AMD Radeon Vega 11 vs NVIDIA Tesla M4 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two parts. The NVIDIA Tesla M4 wins the only directly comparable test, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 16932 against 13392 for the AMD Radeon Vega 11. That is a 26.4% advantage, and it is the sole head-to-head result recorded in the database.

However, the AMD part shows a broader benchmark profile. The database lists three separate scores for the Radeon Vega 11: Geekbench Metal at 17392, Geekbench OpenCL at 13392, and Geekbench Vulkan at 12273. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 14352. The Tesla M4 has only one recorded benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL at 16932, which also serves as its average.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. For OpenCL workloads, the Tesla M4 is clearly ahead. For Metal or Vulkan workloads, the database contains no Tesla M4 result at all, so the Radeon Vega 11 is the only one of the two with any recorded data in those APIs. The Vega 11's Metal score of 17392 actually exceeds the Tesla M4's OpenCL score of 16932, though these are different test suites and cannot be treated as a direct comparison.

Percentile positioning reinforces the gap. The Tesla M4 sits at the 60th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the Radeon Vega 11 sits at the 56th percentile. The Tesla M4's average score of 16932 is higher than the Vega 11's average of 14352, a difference that comes entirely from the OpenCL result. The Vega 11's average is pulled down by its Vulkan score of 12273, which is its weakest recorded result.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16932 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 13392 in the same test. The Tesla M4 leads by 26.4%.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega 11 have any benchmark where it scores higher than the Tesla M4's OpenCL result?

A: Yes. The Radeon Vega 11 scores 17392 in Geekbench Metal, which is higher than the Tesla M4's 16932 OpenCL score. However, these are different benchmark suites, so they are not a direct head-to-head comparison.

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

A: The Tesla M4 has an average benchmark score of 16932, based on its single recorded OpenCL result. The Radeon Vega 11 has an average of 14352, based on its Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan scores.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Tesla M4 is 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA T400 4 GB, and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7970M. The Radeon Vega 11 is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, and 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The Tesla M4 ranks at the 60th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The Radeon Vega 11 ranks at the 56th percentile.

Q: Which GPU supports more graphics APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla M4 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3. The Vega 11 also has a recorded Metal benchmark, while the Tesla M4 has none.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The Tesla M4 scores 16932, and the Radeon Vega 11 scores 13392. The delta is 26.4% in favor of the Tesla M4. This is a substantial margin, placing the Tesla M4 well ahead in the only test where both parts have results.

Context from the nearest rivals makes this margin more meaningful. The Tesla M4's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17019 (0.5% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037 (0.6% higher), and the NVIDIA T400 4 GB at 16792 (0.8% lower). The Tesla M4 sits comfortably within this cluster, just a fraction below the top of its peer group. The Radeon Vega 11's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN at 14373 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14385 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14315 (0.3% lower). The Vega 11's average of 14352 places it in a slower peer group overall.

The difference in average scores tells the same story. The Tesla M4 averages 16932, the Vega 11 averages 14352. That is a roughly 18% gap in average performance, though the Vega 11's average includes its weaker Vulkan result of 12273. If one isolates the OpenCL test, the Tesla M4's 26.4% lead is the definitive data point.

The Vega 11's Metal score of 17392 is worth noting as the single highest raw number recorded for either GPU. It exceeds the Tesla M4's OpenCL score by 460 points. But because the database does not list a Metal result for the Tesla M4, there is no way to confirm whether the Vega 11 would hold that advantage in a direct competition. The only recorded head-to-head result remains OpenCL, and that belongs to the Tesla M4 outright.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every physical and electrical specification in the database. Process node is one of the clearest divides: the Tesla M4 is built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the Radeon Vega 11 is built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. Transistor counts also differ, with the Tesla M4 carrying 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die for a transistor density of 12.9 million per square millimeter. The Vega 11 packs 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die for a density of 23.5 million per square millimeter.

Clock behavior is another major differentiator. The Tesla M4 runs at a base clock of 872 MHz with a boost of 872 MHz to 1072 MHz is 872 MHz, with memory clock at a 1375 MHz base and 5.5 Gbps effective data rate. The Vega 11 runs at 300 MHz base clock, boosting to 1400 MHz, with memory speeds dependent on the system. The Tesla M4 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus. The Vega 11's memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all marked as system dependent.

Compute unit counts separate the two as well. The Tesla M4 has 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. Pixel rate reflects the ROP gap: the Tesla M4 outputs 34.30 GPixel/s, while the Vega 11 outputs 11.20 GPixel/s. Texture rate is closer, with the Tesla M4 at 68.61 GTexel/s and the Vega 11 at 61.60 GTexel/s.

Power draw is a dramatic difference. The Tesla M4 has a 50 W TDP and requires a suggested PSU of 250 W power supply. The Vega 11 has a 15 W TDP, uses no power connectors, and lists no suggested PSU rating. Form factor confirms the Tesla M4 as a single-slot card and the Vega 11 as a system integrated GPU. The Tesla M4 also lists no display outputs, while output options depend on the motherboard.

The Tesla M4 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Vega 11 is an integrated GPU on the bus interface. The Tesla M4 is a Tesla Maxwell generation part, while the Vega 11 is a Vega IGP generation. The Tesla M4 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Architecture Differences

The Tesla M4 is built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture using the GM206 chip, a discrete GPU design from NVIDIA. The Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Picasso chip, an integrated graphics processor from AMD. Both are end-of-life parts, but they come from different eras and design philosophies.

The Maxwell 2.0 architecture is a discrete GPU design with its own memory subsystem. The 4 GB GDDR5 memory on a 128 bit bus delivers 88.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11, as an IGP, shares system memory and has no dedicated VRAM. Its memory bandwidth is listed as system dependent, meaning the GPU's performance is tied to the host platform's memory configuration.

The Tesla M4 has a higher pixel fill rate at 34.30 GPixel/s versus the Vega 11's 11.20 GPixel/s, a nearly threefold difference. Texture fill is closer, at 68.61 GTexel/s for the Tesla M4 and 61.60 GTexel/s for the Vega 11. The Tesla M4 also has significantly more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs. The Vega 11 has a lower shading unit count at 704 versus 1024, but it does have a recorded FP16 throughput of 3.942 TFLOPS, which indicates a 2:1 ratio over its FP32 rate. The Tesla M4's FP32 compute is 2.195 TFLOPS, slightly above the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS.

The Vega 11's FP16 capability is notable. Its FP16 rate of 3.942 TFLOPS is double its FP32 rate of 1.971 TFLOPS, a feature the Tesla M4 does not list. The Tesla M4's FP32 rate of 2.195 TFLOPS is higher than the Vega 11's FP32 rate by roughly 11%, but the Vega 11 can process half-precision workloads at nearly double its own FP32 rate.

The memory architecture is the defining architectural difference. A discrete GPU with dedicated GDDR5 and 88.00 GB/s bandwidth faces an IGP with no dedicated memory and system-dependent throughput. The Tesla M4's 4 GB frame buffer is fixed; the Vega 11's memory is whatever the host system provides. This affects real-world scaling far beyond the raw compute numbers.

The API support also differs at the Vulkan level. The Tesla M4 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3. Both share DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6 support. The Vega 11 has a recorded Metal benchmark, while the Tesla M4 has none.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear pick for OpenCL workloads: the NVIDIA Tesla M4. Its 16932 score against the Vega 11's 13392 is a 26.4% lead, and its 60th percentile ranking versus the Vega 11's 56th percentile confirms the advantage. The Tesla M4 also has triple the pixel rate, double the ROP count, and a dedicated 4 GB GDDR5 frame buffer with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth. If the workload is compute-bound in OpenCL, the Tesla M4 is the stronger part on every recorded metric.

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 has one notable strength: its Metal score of 17392. That is the highest single benchmark result recorded for either GPU. It also offers FP16 compute at 3.942 TFLOPS, a capability absent from the Tesla M4's specification sheet. Its Vulkan support at 1.3 is a version behind the Tesla M4's 1.4, and its 15 W TDP is far lower than the Tesla M4's 50 W TDP. Systems requiring minimal power draw or half-precision throughput may favor the Vega 11, but the database only confirms its OpenCL weakness in a direct comparison.

The verdict is therefore role-dependent. For a discrete accelerator slot in a server with a PCIe connection, the Tesla M4 wins on the only head-to-head benchmark and carries a higher average score across all GPUs. For an integrated solution with no dedicated memory and a much lower power envelope, the Vega 11 serves a different purpose, one the database shows as lower in OpenCL but with Metal performance above the Tesla M4's only recorded score. The choice depends on the workload and platform. The benchmark data does not rank one universally above the other; it shows a discrete GPU with a 26.4% OpenCL edge and an IGP with a higher raw Metal number.