GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs Tesla P40

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

2017Core: 1290 MHzBoost: 1468 MHz
GTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla P40

2016Core: 1303 MHzBoost: 1531 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs Tesla P40 Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs Tesla P40: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

2017

Why buy it

  • Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).

Tesla P40

2016

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 24 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla P40 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (11,808 vs 11,566), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2017 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Tesla P40 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Tesla P40 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design vs Tesla P40 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1290 MHz to 1468 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,566 points.

NVIDIA

Tesla P40

The Tesla P40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2016. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 1303 MHz to 1531 MHz. It has 3840 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 16 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,808 points. Launch price was $5,699.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design scores 11,566 and the Tesla P40 reaches 11,808 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is built on Pascal while the Tesla P40 uses Pascal, both on a 16 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 3,840 (Tesla P40). Raw compute: 7.516 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 11.76 TFLOPS (Tesla P40). Boost clocks: 1468 MHz vs 1531 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
G3D Mark Score
11,566
11,808+2%
Architecture
Pascal
Pascal
Process Node
16 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
2560
3840+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)
7.516 TFLOPS
11.76 TFLOPS+56%
Boost Clock
1468 MHz
1531 MHz+4%
ROPs
64
96+50%
TMUs
160
240+50%
L1 Cache
0.94 MB
1.4 MB+49%
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla P40 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla P40 carries 24 GB. Tesla P40 gives you 200% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design and 256-bit on the Tesla P40. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 3 MB (Tesla P40) — the Tesla P40 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
24 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR5X
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB
3 MB+50%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 12.1 (Tesla P40). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.5 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
DirectX
12.1
12.1
Vulkan
1.1
1.1
OpenGL
4.5
4.5
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 4.0 (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs NVENC 4.0 (2x) (Tesla P40). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP6 vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Tesla P40).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
Encoder
NVENC 4.0
NVENC 4.0 (2x)
Decoder
PureVideo HD VP6
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design draws 150W versus the Tesla P40's 250W — a 50% difference. The GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design) vs 500W (Tesla P40). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
TDP
150W-40%
250W
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
267mm
Height
0mm
112mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
80°C-6%
85°C
Perf/Watt
77.1+63%
47.2
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q Design (2017 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1080 with Max-Q DesignTesla P40
MSRP
$5699
Codename
GP104
GP102
Release
June 27 2017
September 13 2016
Ranking
#257
#227

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