A40 vs Quadro RTX 6000

AmperevsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The A40 emerges as the superior choice for most contemporary workloads. Double the FP16/FP32 performance at 37.4 TFLOPS and 48 GB VRAM enable handling of larger models and batches compared to the Quadro RTX 6000's 16.3 TFLOPS and 24 GB. Active cloud pricing from $0.24 per hour across 23 offers further solidifies its practicality over the unavailable Quadro RTX 6000.

A40 from $0.08/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA40QUADRO-RTX-6000
TDP300W260W
VRAM48 GB24 GB
CUDA Cores10,7524,608
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR6
ArchitectureAmpereTuring
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLinkNVLink
Tensor Cores336576
FP16 Performance37.4 TFLOPS16.3 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance37.4 TFLOPS16.3 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance0.6 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance299 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth696 GB/s672 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A40's 37.4 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32 performance doubles the Quadro RTX 6000's 16.3 TFLOPS: this accelerates AI training cycles by roughly 2x and speeds inference for real-time applications. FP16 equivalence to FP32 on both GPUs supports mixed-precision training without accuracy loss, but the A40's higher throughput handles larger batches efficiently.

VRAM disparity proves critical for model sizes. The A40's 48 GB GDDR6 enables training models up to 2x larger than the Quadro RTX 6000's 24 GB limit, reducing out-of-memory errors in deep learning. Memory bandwidth edges favor the A40 at 696 GB/s over 672 GB/s: higher rates sustain larger batch sizes in inference, minimizing latency.

Power draw reflects efficiency differences. The A40 consumes 300W TDP versus 260W on the Quadro RTX 6000, yet delivers superior compute density for sustained workloads. These specs position the A40 for modern scale-out clusters.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

A40

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.08/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
8×NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.15/GPU/hr
$1.17/hr total (8×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
4×NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.15/GPU/hr
$0.60/hr total (4×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
2×NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.15/GPU/hr
$0.30/hr total (2×)
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.15/GPU/hr
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A40

Select the A40 for AI and machine learning tasks requiring substantial VRAM. Its 48 GB GDDR6 capacity supports large language models during training or fine-tuning, where the Quadro RTX 6000's 24 GB falls short. Cloud availability across 23 offers from $0.24 per hour makes it practical for scalable deployments.

The A40 excels in data center environments with NVLink interconnect for multi-GPU setups, leveraging 37.4 TFLOPS FP16 for faster iteration cycles.

When to Choose the Quadro RTX 6000

Choose the Quadro RTX 6000 for legacy professional visualization or CAD workflows optimized for Turing architecture. Its 260W TDP suits power-constrained on-premises systems better than the A40's 300W. Lower compute demands benefit from 16.3 TFLOPS FP32 without overprovisioning.

It fits scenarios lacking cloud offers, relying on existing hardware investments where 24 GB GDDR6 and 672 GB/s bandwidth suffice for moderate rendering tasks.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A40

The A40's 48 GB VRAM and 37.4 TFLOPS FP16 support larger models and batches than the Quadro RTX 6000's 24 GB and 16.3 TFLOPS.

LLM Inference
A40

Higher 696 GB/s bandwidth on the A40 sustains low-latency inference at scale, outperforming the Quadro RTX 6000's 672 GB/s for high-throughput serving.

Fine-tuning
A40

A40's doubled compute at 37.4 TFLOPS accelerates fine-tuning iterations on datasets fitting 48 GB VRAM, exceeding Quadro RTX 6000 limits.

Stable Diffusion
Either

Both GPUs manage Stable Diffusion with 24 GB VRAM sufficient for standard resolutions, though A40's higher TFLOPS speeds generation.

Scientific Computing
A40

A40's 37.4 TFLOPS FP32 and NVLink excel in parallel simulations, surpassing Quadro RTX 6000's 16.3 TFLOPS for complex HPC tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM difference between A40 and Quadro RTX 6000?

The A40 provides 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM, double the Quadro RTX 6000's 24 GB. This allows the A40 to handle larger AI models without swapping to system memory.

How do FP32 performance levels compare?

A40 achieves 37.4 TFLOPS FP32, more than double the Quadro RTX 6000's 16.3 TFLOPS. This results in approximately 2x faster single-precision compute tasks.

What are the current cloud prices for these GPUs?

A40 offers start from $0.24 per hour, averaging $1.26 per hour across 23 live providers. Quadro RTX 6000 has no live cloud offers available.

Which has higher memory bandwidth?

A40 leads with 696 GB/s bandwidth over Quadro RTX 6000's 672 GB/s. The difference aids data movement in large-batch training.

What are the TDP ratings?

A40 draws 300W TDP, higher than Quadro RTX 6000's 260W. This supports greater sustained performance in data center cooling setups.

Do both support NVLink?

Yes, both A40 and Quadro RTX 6000 feature NVLink interconnect for multi-GPU scaling. This enables high-bandwidth communication in clusters.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A40 or the Quadro RTX 6000?

Cloud rental prices for both the A40 and Quadro RTX 6000 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 A40 have compared to the Quadro RTX 6000?

The A40 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory. The Quadro RTX 6000 has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find A40 and Quadro RTX 6000 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 A40 and the Quadro RTX 6000?

The A40 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the Quadro RTX 6000 uses Turing (2018). The A40 delivers 2.3x the FP16 throughput and 1.0x the memory bandwidth of the Quadro RTX 6000.

A40 vs Quadro RTX 6000: 2.3x FP16 Gap, 48GB vs 24GB | GPUPerHour