A100 vs RTX 5880 Ada

AmperevsAda LovelaceUpdated 36 days ago

The A100 emerges as the superior choice for prevalent AI training workloads due to its 312 TFLOPS FP16 performance and 2039 GB/s bandwidth, enabling faster iterations on large models. Cloud availability from $0.60 per hour further solidifies its practicality over the RTX 5880 Ada, which lacks live offers and trails in memory-intensive compute.

A100 from $0.73/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100RTX-5880-ADA
TDP400W285W
VRAM40-80 GB48 GB
CUDA Cores6,91214,080
Memory TypeHBM2eGDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereAda Lovelace
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432440
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS69.7 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS69.7 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS1,115 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s960 GB/s

Performance Analysis

FP16 performance defines training efficiency: the A100's 312 TFLOPS vastly outpaces the RTX 5880 Ada's 69.7 TFLOPS, accelerating mixed-precision deep learning model training. The A100's FP32 at 19.5 TFLOPS lags behind the RTX 5880 Ada's matching 69.7 TFLOPS, making the latter preferable for FP32-heavy simulations or graphics rendering.

Memory bandwidth impacts real-world throughput: A100's 2039 GB/s supports larger batch sizes in large language model training, minimizing data loading bottlenecks. The RTX 5880 Ada's 960 GB/s constrains this for memory-bound workloads, though its 48 GB VRAM handles mid-sized models adequately.

Power draw differs significantly: A100 requires 400W TDP, demanding robust cooling in clusters, whereas RTX 5880 Ada's 285W enables deployment in standard PCIe workstations with lower energy costs.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A100

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
$1.07/GPU/hr
Available
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

The A100 stands out for scalable AI training where high memory capacity matters: its 80 GB HBM2e VRAM and NVLink interconnect enable multi-GPU setups for massive datasets. Cloud pricing from $0.60 per hour across 57 offers makes it accessible for bursty workloads.

Inference on large models benefits from 2039 GB/s bandwidth, sustaining high throughput in production servers.

When to Choose the RTX 5880 Ada

The RTX 5880 Ada fits workstation environments with its PCIe form factor and 285W TDP, consuming less power than the A100's 400W. Balanced 69.7 TFLOPS across FP16 and FP32 supports graphics-intensive tasks or FP32-dominant inference.

Newer Ada Lovelace architecture provides efficiency gains for single-node creative workflows like rendering.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A100

A100's 312 TFLOPS FP16 and 2039 GB/s bandwidth handle large batches efficiently. RTX 5880 Ada's lower 69.7 TFLOPS FP16 limits scaling.

LLM Inference
Either

A100 excels with 80 GB VRAM for batched inference; RTX 5880 Ada's 69.7 TFLOPS FP32 suits lower-latency single queries.

Fine-tuning
A100

A100's high FP16 throughput at 312 TFLOPS speeds parameter updates. Its NVLink supports distributed fine-tuning.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 5880 Ada

RTX 5880 Ada's Ada architecture and 69.7 TFLOPS FP32 optimize image generation pipelines. Lower 285W TDP fits workstations.

Scientific Computing
RTX 5880 Ada

RTX 5880 Ada's equal 69.7 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 balances simulations. PCIe form factor simplifies local HPC setups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more VRAM: A100 or RTX 5880 Ada?

The A100 offers up to 80 GB HBM2e VRAM, exceeding the RTX 5880 Ada's 48 GB GDDR6. This advantage aids large model loading. Bandwidth also favors A100 at 2039 GB/s over 960 GB/s.

Is A100 faster for AI training than RTX 5880 Ada?

A100 delivers 312 TFLOPS FP16, far surpassing RTX 5880 Ada's 69.7 TFLOPS, ideal for training. A100's 2039 GB/s bandwidth supports bigger batches. Cloud pricing starts at $0.60 per hour for A100.

What is the power consumption difference?

RTX 5880 Ada uses 285W TDP, lower than A100's 400W. This makes RTX better for power-limited setups. A100 suits datacenters with cooling infrastructure.

Can I rent RTX 5880 Ada in the cloud?

No live cloud offers exist for RTX 5880 Ada currently. A100 has 57 offers from $0.60 per hour, averaging $1.94 per hour. RTX targets on-premises use.

Which GPU has better FP32 performance?

RTX 5880 Ada achieves 69.7 TFLOPS FP32, doubling A100's 19.5 TFLOPS. This benefits FP32-focused tasks like simulations. A100 prioritizes FP16 at 312 TFLOPS.

What architectures do they use?

A100 uses Ampere from 2020; RTX 5880 Ada employs Ada Lovelace from 2024. Newer Ada offers efficiency improvements. A100 excels in high-memory bandwidth at 2039 GB/s.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the RTX 5880 Ada?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and RTX 5880 Ada 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 5880 Ada?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The RTX 5880 Ada has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A100 and RTX 5880 Ada 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 5880 Ada?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 5880 Ada uses Ada Lovelace (2024). The A100 delivers 4.5x the FP16 throughput and 2.1x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5880 Ada.