H100 SXM vs A100 80GB

Detailed comparison of specifications, performance, and pricing between NVIDIA H100 SXM and NVIDIA A100 80GB SXM

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Overall Winner
H100 SXM
Wins 5 of 7 categories
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Performance Leader
H100 SXM
2.0k TFLOPS (+534%)
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Price Leader
A100 80GB
$$12k (167% cheaper)
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Best Value ($/TFLOPS)
H100 SXM
$16/TFLOPS
The H100 SXM is 534% faster, but the A100 80GB is 167% cheaper.

Difference Analysis

Metric
H100 SXM
Difference
A100 80GB
Tensor TFLOPS
2.0k
+534%
312.0
VRAM
80GB
=
80GB
Memory Bandwidth
3.4 TB/s
+64%
2.0 TB/s
Hardware Price
$$32k
+167%
$$12k
Cloud Price/hr
$2.10
+83%
$1.15

Full Specifications

Specification H100 SXM A100 80GB
Brand NVIDIA NVIDIA
Series Data Center Data Center
Architecture Hopper Ampere
VRAM 80GB 80GB
VRAM Type HBM3 HBM2e
Memory Bandwidth 3.4 TB/s 2.0 TB/s
FP16 TFLOPS 134.0 78.0
Tensor TFLOPS 2.0k 312.0
TDP 700W 400W
Form Factor SXM SXM
Hardware Price $$32k $$12k
Cloud Price (min) $2.10/hr $1.15/hr

Which Should You Choose?

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For AI Training

Large model training needs maximum VRAM and memory bandwidth.

Recommended: H100 SXM
80GB VRAM ยท 3.4 TB/s
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For AI Inference

Inference prioritizes throughput and cost efficiency.

Recommended: H100 SXM
Best performance per dollar
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On a Budget

Get the most capability for your money.

Recommended: A100 80GB
$$12k ยท 167% cheaper
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For Cloud Rental

Minimize hourly costs for cloud workloads.

Recommended: A100 80GB
From $1.15/hr

H100 SXM vs A100 80GB FAQ

It depends on your use case. The H100 SXM offers 534% better performance (2.0k vs 312.0 TFLOPS). However, the A100 80GB is 167% cheaper. For raw performance, choose H100 SXM. For value, consider your budget and workload requirements.

The H100 SXM has more VRAM with 80GB compared to 80GB (0% more). More VRAM is crucial for training large models and running inference on bigger batch sizes.

For AI training, the H100 SXM is generally better due to its larger VRAM (80GB). Large language models and deep learning workloads benefit significantly from more memory. However, if your models fit in 80GB, the cheaper option may be more cost-effective.

The A100 80GB is 167% cheaper at $$12k vs $$32k. When considering performance per dollar, evaluate your specific workload requirements to determine the best value.

Upgrading to H100 SXM would give you 534% more performance and 0% more VRAM. The upgrade cost difference is approximately $$20k. Consider if your workloads are bottlenecked by current GPU capabilities.