A100 SXM4 80GB vs A30

AmperevsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB emerges as the superior choice for most AI and machine learning workloads. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16, 80 GB VRAM, and 2039 GB/s bandwidth outperform the A30's 10.3 TFLOPS, 24 GB, and 933 GB/s, enabling larger models and faster training despite higher 400W power draw and $1.35 per hour average pricing.

A100 SXM4 80GB from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100A30
TDP400W165W
VRAM40-80 GB24 GB
CUDA Cores6,9123,584
Memory TypeHBM2eHBM2
ArchitectureAmpereAmpere
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandNVLink
Tensor Cores432224
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS10.3 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS10.3 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS5.2 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS165 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s933 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A100 SXM4 80GB vastly outperforms the A30 in compute capabilities: 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus 10.3 TFLOPS enables faster deep learning training with mixed precision, reducing epochs significantly for large models. Its FP32 performance of 19.5 TFLOPS exceeds the A30's 10.3 TFLOPS, benefiting simulations and inference requiring single-precision accuracy.

Memory specifications create clear disparities in workload feasibility. The A100's 80 GB HBM2e VRAM and 2039 GB/s bandwidth accommodate massive batch sizes and complex models without swapping, unlike the A30's 24 GB HBM2 and 933 GB/s, which constrain large-scale operations. This bandwidth gap halves potential throughput for data-heavy tasks on the A30.

Power efficiency differentiates deployment: the A30's 165W TDP suits dense clusters with lower cooling needs, while the A100's 400W demands robust infrastructure but yields superior scalability via NVLink and InfiniBand.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100 SXM4 80GB

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.73/GPU/hr
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
Denvr
Denvr
4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$4.60/hr total (4×)
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 SXM4 80GB

Opt for the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB in scenarios demanding peak performance, such as training large language models exceeding 24 GB VRAM. Its 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 80 GB HBM2e handle billion-parameter models efficiently, with 2039 GB/s bandwidth supporting high batch sizes.

High-performance computing clusters benefit from its NVLink, PCIe 4.0, and InfiniBand interconnects, enabling multi-GPU scaling unavailable on the A30's PCIe-only design.

When to Choose the A30

Select the NVIDIA A30 for cost-sensitive inference deployments with moderate model sizes fitting within 24 GB HBM2. Its 165W TDP reduces operational costs in power-constrained environments, and 10.3 TFLOPS FP16 suffices for real-time serving.

PCIe form factor simplifies integration into standard servers without specialized cooling for 400W loads.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 SXM4 80GB

The A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 80 GB HBM2e VRAM support training billion-parameter models, far beyond the A30's 10.3 TFLOPS and 24 GB limits.

LLM Inference
A100 SXM4 80GB

A100 handles larger batch sizes via 2039 GB/s bandwidth and 80 GB VRAM for high-throughput serving; A30's 933 GB/s suits smaller models only.

Fine-tuning
A100 SXM4 80GB

80 GB VRAM on A100 fits full model fine-tuning without gradient checkpointing, unlike A30's 24 GB constraint.

Stable Diffusion
A100 SXM4 80GB

A100's superior FP16 performance at 312 TFLOPS accelerates image generation; 80 GB VRAM manages high-resolution batches.

Scientific Computing
Either

A100 excels in FP32-heavy simulations with 19.5 TFLOPS; A30's 165W TDP fits power-limited HPC nodes for 10.3 TFLOPS tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM difference between A100 SXM4 80GB and A30?

The A100 SXM4 80GB has 80 GB HBM2e VRAM, while the A30 provides 24 GB HBM2. This tripling allows A100 to load larger models without partitioning.

How do FP16 performances compare?

A100 achieves 312 TFLOPS FP16 versus A30's 10.3 TFLOPS. The gap accelerates mixed-precision training by over 30 times on A100.

What are the power consumption differences?

A100 SXM4 80GB requires 400W TDP; A30 uses 165W. Lower TDP on A30 enables denser deployments with reduced cooling.

Is A30 available in cloud pricing?

No live offers exist for A30 currently. A100 SXM4 80GB starts at $0.45 per hour, averaging $1.35 per hour across 26 providers.

Which has higher memory bandwidth?

A100 offers 2039 GB/s versus A30's 933 GB/s. Higher bandwidth on A100 supports larger batch sizes in data-intensive workloads.

What form factors do they support?

A100 supports SXM4 and PCIe; A30 is PCIe only. SXM4 on A100 enhances multi-GPU connectivity via NVLink.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the A30?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and A30 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 A30?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The A30 has 24 GB of HBM2 memory.

Can I find A100 and A30 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 A30?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the A30 uses Ampere (2021). The A100 delivers 30.3x the FP16 throughput and 2.2x the memory bandwidth of the A30.