Tesla P100 vs RTX 3090 Ti

PascalvsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The RTX 3090 Ti emerges as the clear winner for most machine learning use cases, delivering 3.8 times the FP16/FP32 performance of 35.6 TFLOPS versus 9.3 TFLOPS alongside 50 percent more VRAM at a fraction of the hourly cost, from $0.10 compared to $0.60.

Tesla P100 from $0.60/hrRTX 3090 Ti from $0.20/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecP100RTX-3090
TDP250W350W
VRAM16 GB24 GB
CUDA Cores3,58410,496
Memory TypeHBM2GDDR6X
ArchitecturePascalAmpere
Form FactorsSXM2, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLinkNVLink
FP16 Performance9.3 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance9.3 TFLOPS35.6 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance4.7 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth732 GB/s936 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Compute performance favors the RTX 3090 Ti decisively: its 35.6 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32 dwarfs the P100's 9.3 TFLOPS, enabling nearly four times faster matrix operations critical for neural network training and inference. This delta translates to quicker epoch completion in training, where FP32 handles weight updates, and faster token generation in inference using FP16 for efficiency.

Memory specs enhance the RTX 3090 Ti's edge. With 24 GB VRAM versus 16 GB on the P100, it supports larger models or batch sizes without swapping to host memory, reducing latency. The 936 GB/s bandwidth outpaces 732 GB/s, allowing sustained high throughput for data-intensive tasks like gradient accumulation, where bottlenecks occur below 732 GB/s on the P100.

Power efficiency reveals trade-offs: the P100's 250W TDP suits denser deployments, but the RTX 3090 Ti's higher 350W aligns with its superior output per watt in modern workloads.

Live Cloud Pricing

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

Tesla P100

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

RTX 3090 Ti

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.20/GPU/hr
Available
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.21/GPU/hr
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.25/GPU/hr
$1.01/hr total (4×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
4×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.27/GPU/hr
$1.07/hr total (4×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
24GB VRAM
$0.29/GPU/hr
$2.29/hr total (8×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the Tesla P100

The P100 suits legacy scientific computing pipelines locked to Pascal-era software stacks that lack Ampere compatibility. Its HBM2 memory at 732 GB/s excels in bandwidth-sensitive simulations where GDDR6X falls short. At $0.60 per hour, it fits low-utilization testing of older models not demanding beyond 9.3 TFLOPS.

When to Choose the RTX 3090 Ti

Opt for the RTX 3090 Ti in contemporary AI tasks leveraging its 35.6 TFLOPS FP16/FP32 for rapid LLM training or Stable Diffusion generation. The 24 GB VRAM and 936 GB/s bandwidth handle large batches economically at $0.10 to $0.25 per hour. It outperforms in multi-GPU setups via NVLink for scalable inference.

Use Cases

LLM Training
RTX 3090 Ti

RTX 3090 Ti's 35.6 TFLOPS FP32 and 24 GB VRAM enable larger batches and faster convergence than P100's 9.3 TFLOPS and 16 GB.

LLM Inference
RTX 3090 Ti

Higher 936 GB/s bandwidth and 35.6 TFLOPS FP16 on RTX 3090 Ti support high-throughput serving, outpacing P100's limits.

Fine-tuning
RTX 3090 Ti

RTX 3090 Ti processes parameter-efficient updates quicker with 3.8x compute and lower $0.25 per hour average cost.

Stable Diffusion
RTX 3090 Ti

24 GB VRAM and 936 GB/s bandwidth on RTX 3090 Ti manage high-resolution generations without OOM errors common on P100.

Scientific Computing
Tesla P100

P100's HBM2 at 732 GB/s fits legacy HPC codes optimized for Pascal, avoiding recompilation for Ampere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has higher compute performance, P100 or RTX 3090 Ti?

The RTX 3090 Ti achieves 35.6 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32, compared to 9.3 TFLOPS on the P100. This provides nearly four times the throughput for AI workloads.

How much VRAM do these GPUs offer?

P100 includes 16 GB HBM2 VRAM, while RTX 3090 Ti has 24 GB GDDR6X. The extra capacity on RTX 3090 Ti supports larger models.

What are the cloud rental prices for P100 and RTX 3090 Ti?

P100 rents at an average of $0.60 per hour from one offer. RTX 3090 Ti starts at $0.10 per hour, averaging $0.25 across five offers.

Does memory bandwidth differ significantly?

RTX 3090 Ti delivers 936 GB/s, exceeding P100's 732 GB/s. Higher bandwidth reduces data transfer bottlenecks in training.

What are the TDP ratings?

P100 consumes 250W TDP, lower than RTX 3090 Ti's 350W. This makes P100 preferable for power-constrained environments.

Can both use NVLink?

Yes, both support NVLink interconnect alongside PCIe form factors. This enables multi-GPU communication in clusters.

Which is cheaper to rent, the P100 or the RTX 3090?

Cloud rental prices for both the P100 and RTX 3090 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 3090?

The P100 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory. The RTX 3090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Can I find P100 and RTX 3090 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 3090?

The P100 uses the Pascal architecture (2016) while the RTX 3090 uses Ampere (2020). The RTX 3090 delivers 3.8x the FP16 throughput and 1.3x the memory bandwidth of the P100.