GH200 vs L40

HoppervsAda LovelaceUpdated 36 days ago

The GH200 emerges as the winner for dominant AI workloads like LLM training and inference, thanks to 1979 TFLOPS FP16, 96 GB HBM3 VRAM, and 4000 GB/s bandwidth that handle scale unattainable by L40. Higher $3.59 per hour cost suits high-value compute where speed offsets expense.

GH200 from $1.99/hrL40 from $0.55/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecGH200L40
TDP900W300W
VRAM96 GB48 GB
CUDA Cores16,89618,176
Memory TypeHBM3GDDR6
ArchitectureHopperAda Lovelace
Form FactorsSXMPCIe
InterconnectNVLink-C2C, PCIe 5.0
Tensor Cores528568
FP8 Performance3,958 TFLOPS
FP16 Performance1,979 TFLOPS90.5 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance67 TFLOPS90.5 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance34 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance3,958 TOPS724 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth4,000 GB/s864 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The GH200's FP16 throughput of 1979 TFLOPS vastly outpaces the L40's 90.5 TFLOPS, accelerating neural network training and inference where half-precision dominates. Its FP32 rate of 67 TFLOPS trails the L40's identical 90.5 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32, positioning the L40 better for FP32-centric workloads like traditional simulations. FP8 capability on GH200 at 3958 TFLOPS further enhances low-precision inference efficiency.

Memory differences prove critical: GH200's 96 GB HBM3 and 4000 GB/s bandwidth enable larger batch sizes in model training, reducing bottlenecks for datasets exceeding 48 GB GDDR6 on L40 with 864 GB/s. High bandwidth on GH200 sustains data flow for large language models, improving throughput by multiples over L40 limitations.

Power draw underscores trade-offs: GH200 requires 900W TDP versus L40's 300W, demanding robust cooling but delivering density in specialized racks.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

GH200

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vultr
Vultr
NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper
96GB VRAM
$1.99/GPU/hr
Available
Lambda Labs
Lambda Labs
NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper
96GB VRAM
$2.29/GPU/hr
Available
Denvr
Denvr
NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper
96GB VRAM
$3.87/GPU/hr
CoreWeave
CoreWeave
NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper
96GB VRAM
$6.50/GPU/hr

L40

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA L40S
48GB VRAM
$0.55/GPU/hr
Available
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.82/GPU/hr
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA L40S
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
Massed Compute
Massed Compute
NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
Available
Massed Compute
Massed Compute
2×NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
$1.72/hr total (2×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the GH200

Select the GH200 for large-scale LLM training or HPC applications needing 96 GB HBM3 VRAM and 4000 GB/s bandwidth to manage massive datasets without swapping. Its 1979 TFLOPS FP16 and 3958 TFLOPS FP8 excel in AI supercomputing via NVLink-C2C interconnect.

In cloud settings, GH200 justifies $3.59 per hour average when peak performance trumps cost for time-sensitive projects.

When to Choose the L40

Choose the L40 for budget-conscious inference, fine-tuning, or graphics tasks fitting within 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM and 864 GB/s bandwidth. Balanced 90.5 TFLOPS across FP16 and FP32 supports versatile compute at 300W TDP.

With $0.88 per hour average pricing across 13 offers, L40 enables dense deployments in PCIe systems prioritizing efficiency over raw scale.

Use Cases

LLM Training
GH200

GH200's 96 GB HBM3 VRAM and 1979 TFLOPS FP16 support training massive models with large batch sizes. L40's 48 GB GDDR6 limits scale.

LLM Inference
GH200

GH200 delivers 3958 TFLOPS FP8 and 4000 GB/s bandwidth for high-throughput serving. L40's 90.5 TFLOPS FP16 suffices only for smaller models.

Fine-tuning
L40

L40's 90.5 TFLOPS FP32/FP16 and $0.88 per hour average handle most fine-tuning within 48 GB VRAM cost-effectively. GH200 overkill for sub-48 GB tasks.

Stable Diffusion
L40

L40's Ada Lovelace architecture and balanced 90.5 TFLOPS optimize image generation in 48 GB VRAM. Lower 300W TDP aids multi-GPU rendering.

Scientific Computing
GH200

GH200's Hopper design, 67 TFLOPS FP32, and NVLink-C2C excel in HPC simulations needing 96 GB high-bandwidth memory. L40 lacks interconnect scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the VRAM capacity of GH200 versus L40?

GH200 provides 96 GB HBM3 VRAM, doubling L40's 48 GB GDDR6. This enables GH200 to load larger models without offloading. Bandwidth follows suit at 4000 GB/s for GH200 versus 864 GB/s.

How do GH200 and L40 compare in cloud pricing?

GH200 starts at $1.99 per hour, averaging $3.59 per hour across four offers. L40 begins at $0.67 per hour, averaging $0.88 per hour across 13 offers. Pricing reflects GH200's premium performance.

Which GPU performs better in FP16 for AI training?

GH200 achieves 1979 TFLOPS FP16, over 20 times L40's 90.5 TFLOPS. This gap accelerates deep learning training significantly. FP8 on GH200 reaches 3958 TFLOPS for inference.

What are the power requirements of these GPUs?

GH200 demands 900W TDP in SXM form, requiring advanced cooling. L40 uses 300W TDP in PCIe, suiting standard servers. Lower TDP on L40 reduces operational costs.

Is GH200 or L40 better for large batch sizes?

GH200's 4000 GB/s bandwidth and 96 GB VRAM support larger batches without bottlenecks. L40's 864 GB/s and 48 GB limit it to smaller scales. This impacts training throughput directly.

What architectures power GH200 and L40?

GH200 uses Hopper from 2023 with NVLink-C2C interconnect. L40 employs Ada Lovelace from 2023 in PCIe form. Hopper optimizes for HPC scale over Ada's graphics focus.

Which is cheaper to rent, the GH200 or the L40?

Cloud rental prices for both the GH200 and L40 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 GH200 have compared to the L40?

The GH200 has 96 GB of HBM3 memory. The L40 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find GH200 and L40 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 GH200 and the L40?

The GH200 uses the Hopper architecture (2023) while the L40 uses Ada Lovelace (2023). The GH200 delivers 21.9x the FP16 throughput and 4.6x the memory bandwidth of the L40.

GH200 vs L40: 21.9x FP16 Gap, 96GB vs 48GB | GPUPerHour