Intel Gaudi 2 vs H100 PCIe

GaudivsHopperUpdated 35 days ago

NVIDIA H100 PCIe emerges as the winner for most common use cases like LLM training and inference due to its 1979 TFLOPS FP16, 3958 TFLOPS FP8, and 3350 GB/s bandwidth, which outperform Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS and 2460 GB/s in speed-critical scenarios. While Gaudi 2 offers better pricing at $0.91/hr and 96 GB VRAM, H100's raw compute dominates scalable AI pipelines.

Intel Gaudi 2 from $0.91/hrH100 PCIe from $1.90/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecGAUDI2H100
TDP600W700W
VRAM96 GB80-94 GB
Memory TypeHBM2eHBM3
ArchitectureGaudiHopper
Form FactorsOAMSXM5, PCIe, NVL
InterconnectEthernetNVLink, PCIe 5.0, InfiniBand
FP16 Performance420 TFLOPS1,979 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance420 TFLOPS67 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,460 GB/s3,350 GB/s

Performance Analysis

NVIDIA H100 PCIe outperforms Intel Gaudi 2 in peak FP16 throughput at 1979 TFLOPS versus 420 TFLOPS, accelerating tensor-heavy training phases in deep learning models. This FP16 delta enables H100 to process larger models faster during forward and backward passes, reducing epoch times significantly. Gaudi 2 maintains balanced FP16 and FP32 at 420 TFLOPS each, benefiting precision-sensitive tasks but lagging in mixed-precision training common for LLMs.

H100's 3350 GB/s memory bandwidth surpasses Gaudi 2's 2460 GB/s, supporting larger batch sizes and minimizing data transfer bottlenecks in memory-bound workloads like inference. Higher bandwidth on H100 facilitates efficient handling of datasets exceeding 80 GB VRAM limits through optimized pipelining. Gaudi 2 counters with 96 GB HBM2e VRAM against H100's 80-94 GB HBM3, allowing bigger single-GPU batches for models fitting within that capacity.

Power draw differs at 700W for H100 versus 600W for Gaudi 2, impacting density in racks. H100's FP8 at 3958 TFLOPS excels in quantized inference, halving latency for deployment-scale serving compared to Gaudi 2's capabilities.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

Intel Gaudi 2

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×Intel Gaudi 2
96GB VRAM
$0.91/GPU/hr
$7.29/hr total (8×)
Available
Denvr
Denvr
8×Intel Gaudi 2
96GB VRAM
$1.25/GPU/hr
$10.00/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 Intel Gaudi 2

Intel Gaudi 2 suits cost-sensitive deployments requiring 96 GB HBM2e VRAM, such as training models that fit entirely on one GPU to avoid multi-node complexity. At $0.91/hr starting price, it delivers value for Ethernet-based clusters where 2460 GB/s bandwidth and 600W TDP enable dense packing without exceeding power budgets. Balanced 420 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 performance fits fine-tuning or inference on mid-sized LLMs in environments prioritizing affordability over peak speed.

When to Choose the H100 PCIe

NVIDIA H100 PCIe excels in high-throughput training with 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3350 GB/s bandwidth, ideal for large-scale LLM pretraining across multi-GPU NVLink setups. FP8 at 3958 TFLOPS optimizes low-latency inference for production serving. Despite higher $1.25/hr pricing, its versatility in PCIe form and superior interconnects justify selection for performance-critical workloads demanding rapid iteration.

Use Cases

LLM Training
H100 PCIe

H100's 1979 TFLOPS FP16 vastly exceeds Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS, speeding up large model training. Superior 3350 GB/s bandwidth handles massive datasets efficiently.

LLM Inference
H100 PCIe

H100's 3958 TFLOPS FP8 enables quantized low-latency serving unmatched by Gaudi 2. NVLink interconnect scales multi-GPU inference seamlessly.

Fine-tuning
Intel Gaudi 2

Gaudi 2's 96 GB VRAM and $0.91/hr pricing fit cost-effective fine-tuning of mid-sized models. Balanced 420 TFLOPS FP32 supports precision adjustments.

Stable Diffusion
H100 PCIe

H100's high FP16 at 1979 TFLOPS accelerates diffusion model generation. 3350 GB/s bandwidth manages high-resolution image batches effectively.

Scientific Computing
Either

Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS FP32 suits simulations on Ethernet clusters at low cost. H100's 67 TFLOPS FP32 with NVLink aids HPC-scale parallel jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM: Gaudi 2 or H100 PCIe?

Intel Gaudi 2 provides 96 GB HBM2e VRAM, exceeding NVIDIA H100 PCIe at 80-94 GB HBM3. This advantage aids single-GPU workloads with large models. Bandwidth remains higher on H100 at 3350 GB/s versus 2460 GB/s.

How do cloud prices compare for Gaudi 2 and H100 PCIe?

Gaudi 2 starts at $0.91/hr with an average of $1.08/hr across 2 offers. H100 PCIe begins at $1.25/hr averaging $2.77/hr over 16 offers. Gaudi 2 offers better value for budget-conscious users.

What is the FP16 performance difference between Gaudi 2 and H100?

H100 delivers 1979 TFLOPS FP16, over four times Gaudi 2's 420 TFLOPS. This gap accelerates training in mixed-precision workflows. H100 also adds 3958 TFLOPS FP8 for inference.

Which has higher memory bandwidth?

NVIDIA H100 PCIe achieves 3350 GB/s, surpassing Gaudi 2's 2460 GB/s. Higher bandwidth supports larger batch sizes in memory-intensive tasks. Gaudi 2 compensates with more VRAM at 96 GB.

What are the TDPs of Gaudi 2 and H100 PCIe?

Gaudi 2 uses 600W TDP, lower than H100 PCIe at 700W. This enables higher density in power-constrained racks for Gaudi 2. H100's extra power fuels its 1979 TFLOPS FP16 performance.

Which interconnects do they support?

Gaudi 2 relies on Ethernet for networking. H100 PCIe supports NVLink, PCIe 5.0, and InfiniBand for faster multi-GPU communication. H100 suits tightly coupled clusters.

Which is cheaper to rent, the Gaudi 2 or the H100?

Cloud rental prices for both the Gaudi 2 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 Gaudi 2 have compared to the H100?

The Gaudi 2 has 96 GB of HBM2e memory. The H100 has 80 to 94 GB of HBM3 memory.

Can I find Gaudi 2 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 Gaudi 2 and the H100?

The Gaudi 2 uses the Gaudi architecture (2022) while the H100 uses Hopper (2022). The H100 delivers 4.7x the FP16 throughput and 1.4x the memory bandwidth of the Gaudi 2.

Intel Gaudi 2 vs H100 PCIe: Intel 96GB vs NVIDIA 94GB | GPUPerHour