A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 5880 Ada

AmperevsAda LovelaceUpdated 35 days ago

The A100 PCIe 80GB emerges as the winner for most AI use cases: its 80 GB VRAM, 2039 GB/s bandwidth, and 312 TFLOPS FP16 outperform RTX 5880 Ada's 48 GB, 960 GB/s, and 69.7 TFLOPS in training and large-scale inference, with proven cloud scaling at $2.06/hr average.

A100 PCIe 80GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-5880-ADA
TDP400W285W
VRAM40-80 GB48 GB
CUDA Cores6,91214,080
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432440
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS69.7 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS69.7 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS1,115 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s960 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Memory specs dictate workload feasibility: A100's 80 GB HBM2e and 2039 GB/s bandwidth support larger batch sizes in training compared to RTX 5880 Ada's 48 GB GDDR6 at 960 GB/s. This gap limits RTX 5880 Ada in memory-bound tasks like large language model training, where A100 handles bigger models without swapping.

FP16 performance reveals training priorities: A100's 312 TFLOPS excels in mixed-precision training, accelerating gradient computations by up to 16x over FP32. RTX 5880 Ada's balanced 69.7 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32 suits inference or FP32-heavy simulations, but trails in raw tensor core throughput. For inference, A100's bandwidth aids high-throughput serving, though RTX 5880 Ada's newer Ada cores offer efficiency gains per watt at 285W TDP versus 400W.

Power and interconnects influence deployments: A100 scales via NVLink for multi-GPU synchronization, ideal for distributed training, while RTX 5880 Ada's PCIe-only design fits single-node workstations.

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

Choose the A100 PCIe 80GB for memory-intensive AI training: its 80 GB HBM2e and 2039 GB/s bandwidth enable large batch sizes for models exceeding 48 GB, such as billion-parameter LLMs. Multi-GPU setups benefit from NVLink and InfiniBand, reducing communication overhead in clusters.

Cloud deployments favor A100 due to availability from $0.89/hr across 29 offers, supporting scalable inference at 312 TFLOPS FP16.

When to Choose the RTX 5880 Ada

Select the RTX 5880 Ada for workstation-based development: its 2024 Ada Lovelace architecture delivers 69.7 TFLOPS FP32 for graphics, simulations, or balanced inference tasks. Lower 285W TDP suits power-constrained environments without datacenter cooling.

Single-GPU workflows gain from 48 GB GDDR6 when models fit under 80 GB, avoiding A100's higher 400W draw and cloud-only pricing.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 80 GB HBM2e with 2039 GB/s bandwidth handle large batches and models better than RTX 5880 Ada's 69.7 TFLOPS and 48 GB GDDR6.

LLM Inference
A100 PCIe 80GB

Higher memory bandwidth of 2039 GB/s on A100 supports greater throughput for serving large models, surpassing RTX 5880 Ada's 960 GB/s.

Fine-tuning
A100 PCIe 80GB

A100's 80 GB VRAM accommodates full model fine-tuning without truncation, unlike RTX 5880 Ada's 48 GB limit.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 5880 Ada

RTX 5880 Ada's Ada Lovelace architecture and 69.7 TFLOPS FP32 optimize image generation pipelines, with lower 285W TDP for workstations.

Scientific Computing
RTX 5880 Ada

Balanced 69.7 TFLOPS FP32 on RTX 5880 Ada accelerates simulations better than A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more VRAM: A100 PCIe 80GB or RTX 5880 Ada?

The A100 PCIe 80GB provides 80 GB HBM2e VRAM. RTX 5880 Ada offers 48 GB GDDR6. This makes A100 superior for memory-heavy workloads.

What is the FP16 performance difference?

A100 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16. RTX 5880 Ada achieves 69.7 TFLOPS. A100 excels in mixed-precision training as a result.

How do memory bandwidths compare?

A100 features 2039 GB/s bandwidth. RTX 5880 Ada has 960 GB/s. Higher bandwidth on A100 supports larger batch sizes.

What are the TDPs?

A100 requires 400W TDP. RTX 5880 Ada uses 285W. RTX 5880 Ada fits lower-power setups better.

Is cloud pricing available for these GPUs?

A100 PCIe 80GB starts at $0.89/hr, averaging $2.06/hr across 29 offers. RTX 5880 Ada has no live cloud offers.

Which supports multi-GPU interconnects?

A100 includes NVLink, PCIe 4.0, and InfiniBand. RTX 5880 Ada relies on PCIe only.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 5880 Ada?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 5880 Ada 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 5880 Ada?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 5880 Ada has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 5880 Ada 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 5880 Ada?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 5880 Ada uses Ada Lovelace (2024). The A100 delivers 4.5x the FP16 throughput and 2.1x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5880 Ada.

A100 PCIe 80GB vs RTX 5880 Ada: 80GB vs 48GB | GPUPerHour