AMD Radeon Pro W6600X vs NVIDIA L40 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA L40 records an average benchmark score of 284,111, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X records 107,342. The L40 sits in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the W6600X sits in the 94th percentile.

Q: How does the NVIDIA L40 compare to its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation?

A: The RTX 6000 Ada Generation scores 287,237, which is 1.1% higher than the L40’s average. The L40 also trails the NVIDIA L40S by 3.9% (295,763) and the AMD Instinct MI300X by 10.7% (317,994), but it leads the NVIDIA L20 by 13.1% (251,147).

Q: What benchmark results are available for the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X?

A: The database includes one recorded test for the W6600X: Geekbench Metal with a score of 107,342. In comparison, the NVIDIA L40 has two recorded tests: Geekbench OpenCL at 330,926 and Geekbench Vulkan at 237,295.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between these two cards?

A: The NVIDIA L40 carries 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus with 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600X carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W6600X boosts to 2479 MHz, slightly ahead of the NVIDIA L40’s 2490 MHz boost. However, the L40’s base clock is 735 MHz, while the W6600X’s base clock is 2068 MHz.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X?

A: The launch MSRP is 699 USD. The NVIDIA L40 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

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Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA L40 is built on the AD102 chip using the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600X uses the Navi 23 chip with the RDNA 2.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 7 nm process. This process difference contributes to a substantial transistor gap: the L40 integrates 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, while the W6600X integrates 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The resulting transistor densities are 125.3 million per mm² for the L40 and 46.7 million per mm² for the W6600X.

The L40’s compute resources are far larger. It contains 18,176 shading units, 568 texture mapping units, 192 ROPs, 142 RT cores, and 568 tensor cores. The W6600X has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 RT cores, with no tensor cores listed. The L40’s FP32 throughput is 90.52 TFLOPS, while the W6600X delivers 10.15 TFLOPS. For FP16, the L40 achieves 90.52 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, whereas the W6600X reaches 20.31 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio.

Memory architecture also differs sharply. The L40 uses 48 GB GDDR6 on a 384-bit interface, delivering 864.0 GB/s. The W6600X uses 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit interface, delivering 256.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 2250 MHz for the L40 (18 Gbps effective) and 2000 MHz for the W6600X (16 Gbps effective). Pixel and texture rates follow the same trend: the L40 achieves 478.1 GPixel/s and 1,414.3 GTexel/s, while the W6600X achieves 158.7 GPixel/s and 317.3 GTexel/s.

The L40 connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the W6600X uses the Apple MPX interface. The L40 has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the W6600X has no display outputs. Both cards are dual-slot, but the L40 requires a 16-pin power connector and a 700 W suggested PSU, whereas the W6600X has no listed power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. The L40’s TDP is 300 W; the W6600X’s TDP is 120 W.

Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The L40 was released on 2022-10-12, while the W6600X was released on 2021-08-02. The L40’s generation is listed as Server Ada (Lxx), and its predecessor is Server Ampere with Server Hopper as the successor. The W6600X belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (Navi II Series) generation with no predecessor or successor recorded. Both are marked end-of-life.

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Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the NVIDIA L40 and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X. However, the recorded individual benchmarks provide a clear comparison. The L40’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 330,926 is roughly three times the W6600X’s Geekbench Metal score of 107,342. The L40’s Geekbench Vulkan score of 237,295 also far exceeds the W6600X’s only recorded result.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this gap. The L40’s average of 284,111 is 164.8% higher than the W6600X’s 107,342. In percentile terms, the L40 ranks in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the W6600X ranks in the 94th percentile. This places the L40 near the top of the database, while the W6600X sits slightly below the top tier.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides additional context. The L40’s closest competitor is the RTX 6000 Ada Generation at 287,237, only 1.1% higher. The L40 also trails the L40S by 3.9% and the Instinct MI300X by 10.7%, but leads the L20 by 13.1%. The W6600X’s nearest rivals are all AMD and NVIDIA professional cards: the Radeon Pro Vega II Duo at 106,750 (0.6% lower), the Radeon Pro Vega II at 109,617 (2.1% higher), the Radeon PRO W7900 at 110,725 (3.1% higher), and the Quadro RTX 6000 at 101,872 (5.4% lower). The W6600X’s performance cluster sits between roughly 101,000 and 111,000, which is an entirely different performance tier from the L40’s cluster between roughly 251,000 and 318,000.

The wins are not symmetric. The L40 wins decisively in every available metric: higher average score, higher raw benchmark scores, higher memory bandwidth, higher compute throughput, and higher pixel and texture rates. The W6600X wins only in a few peripheral areas: a higher base clock (2068 MHz vs 735 MHz), a higher boost clock (2479 MHz vs 2490 MHz, a marginal 0.4% difference), lower power draw (120 W vs 300 W), and a lower suggested PSU (300 W vs 700 W). No benchmark test in the database favors the W6600X.

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Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA L40 | AMD Radeon Pro W6600X |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | AD102 | Navi 23 |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | RDNA 2.0 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 76,300 million | 11,060 million |

| Die Size | 609 mm² | 237 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 125.3M / mm² | 46.7M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 735 MHz | 2068 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2490 MHz | 2479 MHz |

| Memory Size | 48 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 864.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 18,176 | 2,048 |

| TMUs | 568 | 128 |

| ROPs | 192 | 64 |

| RT Cores | 142 | 32 |

| Tensor Cores | 568 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 478.1 GPixel/s | 158.7 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,414.3 GTexel/s | 317.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 90.52 TFLOPS | 10.15 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 90.52 TFLOPS (1:1) | 20.31 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 300 W | 120 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 16-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | Apple MPX |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| Release Date | 2022-10-12 | 2021-08-02 |

| Launch MSRP | None recorded | 699 USD |

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The Verdict

The data points to a single conclusion: the NVIDIA L40 is in a fundamentally different performance class. Its average benchmark score of 284,111 versus the W6600X’s 107,342 represents a gap of over 2.6 times. The L40’s 99th percentile ranking versus the W6600X’s 94th percentile further confirms this separation.

The L40 is designed for server workloads, indicated by its generation label "Server Ada (Lxx)", its PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, and its 300 W power envelope. The W6600X is designed for Apple MPX systems, has no display outputs, and draws only 120 W. These are not competing products in the same segment; they serve different platforms and different performance expectations.

For compute-intensive tasks that leverage the L40’s 90.52 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, 48 GB memory capacity, and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth, the L40 is the clear choice from a raw performance standpoint. The W6600X’s 10.15 TFLOPS and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot match that level of throughput, regardless of workload.

The W6600X does have advantages in power efficiency and physical requirements. Its 120 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU make it far easier to integrate into a compact system. Its higher base clock of 2068 MHz suggests it can sustain moderate workloads without relying on boost behavior. However, these advantages do not translate into any benchmark victory in the recorded data.

The verdict from the database is unambiguous: the L40 leads in every performance metric recorded, and the W6600X leads only in power draw, clock rates, and platform compatibility. Any user prioritizing compute performance should select the L40. Any user constrained by power limits or requiring Apple MPX compatibility should consider the W6600X, accepting a major performance trade-off.

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Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA L40 wins in:

• Average benchmark score: 284,111 vs 107,342
• Geekbench OpenCL: 330,926 vs no comparable result
• Geekbench Vulkan: 237,295 vs no comparable result
• Memory capacity: 48 GB vs 8 GB
• Memory bandwidth: 864.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s
• FP32 compute: 90.52 TFLOPS vs 10.15 TFLOPS
• FP16 compute: 90.52 TFLOPS vs 20.31 TFLOPS
• Pixel rate: 478.1 GPixel/s vs 158.7 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 1,414.3 GTexel/s vs 317.3 GTexel/s
• Tensor cores: 568 vs none
• Shading units: 18,176 vs 2,048
• RT cores: 142 vs 32
• Display outputs: 4x DisplayPort 1.4a vs none
• Bus interface flexibility: PCIe 4.0 x16 vs Apple MPX

AMD Radeon Pro W6600X wins in:

• Base clock: 2068 MHz vs 735 MHz
• Boost clock: 2479 MHz vs 2490 MHz (the W6600X is 0.4% lower, so the L40 technically wins here; the W6600X wins the base clock comparison only)
• Power draw: 120 W vs 300 W
• Suggested PSU: 300 W vs 700 W
• Launch MSRP: 699 USD (the L40 has no recorded MSRP)
• Release date earlier by over a year: 2021-08-02 vs 2022-10-12
• Die efficiency in terms of power per transistor: 120 W for 11,060 million transistors vs 300 W for 76,300 million transistors

The use-case split follows directly from these data. The L40 suits server-side compute, AI inference, rendering farms, and any workload that needs large memory pools and high FP32 throughput. The W6600X suits Apple MPX-based systems with strict power budgets, where its lower TDP and 300 W PSU requirement fit into a smaller chassis, and where the absence of display outputs is acceptable because the host platform handles video output. The database shows no workload where the W6600X outperforms the L40 in raw compute, so the decision hinges on platform compatibility and power constraints rather than performance.