A100 PCIe 40GB vs Quadro RTX 8000

AmperevsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB emerges as the clear winner for most modern use cases, particularly AI and machine learning, due to its 312 TFLOPS FP16 performance and 2039 GB/s bandwidth that dwarf the Quadro RTX 8000's 16.3 TFLOPS and 672 GB/s. Cloud availability from $0.60 per hour further solidifies its practicality over the unavailable Quadro RTX 8000.

A100 PCIe 40GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100QUADRO-RTX-8000
TDP400W260W
VRAM40-80 GB48 GB
CUDA Cores6,9124,608
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereTuring
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandNVLink
Tensor Cores432576
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS16.3 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS16.3 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s672 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A100 PCIe 40GB outperforms the Quadro RTX 8000 dramatically in FP16 performance at 312 TFLOPS versus 16.3 TFLOPS, enabling faster training and inference for deep learning models that leverage half-precision arithmetic. This FP16 advantage translates to up to 19 times higher throughput for tasks like neural network training, where mixed-precision workflows predominate. The FP32 performance shows a smaller gap with the A100 at 19.5 TFLOPS and the Quadro RTX 8000 at 16.3 TFLOPS, making single-precision workloads competitive but still favoring the A100 for larger-scale computations. Memory bandwidth emerges as a key differentiator: the A100's 2039 GB/s HBM2e allows for much larger batch sizes in training compared to the Quadro RTX 8000's 672 GB/s GDDR6, reducing data loading bottlenecks and improving overall efficiency in memory-bound scenarios. In real-world terms, this means the A100 handles massive datasets and models with minimal latency, ideal for enterprise AI pipelines. The Quadro RTX 8000, with its lower 260W TDP versus the A100's 400W, consumes less power but sacrifices scalability in multi-GPU environments due to inferior interconnect support beyond NVLink.

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
$1.07/GPU/hr
Available
Denvr
Denvr
8×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$9.20/hr total (8×)

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 PCIe 40GB

Select the A100 PCIe 40GB for AI training and inference workloads requiring high FP16 performance of 312 TFLOPS and memory bandwidth of 2039 GB/s. Its availability from $0.60 per hour in cloud environments across 11 offers suits scalable deployments for large language models or scientific simulations. Datacenter features like PCIe 4.0 and InfiniBand make it ideal for clustered computing.

When to Choose the Quadro RTX 8000

Choose the Quadro RTX 8000 for professional visualization, CAD, and rendering tasks where 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM and 16.3 TFLOPS FP32 performance suffice. Its lower 260W TDP reduces power costs in workstation setups, and PCIe compatibility fits legacy on-premises systems without cloud dependency. Lack of live cloud offers positions it for cost-effective, non-AI professional use.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 PCIe 40GB

The A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 performance accelerates large model training far beyond the Quadro RTX 8000's 16.3 TFLOPS. Its 2039 GB/s bandwidth supports massive batch sizes essential for LLMs.

LLM Inference
A100 PCIe 40GB

High FP16 throughput of 312 TFLOPS on the A100 enables low-latency inference for LLMs. Superior 2039 GB/s bandwidth handles high-throughput serving better than the Quadro RTX 8000's 672 GB/s.

Fine-tuning
A100 PCIe 40GB

A100's FP16 at 312 TFLOPS speeds up fine-tuning iterations compared to 16.3 TFLOPS on Quadro RTX 8000. 40 GB HBM2e VRAM fits larger models efficiently.

Stable Diffusion
Either

Quadro RTX 8000's 48 GB GDDR6 handles image generation workloads adequately at 16.3 TFLOPS. A100 excels with 312 TFLOPS FP16 for faster, larger-scale diffusion tasks.

Scientific Computing
A100 PCIe 40GB

A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth optimize simulations and HPC over Quadro RTX 8000's matching FP32 but lower bandwidth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM?

The Quadro RTX 8000 provides 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM, slightly more than the A100 PCIe 40GB's 40 GB HBM2e. However, the A100's HBM2e offers higher bandwidth at 2039 GB/s versus 672 GB/s, benefiting compute tasks.

What is the FP16 performance difference?

The A100 PCIe 40GB delivers 312 TFLOPS in FP16, vastly outperforming the Quadro RTX 8000's 16.3 TFLOPS. This gap favors the A100 for AI training and inference.

How do power consumptions compare?

The Quadro RTX 8000 has a lower TDP of 260W compared to the A100's 400W. Lower power suits workstations, while the A100 prioritizes peak performance.

Is the A100 available in the cloud?

Yes, NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40GB instances start from $0.60 per hour, averaging $1.85 per hour across 11 live offers. The Quadro RTX 8000 has no current live cloud offers.

Which is better for AI workloads?

The A100 PCIe 40GB excels with 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth for AI tasks. Quadro RTX 8000's 16.3 TFLOPS suits lighter professional uses.

What architectures do they use?

A100 uses Ampere from 2020, while Quadro RTX 8000 uses Turing from 2018. Ampere provides advancements in tensor cores for modern AI.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the Quadro RTX 8000?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and Quadro RTX 8000 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 Quadro RTX 8000?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The Quadro RTX 8000 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A100 and Quadro RTX 8000 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 Quadro RTX 8000?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the Quadro RTX 8000 uses Turing (2018). The A100 delivers 19.1x the FP16 throughput and 3.0x the memory bandwidth of the Quadro RTX 8000.

A100 PCIe 40GB vs Quadro RTX 8000: 80GB vs 48GB | GPUPerHour