P100 vs RTX A6000

PascalvsAmpereUpdated 35 days ago

The RTX A6000 emerges as the clear winner for most contemporary AI workloads, offering 38.7 TFLOPS compute and 48 GB VRAM against the P100's 9.3 TFLOPS and 16 GB. This superiority in speed and capacity outweighs the P100's cost edge for tasks beyond basic inference, delivering better value per performance dollar in cloud environments.

P100 from $0.60/hrRTX A6000 from $0.40/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecP100RTX-A6000
TDP250W300W
VRAM16 GB48 GB
CUDA Cores3,58410,752
Memory TypeHBM2GDDR6
ArchitecturePascalAmpere
Form FactorsSXM2, PCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLinkNVLink
FP16 Performance9.3 TFLOPS38.7 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance9.3 TFLOPS38.7 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance4.7 TFLOPS0.6 TFLOPS
Memory Bandwidth732 GB/s768 GB/s

Performance Analysis

Compute performance dominates the comparison: the A6000's 38.7 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32 dwarfs the P100's 9.3 TFLOPS, enabling up to four times faster matrix multiplications central to deep learning. This delta accelerates training epochs and inference queries, particularly for models leveraging half-precision without tensor core dependencies. Both GPUs match FP16 to FP32 rates, indicating balanced scalar and vector processing suited to general compute. Memory capacity sets them apart: 48 GB on A6000 versus 16 GB on P100 supports larger batch sizes in training, reducing per-iteration overhead for models exceeding 16 GB footprints. Bandwidth edges slightly higher at 768 GB/s on A6000 over 732 GB/s, minimizing bottlenecks in data-heavy tasks like large language model fine-tuning. Power draw rises from 250W to 300W, trading efficiency for capability in sustained workloads.

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 A6000

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA RTX A6000
48GB VRAM
$0.40/GPU/hr
Available
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA RTX A6000
48GB VRAM
$0.49/GPU/hr
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
NVIDIA RTX A6000
48GB VRAM
$0.50/GPU/hr
Available
Hyperstack
Hyperstack
2×NVIDIA RTX A6000
48GB VRAM
$0.50/GPU/hr
$1.00/hr total (2×)
Available
Massed Compute
Massed Compute
NVIDIA RTX A6000
48GB VRAM
$0.55/GPU/hr
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the P100

Select the P100 for cost-sensitive deployments where 9.3 TFLOPS suffices, such as lightweight inference on models under 16 GB. Its $0.07 per hour low-end pricing and 250W TDP excel in high-density clusters or legacy Pascal-optimized software. Availability across three cloud offers ensures quick access without premium costs.

When to Choose the RTX A6000

The RTX A6000 suits demanding AI tasks requiring 48 GB VRAM or 38.7 TFLOPS throughput, like training mid-sized transformers. Despite $1.10 per hour average, 54 live offers provide flexibility, and NVLink interconnect supports multi-GPU scaling. Higher bandwidth at 768 GB/s aids memory-intensive inference.

Use Cases

LLM Training
RTX A6000

The A6000's 48 GB VRAM and 38.7 TFLOPS handle large language models without out-of-memory errors. P100's 16 GB limits batch sizes severely.

LLM Inference
RTX A6000

38.7 TFLOPS FP16 on A6000 enables higher query throughput for production serving. P100's 9.3 TFLOPS bottlenecks high-volume inference.

Fine-tuning
RTX A6000

A6000's 768 GB/s bandwidth and extra VRAM support efficient fine-tuning of 20+ GB models. P100 restricts to smaller adapters.

Stable Diffusion
RTX A6000

48 GB VRAM on A6000 manages high-resolution image generation batches. P100's 16 GB causes frequent swapping.

Scientific Computing
Either

P100 suffices for FP32 simulations at 9.3 TFLOPS with low $0.25 per hour average. A6000 accelerates complex datasets via 38.7 TFLOPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the P100 still worth using in 2024?

Yes, the P100 remains viable for budget inference at $0.07 per hour starting price and 9.3 TFLOPS FP32. It suits legacy workloads but lags behind A6000's 38.7 TFLOPS for new projects.

How much faster is RTX A6000 than P100?

The A6000 delivers 38.7 TFLOPS versus P100's 9.3 TFLOPS, roughly 4x speedup in FP16 and FP32 tasks. Real-world gains depend on memory-bound workloads favoring A6000's 48 GB.

Which has better memory for large models?

RTX A6000's 48 GB GDDR6 outclasses P100's 16 GB HBM2 for models over 16 GB. Bandwidth is close at 768 GB/s versus 732 GB/s.

What is the power consumption difference?

P100 draws 250W TDP, lower than A6000's 300W, aiding dense cloud deployments. Higher TDP on A6000 correlates with 38.7 TFLOPS performance.

Are both GPUs available with NVLink?

Yes, both support NVLink for multi-GPU setups. P100 offers SXM2 or PCIe forms, while A6000 is PCIe-only.

Which is cheaper in cloud rentals?

P100 averages $0.25 per hour across 3 offers, far below A6000's $1.10 per hour across 54. P100 wins on cost, A6000 on performance.

Which is cheaper to rent, the P100 or the RTX A6000?

Cloud rental prices for both the P100 and RTX A6000 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 A6000?

The P100 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory. The RTX A6000 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find P100 and RTX A6000 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 A6000?

The P100 uses the Pascal architecture (2016) while the RTX A6000 uses Ampere (2020). The RTX A6000 delivers 4.2x the FP16 throughput and 1.0x the memory bandwidth of the P100.