AMD Instinct MI250 128GB vs AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

The Instinct MI300A delivers 2.7x the FP16 throughput of the Instinct MI250 (981 vs 362 TFLOPS dense).

Instinct MI250: CDNA 2, 2021 Instinct MI300A: CDNA 3, 2023

FP16 dense lead

2.7x

Instinct MI300A: 981 vs 362 TFLOPS

Memory

128 vs 128 GB

Same capacity

Bandwidth

3.3 TB/s vs 5.3 TB/s

Instinct MI300A moves data faster

TDP

500 W vs 760 W

Instinct MI250 draws 260 W less

See rental pricing from $1.28/hr Download comparison sheet Printable version →

AMD Instinct MI250 128GB

Full specs →

What is the AMD Instinct MI250?

The Instinct MI250 is a GPU from AMD on the CDNA 2 architecture, an accelerator for AI training, inference and high-performance computing. It is an OAM module, the open accelerator format used in multi-GPU servers. Instinct MI250 full specifications →

Can I rent the Instinct MI250 in the cloud?

Yes. Cloud providers tracked by Flopper rent the Instinct MI250 by the hour, and the pricing page compares their current rates and the price history side by side. Instinct MI250 rental prices →

How does the Instinct MI250 compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the Instinct MI250 against the Instinct MI300A. The Instinct MI250 is the older generation of the two. Both are AMD parts. The compare tool builds the same comparison for any two parts in the catalogue. All GPU comparisons →

Where do the Instinct MI250 figures come from?

Every Instinct MI250 figure on this page traces to AMD's own datasheet or specification table. How Flopper verifies specifications →

AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

Leads on FP16 Full specs →

What is the AMD Instinct MI300A?

The Instinct MI300A is a GPU from AMD on the CDNA 3 architecture, an accelerator for AI training, inference and high-performance computing. Instinct MI300A full specifications →

Can I rent the Instinct MI300A in the cloud?

Flopper is not tracking any live rental listings for the Instinct MI300A yet. The provider directory lists the clouds that rent comparable accelerators on demand. GPU cloud providers →

How does the Instinct MI300A compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the Instinct MI300A against the Instinct MI250. The Instinct MI300A is the newer generation of the two. Both are AMD parts. The compare tool builds the same comparison for any two parts in the catalogue. All GPU comparisons →

Where do the Instinct MI300A figures come from?

Every Instinct MI300A figure on this page traces to AMD's own datasheet or specification table. How Flopper verifies specifications →

Specifications

Instinct MI250

Instinct MI300A

Architecture

CDNA 2CDNA 3

Launch Year

20212023

Form Factor

OAMAPU SH5 socket

Memory

128 GB128 GB

Memory Bandwidth

3.3 TB/s5.3 TB/s

TDP

500 W760 W

Process Node

6nm5nm FinFET

Spec

Instinct MI250

Instinct MI300A

Architecture CDNA 2CDNA 3

Launch Year 20212023

Form Factor OAMAPU SH5 socket

Memory 128 GB128 GB

Memory Bandwidth 3.3 TB/s5.3 TB/s

TDP 500 W760 W

Process Node 6nm5nm FinFET

Performance (TFLOPS)

Instinct MI250

Instinct MI300A

45 TFLOPS 61 TFLOPS

45 TFLOPS 123 TFLOPS

490 TFLOPS

981 TFLOPS sparse

362 TFLOPS 981 TFLOPS

1,961 TFLOPS sparse

362 TFLOPS 981 TFLOPS

1,961 TFLOPS sparse

1,961 TFLOPS

3,922 TFLOPS sparse

FP6

362 TOPS 1,961 TOPS

3,922 TOPS sparse

Precision

Instinct MI250

Instinct MI300A

45 TFLOPS 61 TFLOPS

45 TFLOPS 123 TFLOPS

490 TFLOPS

981 TFLOPS sparse

362 TFLOPS 981 TFLOPS

1,961 TFLOPS sparse

362 TFLOPS 981 TFLOPS

1,961 TFLOPS sparse

1,961 TFLOPS

3,922 TFLOPS sparse

FP6

362 TOPS 1,961 TOPS

3,922 TOPS sparse

Figures are dense. Where a vendor publishes a figure it sits under the dense one and never decides a winner. Hover any precision for its definition, or read the GPU glossary.

FLOPS by Precision

What actually differs

The Instinct MI300A is the newer part: CDNA 3 (2023) against the Instinct MI250's CDNA 2 (2021).

Both carry 128 GB of memory. Bandwidth is 3.3 TB/s against 5.3 TB/s, which sets the ceiling on decode speed.

Power is 500 W against 760 W, and at FP32 the Instinct MI300A does more work per watt. Weight the FP8 and FP16 rows for LLM work and the FP64 row for HPC.

New to the terms? The glossary explains FP64, FP32, TF32, BF16, FP16, FP8, INT8, Sparsity and TFLOPS.

Frequently asked questions

What is better, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

The Instinct MI300A, on throughput. At FP16 precision the Instinct MI300A reaches 981 TFLOPS dense against 362 TFLOPS for the Instinct MI250. The performance table on this page lists every published precision for both GPUs.

Which should you choose, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

Choose the Instinct MI300A for training and high-throughput inference: it has 2.7x the FP16 throughput of the Instinct MI250. The Instinct MI300A draws 260 W more power, so budget for cooling and power delivery before you commit.

Which has more memory, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

Both GPUs carry 128 GB of memory. Memory bandwidth is 3.3 TB/s for the Instinct MI250 and 5.3 TB/s for the Instinct MI300A.

How much power do the Instinct MI250 and the Instinct MI300A draw?

The Instinct MI250 is rated at 500 W TDP and the Instinct MI300A at 760 W. On FP32 throughput per watt, the Instinct MI300A is the more efficient part.

How much do the Instinct MI250 and the Instinct MI300A cost to rent?

Live cloud listings tracked by Flopper price the Instinct MI250 from $1.28 per GPU-hour across 1 provider, and no live listings yet for the Instinct MI300A. The rental section on this page links to every provider, rate and the price history for each GPU.

Where to Rent

AMD Instinct MI250 128GB

Rent from

$1.28 / GPU-hr

Lowest of 4 live listings across 1 provider

See all Instinct MI250 rental prices →

Price history and every provider on the pricing page. Some links are affiliate links.

AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

No live rental listings tracked for the Instinct MI300A yet.

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Open in Full Compare Tool → Instinct MI250 full specs Instinct MI300A full specs Estimate cluster cost in the calculator →

AMD Instinct MI250 128GB vs AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

AMD Instinct MI250 128GB

What is the AMD Instinct MI250?

Can I rent the Instinct MI250 in the cloud?

How does the Instinct MI250 compare with other accelerators?

Where do the Instinct MI250 figures come from?

AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

What is the AMD Instinct MI300A?

Can I rent the Instinct MI300A in the cloud?

How does the Instinct MI300A compare with other accelerators?

Where do the Instinct MI300A figures come from?

Specifications

Performance (TFLOPS)

FLOPS by Precision

What actually differs

Frequently asked questions

What is better, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

Which should you choose, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

Which has more memory, the Instinct MI250 or the Instinct MI300A?

How much power do the Instinct MI250 and the Instinct MI300A draw?

How much do the Instinct MI250 and the Instinct MI300A cost to rent?

Where to Rent

AMD Instinct MI250 128GB

AMD Instinct MI300A 128GB

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