NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 vs NVIDIA Tesla K20m Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla K20m and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 represent two very different eras of NVIDIA’s GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a generational chasm. The Tesla K20m, a Kepler-based compute card from early 2013, was built for scientific workloads with a 5 GB GDDR5 frame buffer and a 320-bit bus. The RTX 2070, a Turing-based consumer card from late 2018, brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, dedicated ray tracing cores, and tensor cores. The head-to-head results are stark: the RTX 2070 wins both available benchmarks by massive margins, yet the K20m still holds its own in the broader percentile rankings. This comparison is less about a fair fight and more about understanding how architecture shifts reshape performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two shared benchmarks in the data are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, and the RTX 2070 dominates both. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2070 scores 79,966 against the Tesla K20m’s 16,241, a delta of -79.7% for the K20m. That means the RTX 2070 is roughly 4.9 times faster in this compute-oriented test. The gap is slightly narrower in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 2070 posts 82,521 versus 21,936 for the K20m, a -73.4% delta for the older card. Still, the RTX 2070 is about 3.8 times faster here.

These deltas are not subtle. They suggest the RTX 2070’s newer memory subsystem and higher clock speeds translate directly into raw throughput gains. The K20m’s FP32 performance is listed at 3.524 TFLOPS, while the RTX 2070 reaches 7.465 TFLOPS — more than double. In texture rate, the RTX 2070 hits 233.3 GTexel/s versus 146.8 GTexel/s for the K20m. Pixel rate is even more lopsided: 103.7 GPixel/s for the RTX 2070 compared to 36.71 GPixel/s for the K20m. The only metric where the K20m shows a hardware advantage is raw shading unit count — 2,496 vs 2,304 — but that does not overcome the architectural efficiency gap.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The K20m averages 19,089 across its two tests, while the RTX 2070 averages 18,789 across ten tests. That the K20m’s average is higher despite losing both head-to-head tests is a quirk of the test selection. The RTX 2070’s PassMark scores (e.g., 16,094 in G3D, 6,411 in GPU Compute) and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,569 pull its average down, while the K20m only has two Geekbench scores. Nonetheless, the percentile rankings are close: the K20m sits at the 64th percentile of all GPUs, and the RTX 2070 at the 63rd, meaning the K20m is not obsolete in a historical context, just outpaced in modern workloads.

Where Each One Wins

Based solely on the benchmark data, the RTX 2070 wins every available head-to-head comparison. There are no tests in the FACT PACK where the Tesla K20m comes out ahead. The winsB field confirms this: 2 wins for the RTX 2070, 0 for the K20m. Therefore, for any workload represented by Geekbench OpenCL or Vulkan, the RTX 2070 is the clear choice.

However, the absence of other shared benchmarks means we cannot rule out scenarios where the K20m might excel. The K20m has no display outputs, indicating it was designed for compute-only environments, likely headless servers or clusters. Its 5 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 320-bit bus provides 208.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is lower than the RTX 2070’s 448.0 GB/s, but the larger bus width could theoretically benefit certain memory-bound compute tasks that do not require the latest APIs. The K20m also supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175, so it can run modern APIs, albeit with older feature levels. The RTX 2070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, which are more current.

In terms of nearest rivals, the K20m’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, with an average score of 19,049 and a delta of 0.2%, meaning the K20m is essentially tied with that laptop GPU. It also sits near the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (19,036, +0.3%) and the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19,030, +0.3%). The RTX 2070’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K80 (18,866, -0.4%), meaning the RTX 2070 is slightly slower than that dual-GPU card, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (18,685, +0.6%). This suggests the RTX 2070 is competitive with workstation-class cards but not a top performer.

Architecture Differences

The most fundamental difference is the architecture generation. The Tesla K20m uses the GK110 chip on the Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 2070 uses the TU106 chip on the Turing architecture, also from TSMC but on a 12 nm process. This node shrink allows the RTX 2070 to pack 10,800 million transistors into a 445 mm² die, while the K20m fits 7,080 million transistors into a larger 561 mm² die. The transistor density tells the story: 12.6 million transistors per mm² for the K20m versus 24.3 million per mm² for the RTX 2070 — nearly double.

Memory technology also differs. The K20m uses 5 GB of GDDR5 at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the RTX 2070 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The RTX 2070’s memory clock is more than double, and its bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is more than double the K20m’s 208.0 GB/s. The bus widths are reversed: the K20m has a 320-bit bus, while the RTX 2070 has a 256-bit bus. The RTX 2070 compensates for the narrower bus with much faster memory, achieving higher overall bandwidth.

Compute features are another major split. The RTX 2070 includes 36 RT cores and 288 tensor cores, which are absent from the K20m. These enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based tasks like DLSS, which the K20m cannot perform. The RTX 2070 also lists FP16 performance at 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1), while the K20m has no FP16 figure in the data, suggesting it lacks dedicated half-precision throughput. Clock speeds differ as well: the K20m has no base or boost clocks listed, while the RTX 2070 runs at 1410 MHz base and 1620 MHz boost.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 2070 scores 79,966 versus the K20m’s 16,241, a delta of -79.7% for the K20m. The RTX 2070 is nearly five times faster.

Q: Does the Tesla K20m have any benchmark where it beats the RTX 2070?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows 2 wins for the RTX 2070 and 0 wins for the K20m across the two shared tests (Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan).

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 2070 has 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 8 GB of GDDR6, while the K20m has 208.0 GB/s from 5 GB of GDDR5. The RTX 2070 offers more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Does the K20m support ray tracing?

A: No. The K20m has no RT cores or tensor cores listed. The RTX 2070 includes 36 RT cores and 288 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 2070 has 24.3 million transistors per mm², compared to 12.6 million per mm² for the K20m. This reflects the newer 12 nm process versus the 28 nm process.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for each card?

A: The Tesla K20m had a launch MSRP of 3,199 USD, while the RTX 2070 had a launch MSRP of 499 USD.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA Tesla K20m | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 |

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

| Chip | GK110 | TU106 |

| Architecture | Kepler | Turing |

| Generation | Tesla Kepler (Kxx) | GeForce 20 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 10,800 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 445 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 24.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 1410 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 1620 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 5 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 208.0 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2496 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 208 | 144 |

| ROPs | 40 | 64 |

| RT Cores | Not listed | 36 |

| Tensor Cores | Not listed | 288 |

| Pixel Rate | 36.71 GPixel/s | 103.7 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 146.8 GTexel/s | 233.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 3.524 TFLOPS | 7.465 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 14.93 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 225 W | 175 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2013-01-04 | 2018-10-16 |

| Launch MSRP | 3,199 USD | 499 USD |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 229 mm (9 inches) |

| Height | Not listed | 113 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Width | Not listed | 35 mm (1.4 inches) |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 outperforms the Tesla K20m in every shared benchmark, with deltas of -79.7% and -73.4% favoring the newer card. If the workload involves Geekbench OpenCL or Vulkan, the RTX 2070 is the only rational pick. Its higher FP32 throughput, double the memory bandwidth, and support for ray tracing and tensor cores make it a more capable general-purpose GPU. The K20m’s only theoretical advantages are its higher shading unit count and wider memory bus, but neither translates into a win in the available tests.

For a buyer or system builder considering these two, the choice depends on the application. The K20m, with no display outputs and a launch MSRP of 3,199 USD, was clearly aimed at compute clusters where raw FP64 or memory bandwidth mattered more than consumer features. The RTX 2070, at a launch MSRP of 499 USD, offers a far lower power draw (175 W vs 225 W), a smaller physical footprint, and modern API support. The K20m’s percentile ranking of 64th versus the RTX 2070’s 63rd is nearly identical, but that is an artifact of different benchmark suites. In any head-to-head contest, the RTX 2070 wins. The Tesla K20m remains a historical footnote — a capable Kepler-era compute card that, on paper, sits close to the RTX 2070 in average scores but falls far behind in direct comparison.