NVIDIA Tesla K40c vs NVIDIA TITAN Xp Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct head-to-head benchmark comparison between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this measurement, the NVIDIA TITAN Xp records a score of 72,585, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c records 17,468. The TITAN Xp wins this comparison by a margin of 315.5%. This is not a close contest; the TITAN Xp delivers more than quadruple the raw compute throughput in this OpenCL workload.

To put the TITAN Xp's performance in context, its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 19,177. That places it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 with an average score of 19,164 (a 0.1% difference), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m with 19,089 (0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile with 19,049 (0.7% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 with 19,036 (0.7% ahead). The TITAN Xp's average score is barely above these cards, indicating that its overall standing in the database is competitive with mid-range modern cards, despite its much higher peak compute figures.

The Tesla K40c, by contrast, has only one recorded benchmark in the database: that same Geekbench OpenCL test. Its average benchmark score is therefore 17,468, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 460 at 17,509 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17,551 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon 780M at 17,588 (0.7% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17,639 (1.0% higher). The K40c is actually slightly behind all of these cards in average score, but the differences are small, within a 1% band.

The head-to-head result is stark, but note that the TITAN Xp has nine other benchmarks in the database, while the K40c has none. The single comparison available shows a 315.5% advantage for the TITAN Xp, which is consistent with the architectural gap between a 2017 Pascal flagship and a 2013 Kepler compute card.

Where Each One Wins

The TITAN Xp wins the only direct comparison available, and it does so decisively. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 72,585 versus 17,468, a 315.5% advantage. This is the clear overall winner in compute workloads as measured by the database.

The Tesla K40c's single recorded score of 17,468 in Geekbench OpenCL is its only data point. It does not win any benchmark in the database. However, its average score of 17,468 places it within 1% of several modern integrated and discrete GPUs, suggesting that for legacy compute tasks matching its Kepler architecture, it remains functional but far from competitive with the TITAN Xp.

Looking at the TITAN Xp's other benchmark results, it shows strength across multiple API generations. In Passmark, it scores 18,750 in G3D, 9,430 in GPU Compute, 883 in G2D, 226 in DirectX 9, 152 in DirectX 11, 119 in DirectX 10, and 69 in DirectX 12. It also records 87,180 in Geekbench Vulkan and 2,372 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. These numbers indicate that the TITAN Xp is a versatile card, with strong performance in both legacy DirectX tests and modern Vulkan/DX12 workloads.

For the K40c, the absence of any other benchmark results means the database cannot confirm its behavior in gaming or graphics workloads. Its design goal was compute, and the single OpenCL score reflects that. In a use-case split, the TITAN Xp is the pick for any workload where the database has measurements, while the K40c offers no measured advantage in any category.

Architecture Differences

The TITAN Xp uses the GP102 chip on TSMC's 16 nm process, while the Tesla K40c uses the GK180 chip on TSMC's 28 nm process. The transistor counts differ substantially: the TITAN Xp packs 11,800 million transistors on a 471 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.1 million per mm². The K40c has 7,080 million transistors on a larger 561 mm² die, with a density of only 12.6 million per mm². The smaller, denser process gives the TITAN Xp a clear manufacturing advantage.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The TITAN Xp has a base clock of 1405 MHz and a boost clock of 1582 MHz. The K40c runs at 745 MHz base and 876 MHz boost. The TITAN Xp's memory clock is 1426 MHz with 11.4 Gbps effective data rate, while the K40c's memory runs at 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. Both use a 384-bit memory bus, but the TITAN Xp's GDDR5X memory delivers 547.6 GB/s bandwidth versus the K40c's GDDR5 at 288.4 GB/s.

Core configurations differ significantly. The TITAN Xp has 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. The K40c has 2880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and only 48 ROPs. The TITAN Xp's pixel rate is 151.9 GPixel/s versus 52.56 GPixel/s for the K40c, and its texture rate is 379.7 GTexel/s versus 210.2 GTexel/s. In FP32 compute, the TITAN Xp delivers 12.15 TFLOPS, while the K40c manages 5.046 TFLOPS. The TITAN Xp also has FP16 capability at 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64 ratio), while the K40c has no recorded FP16 data.

Both cards are dual-slot, use the same power connector configuration (1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin), and share the same 267 mm length. The TITAN Xp has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W; the K40c has a TDP of 245 W and a suggested PSU of 550 W. Both use PCIe 3.0 x16. The TITAN Xp offers display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the K40c has no display outputs at all.

API support differs as well. The TITAN Xp supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The K40c supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The TITAN Xp's higher DirectX feature level and newer Vulkan version reflect its later release.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN Xp has 547.6 GB/s bandwidth from its 12 GB GDDR5X memory with a 384-bit bus. The Tesla K40c has 288.4 GB/s from 12 GB GDDR5 on the same 384-bit bus.

Q: Does the Tesla K40c support display output?

A: No. The Tesla K40c has no display outputs. The TITAN Xp has 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: What is the FP32 compute difference?

A: The TITAN Xp delivers 12.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the K40c delivers 5.046 TFLOPS. That is roughly a 2.4x advantage for the TITAN Xp.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The TITAN Xp has 3840 shading units. The K40c has 2880 shading units.

Q: Are both cards the same physical length?

A: Yes, both are 267 mm long (10.5 inches) and dual-slot. The TITAN Xp is 112 mm high and 40 mm wide; the K40c has no recorded height or width dimensions.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: Both support DirectX 12, but at different feature levels. The TITAN Xp supports 12_1, while the K40c supports 11_0.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA TITAN Xp | NVIDIA Tesla K40c |

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

| Chip | GP102 | GK180 |

| Architecture | Pascal | Kepler |

| Process node | 16 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 11,800 million | 7,080 million |

| Die size | 471 mm² | 561 mm² |

| Transistor density | 25.1M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1405 MHz | 745 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1582 MHz | 876 MHz |

| Memory clock | 1426 MHz, 11.4 Gbps effective | 1502 MHz, 6 Gbps effective |

| Memory type | GDDR5X | GDDR5 |

| Memory size | 12 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory bandwidth | 547.6 GB/s | 288.4 GB/s |

| Shading units | 3840 | 2880 |

| TMUs | 240 | 240 |

| ROPs | 96 | 48 |

| Pixel rate | 151.9 GPixel/s | 52.56 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 379.7 GTexel/s | 210.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 12.15 TFLOPS | 5.046 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 189.8 GFLOPS (1:64) | None recorded |

| TDP | 250 W | 245 W |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Display outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Dimensions | 267 x 112 x 40 mm | 267 mm length only |

| Release date | 2017-04-05 | 2013-10-07 |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp is the faster card in every measurable way. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 72,585 crushes the K40c's 17,468 by 315.5%. It has more shading units, higher clocks, more ROPs, faster memory, a smaller process node, and a higher transistor density. It also supports display output, which the K40c lacks entirely.

The TITAN Xp is the choice for any workload in the database. Its average benchmark score of 19,177 puts it in the 64th percentile, and it sits within 1% of several modern mid-range cards like the RTX 4050 Mobile and RX 6600. That means it remains competitive today despite being end-of-life.

The Tesla K40c is a legacy compute card from 2013. Its single recorded score of 17,468 places it in the 61st percentile, just barely below modern integrated graphics like the Radeon 780M. It has no display outputs, no FP16 support, and a much lower FP32 throughput. For any task the database measures, the K40c is not just behind, it is several generations behind.

Who should pick which? Buyers who need a GPU for any of the tested benchmarks should pick the TITAN Xp without hesitation. It wins the only head-to-head test and has a broader benchmark profile. The K40c is only meaningful for someone who specifically needs a Kepler-generation compute card with 12 GB of GDDR5 memory and no display requirement, but even then, the database shows it performs far worse than the TITAN Xp in OpenCL compute. The verdict from the recorded data is simple: the TITAN Xp is the superior GPU by every metric available.