (1.6% ahead).

These rival comparisons show that the AMD part sits in a cluster of similar-performing GPUs, within 0.5% of its nearest neighbors. The Tesla K20Xm, by contrast, is slightly behind its closest rivals, trailing by 0.7% to 1.6%. The data indicates that neither product is at the top of its peer group, but the AMD Vega 11 holds a slightly better relative position.

The Verdict

The choice between these two products depends entirely on the target application. For Metal-based workloads, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is the definitive winner, with a 112.6% advantage over the Tesla K20Xm. Any user running Metal compute tasks, which are common in macOS environments, should select the AMD part without hesitation.

For OpenCL workloads, the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm takes the lead by 27.2%. This makes it the better option for compute tasks that specifically utilize OpenCL, which remains relevant in certain scientific and professional applications. The Tesla K20Xm also offers dedicated memory, with 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus delivering 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a substantial resource for data-intensive compute workloads. The AMD part relies on system shared memory, making its bandwidth dependent on the host system.

The average benchmark score favors the AMD part, but that average is skewed by the Metal test. A user who never touches Metal would see the Tesla K20Xm as the better performer. Conversely, a user who never touches OpenCL would see the AMD part as vastly superior. The data does not support a blanket recommendation for either product; it supports a workload-specific recommendation.

The production status of both products is end-of-life, so neither is a forward-looking purchase. The AMD part was released in 2019, while the Tesla K20Xm dates to 2012. The Tesla card carries a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD, a figure that reflects its original positioning as a high-end compute accelerator. The AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins with a score of 17,086, compared to 8,035 for the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm, a 112.6% advantage.

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm wins with a score of 17,215, compared to 12,525 for the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, a 27.2% advantage.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each product?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 averages 14,385 across all tests, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm averages 12,625.

Q: How do the two products compare in percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 sits at the 56th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm sits at the 52nd percentile.

Q: What is the nearest rival for the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M is the closest, with an average score of 14,404, just 0.1% ahead of the Vega 11's 14,385.

Q: What is the nearest rival for the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT is the closest, with an average score of 12,710, 0.7% ahead of the Tesla K20Xm's 12,625.

Specification Differences

The two products differ in almost every physical and electrical specification. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), while the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm is a dual-slot expansion card. The AMD part has no power connectors and a 15 W TDP, while the Tesla K20Xm has a 235 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 550 W. The bus interface for the AMD part is IGP, whereas the Tesla uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The AMD part has motherboard-dependent display outputs, while the Tesla has no display outputs at all.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The AMD part uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the Tesla has 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD part's memory clock is listed as system shared, while the Tesla runs at 1300 MHz or 5.2 Gbps effective.

Compute unit counts also differ. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm has 2,688 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The pixel rate for the AMD part is 11.20 GPixel/s, while the Tesla achieves 40.99 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 61.60 GTexel/s for the AMD part and 164.0 GTexel/s for the Tesla. FP32 performance is 1.971 TFLOPS for the AMD part and 3.935 TFLOPS for the Tesla. The AMD part also lists FP16 at 3.942 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the Tesla has no recorded FP16 figure.

The Tesla K20Xm has a physical length of 267 mm or 10.5 inches, while the AMD IGP has no recorded dimensions. The die size differs significantly: the AMD chip measures 210 mm² on a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the Tesla chip measures 561 mm² on a 28 nm process from TSMC. Transistor counts are 4,940 million for the AMD part and 7,080 million for the Tesla, resulting in transistor densities of 23.5M per mm² for AMD and 12.6M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the Picasso chip with a GCN 5.0 architecture, part of the Vega IGP generation. The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm uses the GK110 chip with a Kepler architecture, part of the Tesla Kepler generation. The process nodes differ: AMD uses 12 nm from GlobalFoundries, while NVIDIA uses 28 nm from TSMC. The AMD part is built on a newer, denser process, which explains its smaller die size despite having fewer transistors.

API support differs in notable ways. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA part supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The DirectX feature level is higher on the AMD side, while Vulkan version is also more recent. The AMD part has no dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, and neither does the Tesla.

The AMD part is an integrated solution with no separate memory bus, relying on system shared memory. The Tesla is a dedicated accelerator with its own memory subsystem. The AMD part has no power connectors and is designed to draw power from the host system's existing IGP infrastructure. The Tesla requires a 550 W suggested PSU and a dual-slot footprint.

The AMD part's predecessor is listed as GCN 3.0 IGP and its successor as Vega II IGP. The Tesla's predecessor is Tesla Fermi and its successor is Tesla Maxwell. The AMD part was released in 2019, while the Tesla was released in 2012. Both are end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins decisively in Metal compute. The 112.6% margin over the Tesla K20Xm is the largest performance gap in the recorded data. This makes the AMD part the clear choice for any application that relies on Apple's Metal API. The AMD part also has the higher average benchmark score at 14,385 versus 12,625, and the higher percentile ranking at 56th versus 52nd. The AMD part supports more recent API versions, including DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, which may matter for compatibility with newer software.

The NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm wins in OpenCL compute, with a 27.2% advantage. This makes it the better choice for OpenCL-based workloads, which are common in scientific computing, engineering simulations, and certain professional rendering tasks. The Tesla also offers dedicated memory: 6 GB of GDDR5 with 249.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a major advantage for data-heavy workloads that would otherwise contend with system memory. The Tesla's raw compute specifications are far higher: 2,688 shading units versus 704, 224 TMUs versus 44, and 48 ROPs versus 8. Its FP32 throughput is 3.935 TFLOPS, nearly double the AMD part's 1.971 TFLOPS. The Tesla also has a much higher pixel rate at 40.99 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate at 164.0 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s.

The split is clean: the AMD part wins where API support and modern integration matter, while the Tesla wins where raw compute throughput and dedicated memory matter. A user working in a Metal-centric ecosystem should choose the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11. A user working in an OpenCL-centric ecosystem with large data sets should choose the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm. The data does not support a single "best" choice; it supports two distinct use cases.