AMD Radeon Vega 8 vs NVIDIA Tesla M10 Comparison

NVIDIA Tesla M10 and AMD Radeon Vega 8 represent two very different approaches to graphics processing: a dedicated dual-slot accelerator with its own memory subsystem versus an integrated GPU sharing system resources. The data shows the Tesla M10 leads in both shared benchmark tests, but the Vega 8 counters with higher peak scores in a Metal test and a significantly lower power envelope. This analysis breaks down what those numbers mean for practical use.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M10 has a higher average benchmark score of 9724, while the AMD Radeon Vega 8 averages 9221. That puts the Tesla M10 at the 47th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the Vega 8 at the 45th percentile.

Q: How much faster is the Tesla M10 in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The Tesla M10 scores 10318 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 17% ahead of the Vega 8's 8822. This is the single largest performance gap between the two in shared tests.

Q: Does the Vega 8 win any benchmark against the Tesla M10?

A: In the shared head-to-head tests (OpenCL and Vulkan), the Vega 8 wins none. However, the Vega 8 does have a Geekbench Metal score of 10706, which is higher than any benchmark score recorded for the Tesla M10, though the Tesla M10 does not support Metal in the data.

Q: What are the closest rivals for each card based on average score?

A: The Tesla M10's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 with a deltaPct of 0.1%, while the GeForce GTX 1070 is 0.6% behind. The Vega 8's closest rival is the AMD Radeon 890M at 0.1% deltaPct, with the GeForce GTX 960 trailing by 0.6%.

Q: What is the power draw difference between the two?

A: The Tesla M10 has a TDP of 225 W and requires a 550 W power supply, while the Vega 8 has a TDP of 25 W and needs no power connectors, being an integrated GPU. This is a 200 W difference in thermal design power.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The Tesla M10 has 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 uses System Shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning it draws from the host's main memory.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture: the NVIDIA Tesla M10 is the stronger compute performer, winning both head-to-head tests and posting a higher average score. If your workload is built around OpenCL or Vulkan compute, the Tesla M10 delivers 12-17% more performance. However, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 is an integrated part with a 25 W TDP, making it suitable for systems where a dedicated card is impossible. The Vega 8 also shows a higher Metal score, which matters for Apple-centric workflows, though the Tesla M10 lacks Metal support entirely in this data.

For a server or workstation with a PCIe slot and power budget to spare, the Tesla M10 is the pick based on raw benchmark wins. For a compact or low-power build where the GPU must share memory with the CPU, the Vega 8 is the only viable option of the two. The Tesla M10's 47th percentile rank versus the Vega 8's 45th confirms the former sits slightly higher in the overall GPU landscape, but neither is a top-tier part today.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the Tesla M10 scoring 10318 against the Vega 8's 8822, a 17% advantage. That is a substantial lead for the discrete card, reflecting its dedicated memory and higher clock speeds. In Vulkan, the margin narrows: the Tesla M10 scores 9130 versus 8134 for the Vega 8, a 12.2% gap. Both tests favor NVIDIA, but the Vulkan result is closer, suggesting the Vega 8's architecture handles that API relatively better.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The Tesla M10 averages 9724, edging out the Vega 8's 9221 by roughly 5.5%. This aligns with the head-to-head deltas, confirming consistent NVIDIA superiority in compute tasks. Notably, the Vega 8's Metal score of 10706 exceeds the Tesla M10's best OpenCL score of 10318, but since the Tesla M10 has no Metal result, this is not a direct comparison.

The nearest rival data adds context. The Tesla M10's deltaPct of 0.1% against the Tesla C2070 shows it is statistically tied with that older compute card, while the GeForce GTX 1070 is 0.6% behind. The Vega 8 similarly sits within 0.1% of the Radeon 890M and 0.6% behind the GTX 960. These clusters indicate both cards are mid-pack performers, with neither breaking into the top tier.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs diverge sharply on process technology. The Tesla M10 uses a 28 nm node from TSMC with 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die, giving a density of 12.6M transistors per mm². The Vega 8 uses a 14 nm node from GlobalFoundries with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, achieving a density of 23.5M per mm². The Vega 8 packs 2.6 times more transistors despite the larger node.

Clock speeds show a mixed picture. The Tesla M10 runs at a 1033 MHz base and 1306 MHz boost, while the Vega 8 has a 300 MHz base and 1100 MHz boost. The memory clocks differ fundamentally: the Tesla M10 has a 1300 MHz memory clock effective at 5.2 Gbps, while the Vega 8 relies on System Shared memory with no fixed clock.

Memory capacity and bandwidth are starkly different. The Tesla M10 offers 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 has System Shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning its performance scales with the host's RAM configuration. The Tesla M10's pixel rate is 20.90 GPixel/s versus the Vega 8's 8.800 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 52.24 GTexel/s versus 35.20 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1.672 TFLOPS for the Tesla M10 and 1,126.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 8, a 48% advantage for NVIDIA.

Power delivery is another chasm. The Tesla M10 has a 225 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler, a 1x 8-pin power connector, and a 550 W suggested PSU. The Vega 8 has a 25 W TDP, is an IGP with no power connectors, and needs no separate PSU recommendation. The Tesla M10 is 267 mm long, while the Vega 8 has no dimensions as it is integrated.

Architecture Differences

The Tesla M10 is built on NVIDIA's Maxwell architecture using the GM107 chip, part of the Tesla Maxwell generation. It has 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Vega 8 uses AMD's GCN 5.0 architecture with the Raven chip, part of the Vega IGP (Raven Ridge) generation. It has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The Tesla M10 has more of every execution unit type: 25% more shaders, 25% more TMUs, and 100% more ROPs.

Neither GPU includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The Tesla M10 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Vega 8 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega 8 has a higher DirectX feature level, while the Tesla M10 has a newer Vulkan version. The Vega 8 also supports FP16 compute at 2.253 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a capability the Tesla M10 does not list.

The memory architecture is the deepest divergence. The Tesla M10 has a dedicated 128-bit GDDR5 interface with 83.20 GB/s of bandwidth, which explains its higher pixel and texture rates. The Vega 8's System Shared memory means bandwidth depends entirely on the host system's memory controller and configuration, creating variable performance that the fixed numbers cannot capture.

The Tesla M10 has no display outputs, making it a pure compute accelerator. The Vega 8's display outputs are motherboard dependent, meaning it can drive displays if the motherboard provides the connections. The Tesla M10 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the Vega 8 connects through the IGP bus, sharing bandwidth with the CPU.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Tesla M10 wins in raw compute throughput. Its 17% OpenCL lead and 12.2% Vulkan lead are decisive for workloads that stress these APIs, such as scientific computing, rendering, or data processing. The higher pixel rate (20.90 GPixel/s vs 8.800 GPixel/s) and texture rate (52.24 GTexel/s vs 35.20 GTexel/s) make it better suited for tasks that fill framebuffers or sample textures heavily. The 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with fixed 83.20 GB/s bandwidth provides predictable performance, unlike the Vega 8's system-dependent memory.

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 wins on integration and power efficiency. Its 25 W TDP is a fraction of the Tesla M10's 225 W, making it viable for passively cooled or battery-powered systems. The lack of power connectors and IGP form factor means it drops into any compatible motherboard without additional hardware. The Metal score of 10706 suggests strong performance in Apple's ecosystem, and the higher DirectX feature level (12_1 vs 11_0) gives it an edge in newer Windows games that use those features.

For a dedicated compute node where performance per watt is secondary to absolute throughput, the Tesla M10 is the clear choice. For an all-in-one APU build where the GPU must coexist with CPU tasks and power is limited, the Vega 8 is the only sensible option. The Tesla M10's 47th percentile rank versus the Vega 8's 45th is a small but consistent margin, reinforcing that the discrete card offers a modest performance tier above the integrated solution. Neither card is current, with the Tesla M10 released in 2016 and the Vega 8 in 2018, so buyers should weigh these benchmark results against newer alternatives in their respective categories.