NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER vs NVIDIA Tesla K40c Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by nearly six years of architectural evolution. The data shows a decisive victory for the newer card: the RTX 2060 SUPER holds a 340.6% lead over the Tesla K40c in the sole head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL). While the Tesla K40c was a compute-focused workstation part with a higher launch MSRP of 7,699 USD, the RTX 2060 SUPER, with its launch MSRP of 399 USD, delivers dramatically higher performance per dollar in the available tests. The verdict is clear: for any workload represented by these benchmarks, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the superior choice.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The RTX 2060 SUPER wins the only shared test—Geekbench OpenCL—by a margin of 340.6%, scoring 76,957 against the Tesla K40c’s 17,468. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational leap. The RTX 2060 SUPER also posts an average benchmark score of 18,093 across ten tests, while the Tesla K40c manages only 17,468 across its single test. In terms of overall percentile ranking, the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, slightly ahead of the Tesla K40c’s 61st percentile.

Who should pick which? For any user running OpenCL-based compute or general graphics workloads, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the only rational choice. It offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, compared to the Tesla K40c’s 12 GB of GDDR5 at 288.4 GB/s. The Tesla K40c’s only theoretical advantages—raw memory capacity and a wider 384-bit bus—do not translate into real-world wins in the data. The Tesla K40c’s lack of display outputs makes it unsuitable for any interactive use. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its full array of display outputs, is a complete package. There is no scenario in the data where the Tesla K40c comes out ahead.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head data shows only one test, and the RTX 2060 SUPER wins it outright. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 76,957 versus 17,468 for the Tesla K40c, a 340.6% advantage. This single result indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is overwhelmingly faster in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads.

However, a broader look at the RTX 2060 SUPER’s benchmark suite reveals its strengths across different API levels. It scores 16,462 in Passmark G3D, 218 in Passmark DirectX 9, 130 in Passmark DirectX 11, and 111 in Passmark DirectX 10. Its DirectX 12 score is notably lower at 61, but its Vulkan score of 77,402 and OpenCL score of 76,957 suggest strong modern API performance. The Tesla K40c has no such breadth of data, with only its OpenCL score to judge. The data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER wins every category where comparison is possible. For the Tesla K40c, there are no benchmark wins at all. Its architecture, while capable of 5.046 TFLOPS FP32, is simply outclassed by the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 7.181 TFLOPS.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast. The RTX 2060 SUPER uses the Turing architecture on a 12 nm TSMC process, packing 10,800 million transistors into a 445 mm² die. The Tesla K40c uses the older Kepler architecture on a 28 nm TSMC process, with 7,080 million transistors on a larger 561 mm² die. This explains the density difference: the RTX 2060 SUPER achieves 24.3M transistors per mm², while the Tesla K40c manages just 12.6M per mm².

The core configurations differ substantially. The RTX 2060 SUPER has 2,176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It also includes 34 dedicated RT cores for ray tracing and 272 tensor cores for AI workloads—features entirely absent from the Tesla K40c. The Tesla K40c, by contrast, has more shading units (2,880) and TMUs (240), but fewer ROPs (48). Despite having more raw shaders, the Tesla K40c’s lower clock speeds (745 MHz base, 876 MHz boost) versus the RTX 2060 SUPER (1,470 MHz base, 1,650 MHz boost) cripple its throughput.

Memory architecture also tells a story of progress. The RTX 2060 SUPER uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Tesla K40c uses 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, but only achieves 288.4 GB/s due to slower 6 Gbps effective memory speed. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s dwarf the Tesla K40c’s 52.56 GPixel/s and 210.2 GTexel/s. The RTX 2060 SUPER also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Tesla K40c only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0). Vulkan support is newer on the RTX card (1.4 vs 1.2.175). Power draw is lower on the RTX 2060 SUPER at 175 W, versus 245 W for the Tesla K40c.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER faster than the Tesla K40c in compute workloads?

A: Yes. In the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2060 SUPER scores 76,957, a 340.6% advantage over the Tesla K40c’s 17,468.

Q: Does the Tesla K40c have any advantage in memory capacity?

A: The Tesla K40c has 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is 4 GB more than the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB. However, the RTX 2060 SUPER’s GDDR6 memory provides significantly higher bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs 288.4 GB/s), making the capacity advantage largely moot in the benchmark data.

Q: Which card supports modern features like ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 2060 SUPER. It includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, while the Tesla K40c has neither. The RTX 2060 SUPER also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), whereas the Tesla K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0).

Q: Can the Tesla K40c be used for display output?

A: No. The Tesla K40c has no display outputs, making it a compute-only card. The RTX 2060 SUPER includes 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has a TDP of 175 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested 450 W PSU. The Tesla K40c has a TDP of 245 W and requires a 6-pin plus 8-pin configuration with a suggested 550 W PSU.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER ranks at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, slightly above the Tesla K40c’s 61st percentile. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 18,093, versus 17,468 for the Tesla K40c.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a landslide. The RTX 2060 SUPER produces a score of 76,957, while the Tesla K40c manages just 17,468. That is a delta of 340.6%, meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER is more than four times faster in this test. The result is consistent with the raw specifications: the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, boosted by its 1,650 MHz boost clock and 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, overwhelms the Tesla K40c’s 5.046 TFLOPS and 288.4 GB/s.

Looking at the RTX 2060 SUPER’s other scores provides context for where it wins beyond the direct comparison. Its Passmark G3D score of 16,462 is robust, and its Vulkan score of 77,402 is nearly identical to its OpenCL result, indicating strong cross-API performance. In legacy DirectX tests, it scores 218 (DX9), 130 (DX11), and 111 (DX10), while its DirectX 12 score dips to 61. The Tesla K40c, with no other recorded benchmarks, cannot be evaluated in these areas. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not just faster in the single head-to-head test; it is a more versatile card with a complete benchmark profile. The Tesla K40c, by comparison, is a relic with a single data point. In every measurable way, the RTX 2060 SUPER wins decisively.