NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M vs NVIDIA Tesla C2075 Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla C2075 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M represent two distinct approaches to GPU design from the same manufacturer, separated by a generational leap and aimed at entirely different computing environments. The Tesla C2075 is a professional compute card from the Fermi era, while the GTX 870M is a mobile gaming processor built on the newer Kepler architecture. Benchmark data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the architectural and specification differences are just as significant as the raw scores.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are decisive in favor of the GTX 870M, but the context of that win is crucial. In the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, the GeForce GTX 870M scores 12,630 points against the Tesla C2075’s 10,400 points. This represents a 17.7% advantage for the mobile part, making it the clear winner in raw compute throughput for this workload. The GTX 870M also demonstrates its versatility by having a second benchmark result, a Geekbench Metal score of 7,288, a test that the Tesla C2075 does not participate in.

However, the Tesla C2075 is not without its strengths. While it loses the single head-to-head test, its specification sheet reveals a design philosophy focused on memory capacity and bandwidth over sheer shader count. The Tesla C2075 is the winner in memory configuration, offering 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, which yields 150.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a 50% increase in memory size and a 25% increase in bandwidth over the GTX 870M’s 120.0 GB/s. For workloads that are memory-bound, such as large data sets or high-resolution textures, the Tesla’s larger frame buffer could provide an advantage that the OpenCL score does not capture. The data suggests a split: the GTX 870M is the compute champion, while the Tesla C2075 holds a lead in memory-centric specifications.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The Tesla C2075 uses the GF110 chip, based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, and is fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. This chip contains 3,000 million transistors on a die size of 520 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 5.8 million transistors per square millimeter. In contrast, the GTX 870M uses the GK104 chip, based on the newer Kepler architecture, and is built on a more advanced 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This smaller process node allows the GK104 to pack 3,540 million transistors into a much smaller 294 mm² die, achieving a significantly higher density of 12.0 million transistors per square millimeter.

The architectural shift from Fermi to Kepler also rebalanced the compute resources. The GTX 870M boasts 1,344 shading units and 112 texture mapping units (TMUs), which are substantial increases over the Tesla C2075’s 448 shading units and 56 TMUs. However, the Tesla C2075 has the advantage in render output units (ROPs), with 48 ROPs compared to the GTX 870M’s 24. This difference in ROP count explains why the Tesla, despite having fewer shaders, achieves a pixel rate of 16.07 GPixel/s. The GTX 870M’s higher clock speeds allow it to reach 27.08 GPixel/s, but the Tesla’s configuration is more balanced for specific graphics tasks. The GTX 870M also supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the Tesla C2075 has no Vulkan support listed, indicating a more modern API feature set.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, provides a clear quantitative outcome. The GeForce GTX 870M achieves a score of 12,630, while the Tesla C2075 trails with 10,400. The deltaPct of -17.7% indicates that the Tesla C2075 is 17.7% slower than the GTX 870M in this specific test. This result aligns with the GTX 870M’s higher FP32 throughput of 2.599 TFLOPS versus the Tesla C2075’s 1,027.7 GFLOPS (approximately 1.03 TFLOPS). The GTX 870M’s advantage in raw floating-point performance is nearly 2.5 times that of the Tesla, which is a massive gap that the OpenCL score reflects.

The GTX 870M’s other benchmark, Geekbench Metal, is not applicable to the Tesla C2075, but the score of 7,288 demonstrates its capability in a modern graphics API. The Tesla C2075’s performance relative to its rivals further contextualizes its standing. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6500M, scores 10,362, which is only 0.4% slower, placing the Tesla C2075 in a tight performance bracket. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A is 1.2% faster, while the AMD Radeon R9 M275X is 1.7% faster. This puts the Tesla C2075 in the 48th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a mid-pack performer in modern benchmarks.

The GTX 870M, despite winning the head-to-head, finds itself in a similar percentile ranking. It sits at the 48th percentile, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, scoring 10,013, which is 0.5% faster. The NVIDIA Quadro K5100M is 0.8% faster, and the AMD Radeon R9 M375 is 1.1% faster. The only rival the GTX 870M beats is the NVIDIA Quadro 6000, which it outperforms by 1.1%. This indicates that while the GTX 870M wins against the Tesla C2075, it is not a top-tier performer in the broader GPU landscape.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for the two cards reveal several key differences beyond their performance scores. The most obvious is their physical form factor and power requirements. The Tesla C2075 is a dual-slot card, 248 mm in length, with a 247 W TDP, and requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector. It also suggests a 550 W power supply. In contrast, the GTX 870M is an MXM module, which is a mobile form factor, with a much lower 100 W TDP and no external power connectors, as it is designed to draw power from the host laptop. The GTX 870M also has no physical dimensions listed, reflecting its integration into a portable device.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The Tesla C2075 offers 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, while the GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus. This leads to the bandwidth disparity mentioned earlier: 150.3 GB/s for the Tesla versus 120.0 GB/s for the GTX 870M. Clock speeds also vary, with the GTX 870M having a base clock of 941 MHz and a boost clock of 967 MHz, whereas the Tesla C2075 has no base or boost clock listed, only a memory clock of 783 MHz (3.1 Gbps effective). The GTX 870M’s memory clock is higher at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

The bus interface is another point of divergence. The Tesla C2075 uses PCIe 2.0 x16, a standard desktop interface, while the GTX 870M uses MXM-B (3.0), a specialized mobile interface. Display outputs also differ, with the Tesla C2075 providing a single DVI port, while the GTX 870M’s outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they rely on the laptop’s own display connections. Both cards are end-of-life products, but their release dates are separated by nearly three years, with the Tesla C2075 launching in July 2011 and the GTX 870M in March 2014.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M is faster, scoring 12,630 points compared to the Tesla C2075’s 10,400 points, a 17.7% advantage.

Q: Does the Tesla C2075 have any advantages over the GTX 870M in memory?

A: Yes, the Tesla C2075 has 6 GB of memory compared to the GTX 870M’s 3 GB, and it also has higher memory bandwidth at 150.3 GB/s versus 120.0 GB/s.

Q: What are the architecture and process node differences between the two cards?

A: The Tesla C2075 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process, while the GTX 870M uses the Kepler architecture on a smaller 28 nm process.

Q: How does the GTX 870M's performance compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M?

A: The GTX 870M is slightly slower, with its average score of 9,959 being 0.5% lower than the Radeon Pro 5300M's 10,013.

Q: What is the TDP of each card, and how does that affect their form factors?

A: The Tesla C2075 has a 247 W TDP and is a dual-slot card, while the GTX 870M has a 100 W TDP and is an MXM module designed for laptops.

Q: Does the Tesla C2075 support the Vulkan API?

A: No, the Tesla C2075 does not have Vulkan support listed, while the GTX 870M supports Vulkan 1.2.175.