Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition vs Tesla K8

AMD

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014Core: 850 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

Tesla K8

2014Core: 693 MHzBoost: 811 MHz
Similar parts
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Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition vs Tesla K8 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.

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition vs Tesla K8: 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 R9 M295X Mac Edition

2014

Why buy it

  • Costs $550 less on MSRP ($450 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 117.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.1 vs 5.1 G3D/$ ($450 MSRP vs $1,000 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2014 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 150% higher power demand at 250W vs 100W.

Tesla K8

2014

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 100W instead of 250W, a 150W reduction.
  • More future proof: Kepler (2012−2018) 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.
  • 122.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,000 MSRPvs$450 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.1 vs 11.1 G3D/$ ($1,000 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Tesla K8 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.2% in PassMark G3D (5,111 vs 5,000), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition 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 R9 M295X Mac Edition makes the most sense to buy today. It is $550 cheaper on MSRP at $450 vs $1,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 117.4% (11.1 vs 5.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Tesla K8 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition vs Tesla K8 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition

The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 23 2014. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 850 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,000 points.

NVIDIA

Tesla K8

The Tesla K8 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 16 2014. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock ranges from 693 MHz to 811 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,111 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition scores 5,000 and the Tesla K8 reaches 5,111 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition is built on GCN 3.0 while the Tesla K8 uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,048 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) vs 1,536 (Tesla K8). Raw compute: 3.482 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) vs 2.491 TFLOPS (Tesla K8).

FeatureRadeon R9 M295X Mac EditionTesla K8
G3D Mark Score
5,000
5,111+2%
Architecture
GCN 3.0
Kepler
Process Node
28 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
2048+33%
1536
Compute (TFLOPS)
3.482 TFLOPS+40%
2.491 TFLOPS
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
128
128
L1 Cache
512 KB+300%
128 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 M295X Mac EditionTesla K8
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 R9 M295X Mac Edition has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla K8 carries 4 GB. Tesla K8 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition and 128-bit on the Tesla K8.

FeatureRadeon R9 M295X Mac EditionTesla K8
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition draws 250W versus the Tesla K8's 100W — a 85.7% difference. The Tesla K8 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) vs 350W (Tesla K8). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon R9 M295X Mac EditionTesla K8
TDP
250W
100W-60%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt
20.0
51.1+156%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition came in at $450, while the Tesla K8 launched at $1000. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition was 55% cheaper ($550 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.1 (Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition) vs 5.1 (Tesla K8) — the Radeon R9 M295X Mac Edition offers 117.6% better value.

FeatureRadeon R9 M295X Mac EditionTesla K8
MSRP
$450-55%
$1000
Performance per Dollar
11.1+118%
5.1
Codename
Amethyst
GK104
Release
November 23 2014
September 16 2014
Ranking
#436
#515

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