NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti vs NVIDIA Tesla K10 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 are both Kepler-generation parts from 2012, built on the same GK104 chip, yet they target entirely different corners of the market. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark result, with the GTX 660 Ti taking the only win, but the underlying specifications reveal a more nuanced split between consumer gaming and compute-focused workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are close but decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti scores 15,113, while the NVIDIA Tesla K10 trails at 14,029. This gives the GTX 660 Ti a 7.7% advantage, a meaningful margin in compute workloads that leverage OpenCL.

This 7.7% lead aligns with the GTX 660 Ti's higher raw FP32 throughput of 2.634 TFLOPS versus the Tesla K10's 2.289 TFLOPS. The GTX 660 Ti also posts a higher pixel rate (27.44 GPixel/s vs 23.84 GPixel/s) and texture rate (109.8 GTexel/s vs 95.36 GTexel/s), which helps explain its edge in this particular benchmark. However, the Tesla K10 is not without its own statistical standing; its average benchmark score of 14,029 places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 660 Ti sits slightly higher at the 57th percentile with an average score of 15,063.

Looking at the broader competitive landscape via the nearest rivals data, both cards occupy a similar performance tier. The GTX 660 Ti's average score of 15,063 is within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (15,082), within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15,171), within 0.9% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15,199), and within 1.4% of the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270). The Tesla K10's average of 14,029 is 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 (14,150), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821), and 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 660M (13,812). These deltas are all small, suggesting that neither card is a runaway performer in its peer group, but the GTX 660 Ti holds a consistent, if modest, lead over the Tesla K10 in this single measured metric.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the only head-to-head benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 15,113 against the NVIDIA Tesla K10's 14,029, a 7.7% difference.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare between the two cards?

A: The GTX 660 Ti has an average benchmark score of 15,063, while the Tesla K10 averages 14,029. This places the GTX 660 Ti in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the Tesla K10's 55th percentile.

Q: What is the closest rival to the GTX 660 Ti based on average score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560X is the closest rival, with an average score of 15,082, which is only 0.1% higher than the GTX 660 Ti's score.

Q: What is the closest rival to the Tesla K10 based on average score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 is the closest rival, with an average score of 14,150, which is 0.9% higher than the Tesla K10's score.

Q: Does the Tesla K10 have any benchmark where it beats the GTX 660 Ti?

A: No. In the single available head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL), the Tesla K10 loses to the GTX 660 Ti. The data records 1 win for the GTX 660 Ti and 0 wins for the Tesla K10.

Q: Are both cards based on the same chip?

A: Yes, both the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 use the GK104 chip, built on the Kepler architecture using a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear picture for general-purpose compute: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti is the stronger performer. Its 7.7% lead in the OpenCL benchmark, combined with higher FP32 throughput, pixel rate, and texture rate, makes it the better choice for tasks that rely on these metrics. For a consumer or prosumer looking at raw compute capability in this generation, the GTX 660 Ti is the superior card.

The NVIDIA Tesla K10, however, should not be dismissed outright. Its value proposition lies elsewhere. With 4 GB of memory on a 256-bit bus, it has double the memory capacity of the GTX 660 Ti and a wider memory interface. This makes it a more suitable candidate for workloads that are memory-capacity-bound rather than compute-bound. Its launch MSRP is 5,099 USD. For a data-center or specialized compute environment where large datasets must reside on the card, the Tesla K10's memory configuration could be a deciding factor, even if its raw compute scores are lower.

The verdict hinges on the workload. For general compute and gaming-adjacent tasks, the GTX 660 Ti wins on performance. For memory-intensive applications where 4 GB of VRAM is a hard requirement, the Tesla K10 is the only one of the two that can meet that need.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge significantly in their memory subsystems. The GTX 660 Ti comes with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 144.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla K10 doubles that to 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, increasing bandwidth to 160.0 GB/s. The memory clock also differs: the GTX 660 Ti runs at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the Tesla K10 runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Compute unit counts also favor the Tesla K10. It has 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 660 Ti has fewer: 1344 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Despite having more units, the Tesla K10's clock speeds are not listed in the data, whereas the GTX 660 Ti has a base clock of 915 MHz and a boost clock of 980 MHz. This clock advantage helps explain why the GTX 660 Ti achieves higher FP32 (2.634 TFLOPS) and texture rates (109.8 GTexel/s) despite having fewer cores.

Power and physical specifications differ as well. The GTX 660 Ti has a TDP of 150 W, uses 2x 6-pin power connectors, and requires a 450 W suggested PSU. It measures 241 mm (9.5 inches) in length. The Tesla K10 has a higher TDP of 225 W, uses a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin configuration, and requires a 550 W suggested PSU. It is longer at 272 mm (10.7 inches). The GTX 660 Ti offers display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2), while the Tesla K10 has no display outputs, reflecting its compute-only design. The GTX 660 Ti also carries a launch MSRP of 299 USD, though pricing is not a focus of this analysis.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same fundamental architecture: GK104 chip, Kepler, 28 nm process, and TSMC foundry. They both have 3,540 million transistors and a die size of 294 mm², with a transistor density of 12.0M / mm². The API support is identical, with DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The key architectural difference lies in their intended roles. The GTX 660 Ti is part of the GeForce 600 generation, positioned as a consumer gaming card. The Tesla K10 belongs to the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation, designed for professional compute and data-center use. This is reflected in the display outputs: the GTX 660 Ti has them, the Tesla K10 has none.

Neither card features ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The shading unit count is higher on the Tesla K10 (1536 vs 1344), but this does not translate into higher performance in the measured benchmarks, likely due to the GTX 660 Ti's higher clock speeds. The Tesla K10's production status is end-of-life, as is the GTX 660 Ti's. Both have a dual-slot width and use a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface. The Tesla K10's predecessor is Tesla Fermi, and its successor is Tesla Maxwell, while the GTX 660 Ti's predecessor is GeForce 500 and its successor is GeForce 700.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 660 Ti wins in scenarios that reward raw compute throughput and fill rates. Its higher FP32 performance (2.634 TFLOPS), pixel rate (27.44 GPixel/s), and texture rate (109.8 GTexel/s) make it the better option for OpenCL-based applications, general-purpose compute, and any workload that is sensitive to clock speed. The single head-to-head benchmark confirms this, showing a 7.7% victory in Geekbench OpenCL. For users who need a card that can also drive displays, the GTX 660 Ti's built-in display outputs are a clear advantage.

The Tesla K10 wins in scenarios where memory capacity and bandwidth are the primary constraints. Its 4 GB of VRAM on a 256-bit bus provides 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is higher than the GTX 660 Ti's 144.2 GB/s. While it loses the compute benchmark, its larger memory pool allows it to handle datasets that would exceed the GTX 660 Ti's 2 GB limit. This makes it a better fit for certain scientific, engineering, or data-processing workloads where the entire dataset must reside on the GPU. Its higher shading unit count (1536) also suggests potential for workloads that scale well with core count, even if the current benchmark data does not show a win.

In summary, the GTX 660 Ti is the pick for compute performance and consumer use, while the Tesla K10 is the pick for memory-heavy, professional compute tasks where 4 GB of VRAM is non-negotiable.