NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 vs NVIDIA Tesla K10 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher raw compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K10 delivers 2.289 TFLOPS FP32, which is 44.8% higher than the GeForce GTX 580's 1.581 TFLOPS. However, the GTX 580 still wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ between the two cards?

A: The Tesla K10 has 4 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 580 has 1536 MB GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 580's narrower capacity is offset by a wider bus and higher bandwidth.

Q: What is the process node difference and why does it matter?

A: The Tesla K10 uses a 28 nm process from TSMC, while the GTX 580 uses 40 nm. This allows the K10 to pack 3,540 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, versus 3,000 million transistors on a 520 mm² die for the GTX 580.

Q: Which card has more shading units and texture units?

A: The Tesla K10 has 1536 shading units and 128 texture mapping units, triple and double the GTX 580's 512 shading units and 64 TMUs respectively. The GTX 580 counters with 48 ROPs versus the K10's 32 ROPs.

Q: Do both cards support the same API levels?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla K10 additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What are the physical and power specifications for each?

A: Both are dual-slot cards requiring 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU. The GTX 580 has a 244 W TDP and measures 267 mm, while the Tesla K10 has a 225 W TDP and measures 272 mm.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 15,283 against the Tesla K10's 14,029, a margin of 8.9%. This is notable because the K10 has triple the shading units and 44.8% higher theoretical FP32 throughput. The GTX 580 also has superior memory bandwidth at 192.4 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s, which likely contributes to its benchmark victory despite the K10's architectural advantages.

The NVIDIA Tesla K10 wins in raw specification categories that matter for compute workloads, even if the benchmark doesn't reflect it. Its 4 GB memory capacity is more than double the GTX 580's 1536 MB, making it better suited for larger datasets. The K10's 28 nm process translates to better transistor density (12.0M / mm² vs 5.8M / mm²) and a lower TDP of 225 W versus 244 W. In terms of texture throughput, the K10's 95.36 GTexel/s is nearly double the GTX 580's 49.41 GTexel/s.

For users prioritizing display outputs, the GTX 580 is the clear choice, as it includes 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a outputs, while the Tesla K10 has no display outputs. The GTX 580 also uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, while the K10 supports PCIe 3.0 x16. The benchmark suggests the GTX 580 is more efficient in real-world OpenCL tasks, while the K10's specification sheet suggests it should theoretically dominate in compute-heavy scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct generations of NVIDIA GPU design. The GeForce GTX 580 is built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture with the GF110 chip, while the Tesla K10 uses the Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip. This generational leap is evident in the process node, with the GTX 580 using TSMC's 40 nm process and the K10 using 28 nm.

The transistor counts tell an interesting story. The GTX 580 packs 3,000 million transistors into a 520 mm² die, resulting in 5.8M transistors per mm². The Tesla K10 crams 3,540 million transistors into a much smaller 294 mm² die, achieving 12.0M transistors per mm² — more than double the density. This density improvement is a hallmark of the shift from Fermi to Kepler.

Compute resource allocation differs drastically. The GTX 580 has 512 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The Tesla K10 has 1536 shading units and 128 TMUs but only 32 ROPs. This suggests Kepler optimized for shader and texture work while reducing fixed-function rasterization hardware. The K10's pixel rate of 23.84 GPixel/s is slightly lower than the GTX 580's 24.70 GPixel/s, consistent with the ROP reduction.

Memory architecture also diverges. The GTX 580 uses a 384-bit bus with 192.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the K10 uses a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s. Despite the K10's higher memory clock of 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective) versus the GTX 580's 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective), the wider bus on the GTX 580 wins bandwidth. The K10 compensates with 4 GB capacity versus 1536 MB.

API support shows the K10's newer pedigree: it lists Vulkan 1.2.175 support, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan entry. Both share DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every spec category. Process node: 40 nm (GTX 580) versus 28 nm (Tesla K10). Transistors: 3,000 million versus 3,540 million. Die size: 520 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density: 5.8M / mm² versus 12.0M / mm².

Memory: 1536 MB versus 4 GB capacity; 384-bit versus 256-bit bus; 192.4 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s bandwidth; memory clock 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective) versus 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Compute units: 512 versus 1536 shading units; 64 versus 128 TMUs; 48 versus 32 ROPs. Pixel rate: 24.70 versus 23.84 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 49.41 versus 95.36 GTexel/s. FP32: 1.581 versus 2.289 TFLOPS.

Power: TDP 244 W versus 225 W. Bus interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs: 2x DVI + 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a versus none. Length: 267 mm (10.5 inches) versus 272 mm (10.7 inches).

Release dates: 2010-11-08 versus 2012-04-30. Launch MSRP: 499 USD versus 5,099 USD. Both are end-of-life. The GTX 580's predecessor is GeForce 400 and successor GeForce 600; the K10's predecessor is Tesla Fermi and successor Tesla Maxwell.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is a decisive win for the GeForce GTX 580. The GTX 580 scores 15,283, while the Tesla K10 scores 14,029. This is an 8.9% delta in favor of the GTX 580.

This outcome is counterintuitive given the specification sheet. The Tesla K10 has triple the shading units (1536 vs 512) and 44.8% higher FP32 throughput (2.289 vs 1.581 TFLOPS). The K10 also doubles the texture rate at 95.36 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s. Yet the GTX 580 still wins the OpenCL test.

Memory bandwidth appears to be the decisive factor. The GTX 580's 192.4 GB/s exceeds the K10's 160.0 GB/s by 20.3%. The GTX 580 also has more ROPs (48 vs 32) and a slightly higher pixel rate (24.70 vs 23.84 GPixel/s). In OpenCL workloads that are memory-bound or rasterization-bound, these advantages can outweigh raw shader count.

The benchmark percentile data contextualizes these scores. The GTX 580 ranks in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290, 0% delta) and AMD Radeon 680M (15,270, 0.1% delta). The Tesla K10 ranks in the 55th percentile, with nearest rivals being the GeForce GTX 680 (14,150, -0.9% delta) and AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871, 1.1% delta). The GTX 580's rivals are all newer architectures, yet it matches them almost exactly, suggesting the Fermi design aged gracefully in OpenCL performance.

In the overall head-to-head tally, the GTX 580 wins 1 benchmark and the Tesla K10 wins 0. The K10's specification advantages do not translate to benchmark victory. This indicates that for OpenCL workloads represented by Geekbench, the GTX 580's wider memory bus and higher bandwidth are more impactful than the K10's superior compute resources. The 8.9% delta is substantial enough to be meaningful, not a statistical tie.