NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti vs NVIDIA Tesla C2070 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a single head-to-head result, and it belongs entirely to the NVIDIA Tesla C2070. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Tesla C2070 records a score of 9716 against 7877 for the GeForce GTX 650 Ti, a decisive 23.3% advantage. That is the only shared benchmark in the database, so the Tesla C2070 takes the sole win in this comparison.

The GeForce GTX 650 Ti does have an additional recorded result that the Tesla C2070 lacks: a Geekbench Vulkan score of 8229. This is not a direct comparison, since the Tesla C2070 has no Vulkan result in the database. Still, the GTX 650 Ti's Vulkan figure is notably higher than its own OpenCL score, suggesting the Kepler architecture handles the Vulkan API more efficiently. The Tesla C2070, by contrast, lists no Vulkan support in its API specifications, so the GTX 650 Ti is the only one of the two that can be assessed for Vulkan performance at all.

Looking at the wider database context, the Tesla C2070 sits at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 650 Ti sits at the 42nd percentile. That five-point percentile gap reflects the OpenCL result: the Tesla card is solidly mid-pack, while the GTX 650 Ti trails slightly. The GTX 650 Ti's average benchmark score across all its recorded tests is 8053, which is 17.1% lower than the Tesla C2070's single-score average of 9716.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. If the workload is OpenCL compute, the Tesla C2070 is the stronger part. If the workload involves Vulkan, the GTX 650 Ti is the only option with a recorded result, and that result is respectable. For general desktop graphics and API coverage, the GTX 650 Ti offers broader connectivity and a Vulkan driver path, but for raw compute throughput in the one test both share, the Tesla C2070 wins outright.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different NVIDIA generations with fundamentally different designs. The Tesla C2070 is built on the GF100 chip using the Fermi architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. The die is massive at 529 mm², housing 3,100 million transistors, which works out to a transistor density of 5.9 million per square millimeter. The GTX 650 Ti uses the GK106S chip with the Kepler architecture, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm process. Its die is much smaller at 221 mm², containing 2,540 million transistors, giving it a far higher density of 11.5 million per square millimeter. The Kepler part packs nearly as many transistors into less than half the silicon area.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The Tesla C2070 ships with 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 143.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 650 Ti has only 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, producing 86.40 GB/s. The Tesla card has six times the capacity and roughly 66% more bandwidth, which matters for large compute datasets. The GTX 650 Ti compensates with faster memory clocks: 1350 MHz (5.4 Gbps effective) versus 747 MHz (3 Gbps effective) on the Tesla, but the narrower bus limits total throughput.

Compute resources tell a mixed story. The Tesla C2070 has 448 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GTX 650 Ti has more shading units at 768, more TMUs at 64, but far fewer ROPs at just 16. The Kepler architecture's shader-heavy design shows in the FP32 throughput: the GTX 650 Ti delivers 1,425.4 GFLOPS against the Tesla's 1,027.7 GFLOPS, a 38.7% advantage in raw floating-point math. However, the Tesla card has a higher pixel rate at 16.07 GPixel/s versus 14.85 GPixel/s, thanks to its three times as many ROPs. The texture rate favors the GTX 650 Ti at 59.39 GTexel/s versus 32.14 GTexel/s.

Power and physical design differ as expected for their classes. The Tesla C2070 draws 238 W, requires a 550 W power supply, uses a dual-slot cooler, and needs both a 6-pin and an 8-pin connector. It measures 248 mm long. The GTX 650 Ti is far lighter on power at 110 W, needs only a 300 W PSU, fits in a single slot, uses a single 6-pin connector, and is just 145 mm long. The Tesla C2070 is a workstation accelerator built for sustained compute; the GTX 650 Ti is a compact desktop card.

Connectivity and API support also separate them. The Tesla C2070 offers only a single DVI output and uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 650 Ti provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.4a, and runs on PCIe 3.0 x16. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 650 Ti additionally lists Vulkan 1.2.175, while the Tesla C2070 has no Vulkan entry. The Tesla was released on 2011-07-24, the GTX 650 Ti on 2012-10-08. Both are end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one shared benchmark between these two GPUs, and it is a clear win for the Tesla C2070. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Tesla scores 9716 against the GTX 650 Ti's 7877. The delta is 23.3% in favor of the Tesla. That is not a marginal edge; it is a substantial margin that places the Tesla in a different performance tier for OpenCL compute workloads.

To put that score in context, the Tesla C2070's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Tesla M10 at 9724 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 at 9665 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 at 9653 (0.7% lower). The Tesla C2070 essentially trades blows with these modern workstation cards, despite being a much older Fermi part. The GTX 650 Ti, by comparison, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M at 8040 (0.2% lower), the GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8067 (0.2% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 at 8039 (0.2% lower). The GTX 650 Ti's OpenCL result is right in line with those parts, all of which cluster around the 8000 mark.

The GTX 650 Ti's Vulkan result of 8229 is its strongest recorded score, but since the Tesla C2070 has no Vulkan benchmark, it does not factor into the head-to-head. If the GTX 650 Ti's Vulkan score is compared to its own OpenCL score, it is 4.5% higher. That suggests the Kepler architecture extracts more performance from the Vulkan API, but it does not change the fact that the only common test favors the Tesla.

The wins tally is 1 for the Tesla C2070 and 0 for the GTX 650 Ti. The data does not support any other conclusion: in the metric both cards share, the Tesla wins by a wide margin.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 is the stronger compute card. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 9716 beats the GTX 650 Ti's 7877 by 23.3%, and it holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs at 47 versus 42. For any workload that relies on OpenCL, the Tesla C2070 is the clear choice. Its 6 GB memory capacity and 384-bit bus also provide far more headroom for large datasets, and its 48 ROPs give it a pixel rate advantage despite the older architecture.

The GTX 650 Ti is not without merit. It offers Vulkan support with a recorded score of 8229, which the Tesla cannot match because it has no Vulkan path at all. Its FP32 throughput of 1,425.4 GFLOPS is higher than the Tesla's 1,027.7 GFLOPS, and its texture rate of 59.39 GTexel/s nearly doubles the Tesla's 32.14 GTexel/s. It also draws less than half the power at 110 W versus 238 W, fits in a single slot, and requires only a 300 W power supply. For a compact desktop system or a use case that needs Vulkan, the GTX 650 Ti is the practical option.

Who should pick which? The data points to a simple rule. If the task is OpenCL compute, large memory buffers, or sustained workstation-class workloads, the Tesla C2070 wins without qualification. If the task involves Vulkan rendering, low power draw, or a small physical footprint, the GTX 650 Ti is the only one of the two that can serve those needs. The Tesla C2070 is the faster card in the shared benchmark; the GTX 650 Ti is the more versatile card for API coverage and efficiency. The launch MSRP for the GTX 650 Ti was 149 USD, which is recorded in the database, but that figure does not change the performance relationship.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla C2070 wins with a score of 9716 against 7877 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti, a 23.3% advantage.

Q: Does the GeForce GTX 650 Ti have any benchmark result that the Tesla C2070 lacks?

A: Yes, the GTX 650 Ti has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 8229. The Tesla C2070 has no Vulkan benchmark result and no Vulkan API support listed.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The Tesla C2070 has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 143.4 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 650 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 86.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The GTX 650 Ti delivers 1,425.4 GFLOPS, which is higher than the Tesla C2070's 1,027.7 GFLOPS.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Tesla C2070 has a 238 W TDP, requires a 550 W power supply, and uses a dual-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors. The GTX 650 Ti has a 110 W TDP, requires a 300 W power supply, and uses a single-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin.

Q: How do their percentile rankings compare?

A: The Tesla C2070 ranks at the 47th percentile among all GPUs, while the GTX 650 Ti ranks at the 42nd percentile.