NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile vs NVIDIA Tesla K40c Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile compare to the Tesla K40c in overall average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile records an average benchmark score of 20,534, while the Tesla K40c sits at 17,468. The RTX 3070 Mobile also holds a higher percentile ranking at 65 versus 61 for the Tesla K40c.

Q: Which GPU has a larger memory capacity?

A: The Tesla K40c offers 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the RTX 3070 Mobile provides 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. However, the RTX 3070 Mobile has a much higher memory bandwidth at 448.0 GB/s compared to 288.4 GB/s for the Tesla K40c.

Q: What is the transistor count and process node difference between the two?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile uses an 8 nm Samsung process with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, resulting in a density of 44.4M per mm². The Tesla K40c uses a 28 nm TSMC process with 7,080 million transistors on a larger 561 mm² die, yielding a density of 12.6M per mm².

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are end-of-life products. The RTX 3070 Mobile was released on 2021-01-11, and the Tesla K40c was released much earlier on 2013-10-07.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RTX 3070 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W and requires no external power connectors, as it is a mobile part. The Tesla K40c has a TDP of 245 W, requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: Which GPU supports modern API features like ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 3070 Mobile supports ray tracing, with 40 dedicated RT cores, and it also features 160 tensor cores. The Tesla K40c has no RT or tensor cores, as it is based on the older Kepler architecture.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The RTX 3070 Mobile is built on the Ampere architecture, using the GA104 chip, while the Tesla K40c relies on the much older Kepler architecture with the GK180 chip. This generational gap is immediately visible in the process technology: the RTX 3070 Mobile is fabricated on an 8 nm Samsung node, whereas the Tesla K40c uses a 28 nm TSMC node. The transistor density tells the story clearly, the Ampere chip packs 44.4M transistors per mm² versus just 12.6M for the Kepler part, even though the Kepler die is physically larger at 561 mm² compared to 392 mm².

The compute resources differ substantially. The RTX 3070 Mobile fields 5,120 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The Tesla K40c, despite having fewer shading units at 2,880, actually has more TMUs at 240, but only 48 ROPs. The RTX 3070 Mobile also brings 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores to the table, features that simply do not exist on the Kepler-based Tesla. This makes the RTX 3070 Mobile a much more versatile part for modern workloads that can leverage hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI acceleration.

Memory architectures are also fundamentally different. The RTX 3070 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla K40c offers more capacity at 12 GB of GDDR5, but on a wider 384-bit bus it still only reaches 288.4 GB/s. The Tesla's higher capacity suggests its intended role was data-heavy compute workloads, but the RTX 3070 Mobile's superior bandwidth benefits both gaming and compute tasks. Clock speeds follow the architectural trend: the RTX 3070 Mobile runs at a 1110 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost, while the Tesla K40c is significantly slower at 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost.

Feature support is another clear divider. The RTX 3070 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, while the Tesla K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), Vulkan 1.2.175, and OpenGL 4.6. The Tesla is also a dual-slot card with no display outputs, whereas the RTX 3070 Mobile is a mobile part with portable-device-dependent outputs. The power envelope reflects their different design goals: the RTX 3070 Mobile draws 115 W with no external power connectors, while the Tesla K40c draws 245 W and requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin connector.

The Verdict

The data points strongly in one direction for nearly every use case. The RTX 3070 Mobile is the clear winner in raw performance, delivering 432.1% higher Geekbench OpenCL scores than the Tesla K40c. Its average benchmark score of 20,534 versus 17,468, along with its higher percentile ranking of 65 versus 61, confirms that it outperforms the Tesla across the board.

The RTX 3070 Mobile is the better pick for anyone who needs a balance of gaming capability, modern API support, and compute performance. Its 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores make it suitable for ray-traced workloads and AI inference, areas where the Tesla K40c has no hardware support at all. The mobile part also consumes less power at 115 W versus 245 W, making it more efficient in every measurable way.

The Tesla K40c remains relevant only in one specific scenario: when memory capacity matters more than speed. Its 12 GB of GDDR5 exceeds the RTX 3070 Mobile's 8 GB, which could be useful for certain large data sets that fit within 12 GB but not 8 GB. However, the Tesla's significantly lower bandwidth of 288.4 GB/s and its lack of modern features make it difficult to recommend for any new deployment. The RTX 3070 Mobile is the superior choice for virtually all buyers, offering better performance, modern architecture, and lower power draw.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The RTX 3070 Mobile uses the GA104 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, while the Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip on a 28 nm TSMC process. Transistor counts are 17,400 million versus 7,080 million, with die sizes of 392 mm² versus 561 mm², and transistor densities of 44.4M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm².

Clock speeds show the RTX 3070 Mobile running at 1110 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost, compared to the Tesla K40c's 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. Memory configurations differ in capacity, type, bus width, and bandwidth: 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus at 448.0 GB/s versus 12 GB GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus at 288.4 GB/s.

The compute units are also different. The RTX 3070 Mobile has 5,120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, while the Tesla K40c has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 3070 Mobile adds 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores; the Tesla has none. Pixel and texture rates follow the performance gap: 124.8 GPixel/s and 249.6 GTexel/s for the RTX 3070 Mobile versus 52.56 GPixel/s and 210.2 GTexel/s for the Tesla. FP32 compute is 15.97 TFLOPS versus 5.046 TFLOPS, and the RTX 3070 Mobile supports FP16 at 15.97 TFLOPS (1:1), while the Tesla has no listed FP16 capability.

Power and physical characteristics diverge as well. The RTX 3070 Mobile is a 115 W mobile part with no external power connectors, while the Tesla K40c is a 245 W dual-slot card requiring a 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connector, with a suggested PSU of 550 W. The Tesla measures 267 mm in length. Bus interfaces are PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 3070 Mobile and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the Tesla. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent on the mobile part, while the Tesla has no outputs at all. API support differs, with the RTX 3070 Mobile offering DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, versus DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175 on the Tesla. The Tesla K40c has a launch MSRP of 7,699 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison contains a single benchmark result, but it is decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 3070 Mobile scores 92,939, while the Tesla K40c manages just 17,468. That gives the RTX 3070 Mobile a 432.1% advantage, a massive margin that reflects the combined effects of newer architecture, higher clock speeds, and greater bandwidth.

This single result is consistent with the broader performance picture. The RTX 3070 Mobile's average benchmark score of 20,534 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Arc B570 at 20,556 (a 0.1% difference), the Intel Arc A750 at 20,582 (0.2% ahead), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20,480 (0.3% behind). The Tesla K40c, by contrast, sits at the 61st percentile with an average score of 17,468, competing with parts like the AMD Radeon Pro 460 at 17,509 and the AMD Radeon 780M at 17,588.

The RTX 3070 Mobile also shows a much broader benchmark footprint. It has scores across a wide range of tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at 2,380, PassMark G3D at 15,309, PassMark G2D at 641, and PassMark GPU Compute at 6,827. The Tesla K40c has only a single recorded Geekbench OpenCL result, which limits direct comparisons but also suggests that the database has far less validation for the older Tesla part. The RTX 3070 Mobile's wins across multiple test categories reinforce the conclusion that it is the more capable and more thoroughly validated GPU, with the head-to-head result showing an overwhelming performance lead in the only test where both are measured.