A100 SXM4 80GB vs H100 PCIe

AmperevsHopperUpdated 35 days ago

The H100 PCIe emerges as the superior choice for prevalent AI training and inference: 1979 TFLOPS FP16 dwarfs the A100's 312 TFLOPS, and 3350 GB/s bandwidth doubles effective throughput for large models. Despite averaging $2.77 per hour versus $1.32, the performance justifies investment in most modern use cases.

A100 SXM4 80GB from $0.73/hrH100 PCIe 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 PCIe outperforms the A100 SXM4 80GB dramatically in FP16: 1979 TFLOPS versus 312 TFLOPS accelerates neural network training, where mixed-precision computations prevail. FP32 performance reaches 67 TFLOPS on the H100 against 19.5 TFLOPS on the A100: this boosts single-precision tasks like simulations. The H100's FP8 capability at 3958 TFLOPS enables quantized inference, reducing latency for deployment.

Higher memory bandwidth defines a key advantage: the H100's 3350 GB/s compared to 2039 GB/s allows larger batch sizes in model training, minimizing data bottlenecks. This proves vital for LLMs exceeding billions of parameters. The 700W TDP on the H100, versus 400W, correlates with these gains, though it requires robust cooling. PCIe 5.0 on the H100 enhances multi-GPU scaling over the A100's PCIe 4.0.

Real-world impacts include faster convergence in training epochs on the H100 and higher throughput in inference serving.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100 SXM4 80GB

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
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
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 PCIe

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 budget-conscious projects requiring 80 GB HBM2e VRAM at 2039 GB/s bandwidth. Its pricing from $0.13 per hour, averaging $1.32 per hour across 26 offers, undercuts the H100 significantly. The 400W TDP fits power-limited data centers, and 312 TFLOPS FP16 handles many legacy AI tasks without Hopper features.

When to Choose the H100 PCIe

Select the H100 PCIe for high-throughput AI applications demanding peak performance. Its 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3350 GB/s bandwidth enable training massive models with larger batches. FP8 at 3958 TFLOPS optimizes inference, while pricing from $1.25 per hour supports premium workloads.

Use Cases

LLM Training
H100 PCIe

The H100's 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3350 GB/s bandwidth outperform the A100's 312 TFLOPS and 2039 GB/s, enabling faster training of billion-parameter models.

LLM Inference
H100 PCIe

H100's FP8 at 3958 TFLOPS and higher FP16 accelerate quantized inference, surpassing A100's capabilities for low-latency serving.

Fine-tuning
H100 PCIe

Superior FP16 of 1979 TFLOPS on H100 speeds fine-tuning iterations compared to A100's 312 TFLOPS, with better memory handling.

Stable Diffusion
H100 PCIe

H100's 67 TFLOPS FP32 and 3350 GB/s bandwidth generate images faster than A100's 19.5 TFLOPS and 2039 GB/s.

Scientific Computing
Either

A100's 19.5 TFLOPS FP32 suffices for many simulations at lower $1.32/hr average; H100's 67 TFLOPS excels in compute-intensive cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the FP16 performance difference between A100 SXM4 80GB and H100 PCIe?

The H100 PCIe achieves 1979 TFLOPS FP16, while the A100 SXM4 80GB reaches 312 TFLOPS. This sixfold increase benefits deep learning training. FP32 stands at 67 TFLOPS for H100 versus 19.5 TFLOPS for A100.

How do memory bandwidth and VRAM compare?

Both offer 80 GB VRAM, but H100 uses HBM3 at 3350 GB/s versus A100's HBM2e at 2039 GB/s. Higher bandwidth on H100 supports larger batches. This aids memory-bound workloads.

Which GPU is cheaper in the cloud?

A100 SXM4 80GB pricing starts at $0.13 per hour, averaging $1.32 across 26 offers. H100 PCIe begins at $1.25 per hour, averaging $2.77 across 16 offers. A100 provides better value for cost-sensitive tasks.

What are the TDP ratings?

The A100 SXM4 80GB has a 400W TDP, lower than the H100 PCIe at 700W. A100 suits power-constrained setups. H100 demands advanced cooling for its performance.

Which architecture is newer?

H100 uses Hopper from 2022 with PCIe 5.0; A100 employs Ampere from 2020 with PCIe 4.0. Hopper includes Transformer Engine optimizations.

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 PCIe: 6.3x FP16 Gap, 94GB vs 80GB | GPUPerHour