NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM vs NVIDIA Tesla K10 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM and the NVIDIA Tesla K10 represent two extremes of GPU design philosophy: one is a modern, feature-rich consumer graphics card, while the other is an older, compute-focused accelerator. The benchmark data available for direct comparison is limited but decisive. In the sole head-to-head test, the RTX 3050 OEM delivers a Geekbench OpenCL score of 60,740, which is a staggering 333% higher than the Tesla K10's score of 14,029. This single result sets the tone for the rest of the analysis, painting a clear picture of generational and architectural superiority for the newer card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is not close. The RTX 3050 OEM scores 60,740, while the Tesla K10 trails far behind at 14,029. This translates to a delta of 333%, meaning the RTX 3050 OEM is roughly four times faster in this compute-oriented workload. The victory is comprehensive and leaves no ambiguity about which card holds the performance crown.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the RTX 3050 OEM's average benchmark score of 15,199 places it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15,171, a 0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15,290, a -0.6% delta). This indicates that the RTX 3050 OEM sits comfortably in the mid-range of modern graphics cards, trading blows with other entry-level to mid-tier options from its own and the previous generation.

In contrast, the Tesla K10's average benchmark score is only 14,029, placing it in the 55th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, which scores 14,150, a -0.9% delta. This puts the K10 in a similar performance class as a high-end GPU from the Kepler era, which makes sense given its shared architecture. The deltaPct values show that the K10 is effectively on par with these older cards, but the absolute scores are far lower than the RTX 3050 OEM's, underscoring the massive performance gap between the two cards in this comparison.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental differences between these two GPUs begin with their underlying architectures. The RTX 3050 OEM is built on the Ampere architecture and uses the GA106 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This is a modern, power-efficient design that supports a full suite of contemporary features. The Tesla K10, on the other hand, is a Kepler-generation part based on the GK104 chip, built on a much older 28 nm process at TSMC. This generational gap explains the vast differences in capabilities and efficiency.

The transistor counts and die sizes reflect the architectural shift. The RTX 3050 OEM packs 12,000 million transistors into a 276 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5M / mm². The Tesla K10 contains only 3,540 million transistors on a slightly larger 294 mm² die, for a density of just 12.0M / mm². The modern 8 nm process allows for a much higher density of transistors, enabling the RTX 3050 OEM to fit far more compute units and specialized hardware into a similar physical footprint.

Feature support is where the two cards diverge most sharply. The RTX 3050 OEM includes 18 RT cores for ray tracing and 72 tensor cores for AI acceleration, features that are completely absent from the Tesla K10. The RTX 3050 OEM supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Tesla K10 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). The newer card also supports Vulkan 1.4, compared to Vulkan 1.2.175 on the K10. These are not minor differences; they represent the inclusion of entirely new hardware and API capabilities that the Kepler architecture cannot provide.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more raw compute power in FP32?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM is vastly superior. It delivers 8.087 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Tesla K10 offers only 2.289 TFLOPS. This is a direct result of the newer architecture and higher shading unit count.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The Tesla K10 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, but its bandwidth is lower at 160.0 GB/s. The newer card has double the capacity and significantly higher bandwidth despite the narrower bus.

Q: Which card is more power-hungry?

A: The Tesla K10 has a higher TDP of 225 W, and its suggested PSU is 550 W. The RTX 3050 OEM is more efficient, with a TDP of 130 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The newer card achieves far more performance while consuming less power.

Q: Does the Tesla K10 support modern features like ray tracing?

A: No. The Tesla K10 has no RT cores or tensor cores. The RTX 3050 OEM includes 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads. The K10 is limited to the features available in the Kepler architecture.

Q: What is the difference in their bus interfaces?

A: The RTX 3050 OEM uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the Tesla K10 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The newer PCIe 4.0 standard offers higher bandwidth per lane, which can be beneficial for data transfer in certain workloads.

Q: Are there any display outputs on the Tesla K10?

A: No, the Tesla K10 has no display outputs. It is a compute-only accelerator. The RTX 3050 OEM includes 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, making it a complete consumer graphics solution.

Specification Differences

Here are the key specifications where the two cards differ, based solely on the data provided.

• Architecture: Ampere (GA106) vs. Kepler (GK104)
• Process Node: 8 nm (Samsung) vs. 28 nm (TSMC)
• Transistors: 12,000 million vs. 3,540 million
• Die Size: 276 mm² vs. 294 mm²
• Transistor Density: 43.5M / mm² vs. 12.0M / mm²
• Memory: 8 GB GDDR6 vs. 4 GB GDDR5
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit vs. 256 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 224.0 GB/s vs. 160.0 GB/s
• Shading Units: 2304 vs. 1536
• TMUs: 72 vs. 128
• ROPs: 32 vs. 32
• RT Cores: 18 vs. null
• Tensor Cores: 72 vs. null
• Pixel Rate: 56.16 GPixel/s vs. 23.84 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 126.4 GTexel/s vs. 95.36 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 8.087 TFLOPS vs. 2.289 TFLOPS
• FP16 Performance: 8.087 TFLOPS (1:1) vs. null
• TDP: 130 W vs. 225 W
• Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin vs. 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
• Suggested PSU: 300 W vs. 550 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 vs. PCIe 3.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a vs. No outputs
• DirectX Support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) vs. 12 (11_0)
• Vulkan Support: 1.4 vs. 1.2.175
• Length: 242 mm (9.5 inches) vs. 272 mm (10.7 inches)
• Release Date: 2022-01-03 vs. 2012-04-30

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 OEM wins in nearly every conceivable category. Its strengths lie in modern gaming and general-purpose use. The inclusion of RT and tensor cores means it can handle ray-traced games and AI-accelerated applications. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are well-suited for modern game textures and resolutions. The display outputs make it a functional card for a desktop PC, and its lower TDP of 130 W means it is easier to cool and power. Its 333% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test also shows it is a far more capable compute card for tasks that leverage its modern architecture.

The Tesla K10's only advantages are historical or niche. Its 256-bit memory bus is wider, though the resulting bandwidth is still lower. Its 128 TMUs are more numerous, but the texture rate of 95.36 GTexel/s is still lower than the RTX 3050 OEM's 126.4 GTexel/s. It has no display outputs, so it cannot be used for any visual output. Its higher TDP of 225 W and suggested PSU of 550 W make it less efficient. There is no benchmark data in the pack where the K10 wins. Its sole purpose is as a legacy compute accelerator, and even in that role, it is outclassed by the newer card.

The Verdict

The choice between these two cards is straightforward based on the data. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the superior product for virtually any use case. It is a modern GPU with a full feature set, significantly higher performance, better memory capacity and bandwidth, and lower power consumption. Its 333% lead in the OpenCL benchmark and its higher average benchmark score of 15,199 versus 14,029 make it the clear winner.

The Tesla K10 is a relic of a bygone era. While its 55th percentile ranking is not drastically lower than the RTX 3050 OEM's 57th percentile, the absolute performance difference is enormous. Its lack of display outputs, absence of RT and tensor cores, and older API support make it unsuitable for any modern workload. The only reason to pick the K10 would be for a specific legacy application that requires its unique Kepler compute characteristics, but the data shows it is simply not competitive. For anyone building a system today, the RTX 3050 OEM is the only logical choice.