A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 3080 Ti

AmperevsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The A100 PCIe 80GB wins for most machine learning use cases, particularly LLM training and inference: 80 GB VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 enable scaling to production models impossible on 12 GB RTX 3080 Ti. Despite 15 times higher average pricing at $2.08 versus $0.14 per hour, its bandwidth and interconnect justify the cost for high-throughput workloads.

A100 PCIe 80GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-3080
TDP400W320W
VRAM40-80 GB10-12 GB
CUDA Cores6,9128,704
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6X
ArchitectureAmpereAmpere
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432272
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS29.8 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS29.8 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s760 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A100 PCIe 80GB outperforms the RTX 3080 Ti in memory-intensive workloads due to its 80 GB HBM2e VRAM versus 12 GB GDDR6X: larger models fit entirely on the A100, enabling batch sizes up to 6.7 times greater in training scenarios. Its 2039 GB/s bandwidth, over 2.6 times the RTX 3080 Ti's 760 GB/s, reduces data transfer bottlenecks during inference and fine-tuning. The FP16 rating of 312 TFLOPS on the A100 accelerates mixed-precision training by 10.5 times over the RTX 3080 Ti's 29.8 TFLOPS, ideal for deep learning. However, the RTX 3080 Ti matches FP32 at 29.8 TFLOPS against the A100's 19.5 TFLOPS, suiting graphics or simulation tasks. Overall, A100 excels in large-scale AI pipelines, while RTX 3080 Ti handles smaller, cost-sensitive jobs efficiently.

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
$1.07/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 80GB

Select the A100 PCIe 80GB for large language model training or scientific simulations requiring over 40 GB VRAM: its 80 GB capacity and 2039 GB/s bandwidth support massive datasets without swapping. Multi-GPU setups benefit from NVLink and InfiniBand interconnects, unavailable on RTX 3080 Ti. Enterprise users prioritize its 312 TFLOPS FP16 for rapid convergence in distributed training across cloud instances averaging $2.08 per hour.

When to Choose the RTX 3080 Ti

Choose the RTX 3080 Ti for budget-conscious inference or Stable Diffusion generation: its 12 GB VRAM suffices for models under 7 billion parameters, with FP32 at 29.8 TFLOPS matching graphics needs. At $0.14 per hour average, it delivers value for prototyping or gaming workloads where 760 GB/s bandwidth handles real-time tasks. Single-user cloud sessions favor its lower 320W TDP and PCIe form factor.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100 PCIe 80GB's 80 GB VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 handle billion-parameter models with large batches. RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB limits scale.

LLM Inference
A100 PCIe 80GB

2039 GB/s bandwidth on A100 supports high-concurrency serving. RTX 3080 Ti suits low-volume at lower cost.

Fine-tuning
Either

Smaller datasets fit RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB VRAM for cost savings; A100 excels for full-model fine-tuning.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 3080 Ti

RTX 3080 Ti's 29.8 TFLOPS FP32 and 760 GB/s generate images quickly at $0.14 per hour average. A100 overkill for consumer AI art.

Scientific Computing
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100's NVLink and 400W TDP optimize HPC simulations with 19.5 TFLOPS FP32. RTX 3080 Ti lacks enterprise interconnects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM difference between A100 PCIe 80GB and RTX 3080 Ti?

A100 PCIe 80GB has 80 GB HBM2e VRAM, while RTX 3080 Ti offers 12 GB GDDR6X. This allows A100 to load models 6.7 times larger without offloading.

How do cloud prices compare for these GPUs?

A100 PCIe 80GB starts at $0.89 per hour averaging $2.08 across 28 offers. RTX 3080 Ti starts at $0.08 per hour averaging $0.14 across 4 offers.

Which has higher FP16 performance?

A100 PCIe 80GB reaches 312 TFLOPS FP16, 10.5 times the RTX 3080 Ti's 29.8 TFLOPS. This boosts AI training speed significantly.

What are the memory bandwidth specs?

A100 PCIe 80GB provides 2039 GB/s with HBM2e, 2.7 times the RTX 3080 Ti's 760 GB/s GDDR6X. Higher bandwidth reduces latency in data-heavy tasks.

Can RTX 3080 Ti replace A100 for ML training?

RTX 3080 Ti works for small models under 12 GB VRAM but cannot match A100's scale for large LLMs. Use it for prototyping to save costs.

What form factors do they support?

Both use PCIe, but A100 also offers SXM4 with NVLink. RTX 3080 Ti is PCIe-only, limiting multi-GPU scaling.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 3080?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 3080 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 3080?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 3080 has 10 to 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 3080 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 3080?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 3080 uses Ampere (2020). The A100 delivers 10.5x the FP16 throughput and 2.7x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3080.

A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 3080 Ti: 80GB vs 12GB | GPUPerHour