Quadro RTX 3000 vs Tesla M40

NVIDIA

Quadro RTX 3000

2018Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 1770 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla M40

2015Core: 948 MHzBoost: 1112 MHz
Similar parts
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Quadro RTX 3000 vs Tesla M40 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.

Quadro RTX 3000 vs Tesla M40: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 232% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Tesla M40 is already legacy-tier future-proofing, so Quadro RTX 3000 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.

Tesla M40

2015

Why buy it

  • 33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 2015 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 212.5% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,500 MSRPvs$800 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Quadro RTX 3000 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 6.2% in PassMark G3D (10,858 vs 10,220), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro RTX 3000 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 12nm process instead of 28nm, 72 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Quadro RTX 3000 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,700 cheaper on MSRP at $800 vs $2,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 232% (13.6 vs 4.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Quadro RTX 3000 vs Tesla M40 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro RTX 3000

The Quadro RTX 3000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,858 points. Launch price was $9,999.

NVIDIA

Tesla M40

The Tesla M40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 10 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 948 MHz to 1112 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,220 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Quadro RTX 3000 scores 10,858 versus the Tesla M40's 10,220 — the Quadro RTX 3000 leads by 6.2%. The Quadro RTX 3000 is built on Turing while the Tesla M40 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,608 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 3,072 (Tesla M40). Raw compute: 16.31 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 6.832 TFLOPS (Tesla M40). Boost clocks: 1770 MHz vs 1112 MHz.

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
G3D Mark Score
10,858+6%
10,220
Architecture
Turing
Maxwell 2.0
Process Node
12 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
4608+50%
3072
Compute (TFLOPS)
16.31 TFLOPS+139%
6.832 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1770 MHz+59%
1112 MHz
ROPs
96
96
TMUs
288+50%
192
L1 Cache
4.5 MB+309%
1.1 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB+100%
3 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The Quadro RTX 3000 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Tesla M40 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
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 Quadro RTX 3000 has 6 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M40 carries 8 GB. Tesla M40 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Quadro RTX 3000 and 256-bit on the Tesla M40. L2 Cache: 6 MB (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 3 MB (Tesla M40) — the Quadro RTX 3000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
8 GB+33%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
L2 Cache
6 MB+100%
3 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 12.0 (Tesla M40). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
DirectX
12.1
12.0
Vulkan
1.0
1.1+10%
OpenGL
4.6+2%
4.5
Max Displays
4
0
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (Quadro RTX 3000) vs NVENC 2.0 (2x) (Tesla M40). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Tesla M40).

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
Encoder
7th Gen NVENC
NVENC 2.0 (2x)
Decoder
5th Gen NVDEC
PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro RTX 3000 draws 260W versus the Tesla M40's 250W — a 3.9% difference. The Tesla M40 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 500W (Tesla M40). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
TDP
260W
250W-4%
Recommended PSU
500W
500W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
PCIe-powered
Length
0mm
267mm
Height
0mm
111mm
Slots
0-100%
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
85°C
Perf/Watt
41.8+2%
40.9
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro RTX 3000 came in at $800, while the Tesla M40 launched at $2500. On MSRP, Quadro RTX 3000 was 68% cheaper ($1700 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.6 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 4.1 (Tesla M40) — the Quadro RTX 3000 offers 231.7% better value. The newer card here is Quadro RTX 3000 (2018 vs 2015).

FeatureQuadro RTX 3000Tesla M40
MSRP
$800-68%
$2500
Performance per Dollar
13.6+232%
4.1
Codename
TU102
GM200
Release
August 13 2018
November 10 2015
Ranking
#78
#256

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