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NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

The A100 delivers 12.2x the FP16 throughput of the GeForce RTX 3060 (312 vs 25 TFLOPS dense). The A100 also carries 28 GB more memory (40 GB vs 12 GB).

A100: Ampere, 2020 GeForce RTX 3060: Ampere, 2021
FP16 dense lead
12.2x
A100: 312 vs 25 TFLOPS
Memory
40 vs 12 GB
28 GB more for the A100
TDP
400 W vs 170 W
GeForce RTX 3060 draws 230 W less
See rental pricing from $0.06/hr Download comparison sheet

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NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

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NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB

Leads on FP16 Full specs →

What is the NVIDIA A100?

The A100 is a GPU from NVIDIA on the Ampere architecture, an accelerator for AI training, inference and high-performance computing. It is an SXM module, the mezzanine format used in dense multi-GPU servers. A100 full specifications →

Can I rent the A100 in the cloud?

Yes. Cloud providers tracked by Flopper rent the A100 by the hour, and the pricing page compares their current rates and the price history side by side. A100 rental prices →

How does the A100 compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the A100 against the GeForce RTX 3060. The A100 is the older generation of the two. Both are NVIDIA parts; the A100 is an SXM module while the GeForce RTX 3060 is a PCIe card. The compare tool builds the same comparison for any two parts in the catalogue. All GPU comparisons →

Where do the A100 figures come from?

Every A100 figure on this page traces to NVIDIA's own datasheet or specification table. How Flopper verifies specifications →

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

Full specs →

What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060?

The GeForce RTX 3060 is a GPU from NVIDIA on the Ampere architecture, an accelerator for AI training, inference and high-performance computing. It is a PCIe add-in card, so it fits standard servers and workstations. GeForce RTX 3060 full specifications →

Can I rent the GeForce RTX 3060 in the cloud?

Yes. Cloud providers tracked by Flopper rent the GeForce RTX 3060 by the hour, and the pricing page compares their current rates and the price history side by side. GeForce RTX 3060 rental prices →

How does the GeForce RTX 3060 compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the GeForce RTX 3060 against the A100. The GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer generation of the two. Both are NVIDIA parts; the GeForce RTX 3060 is a PCIe card while the A100 is an SXM module. The compare tool builds the same comparison for any two parts in the catalogue. All GPU comparisons →

Where do the GeForce RTX 3060 figures come from?

Every GeForce RTX 3060 figure on this page traces to NVIDIA's own datasheet or specification table. How Flopper verifies specifications →

Specifications

A100
GeForce RTX 3060
Architecture
AmpereAmpere
Launch Year
20202021
Form Factor
SXMPCIe
Memory
40 GB12 GB
Memory Bandwidth
1.6 TB/s—
TDP
400 W170 W
Process Node
7nm8nm

Performance (TFLOPS)

A100
GeForce RTX 3060
9.7 TFLOPS 0.2 TFLOPS
20 TFLOPS 13 TFLOPS
156 TFLOPS
312 TFLOPS sparse
13 TFLOPS
25 TFLOPS sparse
312 TFLOPS
624 TFLOPS sparse
25 TFLOPS
51 TFLOPS sparse
312 TFLOPS
624 TFLOPS sparse
25 TFLOPS
51 TFLOPS sparse
No verified data available No verified data available
FP6
No verified data available No verified data available
No verified data available No verified data available
624 TOPS
1,248 TOPS sparse
102 TOPS
204 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 GeForce RTX 3060 is the newer part: Ampere (2021) against the A100's Ampere (2020).

The A100 carries 28 GB more memory (40 GB against 12 GB), so larger models fit on one GPU before you shard.

Power is 400 W against 170 W, and at FP32 the GeForce RTX 3060 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, INT8, Sparsity and TFLOPS. For how the generations relate, see NVIDIA architectures explained.

Frequently asked questions

Is the A100 faster than the GeForce RTX 3060?

At FP16 precision the A100 reaches 312 TFLOPS dense against 25 TFLOPS for the GeForce RTX 3060. The performance table on this page lists every published precision for both GPUs.

Which should you choose, the A100 or the GeForce RTX 3060?

Choose the A100 for training and high-throughput inference: it has 12.2x the FP16 throughput of the GeForce RTX 3060. It also carries 28 GB more memory, so larger models fit on one GPU before you shard. The A100 draws 230 W more power, so budget for cooling and power delivery before you commit. Packaging differs too: the A100 is an SXM module while the GeForce RTX 3060 is a PCIe card, so check what your servers accept.

Which has more memory, the A100 or the GeForce RTX 3060?

The A100 carries 40 GB of memory versus 12 GB for the GeForce RTX 3060.

How much power do the A100 and the GeForce RTX 3060 draw?

The A100 is rated at 400 W TDP and the GeForce RTX 3060 at 170 W. On FP32 throughput per watt, the GeForce RTX 3060 is the more efficient part.

How much do the A100 and the GeForce RTX 3060 cost to rent?

Live cloud listings tracked by Flopper price the A100 from $0.40 per GPU-hour across 9 providers, and the GeForce RTX 3060 from $0.06 per GPU-hour across 1 provider. The rental section on this page links to every provider, rate and the price history for each GPU.

Where to Rent

NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40GB

Rent from

$0.40 / GPU-hr

Lowest of 14 live listings across 9 providers · median $2.05

See all A100 rental prices →

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB

Rent from

$0.06 / GPU-hr

Lowest of 1 live listing across 1 provider

See all GeForce RTX 3060 rental prices →

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

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