GTX 1080 vs T4

PascalvsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The GTX 1080 emerges as the winner for most common cloud ML use cases due to superior price-to-performance: 8.9 TFLOPS at an average $0.45 per hour versus the T4's 8.1 TFLOPS at $1.66 per hour. This 10 percent compute advantage and threefold lower average cost outweigh the T4's VRAM edge for batch sizes fitting 8 to 11 GB.

GTX 1080 from $0.30/hrT4 from $0.53/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecGTX-1080T4
TDP180W70W
VRAM8-11 GB16 GB
CUDA Cores2,5602,560
Memory TypeGDDR5XGDDR6
ArchitecturePascalTuring
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
Interconnect
FP16 Performance8.9 TFLOPS8.1 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance8.9 TFLOPS8.1 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth320 GB/s320 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Peak FP16 and FP32 performance favors the GTX 1080 at 8.9 TFLOPS over the T4's 8.1 TFLOPS, indicating a 10 percent edge in floating-point operations for training and inference tasks not constrained by memory. This delta translates to marginally faster iterations in FP32-dominant scientific simulations or model training phases where compute density matters most.

Both GPUs share 320 GB/s memory bandwidth, supporting equivalent data transfer rates for standard batch sizes. However, the T4's 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM versus the GTX 1080's 8 to 11 GB GDDR5X enables larger models or batches without swapping, reducing latency in inference pipelines. Turing's architecture enhances mixed-precision efficiency, potentially closing the compute gap in optimized deep learning frameworks.

Power consumption differs sharply: the T4 draws 70W compared to 180W for the GTX 1080. This allows denser cloud deployments for the T4, lowering cooling costs, while the GTX 1080 suits single-instance workloads tolerant of higher thermal demands.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

GTX 1080

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
4×NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
8GB VRAM
$0.30/GPU/hr
$1.20/hr total (4×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
11GB VRAM
$0.60/GPU/hr
$4.80/hr total (8×)
Available

T4

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
AWS
AWS
NVIDIA Tesla T4
16GB VRAM
$0.53/GPU/hr
AWS
AWS
NVIDIA Tesla T4
16GB VRAM
$0.75/GPU/hr
AWS
AWS
4×NVIDIA Tesla T4
16GB VRAM
$0.98/GPU/hr
$3.91/hr total (4×)
AWS
AWS
NVIDIA Tesla T4
16GB VRAM
$1.20/GPU/hr
AWS
AWS
NVIDIA Tesla T4
16GB VRAM
$2.18/GPU/hr

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the GTX 1080

Select the GTX 1080 for cost-sensitive applications requiring maximum FP32 throughput. At $0.30 per hour from providers, it delivers 8.9 TFLOPS, outperforming the T4's 8.1 TFLOPS by 10 percent in compute-bound tasks like Stable Diffusion generation or scientific computing simulations.

Its 180W TDP fits PCIe slots in standard cloud instances where power budgets exceed 70W, and lower average pricing of $0.45 per hour across two offers maximizes value for intermittent workloads.

When to Choose the T4

Choose the T4 when VRAM capacity drives performance, as its 16 GB exceeds the GTX 1080's 8 to 11 GB for handling larger language models during inference. The 70W TDP supports high-density deployments, and Turing optimizations benefit mixed-precision inference.

Availability across six offers at $0.53 per hour suits enterprise-scale tasks prioritizing efficiency over raw peak flops.

Use Cases

LLM Training
T4

The T4's 16 GB VRAM accommodates larger models and batches better than the GTX 1080's 8 to 11 GB. Its lower 70W TDP aids prolonged training sessions.

LLM Inference
T4

T4's Turing architecture and 16 GB VRAM optimize inference for LLMs, enabling bigger concurrent requests. Bandwidth matches at 320 GB/s but capacity prevents out-of-memory errors.

Fine-tuning
GTX 1080

GTX 1080's 8.9 TFLOPS FP32 performance accelerates fine-tuning iterations faster than T4's 8.1 TFLOPS at lower $0.45 per hour average cost.

Stable Diffusion
GTX 1080

Higher 8.9 TFLOPS suits image generation demands, and 8 to 11 GB VRAM suffices for typical Stable Diffusion payloads at $0.30 per hour entry pricing.

Scientific Computing
Either

Both offer 320 GB/s bandwidth and near-identical FP32 flops around 8 to 9 TFLOPS. Choose GTX 1080 for cost or T4 for VRAM in matrix-heavy simulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM: GTX 1080 or T4?

The T4 provides 16 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, doubling the GTX 1080's 8 to 11 GB GDDR5X. This benefits memory-bound deep learning tasks. Bandwidth remains equal at 320 GB/s for both.

What is the performance difference between GTX 1080 and T4?

GTX 1080 achieves 8.9 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32, exceeding T4's 8.1 TFLOPS by 10 percent. Real-world gains depend on VRAM usage. Both share 320 GB/s bandwidth.

Which is cheaper in the cloud: GTX 1080 or T4?

GTX 1080 starts at $0.30 per hour with $0.45 average across two offers, versus T4's $0.53 start and $1.66 average across six. GTX 1080 offers better value for compute-focused workloads.

What are the power requirements for GTX 1080 vs T4?

GTX 1080 consumes 180W TDP, while T4 uses 70W. T4 enables denser server packing. Both fit PCIe form factors.

Is T4 newer than GTX 1080?

T4 uses 2018 Turing architecture, succeeding GTX 1080's 2016 Pascal. Turing adds inference optimizations. Compute peaks slightly favor Pascal at 8.9 TFLOPS.

Can GTX 1080 replace T4 for inference?

GTX 1080 matches bandwidth at 320 GB/s and exceeds flops at 8.9 TFLOPS, but 8 to 11 GB VRAM limits large-model inference versus T4's 16 GB. Cost favors GTX 1080 at $0.45 average hourly.

Which is cheaper to rent, the GTX 1080 or the T4?

Cloud rental prices for both the GTX 1080 and T4 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 GTX 1080 have compared to the T4?

The GTX 1080 has 8 to 11 GB of GDDR5X memory. The T4 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find GTX 1080 and T4 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 GTX 1080 and the T4?

The GTX 1080 uses the Pascal architecture (2016) while the T4 uses Turing (2018). The GTX 1080 delivers 1.1x the FP16 throughput and 1.0x the memory bandwidth of the T4.