NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 vs NVIDIA Tesla K40c Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two Kepler-generation NVIDIA cards aimed at entirely different workloads. The Tesla K40c is a compute-oriented accelerator with a single recorded OpenCL score of 17,468, placing it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GeForce GTX 770, a consumer graphics card, posts an average benchmark score of 14,747 across three tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan), sitting at the 57th percentile. In the single head-to-head OpenCL test, the Tesla K40c wins by 11.2% (17,468 versus 15,707).

Users who need maximum raw compute throughput in OpenCL workloads should choose the Tesla K40c. Its 11.2% lead over the GTX 770 in the shared benchmark, combined with 12 GB of memory versus 2 GB and a wider 384-bit memory bus, makes it the stronger option for data-parallel tasks. The GTX 770, meanwhile, is the only one of the two with display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2), so it is the practical choice for any system that must drive a monitor. The Tesla K40c has no display outputs at all.

The GTX 770 also shows broader API coverage in the recorded benchmarks. It has three benchmark entries (OpenCL, Metal, Vulkan), while the Tesla K40c only has one (OpenCL). For users who need Vulkan or Metal performance, the GTX 770 is the only option with recorded data in those APIs. However, for pure compute throughput in OpenCL, the Tesla K40c is measurably faster.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17,468 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 scores 15,707. That is an 11.2% advantage for the Tesla K40c.

Q: Does the Tesla K40c support display output?

A: No. The Tesla K40c has no display outputs. The GTX 770, by contrast, provides 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, whereas the GTX 770 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is 288.4 GB/s for the Tesla K40c and 224.4 GB/s for the GTX 770.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The Tesla K40c has an average benchmark score of 17,468 (from its single OpenCL result). The GTX 770 has an average of 14,747 across its three recorded benchmarks (OpenCL, Metal, Vulkan).

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count?

A: The Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip with 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. The GTX 770 uses the GK104 chip with 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The Tesla K40c has roughly double the transistor count.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. However, only the GTX 770 has recorded Metal and Vulkan benchmark scores in the database.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture and manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The similarity ends there. The Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip, a large compute-oriented die measuring 561 mm² with 7,080 million transistors. The GTX 770 uses the GK104 chip, a smaller graphics-oriented die measuring 294 mm² with 3,540 million transistors. Transistor density is close (12.6M per mm² for the Tesla K40c, 12.0M per mm² for the GTX 770), but the total resources differ substantially.

The Tesla K40c packs 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GTX 770 has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That is nearly double the shading units and TMUs on the Tesla K40c, and 50% more ROPs. These are not minor differences; they reflect the Tesla card's design goal of maximizing parallel compute throughput.

The memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 770 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s. The Tesla K40c's larger memory capacity and wider bus make it suitable for datasets that would exhaust the GTX 770's 2 GB frame buffer.

The generation labels differ as well. The Tesla K40c belongs to the Tesla Kepler (Kxx) generation, with the predecessor listed as Tesla Fermi and the successor as Tesla Maxwell. The GTX 770 belongs to the GeForce 700 generation, with the predecessor as GeForce 600 and the successor as GeForce 900. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores; both are pure Kepler designs.

The Tesla K40c has no display outputs, which is typical of compute accelerators. The GTX 770 has a full set of display outputs: 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. This single difference determines which card can serve as a everyday graphics solution.

Specification Differences

Clock speeds differ notably. The Tesla K40c runs at a 745 MHz base clock and 876 MHz boost clock. The GTX 770 runs at 1,046 MHz base and 1,085 MHz boost. The GTX 770 has higher clocks despite having fewer cores, which reflects its consumer graphics positioning.

Memory clocks also differ. The Tesla K40c uses 1,502 MHz memory with 6 Gbps effective speed. The GTX 770 uses 1,753 MHz memory with 7 Gbps effective speed. Despite the higher memory clock on the GTX 770, the Tesla K40c still achieves higher overall bandwidth (288.4 GB/s versus 224.4 GB/s) thanks to its wider 384-bit bus.

The compute rates follow the core counts. The Tesla K40c delivers 5.046 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 52.56 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 210.2 GTexel/s texture rate. The GTX 770 delivers 3.333 TFLOPS FP32, 34.72 GPixel/s, and 138.9 GTexel/s. The Tesla K40c leads by roughly 51% in FP32, 51% in pixel rate, and 51% in texture rate.

Power draw is similar: 245 W for the Tesla K40c, 230 W for the GTX 770. Both use dual-slot coolers, both require 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors, and both have a suggested PSU of 550 W. Both are 267 mm long (10.5 inches). The GTX 770 has additional dimensions recorded: 111 mm height (4.4 inches) and 38 mm width (1.5 inches).

Both cards use PCIe 3.0 x16. Both are end-of-life products, with the Tesla K40c released on 2013-10-07 and the GTX 770 released on 2013-05-29. The launch MSRP of the Tesla K40c is 7,699 USD, and the launch MSRP of the GTX 770 is 399 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The Tesla K40c scores 17,468, the GTX 770 scores 15,707. The Tesla K40c wins with an 11.2% delta. No other head-to-head entries exist in the recorded data, so the head-to-head comparison is limited to a single test.

The Tesla K40c's OpenCL score of 17,468 places it near the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509, a 0.2% difference), the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, a 0.5% difference), the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588, a 0.7% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639, a 1% difference). The K40c trails all four of these rivals by less than 1%, which is remarkable for a 2013 compute card. It sits at the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

The GTX 770's average score of 14,747 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (14,692, a 0.4% difference), the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (14,532, a 1.5% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (15,063, a 2.1% difference), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (15,082, a 2.2% difference). It sits at the 57th percentile.

The GTX 770 has additional benchmark data that the Tesla K40c lacks. In Geekbench Metal, the GTX 770 scores 9,369. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 19,166. These tests are not available for the Tesla K40c in the database, so no comparison can be made. The GTX 770's average benchmark score of 14,747 is dragged down by its relatively low Metal score of 9,369, while its Vulkan score of 19,166 is actually higher than the Tesla K40c's OpenCL score of 17,468.

Where Each One Wins

The Tesla K40c wins in raw OpenCL compute. Its 17,468 score beats the GTX 770's 15,707 by 11.2%. It also wins on memory capacity (12 GB versus 2 GB), memory bandwidth (288.4 GB/s versus 224.4 GB/s), FP32 throughput (5.046 TFLOPS versus 3.333 TFLOPS), pixel rate (52.56 GPixel/s versus 34.72 GPixel/s), and texture rate (210.2 GTexel/s versus 138.9 GTexel/s). It has 2,880 shading units versus 1,536, 240 TMUs versus 128, and 48 ROPs versus 32. For any workload that stresses raw compute or requires large memory buffers, the Tesla K40c is the clear choice.

The GTX 770 wins in practical graphics usability. It has display outputs, while the Tesla K40c has none. It has higher clock speeds (1,046 MHz base versus 745 MHz, 1,085 MHz boost versus 876 MHz), which can benefit latency-sensitive workloads. It also has recorded benchmark scores in Metal (9,369) and Vulkan (19,166), giving it a broader tested feature set. Its Vulkan score of 19,166 exceeds the Tesla K40c's OpenCL score of 17,468, though these are different APIs and not directly comparable.

The GTX 770 also wins on power efficiency per unit of compute in one sense: it delivers 3.333 TFLOPS at 230 W, while the Tesla K40c delivers 5.046 TFLOPS at 245 W. The Tesla K40c actually has a better compute-per-watt ratio (approximately 20.6 GFLOPS/W versus 14.5 GFLOPS/W), but the GTX 770 uses less total power. Both require a 550 W PSU and dual-slot cooling, so system integration costs are similar.

For users who need a compute accelerator for OpenCL workloads with large memory requirements, the Tesla K40c is the data-backed choice. For users who need a graphics card that can drive displays and has verified performance across multiple APIs, the GTX 770 is the only option with recorded support. The two cards occupy different niches despite sharing the Kepler architecture and the same 28 nm process node. The Tesla K40c is a specialized compute tool; the GTX 770 is a general-purpose graphics card.