GeForce MX550 vs Tesla K40c

NVIDIA

GeForce MX550

2021Core: 1065 MHzBoost: 1320 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla K40c

2013Core: 745 MHzBoost: 876 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce MX550 vs Tesla K40c 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 MX550 vs Tesla K40c: 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 MX550

2021

Why buy it

  • Costs $7,549 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $7,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 5015.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 29.9 vs 0.6 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $7,699 MSRP).
  • Tesla K40c is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce MX550 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 25W instead of 245W, a 220W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Tesla K40c

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 5032.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $7,699 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.6 vs 29.9 G3D/$ ($7,699 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 880% higher power demand at 245W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla K40c is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.3% in PassMark G3D (4,495 vs 4,480), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce MX550 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2021 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce MX550 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $7,549 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $7,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 5015.5% (29.9 vs 0.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K40c still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce MX550 vs Tesla K40c Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce MX550

The GeForce MX550 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 17 2021. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1065 MHz to 1320 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 25W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,480 points.

NVIDIA

Tesla K40c

The Tesla K40c is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 8 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 745 MHz to 876 MHz. It has 2880 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 245W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,495 points. Launch price was $7,699.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce MX550 scores 4,480 and the Tesla K40c reaches 4,495 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce MX550 is built on Turing while the Tesla K40c uses Kepler, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce MX550) vs 2,880 (Tesla K40c). Raw compute: 2.703 TFLOPS (GeForce MX550) vs 5.046 TFLOPS (Tesla K40c). Boost clocks: 1320 MHz vs 876 MHz.

FeatureGeForce MX550Tesla K40c
G3D Mark Score
4,480
4,495
Architecture
Turing
Kepler
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
1024
2880+181%
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.703 TFLOPS
5.046 TFLOPS+87%
Boost Clock
1320 MHz+51%
876 MHz
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
32
240+650%
L1 Cache
2 MB+770%
0.23 MB
L2 Cache
2 MB+33%
1.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce MX550 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla K40c leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce MX550Tesla K40c
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of video memory. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce MX550 and 64-bit on the Tesla K40c. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce MX550) vs 1.5 MB (Tesla K40c) — the GeForce MX550 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce MX550Tesla K40c
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
2 MB+33%
1.5 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX550 draws 25W versus the Tesla K40c's 245W — a 163% difference. The GeForce MX550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX550) vs 350W (Tesla K40c). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureGeForce MX550Tesla K40c
TDP
25W-90%
245W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Length
267mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
179.2+879%
18.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce MX550 came in at $150, while the Tesla K40c launched at $7699. On MSRP, GeForce MX550 was 98.1% cheaper ($7549 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.9 (GeForce MX550) vs 0.6 (Tesla K40c) — the GeForce MX550 offers 4883.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce MX550 (2021 vs 2013).

FeatureGeForce MX550Tesla K40c
MSRP
$150-98%
$7699
Performance per Dollar
29.9+4883%
0.6
Codename
TU117S
GK180
Release
December 17 2021
October 8 2013
Ranking
#468
#465

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