NVIDIA L40S VS AMD Instinct MI250
Choosing between **L40S** and **Instinct MI250** depends on your specific AI workload requirements. While the **Instinct MI250** offers more VRAM for larger models, the **L40S** remains competitive in other areas. Currently, you can rent these GPUs starting from **$0.26/h** and **$1.30/h** respectively across 33 providers.
Instinct MI250
📊 Detailed Specifications Comparison
| Specification | L40S | Instinct MI250 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture & Design | |||
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | CDNA 2 | - |
| Process Node | 4nm | 6nm | - |
| Target Market | datacenter | datacenter | - |
| Form Factor | Dual-slot PCIe | OAM | - |
| Memory & Bandwidth | |||
| VRAM Capacity | 48GB | 128GB | -63% |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2e | - |
| Memory Bandwidth | 864 GB/s | 3.2 TB/s | -73% |
| Memory Bus Width | 384-bit | 8192-bit | - |
| Compute Infrastructure | |||
| CUDA Cores | 18,176 | N/A | |
| Tensor Cores (AI) | 568 | N/A | |
| RT Cores (Ray Tracing) | 142 | N/A | |
| Stream Processors | N/A | 13,312 | |
| AI & Compute Performance (TFLOPS) | |||
| FP32 (Single Precision) | 91.6 TFLOPS | 45.3 TFLOPS | +102% |
| FP16 (Half Precision) | 183.2 TFLOPS | N/A | |
| FP64 (Double Precision) | N/A | 45.3 TFLOPS | |
| INT8 (Integer Precision) | 733 TOPS | N/A | |
| Power & Efficiency | |||
| TDP (Thermal Design Power) | 350W | 500W | -30% |
| PCIe Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 | - |
🎯 Use Case Recommendations
LLM & Large Model Training
NVIDIA L40S
Higher VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are critical for training large language models. The Instinct MI250 offers 128GB compared to 48GB.
AI Inference
NVIDIA L40S
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.
Technical Deep Dive: L40S vs Instinct MI250
This head-to-head pits NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace against AMD's CDNA 2. The Instinct MI250 has a significant **80GB VRAM advantage**, which is crucial for training massive datasets or large language models. From a cost perspective, the **L40S** is currently about **80% cheaper** per hour, offering better value for budget-conscious projects.
NVIDIA L40S is Best For:
- AI inference
- Generative AI
- Maximum memory bandwidth
AMD Instinct MI250 is Best For:
- HPC
- Matrix math workloads
- CUDA native apps
Frequently Asked Questions
Which GPU is better for AI training: L40S or Instinct MI250?
For AI training, the key factors are VRAM size, memory bandwidth, and tensor core performance. The L40S offers 48GB of GDDR6 memory with 864 GB/s bandwidth, while the Instinct MI250 provides 128GB of HBM2e with 3.2 TB/s bandwidth. For larger models, the Instinct MI250's higher VRAM capacity gives it an advantage.
What is the price difference between L40S and Instinct MI250 in the cloud?
Cloud GPU rental prices vary by provider and region. Based on our data, L40S starts at $0.26/hour while Instinct MI250 starts at $1.30/hour. This represents a 80% price difference.
Can I use Instinct MI250 instead of L40S 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 L40S, the Instinct MI250 can be a cost-effective alternative. However, for workloads requiring maximum memory capacity or multi-GPU scaling, the L40S's architecture may be essential.
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