GPU Comparison

The data shows a stark generational clash. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is a Kepler-era compute card from 2013, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is an Ampere-based consumer GPU from 2020. In the single head-to-head benchmark available, the RTX 3070 is overwhelmingly faster, but the Tesla K40c retains specific value in niche enterprise contexts.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the FACT PACK is the Geekbench OpenCL test. This is a compute-oriented workload that measures raw shader throughput and memory performance, making it a relevant gauge for both cards. The results are decisive: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 112,821, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17,468. This represents an 84.5% delta in favor of the RTX 3070, meaning the newer card delivers roughly six and a half times the compute performance in this specific test. The margin is so large that it eclipses any architectural nuance; the RTX 3070 simply overwhelms the older card through sheer execution resources.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the RTX 3070 shows its versatility with a wide range of scores across different APIs. Its Passmark G3D score is 22,214, and its Passmark GPU Compute score is 11,195. In contrast, the Tesla K40c has only a single benchmark entry—the same Geekbench OpenCL score of 17,468. This lack of data is itself informative: the Tesla K40c is a compute-focused product with no display outputs, meaning it was never designed for the gaming and graphics workloads that populate most of the RTX 3070’s benchmark suite. The RTX 3070 also posts Vulkan and DirectX 12 scores, such as 21,022 in Geekbench Vulkan and 85 in Passmark DirectX 12, while the K40c’s API support is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175, which is a generation behind.

When examining the nearest rivals for each card, the context shifts. The Tesla K40c’s average benchmark score is 17,468, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitors are AMD’s Radeon Pro 460 (17,509, a 0.2% delta), Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, a 0.5% delta), Radeon 780M (17,588, a 0.7% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639, a 1% delta). This indicates that despite its age, the K40c’s compute performance is still aligned with modern entry-level and integrated graphics solutions. The RTX 3070 also sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, but with a much higher average score of 17,208 across its multiple benchmarks. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083, a 0.7% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037, a 1% delta), and AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019, a 1.1% delta). The irony is that the RTX 3070’s average score is dragged down by its low Passmark DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 scores (247 and 150), which likely reflect driver overhead or test anomalies rather than real-world capability.

The most critical takeaway from the head-to-head data is the sheer compute advantage of the RTX 3070. Its FP32 performance is listed at 20.31 TFLOPS, compared to the K40c’s 5.046 TFLOPS. This is a 4x difference in theoretical peak throughput, and the Geekbench OpenCL result confirms that the real-world gap is even larger due to the RTX 3070’s superior memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs. 288.4 GB/s) and higher clock speeds (boost 1725 MHz vs. 876 MHz). For any workload that can utilize the RTX 3070’s feature set, the K40c is not just slower—it is obsolete.

The Verdict

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the clear winner for virtually every use case. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 84.5%, offers a dramatically higher FP32 throughput (20.31 TFLOPS vs. 5.046 TFLOPS), and supports modern APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3070 also includes 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads—features completely absent from the Tesla K40c. Any user building a system for gaming, content creation, or general-purpose compute should select the RTX 3070 without hesitation; the data is unambiguous.

However, the Tesla K40c is not without a niche. Its 12 GB of GDDR5 memory exceeds the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6, which can matter for certain large-scale compute tasks that require more memory capacity than bandwidth. The K40c’s 384-bit memory bus also provides a wider path for data, though the RTX 3070’s faster 14 Gbps effective memory speed compensates in most scenarios. The K40c was designed as a compute card with no display outputs, making it suitable for headless servers or dedicated compute nodes. Its launch MSRP was 7,699 USD, which was justified in 2013 for enterprise buyers who needed a professional-grade accelerator. Today, its 61st percentile ranking suggests it can still handle basic compute workloads, but it lags behind even modern integrated graphics like the AMD Radeon 780M in raw score.

For a practical builder, the choice is simple: the RTX 3070 is the superior product in every measurable performance metric. The only reason to pick the K40c is if you have a legacy system requiring its specific 12 GB memory capacity or if you need a card with no display outputs for a server environment where the RTX 3070’s multimedia features are irrelevant. Otherwise, the RTX 3070’s 4x FP32 advantage and modern architecture make it the only rational choice.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct eras of NVIDIA’s design philosophy. The Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip based on the Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process by TSMC. It contains 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm². This is a large, power-hungry design that prioritized compute throughput over efficiency. The K40c features 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 48 render output units (ROPs), with no dedicated RT or tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 52.56 GPixel/s and texture rate is 210.2 GTexel/s.

In contrast, the RTX 3070 uses the GA104 chip based on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It packs 17,400 million transistors into a smaller 392 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 44.4 million per mm²—more than three times denser than the K40c. The RTX 3070 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, alongside 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. Its pixel rate is 165.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s. The RTX 3070 also supports FP16 compute at 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the K40c has no listed FP16 capability, indicating a fundamental shift toward mixed-precision workloads.

The memory architectures differ as well. The K40c uses 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, while the RTX 3070 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 3070’s memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus the K40c’s 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), giving the RTX 3070 a 448.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 288.4 GB/s. The RTX 3070 also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, doubling the bus interface bandwidth of the K40c’s PCIe 3.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences are stark. The RTX 3070 has a base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz, while the K40c runs at 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost—roughly half the frequency. The RTX 3070’s FP32 performance is 20.31 TFLOPS versus 5.046 TFLOPS for the K40c. Memory capacity favors the K40c at 12 GB versus 8 GB, but the RTX 3070 has superior memory technology (GDDR6 vs. GDDR5) and bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs. 288.4 GB/s). The RTX 3070 has more shading units (5,888 vs. 2,880) and ROPs (96 vs. 48), but fewer TMUs (184 vs. 240). The RTX 3070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while the K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RTX 3070 has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a) while the K40c has none. Power consumption favors the RTX 3070 at 220 W TDP versus 245 W, and it uses a single 12-pin connector versus the K40c’s 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin. The RTX 3070 is shorter at 242 mm versus 267 mm for the K40c.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is overwhelmingly faster. It scores 112,821 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 17,468 for the Tesla K40c, an 84.5% delta. Its FP32 throughput is 20.31 TFLOPS compared to 5.046 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the Tesla K40c have any advantage over the RTX 3070?

A: Yes, the K40c has 12 GB of memory versus 8 GB on the RTX 3070, and a wider 384-bit memory bus versus 256-bit. This provides more memory capacity for large datasets, but the RTX 3070 compensates with faster GDDR6 memory and higher bandwidth.

Q: Can the Tesla K40c be used for gaming?

A: No. The K40c has no display outputs, meaning it cannot connect to a monitor. It is designed for compute-only workloads in servers or workstations. The RTX 3070, with 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, is fully capable for gaming.

Q: What are the API differences between the two cards?

A: The RTX 3070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the K40c is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. This means the RTX 3070 can run the latest graphics features, including ray tracing via its 46 RT cores.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The RTX 3070 has a lower TDP at 220 W versus 245 W for the K40c, despite delivering significantly more performance. Both require a 550 W suggested PSU.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The K40c’s average score of 17,468 places it just below the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509) and above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639, a 1% delta). The RTX 3070’s average of 17,208 is slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083, a 0.7% delta).

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 wins in every performance category that matters for modern users. It dominates in raw compute (4x FP32), memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs. 288.4 GB/s), and feature support (RT cores, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate). It is the clear choice for gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, and any workload that benefits from CUDA acceleration. Its higher clock speeds (1725 MHz boost vs. 876 MHz) and larger shading unit count (5,888 vs. 2,880) ensure that it will outperform the K40c in any shader-bound task. The RTX 3070 also wins on efficiency, delivering more performance at a lower 220 W TDP.

The Tesla K40c wins only in scenarios where memory capacity is the limiting factor. Its 12 GB frame buffer is 50% larger than the RTX 3070’s 8 GB, which could be advantageous for compute tasks that require holding large models or datasets in memory without swapping. Its 384-bit bus also provides a wider memory path, though the RTX 3070’s faster GDDR6 largely negates this advantage. The K40c’s lack of display outputs makes it suitable for headless compute nodes, but the RTX 3070 can also operate in that role while retaining display capability. In summary, the K40c is a relic for legacy enterprise systems, while the RTX 3070 is a versatile, modern accelerator that wins the head-to-head benchmark by 84.5% and offers a superior feature set for all practical purposes.