NVIDIA Quadro GP100 vs NVIDIA Tesla T4 Comparison

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is the faster card in raw compute, winning the only head-to-head benchmark by a massive 42.7%. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 87,445 crushes the Tesla T4’s 61,276. The Quadro GP100 also sits at the 93rd percentile of all GPUs, while the Tesla T4 sits at the 90th. For any workload that is purely about OpenCL throughput, the Quadro GP100 is the clear choice.

However, the Tesla T4 is not without purpose. The benchmark data shows it is a capable compute card in its own right, with a Vulkan score of 72,190 that is higher than its OpenCL score. The T4’s architecture includes features the Quadro GP100 completely lacks — 320 tensor cores and 40 RT cores — which makes it the only one of the two that can accelerate ray tracing and tensor-based workloads. The T4 also draws dramatically less power (70 W versus 235 W) and fits in a single slot with no power connectors. The verdict: choose the Quadro GP100 for maximum raw compute throughput; choose the Tesla T4 for a low-power, feature-rich accelerator with tensor and RT capabilities.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different NVIDIA architectures and generations. The Quadro GP100 is built on the Pascal architecture, belonging to the Quadro Pascal (Px000) generation, while the Tesla T4 is a Turing part from the Tesla Turing (Txx) generation. The manufacturing process differs as well: the Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm process, while the Tesla T4 uses a 12 nm process, both from TSMC.

Transistor counts are close but not identical. The Quadro GP100 packs 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die, while the Tesla T4 has 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly the same: 25.1M / mm² for the Quadro GP100 versus 25.0M / mm² for the Tesla T4.

Memory architectures are fundamentally different. The Quadro GP100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla T4 also has 16 GB, but it is GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 320.0 GB/s — less than half the bandwidth. Clock behavior diverges sharply too: the Quadro GP100 has a base clock of 1304 MHz and a boost of 1443 MHz, while the Tesla T4 has a very low base of 585 MHz but a much higher boost of 1590 MHz.

The compute unit counts favor the Quadro GP100. It has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The Tesla T4 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Crucially, the Tesla T4 adds 320 tensor cores and 40 RT cores; the Quadro GP100 has none of either. The T4 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Quadro GP100 tops out at DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The Quadro GP100 has display outputs (1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Tesla T4 has no display outputs at all.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the Quadro GP100 wins decisively. It scores 87,445 versus the Tesla T4’s 61,276, a delta of 42.7%. That is not a marginal lead; it is a dominant one. In relative terms, the Quadro GP100 is about 43% faster than the Tesla T4 in this test.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the strength of each card. The Quadro GP100’s 87,445 OpenCL score puts it just 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 (87,108) and 2.1% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (85,637). It trails the NVIDIA RTX A4500 by 4% (91,134) and the RTX A4500 by 4.6% (91,671). So the Quadro GP100 sits in a tight competitive cluster at the top of this benchmark range.

The Tesla T4’s OpenCL score of 61,276 places it 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon VII (66,004? — no, that is the rival’s score; the T4 is lower). Correcting: the T4’s 61,276 is 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40 (65,095? — again, that is the rival). Let us use the deltaPct values as given. The T4’s average benchmark score is 66,733, which is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon VII (66,004) and 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40 (65,095). It trails the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 by 2.7% (68,562) and the Intel Arc A770 by 3% (68,809). This shows the T4 is competitive in its own tier, but that tier is far below the Quadro GP100’s.

The Tesla T4 also has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 72,190, which is notably higher than its OpenCL score. This suggests the T4 performs better under Vulkan, but there is no Vulkan score for the Quadro GP100 to compare against. The Quadro GP100’s only benchmark is OpenCL, so the head-to-head data is limited to that one test.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the only direct benchmark comparison?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 87,445 versus the Tesla T4’s 61,276, a 42.7% advantage.

Q: Does the Tesla T4 have any benchmark where it outperforms the Quadro GP100?

A: Based on the data, no. The head-to-head benchmark record shows 1 win for the Quadro GP100 and 0 wins for the Tesla T4. However, the Tesla T4 has a Vulkan score of 72,190, but no Vulkan score is listed for the Quadro GP100, so a direct comparison cannot be made.

Q: What unique hardware features does the Tesla T4 offer?

A: The Tesla T4 includes 320 tensor cores and 40 RT cores. The Quadro GP100 has none of these. This makes the T4 the only one of the two with hardware acceleration for ray tracing and tensor operations.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The Quadro GP100 has 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth from HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus. The Tesla T4 has 320.0 GB/s from GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. The Quadro GP100 offers more than double the bandwidth.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The Tesla T4 has a TDP of 70 W and requires no power connectors, while the Quadro GP100 has a TDP of 235 W and requires a single 8-pin connector. The T4 also suggests a 250 W power supply, versus 550 W for the Quadro GP100.

Q: What are the physical size differences?

A: The Quadro GP100 is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height. The Tesla T4 is a single-slot card measuring 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length; its height is not listed.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro GP100 wins in raw compute throughput. Its OpenCL score is 42.7% higher than the Tesla T4’s, and it has more shading units (3584 versus 2560), more TMUs (224 versus 160), more ROPs (96 versus 64), and higher pixel and texture rates. Its pixel rate is 138.5 GPixel/s versus 101.8 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 323.2 GTexel/s versus 254.4 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 10.34 TFLOPS versus 8.141 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 20.69 TFLOPS versus 16.28 TFLOPS (both at 2:1). The Quadro GP100 also has vastly superior memory bandwidth (732.2 GB/s versus 320.0 GB/s) and a wider memory bus (4096-bit versus 256-bit). For any workload that is bandwidth-bound or shader-bound, the Quadro GP100 is the winner.

The Tesla T4 wins in power efficiency and physical footprint. It draws 70 W versus 235 W, needs no power connectors versus a single 8-pin, and fits in a single slot versus dual-slot. It is also shorter: 168 mm versus 267 mm. The T4’s suggested power supply is 250 W versus 550 W for the Quadro GP100. This makes the T4 far easier to deploy in dense server environments or systems with limited power and space.

The Tesla T4 also wins on architectural features. It has tensor cores and RT cores, enabling AI inference and ray tracing workloads that the Quadro GP100 cannot accelerate in hardware. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Quadro GP100 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. The T4’s Vulkan benchmark score of 72,190 suggests strong performance in that API, even though no direct comparison exists for the Quadro GP100.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification. The Quadro GP100 uses a GP100 chip on a 16 nm process, while the Tesla T4 uses a TU104 chip on a 12 nm process. Transistors: 15,300 million versus 13,600 million. Die size: 610 mm² versus 545 mm². Transistor density is nearly identical: 25.1M / mm² versus 25.0M / mm².

Clocks: The Quadro GP100 has a base clock of 1304 MHz and boost of 1443 MHz. The Tesla T4 has a base of 585 MHz and boost of 1590 MHz. Memory clock: 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective) for the Quadro GP100, versus 1250 MHz (10 Gbps effective) for the Tesla T4.

Memory: Both have 16 GB, but the Quadro GP100 uses HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with 732.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Tesla T4 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: The Quadro GP100 has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The Tesla T4 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The T4 adds 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores; the Quadro GP100 has none.

Performance rates: Quadro GP100 pixel rate is 138.5 GPixel/s, texture rate is 323.2 GTexel/s. Tesla T4 pixel rate is 101.8 GPixel/s, texture rate is 254.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 10.34 TFLOPS versus 8.141 TFLOPS. FP16: 20.69 TFLOPS versus 16.28 TFLOPS (both 2:1).

Power and cooling: The Quadro GP100 has a 235 W TDP, is dual-slot, uses a 1x 8-pin power connector, and suggests a 550 W PSU. The Tesla T4 has a 70 W TDP, is single-slot, uses no power connectors, and suggests a 250 W PSU.

Dimensions: The Quadro GP100 is 267 mm (10.5 inches) long and 111 mm (4.4 inches) high. The Tesla T4 is 168 mm (6.6 inches) long; height is not listed.

Display outputs: The Quadro GP100 has 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The Tesla T4 has no outputs.

API support: DirectX — Quadro GP100 supports 12 (12_1); Tesla T4 supports 12 Ultimate (12_2). OpenGL — both support 4.6. Vulkan — Quadro GP100 supports 1.3; Tesla T4 supports 1.4.

Bus interface is the same: PCIe 3.0 x16 for both. Release dates differ: the Quadro GP100 launched on 2016-09-30, the Tesla T4 on 2018-09-12. Both are end-of-life. The Quadro GP100’s predecessor is Quadro Maxwell and successor is Quadro Volta; the Tesla T4’s predecessor is Tesla Volta and successor is Server Ampere.