NVIDIA H200 VS AMD Instinct MI250
Choosing between **H200** and **Instinct MI250** depends on your specific AI workload requirements. The **H200** leads in both memory capacity and raw compute power, making it a stronger choice for high-end LLM training. Currently, you can rent these GPUs starting from **$1.49/h** and **$1.30/h** respectively across 5 providers.
Instinct MI250
📊 Detailed Specifications Comparison
| Specification | H200 | Instinct MI250 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Design | |||
| Architecture | Hopper | CDNA 2 | - |
| Process Node | 4nm | 6nm | - |
| Target Market | datacenter | datacenter | - |
| Form Factor | SXM5 | OAM | - |
| Memory & Bandwidth | |||
| VRAM Capacity | 141GB | 128GB | +10% |
| Memory Type | HBM3e | HBM2e | - |
| Memory Bandwidth | 4.8 TB/s | 3.2 TB/s | +50% |
| Memory Bus Width | 6144-bit | 8192-bit | - |
| Compute Infrastructure | |||
| CUDA Cores | 16,896 | N/A | |
| Tensor Cores (AI) | 528 | N/A | |
| Stream Processors | N/A | 13,312 | |
| AI & Compute Performance (TFLOPS) | |||
| FP32 (Single Precision) | 67 TFLOPS | 45.3 TFLOPS | +48% |
| FP16 (Half Precision) | 1,979 TFLOPS | N/A | |
| TF32 (Tensor Float) | 989 TFLOPS | N/A | |
| FP64 (Double Precision) | 34 TFLOPS | 45.3 TFLOPS | -25% |
| INT8 (Integer Precision) | 3,958 TOPS | N/A | |
| Power & Efficiency | |||
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 700W | 500W | +40% |
| PCIe Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 | - |
| Multi-GPU Interconnect | NVLink 4.0 (900 GB/s) | None | - |
🎯 Use Case Recommendations
LLM & Large Model Training
NVIDIA H200
Higher VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are critical for training large language models. The H200 offers 141GB compared to 128GB.
AI Inference
NVIDIA H200
For inference workloads, performance per watt matters most. Consider the balance between FP16/INT8 throughput and power consumption.
Budget-Conscious Choice
AMD Instinct MI250
Based on current cloud pricing, the Instinct MI250 starts at a lower hourly rate.
Technical Deep Dive: H200 vs Instinct MI250
This head-to-head pits NVIDIA's Hopper against AMD's CDNA 2. The H200 has a significant **13GB VRAM advantage**, which is crucial for training massive datasets or large language models. From a cost perspective, the **Instinct MI250** is currently about **13% cheaper** per hour, offering better value for budget-conscious projects.
NVIDIA H200 is Best For:
- LLM inference at scale
- Large context window models
- Budget deployments
AMD Instinct MI250 is Best For:
- HPC
- Matrix math workloads
- CUDA native apps
Frequently Asked Questions
Which GPU is better for AI training: H200 or Instinct MI250?
For AI training, the key factors are VRAM size, memory bandwidth, and tensor core performance. The H200 offers 141GB of HBM3e memory with 4.8 TB/s bandwidth, while the Instinct MI250 provides 128GB of HBM2e with 3.2 TB/s bandwidth. For larger models, the H200's higher VRAM capacity gives it an advantage.
What is the price difference between H200 and Instinct MI250 in the cloud?
Cloud GPU rental prices vary by provider and region. Based on our data, H200 starts at $1.49/hour while Instinct MI250 starts at $1.30/hour. This represents a 15% price difference.
Can I use Instinct MI250 instead of H200 for my workload?
It depends on your specific requirements. If your model fits within 128GB of VRAM and you don't need the additional throughput of the H200, the Instinct MI250 can be a cost-effective alternative. However, for workloads requiring maximum memory capacity or multi-GPU scaling, the H200's NVLink support (NVLink 4.0 (900 GB/s)) may be essential.
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