AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 vs NVIDIA Tesla M40 Comparison

AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 vs NVIDIA Tesla M40: the data shows a clear overall winner, with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 leading in every recorded head-to-head benchmark. The Vega 64 posts an average benchmark score of 50001 versus the Tesla M40’s 41897, a difference of roughly 19%. The AMD card also sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Tesla M40 sits at the 83rd percentile. In direct comparisons, the Vega 64 wins both available tests, though the Tesla M40 holds advantages in memory capacity and pixel throughput that matter for specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head benchmark comparisons between these cards, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 wins both decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Vega 64 scores 62552 against the Tesla M40’s 39192, a delta of 59.6%. That is a massive gap, nearly 60% higher compute throughput in a general-purpose compute workload. The Vulkan test shows a similar pattern: the Vega 64 scores 67032, while the Tesla M40 manages 44602, a 50.3% advantage for AMD. These are not narrow margins; the Vega 64 is roughly 1.5 to 1.6 times faster in these API-level compute benchmarks.

Looking at the broader database context, the Vega 64’s average score of 50001 places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M (49737). It is also 3.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (48477) and 1.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50951). The Tesla M40, by contrast, averages 41897, which is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (41707) and 1.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (41187). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723) by 1.9% and leads the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870) by 2.5%. The percentile gap between the two cards, 86th versus 83rd, reflects the consistent compute advantage of the Vega 64 across the database’s full GPU range.

The delta percentages in the head-to-head tests are the strongest evidence. A 59.6% lead in OpenCL and a 50.3% lead in Vulkan are not marginal differences; they indicate a fundamentally higher compute ceiling for the AMD part. The Tesla M40’s only wins are in areas not covered by these benchmarks, such as raw pixel fill rate and memory size, which are discussed below.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 wins in compute-heavy, API-driven workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 62552 and Vulkan score of 67032 are both far above the Tesla M40’s corresponding numbers. The Vega 64 also has a higher FP32 throughput of 12.66 TFLOPS versus 6.832 TFLOPS for the Tesla M40, which explains why it dominates in general compute benchmarks. Its memory bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s is 67.7% higher than the Tesla M40’s 288.4 GB/s, which helps in bandwidth-sensitive tasks like data processing and certain rendering workloads. The Vega 64’s texture rate of 395.8 GTexel/s is also nearly double the Tesla M40’s 213.5 GTexel/s, making it the stronger choice for texture-heavy graphics work.

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 wins in specific niche areas. It has 12 GB of memory versus the Vega 64’s 8 GB, which matters for workloads that need to hold very large datasets without spilling to system memory. Its pixel rate of 106.8 GPixel/s is slightly higher than the Vega 64’s 98.94 GPixel/s, meaning it can fill more pixels per second, a relevant factor for high-resolution rasterization. The Tesla M40 also has 96 ROPs versus the Vega 64’s 64, which supports that pixel throughput advantage. For workloads that are purely pixel-bound and fit within the 12 GB frame buffer, the Tesla M40 has a plausible edge. However, the database’s recorded benchmarks do not include any test where the Tesla M40 wins, so this advantage is theoretical rather than measured.

The Vega 64 also supports FP16 compute at 25.33 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the Tesla M40 has no recorded FP16 capability. That makes the AMD card more versatile for mixed-precision workloads, though the database does not include a specific FP16 benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has an average benchmark score of 50001, compared to the NVIDIA Tesla M40’s 41897. The Vega 64 is also in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the Tesla M40 is in the 83rd percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the Vega 64 scores 62552 versus 39192 for the Tesla M40, a 59.6% lead. In Geekbench Vulkan, the Vega 64 scores 67032 versus 44602, a 50.3% lead.

Q: Does the Tesla M40 have any advantage in the recorded data?

A: Yes, in specifications. The Tesla M40 has 12 GB of memory versus 8 GB, a higher pixel rate (106.8 GPixel/s versus 98.94 GPixel/s), and more ROPs (96 versus 64). However, it does not win any of the recorded head-to-head benchmarks.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The Vega 64 has 483.8 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Tesla M40 has 288.4 GB/s. That is a 67.7% advantage for the AMD card.

Q: Which card has higher compute throughput?

A: The Vega 64 has 12.66 TFLOPS FP32, nearly double the Tesla M40’s 6.832 TFLOPS. The Vega 64 also has 25.33 TFLOPS FP16, while the Tesla M40 has no recorded FP16 figure.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Vega 64 is 0.1% behind the RTX 5070 Ti and 1.9% behind the RX 6900 XT, but 3.1% ahead of the RX 6800 XT. The Tesla M40 is 1.7% ahead of the RTX 3080 Ti and 0.5% ahead of the Tesla M40 24 GB, but 1.9% behind the RX 7650 GRE.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 uses 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 uses 3072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The Vega 64 has a higher base clock of 1247 MHz and boost clock of 1546 MHz, versus 948 MHz base and 1112 MHz boost for the Tesla M40. Memory configuration also diverges sharply: the Vega 64 has 8 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 483.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the Tesla M40 has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 64’s memory clock is listed at 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective), while the Tesla M40’s is 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective).

Power and physical dimensions differ as well. The Vega 64 has a TDP of 295 W and uses 2x 8-pin power connectors, while the Tesla M40 has a TDP of 250 W and uses an 8-pin EPS connector. Both have a suggested PSU of 600 W. The Vega 64 is 280 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 40 mm wide, while the Tesla M40 is 267 mm long with no recorded height or width. The Vega 64 has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Tesla M40 has no display outputs, reflecting its compute-server orientation. The Vega 64 has a launch MSRP of 499 USD, while the Tesla M40 has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 is built on the Vega 10 chip using the GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It contains 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 25.3 million per mm². Its generation is listed as Vega (RX Vega), with a release date of August 2017. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, and it has a 2:1 FP16 capability that doubles its FP32 throughput.

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 is built on the GM200 chip using the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process by TSMC. It contains 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die, resulting in a lower transistor density of 13.3 million per mm². Its generation is listed as Tesla Maxwell (Mxx), with a release date of November 2015. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but it has no recorded FP16 support. The process node difference is significant: the Vega 64 uses a 14 nm process versus 28 nm, which explains how it achieves higher clock speeds and transistor density on a smaller die. The Tesla M40’s die is larger (601 mm² versus 495 mm²) but packs fewer transistors, highlighting the architectural efficiency gap between the two generations.

The Vega 64’s predecessor is Polaris and its successor is Navi, while the Tesla M40’s predecessor is Tesla Kepler and its successor is Tesla Pascal. Both cards are marked as end-of-life in the database.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 as the stronger GPU for general and compute-oriented workloads. It wins both recorded head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 59.6% and 50.3%, has a higher average score (50001 versus 41897), and sits higher in the overall percentile ranking (86th versus 83rd). Its FP32 throughput of 12.66 TFLOPS is nearly double the Tesla M40’s 6.832 TFLOPS, and its memory bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s is substantially higher. For anyone running OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the Vega 64 is the clear choice.

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 is only preferable in scenarios that depend on its specific strengths: 12 GB of memory, a higher pixel rate of 106.8 GPixel/s, and more ROPs (96 versus 64). Those features suit large frame buffers and pixel-bound rasterization, but the database shows no benchmark where the Tesla M40 outperforms the Vega 64. Its lower TDP of 250 W versus 295 W is a minor advantage in power-constrained environments, and its lack of display outputs indicates a server-focused design, but those do not compensate for the compute deficit.

Buyers should choose the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 for mixed-use systems that need compute performance, modern API support, and display connectivity. The Tesla M40 should be reserved for specialized tasks that demand more memory or higher pixel fill rates, and where the lack of display outputs is acceptable. The recorded data does not support any other conclusion.