AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 vs NVIDIA Tesla M4 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16,932 points, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12,525 points. That is a 35.2% advantage for the Tesla M4, a substantial margin that places these two parts in different performance tiers despite both being end-of-life products.

Context from the database's nearest rival data reinforces this gap. The Tesla M4's average benchmark score is 16,932, which places it at the 60th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17,019 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17,037 (0.6% ahead), the NVIDIA T400 4 GB at 16,792 (0.8% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17,083 (0.9% ahead). The Tesla M4 is tightly clustered with these parts, all within a 1% band, which suggests its OpenCL score is a reliable indicator of its standing among discrete GPUs from multiple generations.

The RX Vega 11 tells a different story. Its average benchmark score across three tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan) is 14,385, which places it at the 56th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 14,373 (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M at 14,404 (0.1% behind), the AMD Radeon Vega 11 at 14,352 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14,315 (0.5% ahead). The Vega 11's average sits in a similarly tight cluster, but that cluster is roughly 15% below the Tesla M4's cluster.

Looking at the RX Vega 11's individual benchmark results, the OpenCL score of 12,525 is its weakest recorded result. Its Metal score reaches 17,086, and its Vulkan score comes in at 13,543. The Metal result is notable because it exceeds the Tesla M4's OpenCL score, but the database records no Metal benchmark for the Tesla M4, so a direct comparison on that API is not possible. For OpenCL, the only test where both parts have recorded scores, the Tesla M4 wins outright.

The wins tally confirms this: the Tesla M4 records 1 win in the head-to-head comparison, while the RX Vega 11 records 0 wins. No other benchmark tests are shared between the two parts in the database.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the NVIDIA Tesla M4 is the stronger GPU in raw compute performance. Its OpenCL score of 16,932 beats the RX Vega 11's OpenCL score of 12,525 by 35.2%. The average benchmark score also favors the Tesla M4: 16,932 versus 14,385, a difference of roughly 17.7%. The percentile ranking supports this: the Tesla M4 sits at the 60th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX Vega 11 sits at the 56th percentile.

The RX Vega 11 does have one advantage in the numbers: its Metal benchmark score of 17,086 is higher than any score the Tesla M4 records. However, since the Tesla M4 has no Metal benchmark in the database, this cannot be treated as a head-to-head win. The Vega 11 also offers a higher FP16 throughput of 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1), while the Tesla M4 lists no FP16 figure at all. For workloads that rely on FP16, the Vega 11 has a documented capability that the Tesla M4 does not.

The Tesla M4 also leads in several architectural specifications that matter for sustained compute. Its FP32 throughput is 2.195 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS for the Vega 11. Its pixel rate is 34.30 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 68.61 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. These are not marginal differences; the pixel rate advantage is roughly 3x, which reflects the Tesla M4's 32 ROPs against the Vega 11's 8 ROPs.

The verdict is clear: for any workload measured by OpenCL, the Tesla M4 is the better choice. For workloads that can leverage Metal or FP16 compute, the RX Vega 11 has recorded strengths that the Tesla M4 cannot match in the database, but these do not overcome the Tesla M4's dominance in the shared benchmark.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla M4 wins in every category where both parts have recorded data. Its OpenCL score is 35.2% higher. Its average benchmark score is 17.7% higher. Its FP32 compute is 11.4% higher. Its pixel rate is 206% higher. Its texture rate is 11.4% higher. It has more shading units (1,024 versus 704), more TMUs (64 versus 44), and more ROPs (32 versus 8). It has dedicated 4 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 88.00 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the Vega 11 relies on system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins in areas that are not covered by direct benchmark comparisons but are present in the specification data. Its FP16 throughput is 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1), a figure the Tesla M4 does not list. Its Metal benchmark score of 17,086 exceeds the Tesla M4's highest recorded score, though the Tesla M4 has no Metal result. Its Vulkan API version is 1.3, while the Tesla M4 lists Vulkan 1.4. The Vega 11 has a higher transistor density at 23.5M per mm², but that is a manufacturing metric, not a performance metric.

The power data also favors the Vega 11 in one specific way: its TDP is 15 W, while the Tesla M4 is 50 W. The Vega 11 requires no power connectors and no suggested PSU, while the Tesla M4 lists a suggested PSU of 250 W. For systems with strict power budgets, the Vega 11 is the more efficient part on paper.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16,932 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 12,525, giving the Tesla M4 a 35.2% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 outperform the NVIDIA Tesla M4 in any recorded benchmark?

A: The RX Vega 11 records a Metal score of 17,086 and a Vulkan score of 13,543, but the Tesla M4 has no recorded Metal or Vulkan benchmarks. In the only shared test, OpenCL, the Tesla M4 wins.

Q: What are the FP32 compute capabilities of each GPU?

A: The Tesla M4 delivers 2.195 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the RX Vega 11 delivers 1.971 TFLOPS, a difference of roughly 11% in favor of the Tesla M4.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The Tesla M4 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth. The RX Vega 11 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth and a system shared bus width.

Q: Which GPU has a lower power draw?

A: The RX Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W and requires no power connectors, while the Tesla M4 has a TDP of 50 W and lists a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: What are the API support levels for each GPU?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla M4 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the RX Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages entirely. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 uses the GM206 chip based on Maxwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.9 million per mm². The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 uses the Picasso chip based on GCN 5.0 architecture, built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The Vega 11 packs more transistors into a slightly smaller die, but the Tesla M4's larger die and older process node are not directly comparable in performance terms.

The Tesla M4 is a discrete GPU with a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface and no display outputs, indicating a compute-focused role. The RX Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a motherboard dependent display output and no dedicated bus interface. This fundamental difference in form factor influences everything else: the Tesla M4 has its own memory, while the Vega 11 shares system memory.

The Tesla M4 lists no FP16 performance, while the RX Vega 11 lists 3.942 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The Tesla M4's FP32 of 2.195 TFLOPS is higher than the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS. The Tesla M4 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The ROP difference is stark and explains the pixel rate gap.

Both GPUs are end-of-life products, but their release dates differ: the Tesla M4 launched on 2015-11-09, while the RX Vega 11 launched on 2019-07-06. The Tesla M4's predecessor is Tesla Kepler and its successor is Tesla Pascal. The RX Vega 11's predecessor is GCN 3.0 IGP and its successor is Vega II IGP.

Specification Differences

The table below highlights only the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the recorded data.

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla M4 | AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 |

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

| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 5.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 2,940 million | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | 228 mm² | 210 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.9M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 872 MHz | 300 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1072 MHz | 1400 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) | System Shared |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 88.00 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 704 |

| TMUs | 64 | 44 |

| ROPs | 32 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 34.30 GPixel/s | 11.20 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 68.61 GTexel/s | 61.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 2.195 TFLOPS | 1.971 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | Not listed | None |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | IGP |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | Motherboard Dependent |

| Vulkan API | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2015-11-09 | 2019-07-06 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Kepler | GCN 3.0 IGP |

| Successor | Tesla Pascal | Vega II IGP |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 16,932 | 12,525 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 16,932 | 14,385 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 60 | 56 |

The base clock difference is notable: the Tesla M4 runs at 872 MHz base, while the Vega 11 runs at 300 MHz base, but the Vega 11 boosts to 1,400 MHz, exceeding the Tesla M4's 1,072 MHz boost. The Tesla M4's higher FP32 and pixel rates come from its wider execution resources, not from higher clocks.