P100 vs RTX 3060

PascalvsAmpereUpdated 36 days ago

The RTX 3060 emerges as the winner for most cloud machine learning use cases due to its superior 12.7 TFLOPS compute, ninefold lower average pricing at $0.07 per hour, and wider availability across 12 offers. While the P100's 732 GB/s bandwidth aids niche high-memory tasks, the RTX 3060 delivers stronger value overall.

P100 from $0.60/hrRTX 3060 from $0.23/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecP100RTX-3060
TDP250W170W
VRAM16 GB12 GB
CUDA Cores3,5843,584
Memory TypeHBM2GDDR6
ArchitecturePascalAmpere
Form FactorsSXM2, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink
FP16 Performance9.3 TFLOPS12.7 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance9.3 TFLOPS12.7 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance4.7 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth732 GB/s360 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Memory specifications create key trade-offs: the P100's 16 GB HBM2 exceeds the RTX 3060's 12 GB GDDR6, enabling larger models or batch sizes in memory-constrained tasks. Bandwidth reinforces this advantage, as 732 GB/s on the P100 doubles the RTX 3060's 360 GB/s, reducing data transfer bottlenecks during training and allowing bigger batches without slowdowns.

Floating-point performance favors the newer RTX 3060, with 12.7 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32 outpacing the P100's 9.3 TFLOPS. This delta benefits inference and fine-tuning on modern frameworks optimized for Ampere, where FP16 acceleration speeds up neural network operations by up to 37 percent. For training, the P100's higher TDP of 250W versus 170W supports sustained loads, but the RTX 3060's efficiency suits variable cloud demands.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

P100

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
2×NVIDIA Tesla P100
16GB VRAM
$0.60/GPU/hr
$1.20/hr total (2×)
Available

RTX 3060

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
$0.45/hr total (2×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
$0.45/hr total (2×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
12GB VRAM
$0.23/GPU/hr
$0.45/hr total (2×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the P100

The P100 excels in workloads demanding high memory capacity and bandwidth, such as training large-scale scientific simulations requiring 16 GB HBM2 and 732 GB/s throughput. NVLink interconnect enables efficient multi-GPU scaling in data centers, where PCIe-only RTX 3060 setups falter.

When to Choose the RTX 3060

The RTX 3060 suits cost-sensitive deployments, offering 12.7 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 performance at an average $0.07 per hour across 12 cloud providers. Its lower 170W TDP and Ampere architecture provide better efficiency for inference and fine-tuning on consumer-scale models.

Use Cases

LLM Training
P100

The P100's 16 GB HBM2 and 732 GB/s bandwidth handle larger batch sizes for LLM training better than the RTX 3060's 12 GB GDDR6 and 360 GB/s.

LLM Inference
RTX 3060

RTX 3060's 12.7 TFLOPS FP16 performance and $0.07 per hour pricing outperform the P100's 9.3 TFLOPS for cost-effective inference at scale.

Fine-tuning
RTX 3060

Ampere architecture on RTX 3060 with 12.7 TFLOPS FP32 accelerates fine-tuning efficiently, at lower 170W TDP and average $0.07 per hour cost.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 3060

RTX 3060's higher 12.7 TFLOPS and consumer optimizations suit image generation tasks, with ample 12 GB VRAM at $0.03 per hour starting price.

Scientific Computing
P100

P100's NVLink and 732 GB/s bandwidth support multi-GPU scientific simulations requiring 16 GB HBM2 more effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM?

The P100 provides 16 GB HBM2 VRAM, exceeding the RTX 3060's 12 GB GDDR6. This difference matters for memory-intensive models. Bandwidth also favors P100 at 732 GB/s over 360 GB/s.

What is the compute performance comparison?

RTX 3060 delivers 12.7 TFLOPS in both FP16 and FP32, surpassing P100's 9.3 TFLOPS per precision. This gives RTX 3060 a 37 percent edge. Both maintain equal FP16 to FP32 ratios.

How do cloud prices compare?

P100 averages $0.60 per hour from one provider, while RTX 3060 starts at $0.03 per hour with an average of $0.07 across 12 offers. RTX 3060 offers far better affordability.

Which has lower power consumption?

RTX 3060 uses 170W TDP, lower than P100's 250W. This efficiency reduces cloud operational costs. It suits lighter workloads well.

Does P100 support multi-GPU better?

P100 includes NVLink interconnect for high-speed multi-GPU communication, absent on RTX 3060. Form factors like SXM2 enhance data center scaling. PCIe is common to both.

Which is newer?

RTX 3060 uses 2021 Ampere architecture, newer than P100's 2016 Pascal. This brings optimizations for modern ML frameworks. Performance reflects the gap at 12.7 versus 9.3 TFLOPS.

Which is cheaper to rent, the P100 or the RTX 3060?

Cloud rental prices for both the P100 and RTX 3060 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 P100 have compared to the RTX 3060?

The P100 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory. The RTX 3060 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find P100 and RTX 3060 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 P100 and the RTX 3060?

The P100 uses the Pascal architecture (2016) while the RTX 3060 uses Ampere (2021). The RTX 3060 delivers 1.4x the FP16 throughput and 2.0x the memory bandwidth of the P100.