NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN vs NVIDIA Tesla M4 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits these two cards cleanly by workload. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN wins the only direct head-to-head test recorded in the database: Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 24873 stands 31.9% above the Tesla M4’s 16932 in that same test. That is not a small gap; it is a decisive margin that points to raw compute throughput.

The Tesla M4, however, wins on efficiency-focused metrics and in placement among rivals. It sits at the 60th percentile of all GPUs in the database, above the GTX TITAN’s 56th percentile. Its average benchmark score of 16932 is also higher than the GTX TITAN’s average of 14373, which includes weaker Metal and Vulkan results pulling the TITAN down. So while the TITAN dominates the OpenCL test, the M4 has a better overall standing when all recorded workloads are averaged.

Where each one wins in practice: the GTX TITAN is the choice for compute-heavy tasks that use OpenCL, where its larger memory bus and higher shader count translate into brute-force performance. The Tesla M4 wins in scenarios where power draw, physical footprint, and thermal load matter more than peak throughput. The M4 draws 50 W versus the TITAN’s 250 W, and it fits in a single slot while the TITAN takes two. The M4 also has no display outputs, meaning it is designed for headless compute or server duty, not for driving monitors. The TITAN has full display outputs, so it can serve as a workstation GPU for rendering and visualization.

In terms of nearest rivals, the M4’s OpenCL score of 16932 lands within 0.9% of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083), within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), and within 0.5% of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019). It also edges out the NVIDIA T400 4 GB (16792) by 0.8%. The TITAN’s OpenCL score of 24873 is not directly compared to these rivals, but its average score of 14373 places it within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14385), within 0.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14404), and within 0.4% of the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14315). The TITAN’s average is dragged down by its Metal score of 8218 and Vulkan score of 10027, both far below its OpenCL result.

So the simple split: the TITAN wins on raw compute in the one test that matters most for GPU compute. The M4 wins on overall percentile, power efficiency, and form factor. If you need raw OpenCL speed, the TITAN is the answer. If you need a low-power, single-slot accelerator that still holds a respectable position among modern GPUs, the M4 is the answer.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on the same 28 nm TSMC process, but the underlying designs could not be more different. The Tesla M4 uses the GM206 chip, which is Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the GTX TITAN uses the GK110 chip, which is Kepler architecture. The M4 belongs to the Tesla Maxwell generation (Mxx), and the TITAN belongs to the GeForce 700 generation.

The transistor counts tell the story of scale. The TITAN’s GK110 packs 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm². The M4’s GM206 has just 2,940 million transistors on a 228 mm² die, for a density of 12.9 million per mm². The densities are nearly identical, but the TITAN is more than twice the physical size and carries more than twice the transistors. That extra silicon translates directly into more execution units.

The TITAN has 2688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The M4 has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. So the TITAN has 2.6 times more shaders, 3.5 times more TMUs, and 1.5 times more ROPs. Those are massive structural advantages. The clock speeds, however, favor the M4. The M4 runs at a base of 872 MHz with a boost of 1072 MHz, while the TITAN runs at 836 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. The M4’s boost clock is 196 MHz higher, which helps close some of the gap in compute throughput but cannot overcome the TITAN’s sheer execution width.

The memory subsystems are equally divergent. The M4 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 88.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The TITAN uses 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 288.4 GB/s, more than three times the M4’s bandwidth. The TITAN also runs its memory at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus the M4’s 1375 MHz (5.5 Gbps effective). For memory-bound workloads, this is a decisive advantage.

The feature sets also differ. The M4 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The M4 has the newer feature level for DirectX and a more recent Vulkan version. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores, so both are purely raster and compute parts.

The physical design reinforces the different roles. The M4 is single-slot with no display outputs and no listed power connectors, running on a suggested 250 W PSU. The TITAN is dual-slot, has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector, and suggests a 600 W PSU. The TITAN is 267 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 38 mm wide; the M4’s dimensions are not recorded. The TITAN is a desktop card; the M4 is a server accelerator.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two: Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX TITAN scores 24873, and the Tesla M4 scores 16932. The TITAN wins by 31.9%. That is the entire recorded head-to-head, so it carries outsized weight.

Breaking down that margin: the TITAN’s score is roughly 1.47 times the M4’s score. The M4’s 2.195 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus the TITAN’s 4.709 TFLOPS helps explain the gap: the TITAN has 2.15 times the raw FP32 throughput. The TITAN also has 288.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus the M4’s 88.00 GB/s, a 3.28 times advantage. Those two factors alone account for the 31.9% deficit the M4 suffers.

It is notably the M4’s higher boost clock (1072 MHz versus 876 MHz) helps it stay closer than the raw hardware ratios suggest. If the M4 had run at the same clock as the TITAN, the gap would likely be larger. The M4’s pixel rate is 34.30 GPixel/s versus the TITAN’s 49.06 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 68.61 GTexel/s versus the TITAN’s 196.2 GTexel/s. These are secondary metrics, but they align with the OpenCL result.

The TITAN also records scores in Metal (8218) and Vulkan (10027), while the M4 has no recorded scores for those APIs. The M4’s single benchmark entry is OpenCL only. So the TITAN has a broader benchmark profile, but its average is lower because Metal and Vulkan scores are far below its OpenCL score. The M4’s average equals its OpenCL score since that is its only entry.

For practical purposes, the head-to-head says this: if you run OpenCL workloads, the TITAN is the clear winner. If you run workloads that stress other APIs, the TITAN has data but the M4 does not, so the comparison cannot be extended beyond OpenCL.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN scores 24873 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 31.9% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla M4’s 16932.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption?

A: The Tesla M4 draws 50 W, while the GTX TITAN draws 250 W. The M4 also suggests a 250 W PSU, whereas the TITAN suggests a 600 W PSU.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The Tesla M4 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GTX TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The M4 has a higher feature level.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX TITAN has 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth from its 384-bit bus and 6 GB of GDDR5. The Tesla M4 has 88.00 GB/s from a 128-bit bus and 4 GB of GDDR5.

Q: Are there any display outputs on the Tesla M4?

A: No. The Tesla M4 has no display outputs. The GTX TITAN has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

Q: Which card has a higher overall percentile ranking?

A: The Tesla M4 sits at the 60th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the GTX TITAN sits at the 56th percentile. The M4’s average benchmark score is 16932 versus the TITAN’s 14373.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two cards:

• Architecture: Maxwell 2.0 (M4) versus Kepler (TITAN)
• Chip: GM206 (M4) versus GK110 (TITAN)
• Generation: Tesla Maxwell (Mxx) (M4) versus GeForce 700 (TITAN)
• Transistors: 2,940 million (M4) versus 7,080 million (TITAN)
• Die size: 228 mm² (M4) versus 561 mm² (TITAN)
• Transistor density: 12.9M / mm² (M4) versus 12.6M / mm² (TITAN)
• Base clock: 872 MHz (M4) versus 836 MHz (TITAN)
• Boost clock: 1072 MHz (M4) versus 876 MHz (TITAN)
• Memory clock: 1375 MHz, 5.5 Gbps effective (M4) versus 1502 MHz, 6 Gbps effective (TITAN)
• Memory size: 4 GB (M4) versus 6 GB (TITAN)
• Memory bus width: 128 bit (M4) versus 384 bit (TITAN)
• Memory bandwidth: 88.00 GB/s (M4) versus 288.4 GB/s (TITAN)
• Shading units: 1024 (M4) versus 2688 (TITAN)
• TMUs: 64 (M4) versus 224 (TITAN)
• ROPs: 32 (M4) versus 48 (TITAN)
• Pixel rate: 34.30 GPixel/s (M4) versus 49.06 GPixel/s (TITAN)
• Texture rate: 68.61 GTexel/s (M4) versus 196.2 GTexel/s (TITAN)
• FP32 compute: 2.195 TFLOPS (M4) versus 4.709 TFLOPS (TITAN)
• TDP: 50 W (M4) versus 250 W (TITAN)
• Slot width: Single-slot (M4) versus Dual-slot (TITAN)
• Power connectors: None listed (M4) versus 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin (TITAN)
• Suggested PSU: 250 W (M4) versus 600 W (TITAN)
• Display outputs: No outputs (M4) versus 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 (TITAN)
• DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (M4) versus 12 (11_0) (TITAN)
• Vulkan support: 1.4 (M4) versus 1.2.175 (TITAN)
• Release date: 2015-11-09 (M4) versus 2013-02-18 (TITAN)
• Predecessor: Tesla Kepler (M4) versus GeForce 600 (TITAN)
• Successor: Tesla Pascal (M4) versus GeForce 900 (TITAN)
• Dimensions: Not recorded (M4) versus 267 mm x 111 mm x 38 mm (TITAN)
• Launch MSRP: None recorded for the M4; the TITAN launched at 999 USD

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split by use case. If you need raw OpenCL compute performance, the GTX TITAN is the stronger card. Its 31.9% lead in the only head-to-head benchmark is backed by 2.6 times more shading units, 3.5 times more TMUs, and over three times the memory bandwidth. The TITAN’s 4.709 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput versus the M4’s 2.195 TFLOPS is the fundamental reason.

If you need a low-power, low-profile accelerator that still places well in the database, the Tesla M4 is the better fit. It draws one fifth the power (50 W versus 250 W), fits in a single slot, requires no power connectors, and suggests a 250 W PSU versus the TITAN’s 600 W. It also holds a higher overall percentile (60th versus 56th) and a higher average benchmark score (16932 versus 14373). Its DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4 support are newer than the TITAN’s 11_0 and 1.2.175.

The TITAN is a desktop card with display outputs and a 999 USD launch MSRP. The M4 is a headless server part with no outputs. Neither is a modern part; both are end-of-life. The TITAN was released in February 2013, the M4 in November 2015.

For a builder assembling a compute node where OpenCL throughput is king and power budget is flexible, the TITAN is the obvious pick. For a system where every watt counts, where a single-slot card is required, and where the workload is not dominated by OpenCL, the M4 is the more sensible choice. The recorded data shows no scenario where both excel; they trade raw speed for efficiency and form factor. Pick the TITAN for speed, pick the M4 for footprint and power.