Radeon HD 8990 vs Tesla K80

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 8990 vs Tesla K80 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 8990 vs Tesla K80: 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 8990

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $4,001 less on MSRP ($999 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).
✅Delivers 386.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.2 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $5,000 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌25% higher power demand at 375W vs 300W.

Tesla K80

2014

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 300W instead of 375W, a 75W reduction.
✅More future proof: Kepler 2.0 (2013−2015) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
400.5% HIGHER MSRP
$5,000 MSRPvs$999 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 5.2 G3D/$ ($5,000 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Tesla K80 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.9% in PassMark G3D (5,363 vs 5,214), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

Radeon HD 8990 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 8990 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $4,001 cheaper on MSRP at $999 vs $5,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 386.6% (5.2 vs 1.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K80 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon HD 8990 vs Tesla K80 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8990

The Radeon HD 8990 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 24 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 950 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 375W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,214 points. Launch price was $999.

Tesla K80

The Tesla K80 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 17 2014. It features the Kepler 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 562 MHz to 824 MHz. It has 2496 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,363 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8990 scores 5,214 and the Tesla K80 reaches 5,363 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8990 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Tesla K80 uses Kepler 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 2,496 (Tesla K80). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 4.113 TFLOPS ×2 (Tesla K80). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 824 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Tesla K80
G3D Mark Score	5,214	5,363+3%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	Kepler 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2048 ×2	2496 ×2+22%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS ×2	4.113 TFLOPS ×2
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+21%	824 MHz
ROPs	32 ×2	48 ×2+50%
TMUs	128 ×2	208 ×2+63%
L1 Cache	512 KB+146%	208 KB
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Tesla K80
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)

The Radeon HD 8990 has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla K80 carries 4 GB. Tesla K80 gives you 33.3% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 384-bit x2 on the Radeon HD 8990 and 128-bit on the Tesla K80. L2 Cache: 0.75 MB (Radeon HD 8990) vs 1.5 MB (Tesla K80) — the Tesla K80 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Tesla K80
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Bus Width	384-bit x2+200%	128-bit
L2 Cache	0.75 MB	1.5 MB+100%

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 8990 draws 375W versus the Tesla K80's 300W — a 22.2% difference. The Tesla K80 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon HD 8990) vs 350W (Tesla K80). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Tesla K80
TDP	375W	300W-20%
Recommended PSU	750W	350W-53%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt	13.9	17.9+29%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8990 came in at $999, while the Tesla K80 launched at $5000. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8990 was 80% cheaper ($4001 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.2 (Radeon HD 8990) vs 1.1 (Tesla K80) — the Radeon HD 8990 offers 372.7% better value. The newer card here is Tesla K80 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon HD 8990	Tesla K80
MSRP	$999-80%	$5000
Performance per Dollar	5.2+373%	1.1
Codename	Malta	GK210
Release	April 24 2013	November 17 2014
Ranking	#412	#419

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