NVIDIA H100 SXM VS NVIDIA L40S
Comparing NVIDIA's Hopper-based H100 SXM against the Ada Lovelace-based L40S. This cross-generational comparison reveals significant architectural improvements.
📊 Detailed Specifications Comparison
| Specification | H100 SXM | L40S | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Design | |||
| Architecture | Hopper | Ada Lovelace | - |
| Process Node | 4nm | 4nm | - |
| Target Market | datacenter | datacenter | - |
| Form Factor | SXM5 | Dual-slot PCIe | - |
| Memory | |||
| VRAM Capacity | 80GB | 48GB | +67% |
| Memory Type | HBM3 | GDDR6 | - |
| Memory Bandwidth | 3.35 TB/s | 864 GB/s | +288% |
| Memory Bus | 5120-bit | 384-bit | - |
| Compute Units | |||
| CUDA Cores | 16,896 | 18,176 | -7% |
| Tensor Cores | 528 | 568 | -7% |
| Performance (TFLOPS) | |||
| FP32 (Single Precision) | 67 TFLOPS | 91.6 TFLOPS | -27% |
| FP16 (Half Precision) | 1979 TFLOPS | 183.2 TFLOPS | +980% |
| TF32 (Tensor Float) | 989 TFLOPS | N/A | |
| FP64 (Double Precision) | 34 TFLOPS | N/A | |
| Power & Connectivity | |||
| TDP (Power) | 700W | 350W | +100% |
| PCIe | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 | - |
| NVLink | NVLink 4.0 (900 GB/s) | Not available | - |
🎯 Use Case Recommendations
LLM & Large Model Training
NVIDIA H100 SXM
Higher VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are critical for training large language models. The H100 SXM offers 80GB compared to 48GB.
AI Inference
NVIDIA H100 SXM
For inference workloads, performance per watt matters most. Consider the balance between FP16/INT8 throughput and power consumption.
Budget-Conscious Choice
NVIDIA L40S
Based on current cloud pricing, the L40S starts at a lower hourly rate.
NVIDIA H100 SXM is Best For:
- LLM training
- Foundation model pre-training
- Small-scale inference
NVIDIA L40S is Best For:
- AI inference
- Generative AI
- Maximum memory bandwidth
Frequently Asked Questions
Which GPU is better for AI training: H100 SXM or L40S?
For AI training, the key factors are VRAM size, memory bandwidth, and tensor core performance. The H100 SXM offers 80GB of HBM3 memory with 3.35 TB/s bandwidth, while the L40S provides 48GB of GDDR6 with 864 GB/s bandwidth. For larger models, the H100 SXM's higher VRAM capacity gives it an advantage.
What is the price difference between H100 SXM and L40S in the cloud?
Cloud GPU rental prices vary by provider and region. Based on our data, H100 SXM starts at $0.73/hour while L40S starts at $0.32/hour. This represents a 128% price difference.
Can I use L40S instead of H100 SXM for my workload?
It depends on your specific requirements. If your model fits within 48GB of VRAM and you don't need the additional throughput of the H100 SXM, the L40S can be a cost-effective alternative. However, for workloads requiring maximum memory capacity or multi-GPU scaling, the H100 SXM's NVLink support (NVLink 4.0 (900 GB/s)) may be essential.
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