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GeForce GTX 280 vs Tesla M2070-Q

CPUCPUGPUGPU
NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 280

2008Core: 602 MHz
Similar parts
·······
Buy on Amazon
VS
NVIDIA

Tesla M2070-Q

2011Core: 574 MHz
Buy on Amazon

GeForce GTX 280 vs Tesla M2070-Q Performance Spectrum

GeForce GTX 280
1 GB 236
1,285
0.0%
brand logoGeForce 920M
brand logoGeForce 920A
brand logoGeForce GT 1010
brand logoGeForce 940M
brand logoGeForce GTX 1050 Ti (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 (móvel)
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU
Tesla M2070-Q
0.5 GB 225
1,306
+1.6%
brand logoGeForce 920M
brand logoGeForce 920A
brand logoGeForce 930M
brand logoGeForce 940M
brand logoGeForce GTX 1050 Ti (Mobile)
brand logoGeForce GTX 1070 (móvel)
brand logoRTX 2000 Ada Generation Embedded GPU
brand logoGeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU

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 280 vs Tesla M2070-Q: 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 280

2008

Why buy it

  • ✅Costs $4,840 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $5,489 MSRP).
  • ✅Delivers 732.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.0 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $5,489 MSRP).
  • ✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • ❌2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla M2070-Q

2011

Why buy it

  • ✅More future proof: Fermi (2010−2014) on 40nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • ❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • ❌
    745.8% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,489 MSRPvs$649 MSRP
  • ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.2 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($5,489 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla M2070-Q is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (1,306 vs 1,285), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 280 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 280 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,840 cheaper on MSRP at $649 vs $5,489, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 732.2% (2.0 vs 0.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla M2070-Q still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 280 vs Tesla M2070-Q Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 280

The GeForce GTX 280 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 602 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 236W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,285 points. Launch price was $649.

NVIDIA

Tesla M2070-Q

The Tesla M2070-Q is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 25 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 574 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,306 points. Launch price was $5,489.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 280 scores 1,285 and the Tesla M2070-Q reaches 1,306 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 280 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Tesla M2070-Q uses Fermi, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 240 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 448 (Tesla M2070-Q). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 280) vs 1.028 TFLOPS (Tesla M2070-Q).

FeatureGeForce GTX 280Tesla M2070-Q
G3D Mark Score
1,285
1,306+2%
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
Fermi
Process Node
65 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
240
448+87%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6221 TFLOPS
1.028 TFLOPS+65%
ROPs
32
48+50%
TMUs
80+43%
56
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%
✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 280 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla M2070-Q leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 280Tesla M2070-Q
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 280 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M2070-Q carries 512 MB. GeForce GTX 280 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 280 and 64-bit on the Tesla M2070-Q. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTX 280) vs 768 KB (Tesla M2070-Q) — the Tesla M2070-Q has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 280Tesla M2070-Q
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 280 draws 236W versus the Tesla M2070-Q's 225W — a 4.8% difference. The Tesla M2070-Q is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce GTX 280) vs 350W (Tesla M2070-Q). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce GTX 280Tesla M2070-Q
TDP
236W
225W-5%
Recommended PSU
550W
350W-36%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
—
Height
111mm
—
Slots
2
—
Temp (Load)
85
—
Perf/Watt
5.4
5.8+7%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 280 came in at $649, while the Tesla M2070-Q launched at $5489. On MSRP, GeForce GTX 280 was 88.2% cheaper ($4840 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.0 (GeForce GTX 280) vs 0.2 (Tesla M2070-Q) — the GeForce GTX 280 offers 900% better value. The newer card here is Tesla M2070-Q (2011 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce GTX 280Tesla M2070-Q
MSRP
$649-88%
$5489
Performance per Dollar
2.0+900%
0.2
Codename
GT200
GF100
Release
June 16 2008
July 25 2011
Ranking
#802
#798
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