Specifications Compared
| Spec | A100 | RTX-3060 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 400W | 170W |
| VRAM | 40-80 GB | 12 GB |
| CUDA Cores | 6,912 | 3,584 |
| Memory Type | HBM2e | GDDR6 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere |
| Form Factors | SXM4, PCIe | PCIe |
| Interconnect | NVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand | |
| Tensor Cores | 432 | 112 |
| FP16 Performance | 312 TFLOPS | 12.7 TFLOPS |
| FP32 Performance | 19.5 TFLOPS | 12.7 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 9.7 TFLOPS | |
| INT8 Performance | 624 TOPS | |
| Memory Bandwidth | 2,039 GB/s | 360 GB/s |
Performance Analysis
Superior FP16 performance defines the A100's edge in deep learning: its 312 TFLOPS enables faster model training and inference compared to the RTX 3060 Ti's 12.7 TFLOPS, accelerating half-precision operations common in neural networks by over 24 times. The A100's FP32 rate of 19.5 TFLOPS also exceeds the RTX 3060 Ti's 12.7 TFLOPS, benefiting single-precision scientific simulations.
Memory specifications profoundly impact real-world use: the A100's 2039 GB/s bandwidth and 40 GB HBM2e VRAM support massive batch sizes and large models without swapping, while the RTX 3060 Ti's 360 GB/s and 12 GB GDDR6 limit it to smaller datasets. This bandwidth disparity reduces training times on the A100 for memory-intensive tasks like transformer models. Higher 400W TDP on the A100 sustains peak throughput in sustained workloads, unlike the 170W RTX 3060 Ti suited for lighter, intermittent loads.
Live Cloud Pricing
Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.
A100 PCIe 40GB
| Provider | GPU Model | VRAM | Host Specs | Region | Price | Status | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vast.ai | NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 256 vCPU 63GB RAM 397GB Storage | Slovenia | $0.73/GPU/hr | Available | ||
 LeaderGPU | 8×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 384GB RAM 2000GB Storage | Netherlands | $0.90/GPU/hr $7.20/hr total (8×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 126GB RAM 1114GB Storage | Czechia | $1.00/GPU/hr $2.00/hr total (2×) | Available | ||
 Denvr | 4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 512GB RAM 7600GB Storage | Virginia | $1.15/GPU/hr $4.60/hr total (4×) | |||
Denvr | 8×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 128 vCPU 1024GB RAM 15200GB Storage | Virginia | $1.15/GPU/hr $9.20/hr total (8×) |
RTX 3060 Ti
| Provider | GPU Model | VRAM | Host Specs | Region | Price | Status | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vast.ai | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 36 vCPU 31GB RAM 862GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 24 vCPU 110GB RAM 3881GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.90/hr total (4×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 128 vCPU 336GB RAM 1431GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.90/hr total (4×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 64 vCPU 126GB RAM 3050GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.45/hr total (2×) | Available |
When to Choose the A100 PCIe 40GB
The A100 PCIe 40GB excels in large-scale AI training and inference where 40 GB VRAM handles models exceeding 12 GB. Its 2039 GB/s bandwidth and NVLink interconnect enable multi-GPU setups for distributed training, ideal for enterprise deployments. Cloud users prioritizing speed over cost select it at $0.60 to $1.85 per hour for production workloads.
When to Choose the RTX 3060 Ti
The RTX 3060 Ti suits budget-conscious prototyping and small-scale inference: its 12 GB VRAM and 12.7 TFLOPS FP16 suffice for models under 10 GB at $0.03 to $0.06 per hour. Lower 170W TDP fits edge or personal cloud instances without high power demands. Hobbyists and startups choose it for cost-effective experimentation.
Use Cases
The A100's 40 GB VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 handle massive language models without memory constraints. RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB limits batch sizes severely.
High 2039 GB/s bandwidth on A100 supports high-throughput serving of large LLMs. RTX 3060 Ti suffices only for smaller models.
A100 accelerates with 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 for complex fine-tuning; RTX 3060 Ti works for lightweight tasks at lower cost.
A100's 40 GB VRAM enables high-resolution generations without out-of-memory errors. RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB restricts image sizes.
A100's NVLink and 400W TDP optimize parallel simulations; RTX 3060 Ti lacks interconnects for scaled HPC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which GPU has more VRAM: A100 PCIe 40GB or RTX 3060 Ti?▾
The A100 PCIe 40GB provides 40 GB HBM2e VRAM, exceeding the RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB GDDR6. This allows the A100 to load larger models directly.
How do their FP16 performances compare?▾
A100 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus RTX 3060 Ti's 12.7 TFLOPS, a 24-fold advantage for AI training. This speeds up deep learning iterations significantly.
What are the cloud rental prices?▾
A100 PCIe 40GB rents from $0.60 per hour averaging $1.85 across 11 offers. RTX 3060 Ti starts at $0.03 per hour averaging $0.06 across 2 offers.
Which has higher memory bandwidth?▾
A100 offers 2039 GB/s, over 5 times the RTX 3060 Ti's 360 GB/s. Higher bandwidth improves large batch processing.
What is the TDP difference?▾
A100 consumes 400W TDP compared to RTX 3060 Ti's 170W. The A100 sustains higher compute in datacenter environments.
Are both PCIe compatible?▾
A100 supports PCIe 4.0 alongside SXM4; RTX 3060 Ti uses PCIe. Both fit standard cloud PCIe instances.
Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 3060?▾
Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060?▾
The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 3060 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory.
Can I find A100 and RTX 3060 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 RTX 3060?▾
The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 3060 uses Ampere (2021). The A100 delivers 24.6x the FP16 throughput and 5.7x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3060.