Intel Arc A770M vs NVIDIA Tesla K40c Comparison

Intel Arc A770M and NVIDIA Tesla K40c occupy opposite ends of the GPU design spectrum, yet their average benchmark scores place them within 5% of each other in the database. The Arc A770M, a mobile Alchemist part on TSMC's 6 nm process, delivers a composite average score of 18383, while the Tesla K40c, a 28 nm Kepler compute card from 2013, averages 17468. This near-parity in overall standing belies a massive gulf in individual workload performance, particularly in compute-oriented tests where the Intel part demonstrates a commanding lead. The data suggests these are not direct competitors in the traditional sense, but rather two solutions that happen to land in a similar performance tier when averaged across all benchmarks.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous regarding the overall winner. The Intel Arc A770M wins the only shared head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, by a margin of 412.3%. That is not a marginal victory; it is a categorical one. The Arc A770M scores 89494 points versus the Tesla K40c’s 17468 points. For any workload that leverages OpenCL compute, the Intel part is the only rational choice based on this data.

The Tesla K40c’s position is more nuanced. Its average benchmark score of 17468 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, just one point below the Arc A770M’s 62nd percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, -0.7% delta), indicating it still holds its own against much newer integrated and entry-level discrete parts. However, with only a single benchmark result in the database, its average is derived from a very narrow sample. The Arc A770M, by contrast, has ten benchmark results spanning DirectX, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute tests, providing a far more robust picture of its capabilities.

Given the data, the verdict is straightforward: choose the Intel Arc A770M for any task involving modern graphics APIs, compute workloads, or general-purpose GPU acceleration. The Tesla K40c should only be considered in legacy compute environments where its specific Kepler architecture and 12 GB of GDDR5 memory are required, and where the 412.3% performance deficit in OpenCL is acceptable. Its 245 W TDP and dual-slot form factor also make it a less practical choice for most systems.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc A770M wins the only direct comparison available. In Geekbench OpenCL, it achieves 89494 points against the Tesla K40c’s 17468 points. This single result dominates the head-to-head tally, giving the Intel part a 1-0 win record. The margin of victory is so large that it effectively defines the competitive landscape between these two products.

The Tesla K40c does not win any head-to-head benchmark, as the data shows zero wins for the NVIDIA part. However, its strength lies in its architectural legacy. As a Tesla Kepler compute card, it was designed for scientific and professional compute tasks. Its 2880 shading units and 384-bit memory bus provide a foundation that, while outdated, still delivers a 61st percentile ranking. The Arc A770M’s wins are concentrated in its versatility: it posts scores across PassMark DirectX 9 (178), DirectX 10 (56), DirectX 11 (69), DirectX 12 (70), G2D (711), G3D (11774), and GPU Compute (4778). The Tesla K40c has no corresponding scores in these tests, meaning the Intel part is the only one with data supporting its capability across a broad range of graphics and compute workloads.

In practical terms, the Arc A770M wins on feature support and raw compute throughput. The Tesla K40c wins only in the sense that it exists as a viable part for legacy system integration, given its 12 GB memory capacity and 288.4 GB/s bandwidth, which are still respectable figures for certain memory-bound workloads.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The Intel Arc A770M is built on the DG2-512 chip using the Xe-HPG architecture, fabricated on a 6 nm TSMC process. It packs 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 53.4M per mm². The NVIDIA Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip with the Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process. It contains 7,080 million transistors on a larger 561 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 12.6M per mm².

The clock speeds reflect these process differences. The Arc A770M runs at a base of 1650 MHz and boosts to 2050 MHz, while the Tesla K40c operates at a base of 745 MHz and boosts to 876 MHz. This clock advantage, combined with 4096 shading units versus 2880, gives the Intel part a theoretical FP32 throughput of 16.79 TFLOPS compared to the Tesla’s 5.046 TFLOPS. The Arc A770M also supports FP16 at 33.59 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio, while the Tesla K40c has no listed FP16 capability.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Arc A770M uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, achieving 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla K40c uses 12 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 384-bit bus, but its lower memory clock of 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) yields only 288.4 GB/s. The Intel part also has 32 ray tracing cores, while the Tesla has none. In terms of API support, the Arc A770M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), Vulkan 1.2.175, and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla’s power draw is 245 W with dual-slot cooling and two power connectors, while the Arc A770M is an IGP with a 120 W TDP, making it far more power-efficient per unit of performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The Intel Arc A770M. It delivers 16.79 TFLOPS FP32 and 33.59 TFLOPS FP16, compared to the NVIDIA Tesla K40c’s 5.046 TFLOPS FP32. This is also reflected in the Geekbench OpenCL score, where the Arc A770M leads by 412.3%.

Q: Is the Tesla K40c still competitive in modern benchmarks?

A: Based on its average score of 17468, it sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. It is within 1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509) and AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551), but its lack of modern API support (DirectX 12 at 11_0 feature level) limits its relevance in current graphics workloads.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The Intel Arc A770M has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The Intel Arc A770M, with a 120 W TDP versus the Tesla K40c’s 245 W TDP. The Arc also achieves higher performance, making its efficiency advantage even more pronounced.

Q: Does the Tesla K40c support ray tracing?

A: No. The Tesla K40c has no ray tracing cores. The Intel Arc A770M includes 32 ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the form factor of each GPU?

A: The Intel Arc A770M is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 120 W TDP, designed for mobile platforms. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, requiring a 550 W power supply.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive victory for the Intel Arc A770M. The Intel part scores 89494 points, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c manages only 17468 points. The delta is 412.3% in favor of the Arc A770M. This result is consistent with the theoretical specifications: the Arc A770M has nearly 3.5 times the FP32 throughput (16.79 TFLOPS vs 5.046 TFLOPS) and operates at more than double the boost clock (2050 MHz vs 876 MHz). The memory bandwidth advantage also favors Intel, with 512.0 GB/s versus 288.4 GB/s.

Beyond this single test, the Arc A770M’s broader benchmark suite provides additional context for its superiority. In PassMark G3D, it scores 11774, which is a strong result for a mobile part. Its PassMark GPU Compute score of 4778 further underscores its compute capability. The Tesla K40c has no corresponding scores in these tests, so no direct comparison is possible, but the Arc’s scores across DirectX 9 (178), DirectX 11 (69), and DirectX 12 (70) indicate functional support for legacy and modern graphics APIs alike. The Tesla K40c, with its DirectX 12 (11_0) support, would likely struggle to match these figures, though the data does not provide a direct measurement.

The verdict from the head-to-head data is clear: the Intel Arc A770M is the superior performer in the only shared test, and its additional benchmark results suggest it would win across most other workloads. The Tesla K40c’s single data point leaves little room for interpretation—it is a legacy compute card that has been outpaced by more than 400% in OpenCL performance by a modern mobile GPU.