GeForce RTX 3070 vs Tesla P40

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

2020Core: 1500 MHzBoost: 1725 MHz
RTX family
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla P40

2016Core: 1303 MHzBoost: 1531 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

  • +87.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $5,200 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Delivers 2044.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 2.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $5,699 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Better long-term bet: Ampere (2020−2025) on 8nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Tesla P40

2016

Why buy it

  • 200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (11,808 vs 22,172).
  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2016 hardware with 24 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 1042.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,699 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.1 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($5,699 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 87.8% in PassMark G3D (22,172 vs 11,808), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3070 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 8nm process instead of 16nm, 46 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2020 generation instead of 2016. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3070 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5,200 cheaper on MSRP at $499 vs $5,699, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2044.5% (44.4 vs 2.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 3070 vs Tesla P40 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the Tesla P40's 11,808 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 87.8%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the Tesla P40 uses Pascal, both on 8 nm vs 16 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 3,840 (Tesla P40). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 11.76 TFLOPS (Tesla P40). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 1531 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
G3D Mark Score
22,172+88%
11,808
Architecture
Ampere
Pascal
Process Node
8 nm
16 nm
Shading Units
5888+53%
3840
Compute (TFLOPS)
20.31 TFLOPS+73%
11.76 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1725 MHz+13%
1531 MHz
ROPs
96
96
TMUs
184
240+30%
L1 Cache
5.8 MB+314%
1.4 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB+33%
3 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070Tesla P40
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3070 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 RTX 3070 and 256-bit on the Tesla P40. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 3 MB (Tesla P40) — the GeForce RTX 3070 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
24 GB+200%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+33%
3 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.1 (Tesla P40). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.1
Vulkan
1.4+27%
1.1
OpenGL
4.6+2%
4.5
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs NVENC 4.0 (2x) (Tesla P40). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Tesla P40).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
NVENC 4.0 (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the Tesla P40's 250W — a 12.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 500W (Tesla P40). Power connectors: 8-pin vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
TDP
220W-12%
250W
Recommended PSU
650W
500W-23%
Power Connector
8-pin
PCIe-powered
Length
242mm
267mm
Height
112mm
112mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
100.8+114%
47.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3070 came in at $499, while the Tesla P40 launched at $5699. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3070 was 91.2% cheaper ($5200 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2.1 (Tesla P40) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 2014.3% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3070 (2020 vs 2016).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3070Tesla P40
MSRP
$499-91%
$5699
Performance per Dollar
44.4+2014%
2.1
Codename
GA104
GP102
Release
September 1 2020
September 13 2016
Ranking
#63
#227

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