NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER vs NVIDIA Tesla K20c Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla K20c and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER represent two distinct eras of GPU design, and benchmark results show a clear generational divide. While the Tesla K20c was a high-performance computing workhorse from 2012, the GTX 1650 SUPER, released in 2019, demonstrates how consumer architecture has evolved. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, but the specification sheets reveal deep architectural and functional differences that dictate which card is suitable for specific tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are decisively one-sided. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER scores 43,875 points, while the NVIDIA Tesla K20c manages 11,479 points. This represents a deltaPct of -73.8% for the Tesla K20c, meaning the GTX 1650 SUPER is approximately 3.8 times faster in this particular compute workload. This is a massive performance gap, especially considering the Tesla K20c's positioning as a professional compute card.

The magnitude of this victory is striking when contextualized against their respective peer groups. The Tesla K20c's score of 11,479 places it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, scoring 11,528 (a -0.4% delta). The GTX 1650 SUPER, with its score of 43,875, sits in the 50th percentile, but its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 550 (11,075), are nowhere near its performance level in this test. This discrepancy suggests that the GTX 1650 SUPER's benchmark profile is heavily weighted by its much faster OpenCL score, whereas the Tesla K20c's profile is more modest.

In essence, the GTX 1650 SUPER wins the only head-to-head benchmark by a landslide. The Tesla K20c does not have a single benchmark win in this comparison, reinforcing the idea that its strengths lie elsewhere, specifically in areas not captured by this particular test. The data clearly indicates that for general-purpose compute as measured by Geekbench, the newer Turing architecture of the GTX 1650 SUPER is overwhelmingly superior.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the available data, the GTX 1650 SUPER is the clear winner in raw compute performance, as demonstrated by its dominant Geekbench OpenCL score. Its other benchmark scores, such as 50,519 in Geekbench Vulkan and 10,179 in Passmark G3D, further solidify its position as a more capable all-around performer. The presence of Vulkan and DirectX 12_1 API support means it can handle modern gaming and application workloads, making it the practical choice for a general-purpose desktop GPU.

The Tesla K20c, conversely, has no winning benchmark scores in this dataset. Its strengths are not in the raw compute or gaming-centric tests listed here. The data shows a 51st percentile ranking, which is average, and its only benchmark score is the OpenCL test where it loses. Its value proposition lies in its professional pedigree, not its performance in these consumer-oriented benchmarks. The absence of display outputs and its focus on compute make it a specialized tool for server or workstation environments where its 5 GB of memory and specific driver optimizations for scientific workloads might be more relevant than raw gaming performance.

Therefore, the GTX 1650 SUPER wins in any scenario requiring general compute, gaming, or modern API support. The Tesla K20c's "win" is not in performance metrics but in its intended use case as a compute accelerator for high-performance computing, a role where its specifications, like the 320-bit memory bus and 5 GB frame buffer, could be more valuable than the GTX 1650 SUPER's 128-bit bus and 4 GB of memory.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Tesla K20c uses the GK110 chip, based on the Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This older design is massive, with a die size of 561 mm² and a transistor count of 7,080 million, resulting in a transistor density of 12.6M / mm². In contrast, the GTX 1650 SUPER uses the TU116 chip, based on the Turing architecture, built on a more advanced 12 nm process, also at TSMC. This newer chip is significantly smaller at 284 mm² but packs 6,600 million transistors, yielding a much higher transistor density of 23.2M / mm².

This generational shift is also reflected in their compute capabilities. The Tesla K20c has a higher raw count of shading units (2,496 vs. 1,280) and texture mapping units (208 vs. 80), but the GTX 1650 SUPER achieves higher peak clock speeds. The GTX 1650 SUPER has a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1725 MHz, whereas the Tesla K20c's clocks are not listed in the data. This clock advantage, combined with the architectural efficiency of Turing, allows the GTX 1650 SUPER to achieve a higher FP32 performance of 4.416 TFLOPS compared to the Tesla K20c's 3.524 TFLOPS. The GTX 1650 SUPER also supports FP16 compute with a 2:1 ratio, offering 8.832 TFLOPS, a feature entirely absent from the older Kepler card.

The API support also highlights the architectural divide. The Tesla K20c supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the GTX 1650 SUPER supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 1650 SUPER supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Tesla K20c is limited to Vulkan 1.2.175. The newer Turing architecture is clearly designed for modern software stacks, offering better feature support and efficiency, which is a direct result of the transition from the 28 nm Kepler node to the 12 nm Turing node.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal several key differences beyond the architecture. The most obvious is memory configuration. The Tesla K20c is equipped with 5 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 208.0 GB/s. The GTX 1650 SUPER, conversely, has 4 GB of faster GDDR6 memory on a narrower 128-bit bus, resulting in a lower bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The Tesla K20c's memory runs at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the GTX 1650 SUPER's memory runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), which is a significant speed advantage for the newer card.

Power and physical requirements also differ substantially. The Tesla K20c has a TDP of 225 W and requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector, with a suggested power supply of 550 W. The GTX 1650 SUPER is far more efficient, with a TDP of only 100 W, a single 6-pin connector, and a suggested power supply of 300 W. The Tesla K20c is also longer at 267 mm (10.5 inches) compared to the GTX 1650 SUPER's 229 mm (9 inches), and it lacks any display outputs, whereas the GTX 1650 SUPER offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The bus interface also differs, with the Tesla K20c using PCIe 2.0 x16 and the GTX 1650 SUPER using the newer PCIe 3.0 x16.

Finally, the release timeline and market positioning are starkly different. The Tesla K20c was released on 2012-11-11, with a launch MSRP of 3,199 USD. The GTX 1650 SUPER was released on 2019-11-21, with a launch MSRP of 159 USD. While the Tesla K20c's high price reflects its professional compute target, the GTX 1650 SUPER's much lower price point is aimed at the consumer gaming market. The Tesla K20c has no display outputs, reinforcing its role as a dedicated compute card, while the GTX 1650 SUPER is a fully featured consumer GPU.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER is significantly faster, scoring 43,875 compared to the NVIDIA Tesla K20c's 11,479, a delta of -73.8% in favor of the GTX 1650 SUPER.

Q: What are the memory capacities and types of these two cards?

A: The Tesla K20c has 5 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 320-bit bus, while the GTX 1650 SUPER has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher FP32 (single-precision) performance?

A: The GTX 1650 SUPER has a higher FP32 performance of 4.416 TFLOPS, compared to the Tesla K20c's 3.524 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the Tesla K20c support modern display outputs?

A: No, the Tesla K20c has no display outputs. In contrast, the GTX 1650 SUPER includes 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: What are the power consumption requirements for each card?

A: The Tesla K20c has a TDP of 225 W and requires a 550 W power supply, while the GTX 1650 SUPER has a TDP of 100 W and requires a 300 W power supply.

Q: Which GPU has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Tesla K20c has a higher memory bandwidth of 208.0 GB/s, due to its wider 320-bit bus, compared to the GTX 1650 SUPER's 192.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus.