A100 SXM4 40GB vs RTX 4060

AmperevsAda LovelaceUpdated 35 days ago

The A100 SXM4 40GB emerges as the clear winner for primary cloud AI use cases on gpuperhour.com. Its 40 GB HBM2e VRAM, 312 TFLOPS FP16, and 2039 GB/s bandwidth outperform the RTX 4060's 8 GB, 15.1 TFLOPS, and 272 GB/s, enabling professional-scale training and inference unavailable on consumer hardware.

A100 SXM4 40GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-4060
TDP400W115W
VRAM40-80 GB8 GB
CUDA Cores6,9123,072
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores43296
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS15.1 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS15.1 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS242 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s272 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A100's FP16 performance reaches 312 TFLOPS, dwarfing the RTX 4060's 15.1 TFLOPS: this enables the A100 to accelerate deep learning training with mixed-precision formats far more effectively. For inference, the high FP16 rate supports larger batch sizes without precision loss. The A100's FP32 of 19.5 TFLOPS edges out the RTX 4060's equal 15.1 TFLOPS in FP16/FP32, but the consumer card's balanced ratios suit graphics over tensor-heavy tasks.

Memory bandwidth defines real-world limits: the A100's 2039 GB/s sustains massive models and datasets, allowing batch sizes up to 40 GB VRAM capacity, ideal for LLM training. The RTX 4060's 272 GB/s restricts it to smaller batches, risking out-of-memory errors beyond 8 GB. TDP differences, 400W versus 115W, reflect datacenter scaling potential against desktop constraints, impacting multi-GPU clusters via NVLink on the A100.

These specs translate to the A100 dominating HPC while the RTX 4060 handles lightweight AI efficiently.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100 SXM4 40GB

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
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 SXM4 40GB

Select the A100 SXM4 40GB for large-scale AI training or scientific simulations demanding over 8 GB VRAM. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth enable handling of models like 70B-parameter LLMs with large batches. NVLink and InfiniBand interconnects make it superior for multi-GPU clusters in cloud environments starting at $1.00 per hour.

When to Choose the RTX 4060

Choose the RTX 4060 for consumer desktops running Stable Diffusion or small-model inference where 8 GB GDDR6 and 15.1 TFLOPS FP16 suffice. Its 115W TDP ensures low power use without datacenter overhead, and Ada Lovelace efficiency boosts gaming alongside light AI. Absence of cloud pricing favors local setups.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 SXM4 40GB

The A100's 40 GB VRAM and 312 TFLOPS FP16 handle massive datasets and models exceeding 8 GB limits. RTX 4060 cannot support large batch sizes due to 272 GB/s bandwidth.

LLM Inference
A100 SXM4 40GB

High 2039 GB/s bandwidth on A100 enables efficient large-batch serving. RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM restricts model sizes.

Fine-tuning
A100 SXM4 40GB

A100's superior FP16 performance and memory capacity accelerate parameter-efficient fine-tuning on big models. RTX 4060 lacks VRAM for complex adapters.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 4060

RTX 4060's Ada architecture and 15.1 TFLOPS FP16 optimize image generation at 8 GB scale. Lower 115W TDP suits desktop use over A100's 400W.

Scientific Computing
A100 SXM4 40GB

A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 and NVLink excel in simulations needing high precision and multi-GPU scaling. RTX 4060's specs limit HPC workloads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM difference between A100 SXM4 40GB and RTX 4060?

The A100 provides 40 GB HBM2e VRAM, far exceeding the RTX 4060's 8 GB GDDR6. This allows the A100 to load larger models without swapping. Bandwidth follows suit at 2039 GB/s versus 272 GB/s.

How do FP16 performances compare?

A100 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16, over 20 times the RTX 4060's 15.1 TFLOPS. This gap accelerates ML training on A100. FP32 is closer at 19.5 TFLOPS versus 15.1 TFLOPS.

What are the power requirements?

The A100 SXM4 draws 400W TDP for datacenter use, while RTX 4060 uses 115W for desktops. A100 suits clusters; RTX 4060 fits low-power setups. No cloud pricing for RTX 4060 currently.

Is A100 available on cloud platforms?

A100 SXM4 40GB starts at $1.00 per hour, averaging $2.53 across six providers. RTX 4060 has no live cloud offers. Check gpuperhour.com for updates.

Which has better memory bandwidth?

A100's 2039 GB/s vastly outpaces RTX 4060's 272 GB/s. This supports bigger batches on A100 for training. RTX 4060 handles smaller workloads adequately.

What architectures do they use?

A100 employs Ampere from 2020; RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace from 2023. A100 prioritizes tensor cores; RTX 4060 balances gaming and AI. Form factors differ: SXM4/PCIe versus PCIe.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 4060?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 4060 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 4060?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 4060 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 4060?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 4060 uses Ada Lovelace (2023). The A100 delivers 20.7x the FP16 throughput and 7.5x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 4060.

A100 SXM4 40GB vs RTX 4060: 20.7x FP16 Gap, 80GB vs 8GB | GPUPerHour