NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation vs NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a decisive outcome for compute workloads measured in this database. The NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation leads the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by a substantial 102% margin in the sole recorded head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL. This places the RTX 4500 Ada in a different performance class entirely, with the Tesla P100 scoring roughly half as much.

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute throughput in modern applications. Its 97th percentile ranking among all GPUs, compared to the Tesla P100's 92nd percentile, confirms its position at the upper echelon of the performance spectrum. The data suggests this card is suited for current-generation workstation tasks, especially those leveraging the Ada Lovelace architecture's modern feature set.

The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, now end-of-life, remains a relevant option only in contexts where its specific capabilities, such as its massive memory bus and HBM2 memory, are the primary consideration. Its average benchmark score of 79,605 is competitive with its nearest rivals, including the GeForce RTX 5090 and the Radeon PRO W6900X, but it is fundamentally outclassed by the newer architecture. For any new deployment requiring maximum compute, the RTX 4500 Ada is the superior choice based on the recorded data.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent distinct eras of NVIDIA design. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using the AD103 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.1M per mm². In contrast, the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB uses the Pascal architecture, with the GP100 chip on a 16 nm process. Its 15,300 million transistors occupy a larger 610 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 25.1M per mm².

The compute resources differ drastically. The RTX 4500 Ada features 7,680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. It also includes dedicated 60 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the Tesla P100. The Tesla P100, by comparison, has 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, but no ray tracing or tensor core hardware.

Memory configurations highlight different priorities. The RTX 4500 Ada uses 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Tesla P100 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, achieving a much higher 732.2 GB/s. Clock speeds also favor the newer card, with the RTX 4500 Ada boosting to 2580 MHz versus the Tesla P100's 1329 MHz. The RTX 4500 Ada's FP32 throughput is 39.63 TFLOPS, while the Tesla P100 delivers 9.526 TFLOPS. The Tesla P100 has a 2:1 FP16 ratio, offering 19.05 TFLOPS, whereas the RTX 4500 Ada offers 39.63 TFLOPS at 1:1.

Power and interface specifications also differ. The RTX 4500 Ada has a 210 W TDP with no power connectors, while the Tesla P100 has a 250 W TDP and requires a single 8-pin connector. The newer card uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and features four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the Tesla P100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and has no display outputs. API support is more modern on the RTX 4500 Ada, with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, compared to the Tesla P100's DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single head-to-head benchmark between these two products: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the RTX 4500 Ada Generation scored 160,786, while the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scored 79,605. This represents a delta of 102%, meaning the RTX 4500 Ada is more than twice as fast as the Tesla P100 in this compute-oriented workload.

This result aligns with the broader database averages. The RTX 4500 Ada has an average benchmark score of 166,094, placing it just ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5500 (165,217, a 0.5% delta) and the AMD Radeon PRO W7800 (164,894, a 0.7% delta). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro W6900X (168,574) by 1.5% and leads the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB (162,504) by 2.2%. The Tesla P100's average score of 79,605 places it slightly ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, a 0.3% delta) and the Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, a 0.8% delta), while it trails the GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842) by 0.3% and the Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959) by 1.7%.

The data indicates that the RTX 4500 Ada not only dominates the Tesla P100 but also competes at a level far above the older card's entire rival group. The Tesla P100's closest competitors are modern consumer and mobile parts, while the RTX 4500 Ada sits alongside top-tier workstation accelerators.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4500 Ada Generation than the Tesla P100 in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation scored 160,786 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 102% higher than the Tesla P100's score of 79,605.

Q: Does the Tesla P100 support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The database lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores for the Tesla P100. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation includes 60 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Tesla P100 has higher memory bandwidth at 732.2 GB/s, due to its 4096-bit HBM2 interface. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 432.0 GB/s from its 192-bit GDDR6 bus.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation is listed as "Active" in production. The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is listed as "End-of-life."

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX 4500 Ada Generation has 7,680 shading units, more than double the 3,584 found on the Tesla P100.

Q: Does the Tesla P100 have any display outputs?

A: No. The Tesla P100 has no display outputs. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation includes four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation wins decisively in compute performance, as shown by its 102% higher OpenCL score. This makes it the superior choice for any workload that relies on general-purpose GPU compute, from rendering to simulation. Its higher FP32 throughput (39.63 TFLOPS versus 9.526 TFLOPS) and modern architecture with dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores give it a massive advantage in applications that can use these features. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory, while lower bandwidth than the Tesla P100, is larger in capacity, which can be beneficial for datasets that fit within 24 GB but not 16 GB. The card also supports newer APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, and offers display outputs, making it more versatile in a workstation environment.

The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB retains a specific advantage in memory bandwidth. Its 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth, achieved via a 4096-bit HBM2 bus, is 69% higher than the RTX 4500 Ada's 432.0 GB/s. This could be relevant for memory-bound workloads that are less sensitive to raw compute throughput. However, the database shows no benchmark where this translates into a win for the Tesla P100. Its 16 GB memory capacity is also smaller. The card's higher TDP of 250 W versus 210 W and requirement for an 8-pin power connector are additional considerations. In every recorded metric of performance, the RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the winner, making the Tesla P100's bandwidth advantage a theoretical rather than practical benefit in this comparison.