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NVIDIA A40 48GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB

The GeForce RTX 4090 delivers 10% more FP16 throughput than the A40 (165 vs 150 TFLOPS dense). The A40 counters with 24 GB more memory (48 GB vs 24 GB).

A40: Ampere, 2021 GeForce RTX 4090: Ada Lovelace, 2022
FP16 dense lead
+10%
GeForce RTX 4090: 165 vs 150 TFLOPS
Memory
48 vs 24 GB
24 GB more for the A40
Bandwidth
696 GB/s vs 1.0 TB/s
GeForce RTX 4090 moves data faster
TDP
300 W vs 450 W
A40 draws 150 W less
See rental pricing from $0.34/hr Download comparison sheet

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NVIDIA A40 48GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB

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NVIDIA A40 48GB

Full specs →

What is the NVIDIA A40?

The A40 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. A40 full specifications →

Can I rent the A40 in the cloud?

Yes. Cloud providers tracked by Flopper rent the A40 by the hour, and the pricing page compares their current rates and the price history side by side. A40 rental prices →

How does the A40 compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the A40 against the GeForce RTX 4090. The A40 is the older generation of the two. Both are NVIDIA parts, and both ship as a PCIe card, so they fit the same class of system. Flopper also compares it head to head with the SC11 FP300, across every published precision, memory and power. A40 vs SC11 FP300 →

Where do the A40 figures come from?

Every A40 figure on this page traces to NVIDIA's own datasheet or specification table. How Flopper verifies specifications →

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB

Leads on FP16 Full specs →

What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090?

The GeForce RTX 4090 is a GPU from NVIDIA on the Ada Lovelace 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 4090 full specifications →

Can I rent the GeForce RTX 4090 in the cloud?

Yes. Cloud providers tracked by Flopper rent the GeForce RTX 4090 by the hour, and the pricing page compares their current rates and the price history side by side. GeForce RTX 4090 rental prices →

How does the GeForce RTX 4090 compare with other accelerators?

This page sets the GeForce RTX 4090 against the A40. The GeForce RTX 4090 is the newer generation of the two. Both are NVIDIA parts, and both ship as a PCIe card, so they fit the same class of system. Flopper also compares it head to head with the Wormhole n150s, across every published precision, memory and power. GeForce RTX 4090 vs Wormhole n150s →

Where do the GeForce RTX 4090 figures come from?

NVIDIA published the GeForce RTX 4090 figures in marketing material rather than a datasheet, and Flopper has no independent confirmation of them. How Flopper verifies specifications →

Specifications

A40
GeForce RTX 4090
Architecture
AmpereAda Lovelace
Launch Year
20212022
Form Factor
PCIePCIe
Memory
48 GB24 GB
Memory Bandwidth
696 GB/s1.0 TB/s
TDP
300 W450 W
Process Node
—4nm

Performance (TFLOPS)

A40
GeForce RTX 4090
No verified data available1.3 TFLOPS
37 TFLOPS 83 TFLOPS
75 TFLOPS
150 TFLOPS sparse
83 TFLOPS
sparse not published
150 TFLOPS
299 TFLOPS sparse
165 TFLOPS
sparse not published
150 TFLOPS
299 TFLOPS sparse
165 TFLOPS
sparse not published
No verified data available330 TFLOPS
sparse not published
FP6
No verified data available No verified data available
No verified data available No verified data available
299 TOPS
599 TOPS sparse
661 TOPS
1,321 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 4090 is the newer part: Ada Lovelace (2022) against the A40's Ampere (2021).

The A40 carries 24 GB more memory (48 GB against 24 GB), so larger models fit on one GPU before you shard. Bandwidth is 696 GB/s against 1.0 TB/s, which sets the ceiling on decode speed.

Power is 300 W against 450 W, and at FP32 the GeForce RTX 4090 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. For how the generations relate, see NVIDIA architectures explained.

Frequently asked questions

What is better, the A40 or the GeForce RTX 4090?

The GeForce RTX 4090, on throughput. At FP16 precision the GeForce RTX 4090 reaches 165 TFLOPS dense against 150 TFLOPS for the A40. The performance table on this page lists every published precision for both GPUs.

Which should you choose, the A40 or the GeForce RTX 4090?

Choose the GeForce RTX 4090 for training and high-throughput inference: it has 10% more FP16 throughput than the A40. Choose the A40 when the model has to fit on one GPU: it carries 24 GB more memory. The GeForce RTX 4090 draws 150 W more power, so budget for cooling and power delivery before you commit.

Which has more memory, the A40 or the GeForce RTX 4090?

The A40 carries 48 GB of memory versus 24 GB for the GeForce RTX 4090. Memory bandwidth is 696 GB/s for the A40 and 1.0 TB/s for the GeForce RTX 4090.

How much power do the A40 and the GeForce RTX 4090 draw?

The A40 is rated at 300 W TDP and the GeForce RTX 4090 at 450 W. On FP32 throughput per watt, the GeForce RTX 4090 is the more efficient part.

How much do the A40 and the GeForce RTX 4090 cost to rent?

Live cloud listings tracked by Flopper price the A40 from $0.35 per GPU-hour across 3 providers, and the GeForce RTX 4090 from $0.34 per GPU-hour across 8 providers. The rental section on this page links to every provider, rate and the price history for each GPU.

Where to Rent

NVIDIA A40 48GB

Rent from

$0.35 / GPU-hr

Lowest of 4 live listings across 3 providers

See all A40 rental prices →

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB

Rent from

$0.34 / GPU-hr

Lowest of 13 live listings across 8 providers · median $0.68

See all GeForce RTX 4090 rental prices →

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

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