NVIDIA Tesla K80 VS AMD Instinct MI355X

Choosing between **K80** and **Instinct MI355X** depends on your specific AI workload requirements. The **Instinct MI355X** 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 **$0.10/h** and **$2.29/h** respectively across 4 providers.

NVIDIA

K80

VRAM 24GB
FP32 8.7 TFLOPS
TDP 300W
From $0.10/h 2 providers
AMD

Instinct MI355X

VRAM 288GB
FP32 210 TFLOPS
TDP 1000W
From $2.29/h 2 providers

📊 Detailed Specifications Comparison

Specification K80 Instinct MI355X Difference
Architecture & Design
Architecture Kepler CDNA 4 -
Process Node 28nm 3nm -
Target Market datacenter datacenter -
Form Factor Dual-slot PCIe OAM -
Memory & Bandwidth
VRAM Capacity 24GB 288GB -92%
Memory Type GDDR5 HBM3e -
Memory Bandwidth 480 GB/s 8.0 TB/s -94%
Memory Bus Width 384-bit 8192-bit -
Compute Infrastructure
CUDA Cores 4,992 N/A
Stream Processors N/A 24,576
AI & Compute Performance (TFLOPS)
FP32 (Single Precision) 8.7 TFLOPS 210 TFLOPS -96%
Power & Efficiency
TDP (Thermal Design Power) 300W 1000W -70%
PCIe Interface PCIe 3.0 x16 PCIe 5.0 x16 -

🎯 Use Case Recommendations

🧠

LLM & Large Model Training

AMD Instinct MI355X

Higher VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are critical for training large language models. The Instinct MI355X offers 288GB compared to 24GB.

AI Inference

AMD Instinct MI355X

For inference workloads, performance per watt matters most. Consider the balance between FP16/INT8 throughput and power consumption.

💰

Budget-Conscious Choice

NVIDIA Tesla K80

Based on current cloud pricing, the K80 starts at a lower hourly rate.

Automated Comparison

Technical Deep Dive: K80 vs Instinct MI355X

This head-to-head pits NVIDIA's Kepler against AMD's CDNA 4. The Instinct MI355X has a significant **264GB VRAM advantage**, which is crucial for training massive datasets or large language models. From a cost perspective, the **K80** is currently about **96% cheaper** per hour, offering better value for budget-conscious projects.

NVIDIA Tesla K80 is Best For:

  • Old software support
  • Any modern AI

AMD Instinct MI355X is Best For:

  • Massive LLM training
  • Budget projects

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU is better for AI training: K80 or Instinct MI355X?

For AI training, the key factors are VRAM size, memory bandwidth, and tensor core performance. The K80 offers 24GB of GDDR5 memory with 480 GB/s bandwidth, while the Instinct MI355X provides 288GB of HBM3e with 8.0 TB/s bandwidth. For larger models, the Instinct MI355X's higher VRAM capacity gives it an advantage.

What is the price difference between K80 and Instinct MI355X in the cloud?

Cloud GPU rental prices vary by provider and region. Based on our data, K80 starts at $0.10/hour while Instinct MI355X starts at $2.29/hour. This represents a 96% price difference.

Can I use Instinct MI355X instead of K80 for my workload?

It depends on your specific requirements. If your model fits within 288GB of VRAM and you don't need the additional throughput of the K80, the Instinct MI355X can be a cost-effective alternative. However, for workloads requiring maximum memory capacity or multi-GPU scaling, the K80's architecture may be essential.

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