A40 vs RTX 5060 Ti

AmperevsBlackwellUpdated 35 days ago

The A40 emerges as the winner for most AI workloads due to its 48 GB VRAM and 37.4 TFLOPS, enabling larger models and higher throughput than the RTX 5060 Ti's 12 GB and 23.1 TFLOPS. Cost savings on the RTX 5060 Ti apply only to lighter tasks.

A40 from $0.08/hrRTX 5060 Ti from $0.27/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA40RTX-5060
TDP300W180W
VRAM48 GB12 GB
CUDA Cores10,7524,608
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR7
ArchitectureAmpereBlackwell
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink
Tensor Cores336144
FP16 Performance37.4 TFLOPS23.1 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance37.4 TFLOPS23.1 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance0.6 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance299 TOPS370 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth696 GB/s448 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The A40's 48 GB VRAM capacity versus the RTX 5060 Ti's 12 GB directly impacts batch sizes: training or inference on models exceeding 12 GB, such as large LLMs, requires the A40 to avoid out-of-memory errors. Higher memory bandwidth on the A40 at 696 GB/s compared to 448 GB/s enables faster data transfers, reducing bottlenecks in high-throughput scenarios like fine-tuning.

Both GPUs maintain equal FP16 and FP32 performance at 37.4 TFLOPS for A40 and 23.1 TFLOPS for RTX 5060 Ti, signaling balanced tensor core utilization ideal for mixed-precision AI training and inference. The A40's superior raw compute yields quicker epochs in demanding workloads, while the RTX 5060 Ti's Blackwell architecture may offer per-watt gains and newer optimizations despite lower peaks. Power efficiency favors the 180W RTX 5060 Ti for prolonged runs.

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
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
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
8×NVIDIA RTX A4000
16GB VRAM
$0.16/GPU/hr
$1.28/hr total (8×)
Available

RTX 5060 Ti

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti
16GB VRAM
$0.27/GPU/hr
$0.53/hr total (2×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti
16GB VRAM
$0.27/GPU/hr
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A40

The A40 suits memory-intensive applications: LLM training or scientific computing where 48 GB VRAM handles massive datasets or simulations that exceed 12 GB limits. Its 696 GB/s bandwidth and 37.4 TFLOPS ensure high performance in enterprise-scale inference deployments across multiple nodes via NVLink.

When to Choose the RTX 5060 Ti

The RTX 5060 Ti fits budget-conscious users: Stable Diffusion generation or lightweight fine-tuning at $0.07 per hour starting price. Lower 180W TDP and Blackwell features provide efficient performance for gaming-integrated AI or small-batch inference without NVLink needs.

Use Cases

LLM Training
A40

A40's 48 GB VRAM supports large models that exceed RTX 5060 Ti's 12 GB limit. Higher 37.4 TFLOPS accelerates training epochs.

LLM Inference
A40

48 GB VRAM allows bigger batch sizes for production inference versus 12 GB on RTX 5060 Ti. 696 GB/s bandwidth minimizes latency.

Fine-tuning
Either

Smaller models fit both, but A40 handles larger ones with 48 GB VRAM. RTX 5060 Ti suffices at lower $0.07 per hour cost.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 5060 Ti

RTX 5060 Ti's 12 GB VRAM meets image generation needs efficiently at 180W. Blackwell architecture optimizes creative workloads.

Scientific Computing
A40

A40's 48 GB VRAM and NVLink support complex simulations. 37.4 TFLOPS outperforms 23.1 TFLOPS on RTX 5060 Ti.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM: A40 or RTX 5060 Ti?

The A40 provides 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM, far exceeding the RTX 5060 Ti's 12 GB GDDR7. This difference matters for large AI models. Batch sizes double or more on A40.

How do FP32 performance levels compare?

A40 achieves 37.4 TFLOPS in FP32, higher than RTX 5060 Ti's 23.1 TFLOPS. This translates to faster general compute tasks. Training benefits most from the gap.

What are the cloud rental prices?

A40 rents from $0.24 per hour, averaging $1.28 across 24 offers. RTX 5060 Ti starts at $0.07 per hour, averaging $0.15 across 10 offers. RTX 5060 Ti wins on cost.

Which has higher memory bandwidth?

A40 offers 696 GB/s, surpassing RTX 5060 Ti's 448 GB/s. Higher bandwidth reduces data bottlenecks in inference. Large batches favor A40.

What is the TDP difference?

A40 consumes 300W TDP, while RTX 5060 Ti uses 180W. Lower power on RTX 5060 Ti suits dense cloud deployments. Efficiency improves per-watt performance.

Does RTX 5060 Ti support NVLink?

RTX 5060 Ti lacks NVLink interconnect, unlike A40. Multi-GPU scaling requires A40 for datacenter tasks. Single-GPU use ignores this.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A40 or the RTX 5060?

Cloud rental prices for both the A40 and RTX 5060 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 RTX 5060?

The A40 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory. The RTX 5060 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory.

Can I find A40 and RTX 5060 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 RTX 5060?

The A40 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the RTX 5060 uses Blackwell (2025). The A40 delivers 1.6x the FP16 throughput and 1.6x the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5060.

A40 vs RTX 5060 Ti: 48GB GDDR6 vs 12GB GDDR7 | GPUPerHour