Specifications Compared
| Spec | A100 | RTX-3060 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 400W | 170W |
| VRAM | 40-80 GB | 12 GB |
| CUDA Cores | 6,912 | 3,584 |
| Memory Type | HBM2e | GDDR6 |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ampere |
| Form Factors | SXM4, PCIe | PCIe |
| Interconnect | NVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand | |
| Tensor Cores | 432 | 112 |
| FP16 Performance | 312 TFLOPS | 12.7 TFLOPS |
| FP32 Performance | 19.5 TFLOPS | 12.7 TFLOPS |
| FP64 Performance | 9.7 TFLOPS | |
| INT8 Performance | 624 TOPS | |
| Memory Bandwidth | 2,039 GB/s | 360 GB/s |
Performance Analysis
The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti dramatically in FP16 workloads critical for AI training and inference. With 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus 12.7 TFLOPS, the A100 processes tensor operations over 24 times faster, accelerating deep learning model optimization. FP32 performance shows 19.5 TFLOPS against 12.7 TFLOPS, a 1.5x edge for general compute tasks like simulations.
Memory specs define real-world limits: 40 GB HBM2e on A100 handles models exceeding 12 GB GDDR6 on RTX 3060 Ti, enabling larger batch sizes without swapping. The 2039 GB/s bandwidth versus 360 GB/s sustains high throughput, reducing bottlenecks in data-heavy training by allowing 5.7 times more transfers per second. Smaller batches on RTX 3060 Ti suit prototyping but slow convergence.
Power draw influences deployment: 400W TDP on A100 demands robust cooling, while 170W on RTX 3060 Ti fits dense, low-cost instances. Form factors matter too, SXM4 with NVLink for multi-GPU scaling on A100, plain PCIe on RTX 3060 Ti.
Live Cloud Pricing
Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.
A100 SXM4 40GB
| Provider | GPU Model | VRAM | Host Specs | Region | Price | Status | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 256 vCPU 126GB RAM 794GB Storage | Slovenia | $0.73/GPU/hr $1.47/hr total (2×) | Available | ||
 LeaderGPU | 8×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 384GB RAM 2000GB Storage | Netherlands | $0.90/GPU/hr $7.20/hr total (8×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 126GB RAM 1114GB Storage | Czechia | $1.00/GPU/hr $2.00/hr total (2×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 63GB RAM 646GB Storage | Czechia | $1.07/GPU/hr | Available | ||
 Denvr | 4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB 80GB VRAM | 80GB | 64 vCPU 512GB RAM 7600GB Storage | Virginia | $1.15/GPU/hr $4.60/hr total (4×) |
RTX 3060 Ti
| Provider | GPU Model | VRAM | Host Specs | Region | Price | Status | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vast.ai | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 24 vCPU 31GB RAM 757GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr | Available | ||
Vast.ai | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 36 vCPU 31GB RAM 862GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 24 vCPU 55GB RAM 1940GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.45/hr total (2×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 128 vCPU 168GB RAM 715GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.45/hr total (2×) | Available | ||
Vast.ai | 2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB VRAM | 12GB | 64 vCPU 126GB RAM 3050GB Storage | Texas | $0.23/GPU/hr $0.45/hr total (2×) | Available |
When to Choose the A100 SXM4 40GB
The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB suits large-scale AI training and inference requiring 40 GB VRAM for models like billion-parameter LLMs. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth enable efficient handling of massive batches, cutting training time significantly over the RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB and 360 GB/s limits. Cloud users prioritize it for production workloads across five live offers starting at $1.00 per hour.
When to Choose the RTX 3060 Ti
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti fits budget-conscious prototyping, fine-tuning small models, or inference on datasets under 12 GB VRAM. At $0.03 per hour average $0.06, it delivers 12.7 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 for quick iterations without A100's 400W power overhead. Its 170W TDP and PCIe form factor suit lightweight cloud instances with two live offers.
Use Cases
The A100 SXM4 40GB's 40 GB HBM2e VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 support training billion-parameter LLMs with large batches. RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB limits model scale.
A100's 2039 GB/s bandwidth and 312 TFLOPS FP16 enable high-throughput inference for production. RTX 3060 Ti suffices for low-volume but bottlenecks at scale.
RTX 3060 Ti handles small-model fine-tuning at 12.7 TFLOPS FP16 and $0.03 per hour. A100 accelerates larger ones with 40 GB VRAM.
RTX 3060 Ti's 12 GB GDDR6 and 12.7 TFLOPS FP32 generate images efficiently at low cost. A100 overkill for consumer diffusion tasks.
A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 and NVLink interconnect scale simulations across nodes. RTX 3060 Ti lacks multi-GPU bandwidth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VRAM capacity of NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB versus NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?▾
The A100 SXM4 40GB provides 40 GB HBM2e VRAM. The RTX 3060 Ti offers 12 GB GDDR6 VRAM. This gap allows A100 to load much larger AI models without issues.
How do memory bandwidths compare between these GPUs?▾
A100 SXM4 40GB achieves 2039 GB/s with HBM2e. RTX 3060 Ti reaches 360 GB/s with GDDR6. Higher bandwidth on A100 supports bigger batch sizes in training.
Which GPU has higher FP16 performance for AI tasks?▾
The A100 SXM4 40GB delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16. RTX 3060 Ti provides 12.7 TFLOPS FP16. A100 excels over 24 times faster in tensor-heavy workloads.
What are the cloud pricing differences?▾
A100 SXM4 40GB starts from $1.00 per hour, average $2.63 across five offers. RTX 3060 Ti starts from $0.03 per hour, average $0.06 across two offers. RTX suits low-budget runs.
What are the TDP ratings?▾
A100 SXM4 40GB has 400W TDP. RTX 3060 Ti uses 170W TDP. Lower power on RTX 3060 Ti reduces cloud instance costs for light tasks.
Do both support the same architecture?▾
Both use Ampere architecture, A100 from 2020 and RTX 3060 Ti from 2021. A100 adds datacenter features like NVLink, absent on RTX 3060 Ti.
Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 3060?▾
Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 3060 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 3060?▾
The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 3060 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory.
Can I find A100 and RTX 3060 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 3060?▾
The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 3060 uses Ampere (2021). The A100 delivers 24.6x the FP16 throughput and 5.7x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3060.