A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 2060 SUPER

AmperevsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB is the clear winner for most AI and computing use cases. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16, 80 GB VRAM, and 2039 GB/s bandwidth deliver unmatched performance for training and inference, far exceeding the RTX 2060 Super's 7.2 TFLOPS and 8 GB limits. Professionals prioritize these advantages over consumer alternatives.

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 PCIe 80GB outperforms the RTX 2060 Super dramatically in compute capabilities: its 312 TFLOPS FP16 rate enables rapid mixed-precision training, compared to 7.2 TFLOPS on the RTX 2060 Super. The FP32 performance gap is also stark at 19.5 TFLOPS versus 7.2 TFLOPS, benefiting general-purpose floating-point workloads like simulations.

Memory specifications highlight key differences for real-world AI applications. The A100's 2039 GB/s bandwidth supports massive batch sizes in model training, preventing bottlenecks with large datasets, whereas the RTX 2060 Super's 448 GB/s limits scalability for memory-intensive tasks. The 80 GB HBM2e VRAM on the A100 accommodates enormous models without swapping, unlike the 8 GB GDDR6 on the RTX 2060 Super.

Power consumption reflects their targets: the A100 draws 400W for sustained high loads, while the 175W TDP of the RTX 2060 Super suits desktop efficiency. These specs translate to the A100 handling enterprise inference 40 times faster in FP16-dominated scenarios.

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
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
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.07/GPU/hr
Available
Denvr
Denvr
4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$4.60/hr total (4×)

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 PCIe 80GB

Choose the A100 PCIe 80GB for demanding AI training or inference requiring over 8 GB VRAM. Its 80 GB HBM2e and 2039 GB/s bandwidth excel in processing large language models or scientific simulations with batch sizes infeasible on consumer GPUs. Cloud availability at $0.89 per hour from providers makes it ideal for scalable, on-demand professional workloads.

Data center environments benefit from the A100's PCIe form factor, NVLink support, and 312 TFLOPS FP16 performance for accelerated deep learning pipelines.

When to Choose the RTX 2060 SUPER

The RTX 2060 Super suits budget-conscious users for gaming or lightweight AI tasks. Its 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM and 448 GB/s bandwidth handle small-scale inference or Stable Diffusion at 1080p resolutions without cloud costs. Local deployment leverages the 175W TDP for energy-efficient desktops.

Entry-level developers prefer it for prototyping models under 7.2 TFLOPS FP32 constraints, avoiding A100 rental fees averaging $2.08 per hour.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 PCIe 80GB

The A100's 80 GB VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 support large batch sizes and full model training. The RTX 2060 Super's 8 GB limits it to tiny models.

LLM Inference
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100 handles high-throughput inference with 2039 GB/s bandwidth for real-time queries. RTX 2060 Super struggles beyond basic deployments due to 448 GB/s.

Fine-tuning
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 and massive VRAM enable efficient fine-tuning of billion-parameter models. RTX 2060 Super restricts to small datasets.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 2060 SUPER

RTX 2060 Super's 8 GB GDDR6 suffices for local image generation at 7.2 TFLOPS. A100 is overkill unless scaling to high resolutions.

Scientific Computing
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100's 400W TDP and interconnects support parallel HPC simulations at 312 TFLOPS FP16. RTX 2060 Super lacks bandwidth for complex workloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more VRAM: A100 PCIe 80GB or RTX 2060 Super?

The A100 PCIe 80GB offers 80 GB HBM2e VRAM. The RTX 2060 Super provides 8 GB GDDR6. This 10x difference favors A100 for large models.

Is A100 faster for AI training than RTX 2060 Super?

Yes, A100 achieves 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus 7.2 TFLOPS on RTX 2060 Super. Its 2039 GB/s bandwidth also supports larger batches. Training times reduce dramatically on A100.

What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A100 delivers 2039 GB/s with HBM2e. RTX 2060 Super has 448 GB/s GDDR6. Higher bandwidth on A100 prevents bottlenecks in data-heavy tasks.

RTX 2060 Super cloud pricing?

No live cloud offers exist for RTX 2060 Super. Users must buy hardware locally. A100 starts at $0.89 per hour by comparison.

Power usage of A100 vs RTX 2060 Super?

A100 has 400W TDP for data center use. RTX 2060 Super uses 175W, better for desktops. Efficiency favors RTX for light loads.

Best for gaming: A100 or RTX 2060 Super?

RTX 2060 Super targets gaming with Turing architecture optimizations. A100 focuses on compute, not rasterization. Choose RTX for 1080p gaming.

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.