NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB vs NVIDIA Tesla M4 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB scores 27,001, while the NVIDIA Tesla M4 scores 16,932. This gives the GTX 1060 3 GB a 59.5% advantage in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL. The delta is substantial, indicating that the consumer card delivers significantly more parallel processing power in this workload.

Looking at the broader database context, the GTX 1060 3 GB sits at the 64th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,334. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which scores 19,410 (a 0.4% difference), the NVIDIA TITAN Xp at 19,177 (0.8% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 at 19,164 (0.9% behind), and the NVIDIA Tesla K20m at 19,089 (1.3% behind). This places the GTX 1060 3 GB in a tightly contested cluster, effectively matching the performance of much larger and more expensive flagship cards from earlier generations.

The Tesla M4, by contrast, sits at the 60th percentile with an average score of 16,932. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17,019 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17,037 (0.6% ahead), the NVIDIA T400 4 GB at 16,792 (0.8% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17,083 (0.9% ahead). The Tesla M4 is therefore grouped with mobile and entry-level workstation parts, and its performance ceiling is notably lower than that of the GTX 1060 3 GB.

The 59.5% delta between the two cards in OpenCL is larger than any of the differences seen among their respective nearest rival clusters. This suggests that the GTX 1060 3 GB is not just marginally faster, but occupies a meaningfully higher performance tier. The data shows no benchmark in the database where the Tesla M4 wins; the head-to-head record is 1 win for the GTX 1060 3 GB and 0 for the Tesla M4.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 1060 3 GB wins in every recorded benchmark category where both cards have data. In OpenCL, its 27,001 score versus 16,932 represents a 59.5% lead, which translates to faster general-purpose compute tasks, including physics simulations, image processing, and database-style workloads that leverage the OpenCL framework. The card also has recorded scores in Geekbench Metal (13,527) and Geekbench Vulkan (17,475), though the Tesla M4 has no corresponding entries in those tests, so no direct comparison is possible. The presence of these additional benchmark results indicates that the GTX 1060 3 GB is a more versatile card across multiple API environments.

The Tesla M4 has no recorded wins in any benchmark. Its single OpenCL score of 16,932 is its only data point, and it trails the GTX 1060 3 GB by a wide margin. The Tesla M4 does hold advantages in certain specification areas that are not captured by compute benchmarks, but for raw performance, the database is unambiguous: the GTX 1060 3 GB is the faster card.

From a use-case perspective, the GTX 1060 3 GB is suited for tasks that demand high floating-point throughput and memory bandwidth. Its OpenCL performance places it in the same range as the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and NVIDIA TITAN Xp in the database, which are high-end parts. The Tesla M4, with its lower compute score and smaller bandwidth, is more appropriate for power-constrained environments where the 50 W TDP and single-slot form factor are priorities over absolute performance. The data suggests that the Tesla M4 trades compute capability for efficiency and physical compactness, while the GTX 1060 3 GB prioritizes raw speed.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB scores 27,001 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 59.5% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M4's score of 16,932.

Q: How does the GTX 1060 3 GB compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The GTX 1060 3 GB has an average benchmark score of 19,334, putting it within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp. It is also 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla K20m.

Q: Does the Tesla M4 win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The Tesla M4 has zero recorded wins. The GTX 1060 3 GB wins the only shared benchmark, which is Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The GTX 1060 3 GB has a memory bandwidth of 192.2 GB/s, while the Tesla M4 has 88.00 GB/s. The GTX 1060 3 GB also uses a 192-bit bus versus the Tesla M4's 128-bit bus, and its memory runs at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) compared to 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective).

Q: Are there any benchmark results for the Tesla M4 other than OpenCL?

A: No. The only recorded benchmark for the Tesla M4 is Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 1060 3 GB also has Geekbench Metal (13,527) and Geekbench Vulkan (17,475) scores, but the Tesla M4 has no entries for those tests.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of compute throughput?

A: The GTX 1060 3 GB delivers 3.935 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Tesla M4 delivers 2.195 TFLOPS. The GTX 1060 3 GB also has a higher pixel rate (81.98 GPixel/s versus 34.30 GPixel/s) and texture rate (123.0 GTexel/s versus 68.61 GTexel/s).

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The GTX 1060 3 GB uses a 16 nm process node from TSMC, while the Tesla M4 uses a 28 nm node from the same foundry. Transistor counts differ as well: the GTX 1060 3 GB has 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a density of 22.0M / mm². The Tesla M4 has 2,940 million transistors on a larger 228 mm² die, with a lower density of 12.9M / mm².

Clock speeds are significantly higher on the GTX 1060 3 GB. Its base clock is 1506 MHz and boost clock is 1708 MHz, compared to the Tesla M4's 872 MHz base and 1072 MHz boost. Memory specifications also diverge: the GTX 1060 3 GB has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 192.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Tesla M4 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 88.00 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock is 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) on the GTX 1060 3 GB versus 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective) on the Tesla M4.

Compute unit counts favor the GTX 1060 3 GB: 1152 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, versus 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs on the Tesla M4. Power consumption is a major differentiator, with the GTX 1060 3 GB rated at 120 W TDP and the Tesla M4 at 50 W TDP. The GTX 1060 3 GB is a dual-slot card requiring a 1x 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, while the Tesla M4 is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a 250 W suggested PSU.

Physical and output differences are notable. The GTX 1060 3 GB is 250 mm (9.8 inches) long and has display outputs: 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The Tesla M4 has no display outputs at all. The GTX 1060 3 GB was released on 2016-08-17, while the Tesla M4 was released on 2015-11-09. The GTX 1060 3 GB has a launch MSRP of 199 USD; the Tesla M4 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between the two cards is generational and fundamental. The GTX 1060 3 GB is built on the Pascal architecture with the GP106 chip, part of the GeForce 10-series. The Tesla M4 uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM206 chip, belonging to the Tesla Maxwell (Mxx) generation. Pascal is a newer architecture than Maxwell 2.0, which is reflected in the process node advantage: 16 nm versus 28 nm, both fabricated by TSMC. The smaller node allows the GTX 1060 3 GB to pack more transistors into a smaller die area, resulting in a transistor density of 22.0M / mm² versus 12.9M / mm² for the Tesla M4.

The GTX 1060 3 GB also supports FP16 compute at 61.49 GFLOPS with a 1:64 ratio, while the Tesla M4 has no recorded FP16 capability. This indicates a difference in precision handling that may matter for certain compute workloads. Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical in that regard. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, so those features are absent from both.

The Tesla M4 is positioned as a compute-focused accelerator with no display outputs, while the GTX 1060 3 GB is a consumer graphics card with full display connectivity. The GTX 1060 3 GB's predecessor is the GeForce 900 series and its successor is the GeForce 20 series, placing it in the mainstream consumer lineage. The Tesla M4's predecessor is Tesla Kepler and its successor is Tesla Pascal, showing a professional compute lineage. The architecture differences explain the performance gap: Pascal's efficiency and higher clock speeds give the GTX 1060 3 GB a commanding lead in compute benchmarks, while Maxwell 2.0 on 28 nm is limited by both architectural age and process technology.