A100 SXM4 80GB vs H100 NVL

AmperevsHopperUpdated 35 days ago

The NVIDIA H100 NVL emerges as the winner for most common AI workloads like training and inference. Its 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3958 TFLOPS FP8 vastly outperform the A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16, while 3350 GB/s bandwidth supports larger models. Higher costs yield unmatched efficiency gains.

A100 SXM4 80GB from $0.73/hrH100 NVL from $1.90/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100H100
TDP400W700W
VRAM40-80 GB80-94 GB
CUDA Cores6,91216,896
Memory TypeHBM2eHBM3
ArchitectureAmpereHopper
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIeSXM5, PCIe, NVL
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandNVLink, PCIe 5.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432528
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS1,979 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS67 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS34 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS3,958 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s3,350 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The H100 NVL demonstrates superior compute capabilities over the A100 SXM4 80GB. Its FP16 performance reaches 1979 TFLOPS compared to 312 TFLOPS, enabling up to 6.3 times faster mixed-precision training for deep learning models. FP32 performance improves to 67 TFLOPS from 19.5 TFLOPS, a 3.4-fold increase beneficial for scientific simulations requiring single-precision arithmetic.

Memory bandwidth of 3350 GB/s on the H100 versus 2039 GB/s on the A100 supports larger batch sizes in training and inference. This reduces overhead in memory-bound workloads like large language models, allowing 64 percent more data throughput. The H100's FP8 precision at 3958 TFLOPS further accelerates inference tasks with quantization.

Higher TDP of 700W on the H100 contrasts with 400W on the A100, reflecting greater power demands for peak performance. PCIe 5.0 and advanced NVLink on the H100 enhance multi-GPU scaling over the A100's PCIe 4.0.

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×)

H100 NVL

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
4×NVIDIA H100 PCIe
80GB VRAM
$1.90/GPU/hr
$7.60/hr total (4×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
2×NVIDIA H100 PCIe
80GB VRAM
$1.90/GPU/hr
$3.80/hr total (2×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
8×NVIDIA H100 PCIe
80GB VRAM
$1.90/GPU/hr
$15.20/hr total (8×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
NVIDIA H100 PCIe
80GB VRAM
$1.90/GPU/hr
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
8×NVIDIA H100 PCIe
80GB VRAM
$1.95/GPU/hr
$15.60/hr total (8×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 SXM4 80GB

The A100 SXM4 80GB suits cost-sensitive deployments. At $0.79 per hour starting price and $1.42 average versus the H100's $1.40 and $2.89, it offers better value with 23 live offers compared to 9. Lower 400W TDP reduces cooling and power costs in dense clusters.

Legacy workloads optimized for Ampere architecture favor the A100. It handles FP16 at 312 TFLOPS and 80 GB HBM2e VRAM adequately for fine-tuning or inference without needing Hopper-specific features.

When to Choose the H100 NVL

The H100 NVL excels in performance-critical AI tasks. FP16 at 1979 TFLOPS and FP8 at 3958 TFLOPS deliver substantial speedups for LLM training and inference over the A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16.

High-bandwidth 3350 GB/s memory and 94 GB HBM3 enable scaling to larger models. Users prioritizing throughput despite 700W TDP and higher $2.89 average hourly cost select the H100 for cutting-edge Hopper architecture.

Use Cases

LLM Training
H100 NVL

H100's 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3958 TFLOPS FP8 provide over 6 times the throughput of A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16. This accelerates large-scale training significantly.

LLM Inference
H100 NVL

FP8 performance at 3958 TFLOPS on H100 optimizes quantized inference. Bandwidth of 3350 GB/s handles high concurrency better than A100's 2039 GB/s.

Fine-tuning
H100 NVL

H100's 67 TFLOPS FP32 and superior memory enable faster iterations. It outperforms A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 for parameter-efficient tuning.

Stable Diffusion
Either

A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 suffices for image generation at lower cost of $1.42 average per hour. H100 offers speedup via 1979 TFLOPS FP16 for high-volume production.

Scientific Computing
A100 SXM4 80GB

A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 meets simulation needs at 400W TDP and $0.79 starting price. H100's higher power suits only extreme scales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the performance difference between A100 and H100 in FP16?

The H100 NVL achieves 1979 TFLOPS in FP16, compared to 312 TFLOPS on the A100 SXM4 80GB. This represents a 6.3 times improvement for mixed-precision workloads. FP8 on H100 adds 3958 TFLOPS for further inference gains.

How does memory bandwidth compare?

H100 NVL offers 3350 GB/s with 94 GB HBM3, versus A100's 2039 GB/s and 80 GB HBM2e. The 64 percent higher bandwidth supports larger batch sizes in training. This impacts memory-bound AI tasks directly.

What are the current cloud prices?

A100 SXM4 80GB starts at $0.79 per hour, averaging $1.42 across 23 offers. H100 NVL begins at $1.40 per hour, averaging $2.89 across 9 offers. Availability favors A100 with more providers.

Which has higher power consumption?

H100 NVL requires 700W TDP, double the A100's 400W. This demands better cooling in deployments. Performance justifies the increase for H100 users.

Are they compatible with the same interconnects?

Both support NVLink and InfiniBand, but H100 uses PCIe 5.0 versus A100's PCIe 4.0. Form factors differ: SXM4 for A100, NVL for H100. Clusters may need upgrades for H100.

When is A100 still preferable?

A100 suits budgets with $0.79 per hour pricing and 400W efficiency. It delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16 adequately for non-peak tasks. More offers ensure easier procurement.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the H100?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and H100 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 H100?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The H100 has 80 to 94 GB of HBM3 memory.

Can I find A100 and H100 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 H100?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the H100 uses Hopper (2022). The H100 delivers 6.3x the FP16 throughput and 1.6x the memory bandwidth of the A100.

A100 SXM4 80GB vs H100 NVL: 6.3x FP16 Gap, 94GB vs 80GB | GPUPerHour