Radeon R9 M470X vs Tesla C2050

AMD

Radeon R9 M470X

2016Core: 1000 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

Tesla C2050

2011Core: 574 MHz

Radeon R9 M470X vs Tesla C2050 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 M470X vs Tesla C2050: 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 M470X

2016

Why buy it

  • Costs $2,149 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 629.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.3 vs 1.3 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs $2,499 MSRP).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 238W, a 163W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Tesla C2050

2011

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2011 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 614% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,499 MSRPvs$350 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.3 vs 9.3 G3D/$ ($2,499 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
  • 217.3% higher power demand at 238W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 M470X is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (3,244 vs 3,176), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon R9 M470X is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, the newer upscaling stack, FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2016 generation instead of 2011. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 M470X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,149 cheaper on MSRP at $350 vs $2,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 629.3% (9.3 vs 1.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 M470X vs Tesla C2050 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 M470X

The Radeon R9 M470X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1000 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,244 points.

NVIDIA

Tesla C2050

The Tesla C2050 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 25 2011. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 574 MHz. It has 448 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 238W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,176 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M470X scores 3,244 and the Tesla C2050 reaches 3,176 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M470X is built on GCN 2.0 while the Tesla C2050 uses Fermi, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R9 M470X) vs 448 (Tesla C2050). Raw compute: 1.971 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470X) vs 1.028 TFLOPS (Tesla C2050).

FeatureRadeon R9 M470XTesla C2050
G3D Mark Score
3,244+2%
3,176
Architecture
GCN 2.0
Fermi
Process Node
28 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
896+100%
448
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.971 TFLOPS+92%
1.028 TFLOPS
ROPs
16
48+200%
TMUs
56
56
L1 Cache
224 KB
896 KB+300%
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 M470XTesla C2050
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 M470X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla C2050 carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 M470X gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M470X and 64-bit on the Tesla C2050. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470X) vs 768 KB (Tesla C2050) — the Tesla C2050 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRadeon R9 M470XTesla C2050
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
768 KB+200%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M470X draws 75W versus the Tesla C2050's 238W — a 104.2% difference. The Radeon R9 M470X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M470X) vs 350W (Tesla C2050). Power connectors: Mobile vs PCIe-powered.

FeatureRadeon R9 M470XTesla C2050
TDP
75W-68%
238W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Mobile
PCIe-powered
Perf/Watt
43.3+226%
13.3
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M470X came in at $350, while the Tesla C2050 launched at $2499. On MSRP, Radeon R9 M470X was 86% cheaper ($2149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 9.3 (Radeon R9 M470X) vs 1.3 (Tesla C2050) — the Radeon R9 M470X offers 615.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 M470X (2016 vs 2011).

FeatureRadeon R9 M470XTesla C2050
MSRP
$350-86%
$2499
Performance per Dollar
9.3+615%
1.3
Codename
Emerald
GF100
Release
May 15 2016
July 25 2011
Ranking
#563
#569

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