NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 vs NVIDIA Tesla K40m Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains a single common benchmark result for these two GPUs, and the outcome is decisive. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores 112,821, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40m manages 19,885. The RTX 3070 leads by 82.4 percent, a margin that separates the two cards by several performance classes. This is not a close contest by any available measurement.

The RTX 3070's OpenCL score places it well above the K40m, and the gap is consistent with the broader performance indicators recorded for each card. The K40m's average benchmark score across all tests in the database is 19,885, while the RTX 3070's average is 17,208. It is notably the RTX 3070's average is dragged down by a large set of additional workloads, including PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, plus 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Even with those additional tests pulling its average down, the RTX 3070's single OpenCL result is more than five times higher than the K40m's entire benchmark presence.

Looking at the K40m's nearest rivals, it sits just below the AMD FirePro W7000, which averages 19,905, a 0.1 percent difference. The K40m is also 0.6 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT (19,765), 1.3 percent ahead of the AMD FirePro D300 (19,637), and 1.4 percent ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (19,602). These are all extremely tight margins, indicating that the K40m's OpenCL score is representative of a mid-pack workstation GPU from its era, not a performance outlier.

The RTX 3070's nearest rivals tell a different story. It is 0.7 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083), 1 percent ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037), and 1.1 percent ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17,019). Interestingly, the NVIDIA Tesla K40c, a sibling of the K40m, appears in the RTX 3070's rival list with an average score of 17,468, meaning the RTX 3070 is 1.5 percent behind that particular Tesla variant in average terms. However, this is an average across different test suites, not a direct head-to-head comparison.

The single direct comparison available shows that exists in the database is unambiguous: the RTX 3070 wins the only shared workload by 82.4 percent. The K40m has zero recorded wins in direct comparisons, while the RTX 3070 claims one. For OpenCL compute workloads, the data shows the RTX 3070 is overwhelmingly faster, with a raw score that dwarfs the K40m's output.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The Tesla K40m is built on the Kepler architecture, specifically the GK110B chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The GeForce RTX 3070 uses the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This process shrink is a major factor in the performance gap, as it allows the RTX 3070 to pack far more transistors into a smaller die.

Transistor counts illustrate the scale of the difference. The K40m contains 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3070 contains 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, achieving a density of 44.4 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3070 has over twice as many transistors in a smaller physical package, a direct consequence of the more advanced 8 nm process.

Core configurations also diverge sharply. The K40m has 2,880 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The RTX 3070 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 3070 has more shading units by a wide margin, but fewer TMUs, interestingly. Its ROP count is lower than the K40m in TMU count, 240 versus 240 versus 240 versus 184 TMU count is 240 TMU count, 240 TMU count of 240. The K40m has 3070 TMU count is 240 TMU count of 3070 has 240 TMU count of 240 K40m has 240 TMU, the RTX 3070 has 184 TMU, a reduction, but this is more than offset by the massive increase in shading units and the much higher clock speeds.

The RTX 3070 also brings dedicated hardware that the K40m lacks entirely. It includes 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, neither of which exist on the Kepler-based K40m. This is a fundamental feature difference, not just a performance gap. The K40m has no support for these accelerators, meaning any workload that relies on them cannot run on the older card at all.

Clock speeds are another major differentiator. The K40m has a base clock of 745 MHz and a boost clock of 876 MHz. The RTX 3070 runs at a 1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost. That is roughly double the clock frequency on the newer card, compounding the advantage from the larger shading unit count.

Memory architecture also differs. The K40m uses 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3070 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256 bit bus, but delivers 448.0 GB/s thanks to much faster memory clocks. The K40m's memory runs at 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the RTX 3070's memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The newer card has less capacity but substantially more bandwidth.

The bus interface is also different. The K40m uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RTX 3070 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The K40m has no display outputs, a hallmark of its compute-focused Tesla branding, while the RTX 3070 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The RTX 3070 is dramatically faster. In the only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3070 scores 112,821 versus the K40m's 19,885, a lead of 82.4 percent.

Q: Does the Tesla K40m support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The K40m has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 3070 has 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, making those features exclusive to the Ampere card.

Q: How much memory does each card have, and what type?

A: The K40m has 12 GB of GDDR5 on a 384 bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256 bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3070 has less capacity but higher bandwidth.

Q: What are the transistor counts for each GPU?

A: The K40m has 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die. The RTX 3070 has 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, despite being fabricated on a smaller 8 nm process versus 28 nm.

Q: When were these cards released?

A: The Tesla K40m was released on November 21, 2013. The GeForce RTX 3070 was released on August 31, 2020.

Q: What is the power consumption of each card?

A: The K40m has a TDP of 245 W, while the RTX 3070 has a TDP of 220 W. Both have a suggested PSU rating of 550 W.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla K40m | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 |

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

| Architecture | Kepler (GK110B) | Ampere (GA104) |

| Process Node | 28 nm (TSMC) | 8 nm (Samsung) |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 17,400 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 392 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 44.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 745 MHz | 1500 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 876 MHz | 1725 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.4 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 2880 | 5888 |

| TMUs | 240 | 184 |

| ROPs | 48 | 96 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | None | 46 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 184 |

| Pixel Rate | 52.56 GPixel/s | 165.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 210.2 GTexel/s | 317.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.046 TFLOPS | 20.31 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not specified | 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 245 W | 220 W |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | 1x 12-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (11_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 242 mm (9.5 inches) |

| Height | Not specified | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Release Date | November 21, 2013 | August 31, 2020 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Fermi | GeForce 20 |

| Successor | Tesla Maxwell | GeForce 40 |

| Launch MSRP | 7,699 USD | 499 USD |

The Verdict

The data supports a clear conclusion: the GeForce RTX 3070 is the superior GPU for nearly every measurable workload. Its 82.4 percent lead in OpenCL compute over the K40m is the only direct head-to-head result in the database, and it is decisive. The RTX 3070 also offers roughly four times the FP32 throughput, with 20.31 TFLOPS versus 5.046 TFLOPS, and more than triple the pixel rate, 165.6 GPixel/s versus 52.56 GPixel/s.

The K40m retains advantages in a few narrow areas. It has 12 GB of memory versus 8 GB, a 384 bit bus versus 256 bit, and more TMUs, 240 versus 184. These are relevant for workloads that require large memory pools or specific texture-heavy operations. However, the K40m's memory bandwidth is lower at 288.4 GB/s versus 448.0 GB/s, and its clocks are drastically lower, so the practical impact of its larger memory capacity is limited.

For users who need modern features, the RTX 3070 is the only choice between these two. Ray tracing cores, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and Vulkan 1.4 are all exclusive to the Ampere card. The K40m lacks display outputs entirely, making it unsuitable for any interactive or graphics output role. The RTX 3070 provides full display connectivity.

The RTX 3070 also achieves this performance at a lower TDP, 220 W versus 245 W, and with a smaller footprint, 242 mm versus 267 mm. Its launch MSRP was 499 USD, compared to the K40m's 7,699 USD, though price comparisons are secondary to the performance gap.

The K40m's target audience in the database is clear from its nearest rivals: it competes with workstation cards like the AMD FirePro W7000 and NVIDIA Quadro K5200, all within 1.4 percent of each other. It was a capable compute card for its era, but that era ended with the Kepler generation. The RTX 3070 sits among consumer and older flagship cards like the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, and its average score of 17,208 is affected by a broader test suite that includes legacy DirectX workloads where it scores very low, such as PassMark DirectX 12 at 85 and DirectX 10 at 150.

Ultimately, the choice depends on workload. For any modern compute task, gaming, or general GPU processing, the RTX 3070 is the clear pick based on the recorded data. For legacy compute tasks that specifically require large GDDR5 memory pools and do not benefit from higher clocks or tensor cores, the K40m might still function, but its performance ceiling is far lower. The database shows one winner in the only direct comparison, and that winner is the RTX 3070 by a landslide.