A100 SXM4 80GB vs RTX 3090 Ti

AmperevsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB emerges as the winner for most machine learning use cases due to its 80 GB VRAM, 2039 GB/s bandwidth, and 312 TFLOPS FP16 performance, which enable training massive models infeasible on the RTX 3090 Ti's 24 GB and 936 GB/s limits. Despite higher $1.39 per hour average pricing, its scalability justifies investment over the budget-friendly $0.25 per hour alternative.

A100 SXM4 80GB from $0.73/hrRTX 3090 Ti from $0.20/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-3090
TDP400W350W
VRAM40-80 GB24 GB
CUDA Cores6,91210,496
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6X
ArchitectureAmpereAmpere
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandNVLink
Tensor Cores432328
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s936 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Memory capacity defines the core divergence: the A100 SXM4 80GB supports massive models that exceed the RTX 3090 Ti's 24 GB limit, enabling larger batch sizes in training without splitting across GPUs. Bandwidth amplifies this: 2039 GB/s on the A100 versus 936 GB/s on the RTX 3090 Ti sustains higher throughput for data-intensive workloads, reducing bottlenecks in deep learning pipelines. FP16 performance reveals specialization: the A100's 312 TFLOPS excels in mixed-precision training common for large language models, accelerating convergence by processing more operations per second than the RTX 3090 Ti's 35.6 TFLOPS. FP32 parity at 35.6 TFLOPS for the RTX 3090 Ti and 19.5 TFLOPS for the A100 shifts advantage to inference or simulation tasks balanced across precisions. Power draw differs slightly at 400W TDP for the A100 and 350W for the RTX 3090 Ti, impacting cluster density. Overall, the A100 dominates AI training scalability, while the RTX 3090 Ti suffices for inference on modest datasets.

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×)

RTX 3090 Ti

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.20/GPU/hr
Available
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.21/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.25/GPU/hr
$1.01/hr total (4×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.27/GPU/hr
$1.07/hr total (4×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.29/GPU/hr
$2.29/hr total (8×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 SXM4 80GB

Opt for the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB in scenarios demanding extreme scale, such as training large language models requiring over 24 GB VRAM. Its 80 GB HBM2e and 2039 GB/s bandwidth handle batch sizes that crash on the RTX 3090 Ti, ideal for enterprise research or production pipelines. NVLink interconnects enable multi-GPU clusters for distributed training at 312 TFLOPS FP16.

When to Choose the RTX 3090 Ti

Select the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti for cost-sensitive projects where 24 GB GDDR6X suffices, like fine-tuning mid-sized models or Stable Diffusion generation. Cloud pricing from $0.10 per hour versus the A100's $0.45 per hour yields savings for prototyping or hobbyist workflows. Balanced 35.6 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 performance supports gaming, rendering, and light inference without datacenter overhead.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100 SXM4 80GB

LLM training demands over 24 GB VRAM for large models; the A100's 80 GB HBM2e and 312 TFLOPS FP16 outperform the RTX 3090 Ti's 24 GB GDDR6X.

LLM Inference
A100 SXM4 80GB

High-bandwidth inference benefits from 2039 GB/s and 80 GB capacity on the A100 for batched requests; RTX 3090 Ti suits smaller deployments.

Fine-tuning
Either

Mid-sized fine-tuning fits 24 GB on RTX 3090 Ti at $0.10 per hour, but A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 accelerates larger datasets.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 3090 Ti

Image generation workloads fit within 24 GB GDDR6X; RTX 3090 Ti's 35.6 TFLOPS FP32 and low $0.10 per hour cost optimize creative tasks.

Scientific Computing
A100 SXM4 80GB

HPC simulations leverage A100's 80 GB VRAM and NVLink for multi-GPU scaling; superior 2039 GB/s bandwidth handles complex datasets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM difference between A100 SXM4 80GB and RTX 3090 Ti?

The A100 SXM4 offers 80 GB HBM2e VRAM, tripling the RTX 3090 Ti's 24 GB GDDR6X. This enables larger models on the A100. Bandwidth reaches 2039 GB/s on A100 versus 936 GB/s on RTX 3090 Ti.

Which has better FP16 performance for AI training?

A100 SXM4 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16, nearly 9 times the RTX 3090 Ti's 35.6 TFLOPS. This accelerates deep learning training significantly. FP32 is balanced at 35.6 TFLOPS on RTX 3090 Ti and 19.5 TFLOPS on A100.

How do cloud prices compare?

A100 SXM4 80GB starts at $0.45 per hour with $1.39 average across 25 offers. RTX 3090 Ti begins at $0.10 per hour averaging $0.25 across 5 offers. Budget tasks favor RTX 3090 Ti.

Can RTX 3090 Ti replace A100 for machine learning?

RTX 3090 Ti handles tasks fitting 24 GB VRAM at lower cost, but A100's 80 GB and 2039 GB/s bandwidth are essential for large-scale training. Use RTX for prototyping.

What are the power and form factor differences?

A100 SXM4 has 400W TDP in SXM4 form with NVLink and PCIe 4.0. RTX 3090 Ti uses 350W TDP in PCIe form with NVLink. A100 suits datacenters.

Is A100 worth the higher price for inference?

A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 and high bandwidth excel in high-throughput inference. RTX 3090 Ti suffices for low-volume needs at $0.10 per hour.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 3090?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 3090 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 3090?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 3090 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 3090?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 3090 uses Ampere (2020). The A100 delivers 8.8x the FP16 throughput and 2.2x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 3090.

A100 SXM4 80GB vs RTX 3090 Ti: 80GB vs 24GB | GPUPerHour