Radeon HD 7870 XT vs Tesla K20m

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.

Radeon HD 7870 XT vs Tesla K20m FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon HD 7870 XT vs Tesla K20m: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon HD 7870 XT

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,929 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $3,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1095% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 16.6 vs 1.4 G3D/$ ($270 MSRP vs $3,199 MSRP).
✅Draws 185W instead of 225W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla K20m

2013

Why buy it

✅More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

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.
❌
1084.8% HIGHER MSRP
$3,199 MSRPvs$270 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.4 vs 16.6 G3D/$ ($3,199 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌21.6% higher power demand at 225W vs 185W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 7870 XT is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 0.9% in PassMark G3D (4,470 vs 4,432), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon HD 7870 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That still leaves it as the safer long-term option on hardware alone.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 7870 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,929 cheaper on MSRP at $270 vs $3,199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1095% (16.6 vs 1.4), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 7870 XT vs Tesla K20m Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 7870 XT

The Radeon HD 7870 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 925 MHz to 975 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 185W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,470 points. Launch price was $270.

Tesla K20m

The Tesla K20m is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 5 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 706 MHz. It has 2496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,432 points. Launch price was $3,199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 7870 XT scores 4,470 and the Tesla K20m reaches 4,432 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 7870 XT is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tesla K20m uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 2,496 (Tesla K20m). Raw compute: 2.995 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 3.524 TFLOPS (Tesla K20m).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	Tesla K20m
G3D Mark Score	4,470	4,432
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2496+63%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.995 TFLOPS	3.524 TFLOPS+18%
ROPs	32	40+25%
TMUs	96	208+117%
L1 Cache	384 KB+85%	208 KB
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1.25 MB+150%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	Tesla K20m
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 2 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon HD 7870 XT and 64-bit on the Tesla K20m. L2 Cache: 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 1.25 MB (Tesla K20m) — the Tesla K20m has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	Tesla K20m
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	256-bit+300%	64-bit
L2 Cache	0.5 MB	1.25 MB+150%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 7870 XT draws 185W versus the Tesla K20m's 225W — a 19.5% difference. The Radeon HD 7870 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 350W (Tesla K20m). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	Tesla K20m
TDP	185W-18%	225W
Recommended PSU	500W	350W-30%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	24.2+23%	19.7

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 7870 XT came in at $270, while the Tesla K20m launched at $3199. On MSRP, Radeon HD 7870 XT was 91.6% cheaper ($2929 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 16.6 (Radeon HD 7870 XT) vs 1.4 (Tesla K20m) — the Radeon HD 7870 XT offers 1085.7% better value. The newer card here is Tesla K20m (2013 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 7870 XT	Tesla K20m
MSRP	$270-92%	$3199
Performance per Dollar	16.6+1086%	1.4
Codename	Tahiti	GK110
Release	November 19 2012	January 5 2013
Ranking	#469	#470

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