A100 PCIe 40GB vs Intel Gaudi 2

AmperevsGaudiUpdated 35 days ago

The Intel Gaudi 2 emerges as the winner for common LLM training use cases. Its 420 TFLOPS FP16 exceeds A100's 312 TFLOPS, while 96 GB VRAM and 2460 GB/s bandwidth support larger models and batches at a lower average $1.08 per hour cost.

A100 PCIe 40GB from $0.73/hrIntel Gaudi 2 from $0.91/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100GAUDI2
TDP400W600W
VRAM40-80 GB96 GB
CUDA Cores6,912
Memory TypeHBM2eHBM2e
ArchitectureAmpereGaudi
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIeOAM
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandEthernet
Tensor Cores432
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS420 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS420 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s2,460 GB/s

Performance Analysis

FP16 performance defines training efficiency for most deep learning models: the Gaudi 2 reaches 420 TFLOPS compared to the A100's 312 TFLOPS, enabling faster iterations on large datasets. The A100's FP32 at 19.5 TFLOPS trails Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS significantly, limiting it in FP32-heavy tasks like scientific simulations while excelling in mixed-precision training pipelines.

Memory bandwidth impacts batch sizes directly: Gaudi 2's 2460 GB/s surpasses A100's 2039 GB/s, supporting larger batches that accelerate convergence and reduce per-iteration time. Gaudi 2's 96 GB VRAM versus 40 GB allows handling bigger models without fragmentation, though A100's NVLink aids multi-GPU scaling for distributed training.

Higher 600W TDP on Gaudi 2 demands robust cooling, contrasting A100's efficient 400W for dense racks.

Live Cloud Pricing

Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.

A100 PCIe 40GB

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.73/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.73/GPU/hr
$1.47/hr total (2×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.90/GPU/hr
$7.20/hr total (8×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.00/GPU/hr
Available
Denvr
Denvr
8×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$9.20/hr total (8×)

Intel Gaudi 2

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×Intel Gaudi 2
96GB VRAM
$0.91/GPU/hr
$7.29/hr total (8×)
Available
Denvr
Denvr
8×Intel Gaudi 2
96GB VRAM
$1.25/GPU/hr
$10.00/hr total (8×)

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 PCIe 40GB

The A100 PCIe 40GB suits NVIDIA CUDA ecosystems prevalent in most AI frameworks. Its NVLink and PCIe 4.0 interconnects enable seamless multi-GPU scaling for distributed LLM training across clusters.

With 11 cloud offers averaging $1.85 per hour from $0.60, availability exceeds Gaudi 2's 2 offers. Lower 400W TDP fits power-constrained environments.

When to Choose the Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2 excels in memory-bound workloads requiring 96 GB HBM2e VRAM over A100's 40 GB, ideal for massive models without model parallelism.

Superior 2460 GB/s bandwidth and 420 TFLOPS FP32 performance handle large-batch training and precision tasks efficiently. Average pricing at $1.08 per hour provides cost savings despite fewer offers.

Use Cases

LLM Training
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS FP16 surpasses A100's 312 TFLOPS, and 96 GB VRAM with 2460 GB/s bandwidth handles larger models and batches more effectively.

LLM Inference
Either

A100's mature CUDA support aids optimized inference engines, but Gaudi 2's balanced 420 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 and higher VRAM suit high-throughput serving.

Fine-tuning
Intel Gaudi 2

96 GB VRAM on Gaudi 2 accommodates full model fine-tuning without sharding, paired with 2460 GB/s bandwidth for efficient medium-batch processing.

Stable Diffusion
A100 PCIe 40GB

A100's NVLink scales multi-GPU generation pipelines common in diffusion models, leveraging widespread CUDA-optimized Stable Diffusion implementations.

Scientific Computing
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS FP32 matches its FP16 capability, outperforming A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 for precision simulations and HPC workloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM capacity of NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB versus Intel Gaudi 2?

The A100 PCIe 40GB has 40 GB HBM2e VRAM. Gaudi 2 provides 96 GB HBM2e, doubling capacity for larger models.

How do FP16 and FP32 performances compare?

A100 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 19.5 TFLOPS FP32. Gaudi 2 achieves 420 TFLOPS in both, offering balance across precisions.

Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

Gaudi 2 reaches 2460 GB/s. A100 provides 2039 GB/s, making Gaudi 2 better for bandwidth-intensive tasks.

What are the current cloud pricing ranges?

A100 PCIe 40GB starts at $0.60 per hour, averaging $1.85 across 11 offers. Gaudi 2 begins at $0.91 per hour, averaging $1.08 over 2 offers.

Which has lower power consumption?

A100 operates at 400W TDP. Gaudi 2 requires 600W, suiting high-performance but power-tolerant setups.

What interconnects do they support?

A100 uses NVLink, PCIe 4.0, and InfiniBand. Gaudi 2 relies on Ethernet, fitting Ethernet-based clusters.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the Gaudi 2?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and Gaudi 2 vary by provider, configuration, and availability. This page shows live pricing from 25+ providers updated every 60 seconds. Scroll to the Live Cloud Pricing section to compare current rates.

How much VRAM does the A100 have compared to the Gaudi 2?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The Gaudi 2 has 96 GB of HBM2e memory.

Can I find A100 and Gaudi 2 GPUs available to rent right now?

Yes. This page shows real-time availability across 25+ cloud GPU providers. The Live Cloud Pricing section displays only in-stock offers with current pricing.

What is the main difference between the A100 and the Gaudi 2?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the Gaudi 2 uses Gaudi (2022). The Gaudi 2 delivers 1.3x the FP16 throughput and 1.2x the memory bandwidth of the A100.

A100 PCIe 40GB vs Intel Gaudi 2: 80GB vs 96GB | GPUPerHour