GPU Comparison

The GeForce RTX 2060 and Tesla K10 are separated by more than just time; they are separated by architectural philosophy. The data shows a decisive victory for the RTX 2060 in the only directly comparable compute benchmark, but the Tesla K10's legacy as a dual-GPU compute card remains distinct. The RTX 2060 delivers a 363.4% higher score in Geekbench OpenCL, making it the clear choice for modern workloads, while the K10 serves as a historical reference point for Kepler-era compute.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single head-to-head benchmark available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is not close. The RTX 2060 scores 65,014, while the Tesla K10 scores 14,029. This yields a delta of 363.4% in favor of the RTX 2060. To put that in perspective, the RTX 2060's score is over four and a half times higher than the K10's. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational leap in raw compute throughput.

This performance gap is reflected in the broader benchmark landscape. The RTX 2060's average benchmark score across all tests is 15,290, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in this aggregate metric are the GeForce GTX 580 (15,283, a 0% delta) and AMD Radeon 680M (15,270, a 0.1% delta). The Tesla K10, by contrast, has an average score of 14,029, placing it in the 55th percentile. Its closest rival is the GeForce GTX 680 (14,150, a -0.9% delta), which actually scores slightly higher, suggesting the K10's dual-GPU design did not scale perfectly in all workloads.

When examining the RTX 2060's individual benchmark results, its strengths are clear. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 14,111 and a Passmark G2D score of 745. In compute-specific tests, it posts a Passmark GPU Compute score of 5,488. The DirectX tests show a varied picture: it scores 190 in DirectX 9, 110 in DirectX 11, 98 in DirectX 10, and only 53 in DirectX 12. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test yields a score of 1,242. These figures indicate strong legacy DirectX performance, with the lower DirectX 12 score potentially reflecting driver overhead or test methodology rather than a hardware limitation, given the 3DMark result.

The Tesla K10 has only one benchmark entry in the data: Geekbench OpenCL at 14,029. This lack of other test results means its gaming and legacy API performance cannot be assessed from the provided facts. What the data does show is that in the one test where both cards are measured, the RTX 2060 is overwhelmingly faster. The win count is 1 for the RTX 2060 and 0 for the Tesla K10, confirming the RTX 2060's dominance in direct comparison.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 2060 than the Tesla K10 in compute performance?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 2060 scores 65,014 compared to the Tesla K10's 14,029. This represents a 363.4% higher score for the RTX 2060.

Q: What is the Tesla K10's average benchmark score compared to its rivals?

A: The Tesla K10 has an average benchmark score of 14,029. This is 0.9% lower than the GeForce GTX 680 (14,150), but 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871).

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the Tesla K10 sits in the 55th percentile. This indicates the RTX 2060 is positioned higher in the overall performance distribution.

Q: Does the Tesla K10 have any benchmark wins over the RTX 2060?

A: No. In the single head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL), the RTX 2060 wins. The total win count is 1 for the RTX 2060 and 0 for the Tesla K10.

Q: How does the RTX 2060's Passmark G3D score compare to its average?

A: The RTX 2060's Passmark G3D score is 14,111, which is slightly lower than its average benchmark score of 15,290. This suggests that the average is pulled up by other tests like Geekbench OpenCL (65,014) and Geekbench Vulkan (65,846).

Q: What is the RTX 2060's score in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 2060 scores 1,242 in the 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test. This is a dedicated DirectX 12 benchmark result.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on entirely different architectures, which explains the massive performance disparity. The RTX 2060 uses the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It packs 10,800 million transistors into a die size of 445 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 24.3M per mm². This modern design includes 30 RT cores and 240 Tensor Cores, features completely absent from the Tesla K10. The Turing architecture also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Tesla K10 is built on the much older Kepler architecture with the GK104 chip, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It contains 3,540 million transistors on a smaller die of 294 mm², yielding a transistor density of just 12.0M per mm². The Kepler design has no RT cores or Tensor Cores, as those technologies did not exist at the time. Its API support is more limited, with DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The lack of hardware ray tracing and tensor acceleration means the K10 cannot handle modern AI or ray-traced workloads that the RTX 2060 can.

The process node difference is significant: 12 nm versus 28 nm. This allows the RTX 2060 to nearly triple the transistor count while using a larger die. The RTX 2060's shading unit count is 1,920 versus the K10's 1,536, and it has 120 TMUs versus 128, with 48 ROPs versus 32. The RTX 2060 also has a higher pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s, compared to the K10's 23.84 GPixel/s and 95.36 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 6.451 TFLOPS for the RTX 2060 versus 2.289 TFLOPS for the K10, and the RTX 2060 adds FP16 capability at 12.90 TFLOPS (2:1), which the K10 lacks entirely.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in nearly every category. The most obvious difference is memory: the RTX 2060 has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla K10 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, but only achieves 160.0 GB/s. The RTX 2060's memory clock is 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the K10's is 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Power requirements also differ substantially. The RTX 2060 has a TDP of 160 W and uses a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The Tesla K10 draws 225 W and requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin connector, with a suggested PSU of 550 W. Despite the K10's higher power draw, it delivers significantly less performance.

The physical cards are different sizes. The RTX 2060 is 229 mm long, 113 mm high, and 35 mm wide. The Tesla K10 is longer at 272 mm, with no height or width listed. Both are dual-slot cards. The RTX 2060 has display outputs (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C), while the Tesla K10 has no outputs, reflecting its compute-only design. The bus interface is identical (PCIe 3.0 x16), but the release dates are far apart: the RTX 2060 was released on 2019-01-06, while the Tesla K10 was released on 2012-04-30.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: the RTX 2060 is the superior card in every measurable way. In the only head-to-head benchmark, it leads by a staggering 363.4%. Its average benchmark score of 15,290 is 9% higher than the Tesla K10's 14,029, and it sits in a higher percentile (58th vs 55th). The RTX 2060 also has a more modern feature set, including RT and Tensor cores, which the K10 lacks entirely.

The Tesla K10 cannot compete on raw performance, and its 4 GB memory capacity and 160 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for modern workloads. Its only advantage is a lower TDP per card in absolute terms, but that is irrelevant given its performance deficit. The K10's closest rival, the GTX 680, actually outperforms it by 0.9%, indicating that even at launch, the dual-GPU design had scaling limitations.

For any user comparing these two, the choice is clear: the RTX 2060 provides dramatically better compute performance, newer API support, and display output capabilities. The Tesla K10's launch MSRP was 5,099 USD, whereas the RTX 2060's launch MSRP was 349 USD. The value proposition is not even close, but considering the performance gap, the RTX 2060 is the only rational choice for any task.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 2060 wins in every category with data available. It dominates in compute, as shown by the 363.4% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. It also wins on memory bandwidth, with 336.0 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s, and on raw processing power, with 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 versus 2.289 TFLOPS. Its modern architecture supports features that the K10 simply cannot access, such as ray tracing and tensor operations.

The Tesla K10 has no benchmark wins in the head-to-head data. Its only listed benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL at 14,029, places it near the GeForce GTX 680 but behind it. The K10's advantage, if any, lies in its historical role as a dual-GPU compute card for scientific workloads from the Kepler era. It has no display outputs, making it unsuitable for any interactive task. The 28 nm process and 3,540 million transistors are dwarfed by the RTX 2060's 12 nm process and 10,800 million transistors.

In practical terms, the RTX 2060 is suitable for modern gaming, content creation, and compute tasks that leverage DirectX 12 Ultimate or Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla K10 is effectively obsolete for all current applications, with its only relevance being as a legacy hardware reference. Users should choose the RTX 2060 for any workload requiring performance, and only consider the K10 if they have a specific need for a compute-only Kepler card with no display output, which is a niche that no modern software stack supports efficiently.