NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti vs NVIDIA Tesla M2090 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects that clearly. The GTX 1080 Ti, a Pascal-generation consumer flagship, dominates in every recorded metric, while the Tesla M2090 is a Fermi-generation compute card with a much narrower profile. This comparison is not about a close contest; it is about understanding how far GPU architecture has come and where each card's specific strengths lie, based strictly on recorded performance.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous: the GTX 1080 Ti wins every head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database. The only shared test is Geekbench OpenCL, where the GTX 1080 Ti scores 67929 against the Tesla M2090's 13075, a lead of 419.5%. This is not a marginal advantage but a generational gap.

The GTX 1080 Ti also holds wins across a broader set of tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (2231), Geekbench Metal (30624), Geekbench Vulkan (40511), and multiple Passmark tests (DirectX 9 at 231, DirectX 10 at 118, DirectX 11 at 151, DirectX 12 at 66, G2D at 939, G3D at 18600, and GPU Compute at 9632). The Tesla M2090 has no recorded wins in any category.

For the Tesla M2090, its only benchmark result is the Geekbench OpenCL score of 13075, which places it at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs. The GTX 1080 Ti, by comparison, sits at the 58th percentile. This means the Tesla M2090 is not a performance leader even within its own context; it is a mid-pack compute card. The GTX 1080 Ti, despite being older than current flagships, still outranks it in the overall distribution.

The practical takeaway: if your workload depends on OpenCL compute, the GTX 1080 Ti is over five times faster according to the recorded delta. If you need any of the other tested APIs or features, the Tesla M2090 has no recorded results, so the GTX 1080 Ti is the only option with data to support it.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is the root of the performance disparity. The GTX 1080 Ti uses the GP102 chip on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It packs 11,800 million transistors into a 471 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 25.1M per mm². The Tesla M2090 uses the GF110 chip on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a much older 40 nm process. It has 3,000 million transistors on a larger 520 mm² die, resulting in a density of only 5.8M per mm². The Pascal chip is denser, more efficient, and newer.

The memory systems are also from different generations. The GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR5X on a 352-bit bus, delivering 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla M2090 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, with 177.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1080 Ti has much higher bandwidth despite a narrower bus, thanks to faster memory clocks (1376 MHz, 11 Gbps effective versus 924 MHz, 3.7 Gbps effective).

Compute resources differ massively. The GTX 1080 Ti has 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 ROPs. The Tesla M2090 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The GTX 1080 Ti also has a far higher FP32 throughput at 11.34 TFLOPS versus 1,332.2 GFLOPS for the Tesla. Pixel rate is 139.2 GPixel/s versus 20.83, and texture rate is 354.4 GTexel/s versus 41.66.

The Tesla M2090 has no FP16 support recorded, while the GTX 1080 Ti has FP16 at 177.2 GFLOPS (1:64). The GTX 1080 Ti supports PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Tesla M2090 is limited to PCIe 2.0 x16. The Tesla has no display outputs, while the GTX 1080 Ti has 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The Tesla also lacks Vulkan support, while the GTX 1080 Ti supports Vulkan 1.4. DirectX support differs too: the GTX 1080 Ti is at 12 (12_1), the Tesla at 12 (11_0).

The Verdict

The GTX 1080 Ti is the clear pick for any workload that appears in the database. It wins the only head-to-head test by a huge margin, has a higher average benchmark score (15548 versus 13075), and holds a higher percentile (58 versus 53). If you need OpenCL performance, the GTX 1080 Ti is the only rational choice. If you need any modern API support, including Vulkan or higher-tier DirectX, the Tesla M2090 simply cannot provide it.

The Tesla M2090 is not competitive in any recorded benchmark. Its only score is the OpenCL result, and even there it loses by 419.5%. It is a Fermi-era compute card with no display outputs, no Vulkan, and older PCIe. Its 53rd percentile ranking places it near cards like the GTX 950 and RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, not in the same tier as the GTX 1080 Ti.

Who should pick the Tesla M2090? Only someone with a legacy compute workload that specifically requires Fermi 2.0 and cannot be migrated, and even then, the data shows it is slower. Who should pick the GTX 1080 Ti? Anyone whose tasks match the benchmarks: OpenCL, Vulkan, Metal, DirectX, or general GPU compute. The GTX 1080 Ti is the superior card in every recorded metric.

FAQ

Q: Is the GTX 1080 Ti faster than the Tesla M2090 in OpenCL?

A: Yes. The GTX 1080 Ti scores 67929 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Tesla M2090 scores 13075, a difference of 419.5%.

Q: Does the Tesla M2090 support Vulkan?

A: No. The database records no Vulkan support for the Tesla M2090, while the GTX 1080 Ti supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Tesla M2090 has 177.4 GB/s.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 15548, and the Tesla M2090 has an average of 13075.

Q: Does the Tesla M2090 have any display outputs?

A: No. The Tesla M2090 has no display outputs, while the GTX 1080 Ti has 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the Tesla M2090 by average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (0.7% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.9% behind), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (1% ahead), and AMD Radeon RX 580 (1.1% ahead).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a rout. The GTX 1080 Ti scores 67929, the Tesla M2090 scores 13075, and the delta is 419.5% in favor of the GTX 1080 Ti. This means the GTX 1080 Ti is roughly five times faster in this compute test.

Beyond that, the GTX 1080 Ti has a full suite of results across DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, plus Metal, Vulkan, and compute workloads. Its Passmark G3D score is 18600, and its GPU Compute score is 9632. The Tesla M2090 has no recorded results for any of these tests. The GTX 1080 Ti's lowest Passmark score is DirectX 12 at 66, which still represents a recorded capability the Tesla cannot match because it has no data.

The GTX 1080 Ti also shows strength in modern APIs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2231, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 40511. The Tesla M2090, lacking Vulkan support entirely, cannot participate in such tests. The GTX 1080 Ti's Geekbench Metal score of 30624 further demonstrates its breadth, while the Tesla has no Metal result.

In terms of percentile ranking, the GTX 1080 Ti sits at 58, above the Tesla M2090's 53. The GTX 1080 Ti's nearest rivals by average score include the AMD Radeon R9 M380 (0.2% ahead), AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (0.8% behind), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (1.7% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (1.7% behind). The Tesla M2090's rivals are the GTX 1660 SUPER, GTX 950, RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, and RX 580, all within about 1% of its score. This shows the Tesla competes with older or lower-tier cards, while the GTX 1080 Ti sits near RTX 2060 territory.

Specification Differences

The GTX 1080 Ti and Tesla M2090 differ in nearly every specification recorded. The GTX 1080 Ti uses the GP102 chip on Pascal, with a 16 nm process and 11,800 million transistors. The Tesla M2090 uses the GF110 on Fermi 2.0, with a 40 nm process and 3,000 million transistors. Die size is 471 mm² for the GTX 1080 Ti versus 520 mm² for the Tesla, but the GTX 1080 Ti has a much higher transistor density at 25.1M per mm² versus 5.8M.

Memory is another clear split: the GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR5X on a 352-bit bus with 484.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Tesla M2090 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 177.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 1080 Ti's memory clock is 1376 MHz (11 Gbps effective), versus 924 MHz (3.7 Gbps effective) for the Tesla.

Compute units differ: the GTX 1080 Ti has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 88 ROPs. The Tesla M2090 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Pixel rates are 139.2 GPixel/s versus 20.83, and texture rates are 354.4 GTexel/s versus 41.66. FP32 output is 11.34 TFLOPS for the GTX 1080 Ti versus 1,332.2 GFLOPS for the Tesla. The GTX 1080 Ti has FP16 at 177.2 GFLOPS (1:64), while the Tesla has no recorded FP16.

Both cards have the same TDP at 250 W, dual-slot design, and power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin), with a suggested PSU of 600 W. The bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 1080 Ti versus PCIe 2.0 x16 for the Tesla. Display outputs are present only on the GTX 1080 Ti (1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a); the Tesla has none. API support diverges: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6 for both, Vulkan 1.4 for the GTX 1080 Ti and none for the Tesla. Dimensions show the GTX 1080 Ti is longer at 267 mm versus 248 mm for the Tesla, with the GTX 1080 Ti also having recorded height (112 mm) and width (40 mm) data, while the Tesla has none.