A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 2060

AmperevsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The A100 PCIe 80GB emerges as the clear winner for most machine learning use cases, delivering 48 times the FP16 performance at 312 TFLOPS and 80 GB VRAM to handle enterprise-scale training and inference. While the RTX 2060 offers unbeatable value at $0.02/hr for entry-level tasks, professionals prioritize the A100's superior specs and availability across 28 cloud providers.

A100 PCIe 80GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-2060
TDP400W160W
VRAM40-80 GB6-12 GB
CUDA Cores6,9121,920
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereTuring
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432240
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS6.5 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS6.5 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s336 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A100's FP16 performance of 312 TFLOPS vastly outpaces the RTX 2060's 6.5 TFLOPS, enabling faster training of large neural networks where half-precision computations dominate. Its FP32 rate of 19.5 TFLOPS also exceeds the RTX 2060's 6.5 TFLOPS, supporting superior single-precision tasks like scientific simulations. For inference, the A100 handles massive models without memory constraints due to 80 GB VRAM, while the RTX 2060 struggles with datasets exceeding 6-12 GB. Memory bandwidth differences prove critical: the A100's 2039 GB/s supports large batch sizes in training, reducing overhead and accelerating convergence, whereas the RTX 2060's 336 GB/s limits batches to smaller sizes, slowing workflows. Power draw underscores efficiency: A100 at 400W suits datacenter scaling, RTX 2060 at 160W fits edge or desktop use. These specs translate to the A100 completing deep learning epochs in minutes versus hours on the RTX 2060 for comparable models.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100 PCIe 80GB

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×)

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 PCIe 80GB

Opt for the A100 PCIe 80GB in scenarios demanding high VRAM and throughput, such as training large language models requiring over 40 GB memory. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth excel in distributed training via NVLink or InfiniBand, ideal for research teams processing billion-parameter models. Cloud users benefit from 28 live offers starting at $0.89/hr for production-scale inference serving thousands of queries.

When to Choose the RTX 2060

Choose the RTX 2060 for cost-sensitive prototyping or gaming workloads where 6.5 TFLOPS suffices. Its low TDP of 160W and pricing from $0.02/hr make it perfect for individual developers testing small models or running Stable Diffusion on 6-12 GB datasets. Light inference tasks fit well within its 336 GB/s bandwidth without needing datacenter interconnects.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 PCIe 80GB

LLM training demands massive VRAM and FP16 throughput: the A100 provides 80 GB HBM2e and 312 TFLOPS, enabling billion-parameter models, unlike the RTX 2060's 6-12 GB limit.

LLM Inference
A100 PCIe 80GB

High-concurrency inference benefits from the A100's 2039 GB/s bandwidth for large batches; the RTX 2060's 336 GB/s restricts scale on models over 6 GB.

Fine-tuning
Either

Small-scale fine-tuning works on RTX 2060's 6.5 TFLOPS for quick iterations at $0.02/hr, but A100 accelerates with 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 for larger datasets.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 2060

Stable Diffusion runs efficiently on RTX 2060's 6-12 GB GDDR6 and Turing RT cores for image generation; A100 overkill at $0.89/hr.

Scientific Computing
A100 PCIe 80GB

Scientific simulations leverage A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 and PCIe 4.0 for precise computations; RTX 2060's matching 6.5 TFLOPS falls short on complex workloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is A100 better than RTX 2060 for AI training?

Yes, the A100 outperforms with 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus 6.5 TFLOPS and 80 GB VRAM against 6-12 GB. It handles large models infeasible on RTX 2060. Cloud pricing starts at $0.89/hr for A100.

What is the VRAM difference between A100 and RTX 2060?

A100 PCIe 80GB offers 80 GB HBM2e; RTX 2060 provides 6-12 GB GDDR6. This gap affects batch sizes in training. Bandwidth is 2039 GB/s on A100 versus 336 GB/s.

RTX 2060 cloud pricing vs A100?

RTX 2060 averages $0.04/hr across 2 offers from $0.02/hr; A100 averages $2.08/hr across 28 offers from $0.89/hr. Choose RTX 2060 for budget tasks.

Can RTX 2060 handle deep learning?

RTX 2060 manages small models with 6.5 TFLOPS FP32/FP16 and 160W TDP. Larger workloads exceed its 6-12 GB VRAM. A100 suits production at 19.5 TFLOPS FP32.

A100 power consumption compared to RTX 2060?

A100 draws 400W TDP for datacenter use; RTX 2060 uses 160W for consumer setups. Efficiency favors A100 in scaled FP16 tasks at 312 TFLOPS.

Best GPU for Stable Diffusion: A100 or RTX 2060?

RTX 2060 suffices with Turing architecture and 6 GB VRAM for local generation at $0.02/hr. A100's 80 GB overprovisioned for this task.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 2060?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 2060 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 2060?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 2060 has 6 to 12 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 2060 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 2060?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 2060 uses Turing (2019). The A100 delivers 48.0x the FP16 throughput and 6.1x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 2060.

A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 2060: 48.0x FP16 Gap, 80GB vs 12GB | GPUPerHour