NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M vs NVIDIA Tesla M10 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA Tesla M10 wins both recorded head-to-head tests against the GeForce GTX 950M. The largest gap appears in the Vulkan compute test, where the Tesla M10 scores 9130 against the GTX 950M's 6525, a 39.9% advantage. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the Tesla M10's architecture configuration handles Vulkan workloads with considerably more efficiency. In the OpenCL test, the Tesla M10 again leads, scoring 10318 versus 9745, a 5.9% difference. While smaller than the Vulkan gap, this still represents a clear win for the Tesla M10 in general-purpose compute tasks.

When placed against the wider field, the Tesla M10's average benchmark score of 9724 places it at the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (average score 9780, delta -0.6%), the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 (9716, delta +0.1%), the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (9665, delta +0.6%), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 (9653, delta +0.7%). This cluster of scores shows that the Tesla M10 sits in a tightly contested performance band, with its closest competitor, the GTX 1070, only 0.6% ahead. The GTX 950M, by contrast, averages 8135, which lands at the 42nd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (8167, delta -0.4%), the AMD Radeon R9 M360 (8129, delta +0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce 945M (8099, delta +0.4%), and the NVIDIA GRID K2 (8080, delta +0.7%). The GTX 950M's position is similarly tight within its own performance tier, but that tier is roughly 19% lower than the Tesla M10's.

The head-to-head results therefore reflect a consistent hierarchy: the Tesla M10 is the faster card in every measured test. The Vulkan result is particularly striking, as a 39.9% lead is not a marginal edge but a decisive one. For workloads that rely on Vulkan compute, the Tesla M10 is categorically superior. The OpenCL result, while closer, still confirms that the Tesla M10 holds the advantage in that API as well. There are no recorded tests where the GTX 950M takes a win; the wins tally stands at 2 for the Tesla M10 and 0 for the GTX 950M.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same fundamental architecture: Maxwell, using the GM107 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Both have identical transistor counts of 1,870 million and the same die size of 148 mm², giving a transistor density of 12.6M per mm². The shading unit count is also identical at 640, with 40 texture mapping units and 16 render output units. Neither card features ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The API support is the same for both: DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The production status for both is end-of-life.

The differences begin with clock speeds. The Tesla M10 runs at a base clock of 1033 MHz with a boost of 1306 MHz, while the GTX 950M operates at 993 MHz base and 1124 MHz boost. This higher clock rate on the Tesla M10 directly contributes to its higher pixel rate (20.90 GPixel/s versus 17.98 GPixel/s) and texture rate (52.24 GTexel/s versus 44.96 GTexel/s). The floating-point performance follows the same pattern: the Tesla M10 delivers 1.672 TFLOPS FP32, while the GTX 950M produces 1,438.7 GFLOPS (approximately 1.44 TFLOPS). Neither card lists FP16 performance.

Memory configuration is where the two diverge sharply. The Tesla M10 comes with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving 83.20 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1300 MHz, with 5.2 Gbps effective. The GTX 950M, in contrast, has 4 GB of DDR3 memory, also on a 128-bit bus, but with only 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock is 900 MHz, with 1800 Mbps effective. This is a massive bandwidth difference: the Tesla M10 offers approximately 2.9 times the memory bandwidth of the GTX 950M. For memory-intensive workloads, this difference is likely to be as impactful as the raw compute clock advantage.

The power and physical profiles are also distinct. The Tesla M10 has a TDP of 225 W, is dual-slot, and requires a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 550 W. It measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length. The GTX 950M is an integrated-class part (IGP) with a TDP of 75 W, no power connectors, and no listed dimensions. The Tesla M10 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the GTX 950M uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The Tesla M10 has no display outputs, while the GTX 950M's outputs are dependent on the portable device it is integrated into. Release dates differ as well: the Tesla M10 was released on 2016-05-17, and the GTX 950M on 2015-03-12. The Tesla M10's generation is listed as "Tesla Maxwell (Mxx)", with predecessors and successors in the Tesla Kepler and Tesla Pascal lines. The GTX 950M belongs to the GeForce 900M generation, following GeForce 800M and preceding GeForce 10 Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The Tesla M10 wins decisively in compute-heavy scenarios, particularly those using Vulkan. The 39.9% lead in the Vulkan test is the standout result, suggesting that any application leveraging Vulkan compute will see a significant performance uplift. The OpenCL advantage of 5.9% is more modest but still consistent. For tasks like scientific computing, rendering, or any workload that can offload to the GPU through these APIs, the Tesla M10 is the stronger choice.

The GTX 950M, despite losing both benchmarks, is not without a use case. Its 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it suitable for integration into laptops or compact systems where power draw is a primary constraint. The Tesla M10's 225 W TDP and dual-slot footprint rule out such deployments. The GTX 950M also has display outputs (portable device dependent), whereas the Tesla M10 has none, meaning the GTX 950M can drive a screen directly while the Tesla M10 requires a separate display adapter. For a user needing a GPU for everyday graphics output in a laptop, the GTX 950M is the only functional option between the two. For a headless compute node or a server environment where display output is irrelevant and performance is paramount, the Tesla M10 is clearly superior.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Vulkan compute?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9130 in the Vulkan test, compared to the GTX 950M's 6525, a 39.9% advantage for the Tesla M10.

Q: How do the two cards compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The Tesla M10 scores 10318 in OpenCL, while the GTX 950M scores 9745. The Tesla M10 leads by 5.9%.

Q: Do both cards use the same architecture?

A: Yes, both are based on the Maxwell architecture using the GM107 chip, with identical transistor counts of 1,870 million and the same 28 nm process node.

Q: What is the memory difference between the two?

A: The Tesla M10 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 950M has 4 GB of DDR3 memory with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Can the Tesla M10 output to a display?

A: No, the Tesla M10 has no display outputs. The GTX 950M's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Q: Which card has a higher power requirement?

A: The Tesla M10 has a TDP of 225 W and requires a 550 W PSU with a single 8-pin connector. The GTX 950M has a TDP of 75 W and requires no power connectors.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla M10 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M |

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

| Generation | Tesla Maxwell (Mxx) | GeForce 900M |

| Base Clock | 1033 MHz | 993 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1306 MHz | 1124 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 83.20 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 20.90 GPixel/s | 17.98 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 52.24 GTexel/s | 44.96 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1.672 TFLOPS | 1,438.7 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 225 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | Portable Device Dependent |

| Dimensions | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2016-05-17 | 2015-03-12 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Kepler | GeForce 800M |

| Successor | Tesla Pascal | GeForce 10 Mobile |

The Verdict

The data supports a clear conclusion: the NVIDIA Tesla M10 is the superior performer in every benchmark recorded. Its 39.9% lead in Vulkan and 5.9% lead in OpenCL, combined with higher clock speeds, greater memory capacity, and nearly triple the memory bandwidth, make it the right choice for any workload that prioritizes raw compute throughput. The Tesla M10 also sits at a higher percentile (47th versus 42nd) and has a higher average benchmark score (9724 versus 8135). Its nearest rival, the GTX 1070, is only 0.6% ahead, indicating that the Tesla M10 is competitive with much newer hardware in its performance tier.

The GTX 950M, however, is not without merit. Its 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it appropriate for mobile or low-power systems where the Tesla M10's 225 W requirement and dual-slot design are simply not feasible. The GTX 950M can also drive displays, while the Tesla M10 cannot. For a laptop user needing basic GPU acceleration and graphics output, the GTX 950M is the functional choice. For a server, a compute node, or any headless deployment where performance is the sole criterion, the Tesla M10 wins outright. The verdict is therefore contextual: the Tesla M10 is the performance leader, and the GTX 950M is the integration-friendly alternative.