NVIDIA GB10 vs NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison recorded between the NVIDIA GB10 and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The GB10 scores 120,137 points, while the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396 points. That is a 51.3% advantage for the GB10, a margin that separates the two cards by a full performance tier in compute workloads.

Looking at the broader database context, the GB10's average benchmark score of 117,393 places it in the 95th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 at 118,976 (the GB10 trails by 1.3%), the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation at 117,088 (the GB10 leads by 0.3%), and the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB at 114,395 (the GB10 leads by 2.6%). These are close margins, indicating that the GB10 sits in a highly competitive performance band where small score differences separate cards.

The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, by contrast, averages 79,396 and sits in the 92nd percentile. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605 (the 12 GB model trails by 0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 at 79,842 (trailing by 0.6%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78,940 (leading by 0.6%). The P100's position among these rivals shows it is competitive within its own generation, but the 51.3% gap to the GB10 is far larger than any delta within either card's immediate rival group.

The GB10 also has a second recorded benchmark result, a Geekbench Vulkan score of 114,648, which reinforces its compute capability. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB has no Vulkan result in the database, so no direct comparison is possible there. In the single benchmark where both cards have data, the GB10 wins outright, with a delta nearly twice as large as the closest rival gap on either side.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GB10 scores 120,137 versus 79,396 for the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, a 51.3% advantage for the GB10.

Q: How does the GB10 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GB10 (average score 117,393) leads the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation by 0.3%, leads the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB by 2.6%, leads the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile by 3%, and trails the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 by 1.3%.

Q: How does the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (average score 79,396) leads the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT by 0.6%, trails the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by 0.3%, trails the GeForce RTX 5090 by 0.6%, and trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.9%.

Q: Does the Tesla P100 support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GB10 lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, so it has no recorded graphics API support.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The GB10 has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB has 12 GB of HBM2 on a 3072-bit bus with 549.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The GB10 has 6,144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 384 tensor cores. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB has 3,584 shading units and 224 TMUs, with no RT cores or tensor cores listed.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The GB10 uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 382 mm². The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB uses the Pascal architecture on a 16 nm process, also at TSMC, with a die size of 610 mm² and 15,300 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 25.1M per mm². The GB10's transistor count is listed as unknown, but its smaller die on a much newer node indicates a fundamentally different design approach.

The compute feature sets diverge sharply. The GB10 includes 48 RT cores and 384 tensor cores, making it capable of ray tracing and tensor-accelerated workloads. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB has neither RT cores nor tensor cores listed. This is a structural difference: the GB10 is built for modern accelerated compute, while the P100 predates those dedicated hardware blocks.

The API support also differs. The GB10 lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, which suggests it is positioned as a compute-only part in the database. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, however, supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, giving it a broader software compatibility profile despite its older architecture.

The memory subsystems reflect the generation gap as well. The GB10 uses LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB uses HBM2 with a 3072-bit bus and 549.1 GB/s bandwidth. The P100 has roughly double the memory bandwidth despite having far less capacity, which is characteristic of HBM designs versus the GB10's LPDDR5X approach.

Specification Differences

The GB10 and Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB differ across nearly every major specification category. The GB10 has a base clock of 1665 MHz and a boost clock of 2418 MHz, while the Tesla P100 runs at 1190 MHz base and 1329 MHz boost. The memory clocks also differ: the GB10 runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), while the P100 runs at 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective).

Memory capacity and type are major differentiators. The GB10 offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Tesla P100 offers 12 GB of HBM2 on a 3072-bit bus with 549.1 GB/s bandwidth. The GB10 has far more capacity, while the P100 has far more bandwidth.

Compute throughput numbers show the GB10's advantage. The GB10 delivers 29.71 TFLOPS FP32 and 29.71 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio). The Tesla P100 delivers 9.526 TFLOPS FP32 and 19.05 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio). The GB10 more than triples the P100's FP32 throughput, while its FP16 output is about 56% higher.

Pixel and texture rates tell a more nuanced story. The GB10 has a pixel rate of 116.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 928.5 GTexel/s. The Tesla P100 has a pixel rate of 127.6 GPixel/s, slightly higher than the GB10, but a texture rate of only 297.7 GTexel/s, less than a third of the GB10's figure.

Power and physical specifications differ substantially. The GB10 has a TDP of 140 W, requires no power connectors, suggests a 300 W PSU, and is an IGP slot width. The Tesla P100 has a TDP of 250 W, requires a single 8-pin connector, suggests a 600 W PSU, and is dual-slot. The GB10 measures 150 mm by 51 mm by 150 mm, while the P100 is 267 mm long with no recorded height or width.

The bus interfaces and display outputs also differ. The GB10 uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and has one HDMI output. The Tesla P100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and has no display outputs. Production status differs as well: the GB10 is active, while the Tesla P100 is end-of-life. The GB10's launch MSRP is 3,999 USD, and the Tesla P100's launch MSRP is 4,599 USD.

Where Each One Wins

The GB10 wins in raw compute performance, and the margin is substantial. Its 51.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL over the Tesla P100, combined with its 29.71 TFLOPS FP32 versus the P100's 9.526 TFLOPS, makes it the clear choice for FP32-heavy workloads. Its FP16 output of 29.71 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio also exceeds the P100's 19.05 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, meaning the GB10 maintains its advantage even in mixed-precision scenarios.

The GB10 also wins on memory capacity by a wide margin. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X dwarfs the P100's 12 GB of HBM2, making it suitable for large models or datasets that cannot fit in the P100's smaller frame. The GB10's 384 tensor cores and 48 RT cores add capabilities the P100 simply does not have, opening up tensor-accelerated and ray-traced workloads that are entirely unavailable on the older card.

The Tesla P100 retains advantages in specific areas. Its memory bandwidth of 549.1 GB/s is more than double the GB10's 273.2 GB/s, which benefits bandwidth-bound workloads where capacity is less important than throughput. Its pixel rate of 127.6 GPixel/s edges out the GB10's 116.1 GPixel/s. The P100 also has full graphics API support, including DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the GB10 lists N/A for all three. For any workload requiring those APIs, the P100 is the only option of the two.

The P100's 250 W TDP is higher than the GB10's 140 W, which cuts the other way: the GB10 is the more power-efficient part in the database's recorded figures. The GB10's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and HDMI output are also modern conveniences the P100 lacks, though the P100's dual-slot design and 8-pin connector make it a conventional expansion card, while the GB10 is an IGP.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear verdict for compute-focused buyers. The NVIDIA GB10 outperforms the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB by 51.3% in Geekbench OpenCL, offers 128 GB of memory versus 12 GB, includes RT and tensor cores, and does so at a lower TDP of 140 W versus 250 W. Its 95th percentile standing and competitive positioning against modern cards like the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation and AMD Radeon PRO W7700 confirm that it is a current-generation performer.

The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is the pick only in narrow circumstances. Its 549.1 GB/s memory bandwidth is double the GB10's, which matters for bandwidth-sensitive tasks. Its graphics API support, including DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, makes it usable in environments where the GB10 has no recorded API compatibility. Its 92nd percentile ranking and close scores to the RTX 5090 and Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB show it remains competitive within its own era, but that era is a generation behind.

For buyers choosing between these two specific cards, the GB10 is the recommended option for modern compute workloads, large memory footprints, and any use of tensor or RT hardware. The Tesla P100 is the fallback for legacy software stacks that require its graphics APIs or workloads that are strictly bandwidth-bound and cannot use the GB10's compute advantages. The recorded data does not support any scenario where the P100 wins on raw compute, and the GB10's 51.3% lead is the single largest margin in the comparison.