A100 PCIe 80GB vs Intel Gaudi 2

AmperevsGaudiUpdated 35 days ago

Intel Gaudi 2 emerges as the winner for most common AI training use cases. Superior FP16 at 420 TFLOPS, FP32 at 420 TFLOPS, 96 GB VRAM, and 2460 GB/s bandwidth deliver better raw performance, paired with lower average pricing of $1.08 per hour. A100's ecosystem advantages do not offset these metrics for cost-performance optimization.

A100 PCIe 80GB 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

Gaudi 2 outperforms A100 PCIe 80GB in FP16 at 420 TFLOPS versus 312 TFLOPS, accelerating mixed-precision training common in deep learning. The FP32 performance gap proves stark: Gaudi 2 delivers 420 TFLOPS compared to A100's 19.5 TFLOPS, benefiting workloads requiring single-precision computations like scientific simulations. This balance enables Gaudi 2 to handle training and inference phases without precision bottlenecks. Higher memory bandwidth on Gaudi 2 at 2460 GB/s over A100's 2039 GB/s supports larger batch sizes, reducing training time for memory-intensive models. The 96 GB VRAM on Gaudi 2 exceeds A100's 80 GB, allowing bigger models or datasets without swapping. However, A100's 400W TDP contrasts with Gaudi 2's 600W, implying lower power draw per GPU for A100 in dense deployments. Interconnect options favor A100's NVLink for multi-GPU scaling in training clusters, while Gaudi 2 relies on Ethernet.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100 PCIe 80GB

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.73/GPU/hr
$1.47/hr total (2×)
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
2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.00/GPU/hr
$2.00/hr total (2×)
Available
Denvr
Denvr
4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$4.60/hr total (4×)

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 80GB

NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB suits environments demanding mature software ecosystems and broad cloud availability. With 28 live pricing offers averaging $2.08 per hour, it provides reliable access compared to Gaudi 2's 2 offers. NVLink and InfiniBand interconnects enable superior multi-GPU scaling for distributed training, and the 400W TDP fits power-constrained setups. CUDA optimization ensures compatibility across frameworks.

When to Choose the Intel Gaudi 2

Intel Gaudi 2 excels in cost-sensitive deployments with average pricing at $1.08 per hour from $0.91 per hour. Its 96 GB VRAM and 2460 GB/s bandwidth handle larger models efficiently, while 420 TFLOPS FP32 performance accelerates compute-heavy tasks. Balanced FP16 and FP32 throughput optimizes end-to-end AI pipelines.

Use Cases

LLM Training
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS FP16 and 96 GB VRAM support larger batch sizes for LLM training compared to A100's 312 TFLOPS and 80 GB. Higher 2460 GB/s bandwidth reduces memory bottlenecks.

LLM Inference
Either

Both GPUs handle inference well, with Gaudi 2 at 420 TFLOPS FP16 edging A100's 312 TFLOPS. A100's NVLink aids multi-GPU inference scaling.

Fine-tuning
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's balanced 420 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32, plus 96 GB VRAM, accelerate fine-tuning of large models. It outperforms A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32.

Stable Diffusion
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 2460 GB/s bandwidth and 420 TFLOPS FP16 enable faster image generation with larger batches than A100's 2039 GB/s and 312 TFLOPS.

Scientific Computing
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS FP32 vastly exceeds A100's 19.5 TFLOPS, ideal for simulations. Additional 96 GB VRAM handles complex datasets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM capacity of A100 PCIe 80GB versus Gaudi 2?

NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB provides 80 GB HBM2e VRAM. Intel Gaudi 2 offers 96 GB HBM2e VRAM. This difference allows Gaudi 2 to accommodate larger models without offloading.

How do FP16 and FP32 performances compare?

A100 PCIe 80GB delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 19.5 TFLOPS FP32. Gaudi 2 achieves 420 TFLOPS in both FP16 and FP32. Gaudi 2's balance suits diverse AI tasks.

What are the current cloud pricing details?

A100 PCIe 80GB starts at $0.89 per hour, averaging $2.08 per hour across 28 offers. Gaudi 2 begins at $0.91 per hour, averaging $1.08 per hour across 2 offers. Gaudi 2 provides better value on average.

Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

Gaudi 2 features 2460 GB/s memory bandwidth. A100 PCIe 80GB offers 2039 GB/s. Higher bandwidth on Gaudi 2 supports larger batch sizes in training.

What are the TDP and form factor differences?

A100 PCIe 80GB has a 400W TDP and supports SXM4 or PCIe form factors. Gaudi 2 consumes 600W TDP in OAM form factor. A100 suits lower-power setups.

How do interconnects differ?

A100 PCIe 80GB uses NVLink, PCIe 4.0, and InfiniBand for multi-GPU communication. Gaudi 2 employs Ethernet. NVLink provides faster scaling for A100 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 80GB vs Intel Gaudi 2: 80GB vs 96GB | GPUPerHour