Intel Arc A570M vs NVIDIA Tesla M40 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark database records a definitive outcome in this comparison: the Intel Arc A570M leads the NVIDIA Tesla M40 in the single recorded head-to-head test. The Arc A570M scores 58,239 points in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Tesla M40 scores 39,192 points, producing a 48.6% advantage for the Intel part. This is not a marginal win; it is a substantial performance gap that places the two GPUs in different performance classes despite the Tesla M40 having a higher raw FP32 throughput on paper.

The Arc A570M also holds a higher overall percentile rank, sitting at the 88th percentile versus the Tesla M40's 83rd percentile among all GPUs in the database. The average benchmark score for the Arc A570M is 58,239, while the Tesla M40 averages 41,897 across its two recorded OpenCL and Vulkan tests. The data indicates that for any compute workload measured by these benchmarks, the Intel Arc A570M is the stronger choice. The Tesla M40, however, retains relevance in specific legacy or server-oriented contexts due to its larger memory pool and different architectural design, but the performance evidence does not favor it.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design eras and purposes. The Intel Arc A570M uses the DG2-256 chip built on the Xe-HPG architecture, belonging to the Alchemist generation for Arc 5 Mobile. It is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with 11,500 million transistors packed into a 269 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 42.8 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 uses the GM200 chip on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, part of the Tesla Maxwell generation. It is built on a much older 28 nm process, also at TSMC, with 8,000 million transistors on a substantially larger 601 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of only 13.3 million per square millimeter.

The core configurations differ significantly. The Arc A570M has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 16 dedicated ray tracing cores. The Tesla M40 has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, but no ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The Tesla M40's shading unit count is 50% higher, yet the Arc A570M still wins the benchmark decisively, indicating that architectural efficiency and feature support matter more than raw unit counts.

Memory subsystems also diverge. The Arc A570M uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla M40 offers 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s. The Tesla M40 has more memory and higher bandwidth, but the Arc A570M's newer memory technology and architecture compensate. The Arc A570M runs at a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost of 1300 MHz, while the Tesla M40 runs at 948 MHz base and 1112 MHz boost. The Arc's higher boost clock and newer design contribute to its benchmark advantage.

Feature support is another major divide. The Arc A570M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Tesla M40 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The Arc A570M also includes ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Tesla M40. The Tesla M40 is a compute-focused accelerator with no display outputs, while the Arc A570M's display outputs are portable device dependent, reflecting its mobile design. The Tesla M40 uses a dual-slot form factor with an 8-pin EPS power connector and a suggested PSU of 600 W, while the Arc A570M is an integrated graphics processor with a 75 W TDP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher overall benchmark percentile?

A: The Intel Arc A570M sits at the 88th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 sits at the 83rd percentile.

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

A: The Intel Arc A570M scores 58,239 points, the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 39,192 points, and the Arc A570M leads by 48.6%.

Q: Does the Tesla M40 have more memory bandwidth than the Arc A570M?

A: Yes. The Tesla M40 delivers 288.4 GB/s over a 384-bit bus, while the Arc A570M delivers 224.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the Intel Arc A570M includes 16 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 has no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two?

A: The Intel Arc A570M has a TDP of 75 W, while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the Tesla M40 wins?

A: No. The recorded head-to-head data shows one test, Geekbench OpenCL, and the Intel Arc A570M wins it. The Tesla M40 has zero wins in the comparison.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The process node is 6 nm for the Arc A570M versus 28 nm for the Tesla M40, a generational leap that explains the transistor density difference: 42.8 million per mm² versus 13.3 million per mm². Total transistors are 11,500 million for Intel and 8,000 million for NVIDIA, while die size is 269 mm² for Intel and 601 mm² for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds differ in both base and boost. The Arc A570M runs at 900 MHz base and 1300 MHz boost, while the Tesla M40 runs at 948 MHz base and 1112 MHz boost. The Tesla has a higher base clock, but the Arc has a substantially higher boost clock. Memory clocks also differ: the Arc uses 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective, while the Tesla uses 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity and type differ: 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus for Intel versus 12 GB GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus for NVIDIA. Bandwidth is 224.0 GB/s for Intel and 288.4 GB/s for NVIDIA. The shading unit count is 2,048 for Intel versus 3,072 for NVIDIA. TMUs are 128 versus 192, and ROPs are 64 versus 96. The Arc A570M adds 16 ray tracing cores, while the Tesla M40 has none.

Pixel and texture rates favor the Tesla M40: 106.8 GPixel/s versus 83.20 GPixel/s, and 213.5 GTexel/s versus 166.4 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is also higher on the Tesla M40 at 6.832 TFLOPS versus 5.325 TFLOPS. The Arc A570M supports FP16 at 10.65 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the Tesla M40 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Form factor and power also differ. The Arc A570M is an IGP with a 75 W TDP and no power connectors, while the Tesla M40 is a dual-slot card with an 8-pin EPS connector and a 250 W TDP. The Tesla M40 has a 267 mm length (10.5 inches), while the Arc A570M has no recorded dimensions. Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 4.0 x8 for Intel versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA. The Tesla M40 has no display outputs, while the Arc A570M's outputs are portable device dependent. Production status differs: the Arc A570M is active, while the Tesla M40 is end-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The Intel Arc A570M scores 58,239 points, and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 39,192 points. The delta is 48.6% in favor of the Intel part. This is the only recorded test, and it is decisive.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the significance. The Arc A570M's average score of 58,239 places it within 0.3% of the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (58,392), 0.3% above the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM (58,085), 0.5% below the NVIDIA P102-100 (58,528), and 0.7% below the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657). These are all desktop-class GPUs, yet the mobile Arc A570M matches them within a single-digit percentage. The Tesla M40's average score of 41,897, by contrast, sits within 0.5% of the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (41,707), 1.7% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (41,187), 1.9% below the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42,723), and 2.5% above the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870). The Tesla M40's rival set is lower-scoring, and the Arc A570M's rival set is higher-scoring, confirming the performance tier separation.

The Tesla M40 does have a second recorded benchmark, Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 44,602. However, the Arc A570M has no recorded Vulkan score, so no direct comparison exists for that test. In the single comparable test, the Arc A570M is the clear winner.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A570M wins the only directly comparable benchmark, and it wins by a wide margin. The 48.6% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the primary evidence. The Arc A570M also wins on architectural modernity: it has ray tracing cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, a 6 nm process, and a much smaller die with higher transistor density. It consumes only 75 W, making it suitable for mobile or low-power integrated designs. Its benchmark percentile of 88 is five points higher than the Tesla M40's 83.

The NVIDIA Tesla M40 wins on specifications that do not translate to benchmark victory. It offers more memory (12 GB versus 8 GB), higher bandwidth (288.4 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s), more shading units (3,072 versus 2,048), more TMUs and ROPs, higher pixel and texture rates, and higher FP32 throughput (6.832 TFLOPS versus 5.325 TFLOPS). It also has a longer physical card design with a dual-slot form factor and a 267 mm length, which is typical for server accelerators. Its production status is end-of-life, meaning it is a legacy product.

For use cases involving raw compute throughput per the recorded FP32 number, the Tesla M40 appears stronger on paper. For any workload measured by Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc A570M is the faster GPU. The data also suggests the Arc A570M is better suited to modern graphics workloads given its DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing support. The Tesla M40, with no display outputs and no ray tracing, is a compute-oriented accelerator from 2015, now at end-of-life. The Arc A570M, released in 2023 and still active, is the recommended choice for anyone prioritizing measured benchmark performance.