NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 vs NVIDIA Tesla K40c Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a clear single point of comparison between the NVIDIA Tesla K40c and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this workload, the Tesla K40c records a score of 17,468, while the GTX 580 trails with 15,283. That translates to a 14.3% advantage for the Tesla K40c, making it the winner in this head-to-head matchup.

Context from the nearest rival data helps frame the significance of that delta. The Tesla K40c sits within 1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509, down 0.2%), the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, down 0.5%), the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, down 0.7%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639, down 1%). Meanwhile, the GTX 580 lands effectively at parity with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290, 0% delta), and just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270). The 14.3% gap between the two cards is substantial, placing them in different performance tiers despite their similar age.

The GTX 580's percentile ranking of 58 out of all GPUs in the database versus the Tesla K40c's 61 percentile reinforces this separation. While both cards fall below the midpoint of modern GPU performance, the Tesla K40c's OpenCL compute advantage is consistent with its design intent. The recorded data shows only one benchmark, but that single result is enough to establish a definitive ordering: the Tesla K40c is faster in general-purpose compute workloads by a meaningful margin.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip on the Kepler architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The GTX 580, by contrast, uses the GF110 chip on the older Fermi 2.0 architecture, also from TSMC but on a 40 nm process. Its transistor count is 3,000 million on a 520 mm² die, with a density of 5.8 million per square millimeter. The shift from 40 nm to 28 nm allowed Kepler to nearly double the transistor count while adding only 41 mm² to the die size.

The shading resources differ dramatically. The Tesla K40c has 2,880 shading units and 240 texture mapping units, while the GTX 580 has 512 shading units and 64 TMUs. Both cards share 48 render output units. This disparity in shader and texture hardware explains the raw throughput gap: the Tesla K40c delivers 5.046 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 210.2 GTexel/s of texture fill rate, while the GTX 580 manages 1.581 TFLOPS and 49.41 GTexel/s. Pixel fill rates are 52.56 GPixel/s for the Tesla K40c versus 24.70 GPixel/s for the GTX 580.

Memory configurations also diverge. The Tesla K40c carries 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for a bandwidth of 288.4 GB/s. The GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5 on the same 384-bit bus width, but memory runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective), capping bandwidth at 192.4 GB/s. The Tesla K40c thus offers eight times the capacity and roughly 50% more bandwidth.

Clock behavior differs as well. The Tesla K40c has a base clock of 745 MHz and a boost clock of 876 MHz, while the GTX 580 lists no base or boost clock in the database, only its memory clock. The Tesla K40c's boost capability allows it to exceed its base frequency under load, a feature that the GTX 580's Fermi architecture does not expose in the same way.

Interface and output capabilities are another clear divergence. The Tesla K40c uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and has no display outputs, as it is a compute-oriented accelerator. The GTX 580 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 and offers 2x DVI plus 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a for display connectivity. Both cards are dual-slot designs with 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors, and both suggest a 550 W power supply. The GTX 580 has a listed height of 111 mm (4.4 inches), while the Tesla K40c's height is not recorded; both share the same 267 mm (10.5 inches) length.

API support is similar for the Tesla K40c and GTX 580: both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla K40c adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan entry in the database. The release dates reflect their generational gap: the GTX 580 launched on 2010-11-08 as part of the GeForce 500 generation, succeeding GeForce 400 and preceding GeForce 600. The Tesla K40c launched on 2013-10-07 in the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation, succeeding Tesla Fermi and preceding Tesla Maxwell.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward recommendation for compute workloads: the Tesla K40c is the stronger card. Its 14.3% lead in OpenCL benchmarking, combined with triple the FP32 throughput (5.046 TFLOPS versus 1.581 TFLOPS) and eight times the memory capacity, makes it the clear choice for tasks that stress raw shader compute or large datasets. The 288.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus 192.4 GB/s further favors the Tesla K40c in memory-bound operations.

However, the GTX 580 is not without its rationale. It is the only one of the two with display outputs, offering 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. If the task requires driving a monitor, the Tesla K40c simply cannot do it, as it has no outputs. The GTX 580 also carries a lower transistor count and smaller die, which historically correlates with lower manufacturing complexity, though the database does not provide power consumption figures beyond both cards sitting at 245 W (Tesla K40c) and 244 W (GTX 580), effectively identical.

For a builder assembling a system today, the choice hinges on use case. If the goal is a compute accelerator for OpenCL or similar workloads, the Tesla K40c's benchmark and specification advantages are decisive. If the goal is a legacy display-capable card, the GTX 580 is the only option. The Tesla K40c's launch MSRP was 7,699 USD, while the GTX 580's launch MSRP was 499 USD; both are end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA Tesla K40c | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | GK180 | GF110 |

| Architecture | Kepler | Fermi 2.0 |

| Generation | Tesla Kepler (Kxx) | GeForce 500 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 520 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 5.8M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 745 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 876 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1502 MHz, 6 Gbps effective | 1002 MHz, 4 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 1536 MB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.4 GB/s | 192.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2880 | 512 |

| TMUs | 240 | 64 |

| ROPs | 48 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 52.56 GPixel/s | 24.70 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 210.2 GTexel/s | 49.41 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.046 TFLOPS | 1.581 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 245 W | 244 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | Not listed |

| Height | Not listed | 111 mm, 4.4 inches |

| Release Date | 2013-10-07 | 2010-11-08 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Fermi | GeForce 400 |

| Successor | Tesla Maxwell | GeForce 600 |

| Launch MSRP | 7,699 USD | 499 USD |

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher OpenCL benchmark scores?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17,468 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 14.3% higher than the GTX 580's 15,283.

Q: Do these cards support the same APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla K40c additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 580 has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: Can the Tesla K40c connect to a monitor?

A: No, the Tesla K40c has no display outputs. The GTX 580 provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 580 has 1536 MB of GDDR5. Both use a 384-bit memory bus.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: Both cards have a TDP around 245 W (Tesla K40c) and 244 W (GTX 580), require 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors, and suggest a 550 W power supply.

Q: Which card was released later?

A: The Tesla K40c was released on 2013-10-07, while the GTX 580 was released on 2010-11-08.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA Tesla K40c wins in compute throughput. The 5.046 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is more than triple the GTX 580's 1.581 TFLOPS. Texture fill rate follows suit at 210.2 GTexel/s versus 49.41 GTexel/s. The 14.3% OpenCL benchmark lead confirms this advantage in real workloads.

NVIDIA Tesla K40c wins in memory capacity and bandwidth. With 12 GB versus 1536 MB, the Tesla K40c can hold eight times more data on-card. The 288.4 GB/s bandwidth also outpaces the GTX 580's 192.4 GB/s, which matters for large working sets or streaming operations.

NVIDIA Tesla K40c wins in architectural efficiency. The 28 nm process and 12.6M transistors per mm² versus 5.8M on 40 nm show a denser, more modern design. The boost clock up to 876 MHz adds dynamic performance headroom.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins in display connectivity. It is the only card with outputs: 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. The Tesla K40c cannot drive a monitor at all.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins in launch price. Its launch MSRP of 499 USD is substantially lower than the Tesla K40c's 7,699 USD, though both cards are end-of-life and current market prices are not represented in the database.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins in physical compactness. It has a listed height of 111 mm, while the Tesla K40c's height is not recorded. Both share the same 267 mm length and dual-slot width, but the GTX 580's tapered profile may fit tighter enclosures.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 wins in bus compatibility. Its PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is backward compatible with older platforms, whereas the Tesla K40c's PCIe 3.0 x16 link requires a motherboard that can supply that generation, though it can operate on PCIe 2.0 slots as well.