NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB vs NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB and the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile represent two distinct interpretations of the Ampere architecture, aimed at radically different use cases. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the choice is not merely about raw speed; it is about form factor, memory subsystem, and intended workload. The A100 PCIe 40 GB is a server-centric compute accelerator with a 97th percentile ranking, while the RTX A5500 Mobile is a high-end laptop GPU with a 94th percentile ranking. Based strictly on benchmark results, the A100 dominates the head-to-head comparison, winning both available tests by substantial margins, but the A5500 Mobile offers a feature set and power profile that the A100 cannot match.

The Verdict

The benchmark data leaves no ambiguity regarding raw compute performance. The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB wins both head-to-head tests decisively. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the A100 scores 178,627 against the A5500 Mobile's 124,287, a delta of 43.7%. In the Vulkan test, the A100 scores 146,380 against 103,601, a delta of 41.3%. This makes the A100 the unequivocal choice for workloads where maximum throughput is the sole priority, such as large-scale data center compute or high-performance computing tasks.

The A100's average benchmark score of 162,504 places it in the 97th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation at 166,094 (a -2.2% delta). The A5500 Mobile, with an average score of 113,944, sits in the 94th percentile, with its closest competitor being the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB at 114,395 (a -0.4% delta). This indicates that the A5500 Mobile is a capable performer in its own right, but it is in a different performance class than the A100.

The true differentiator is the platform. The A100 is a dual-slot, 250 W card with no display outputs, requiring an external 8-pin EPS power connector and a 600 W recommended PSU. It is designed to be installed in a server chassis and driven remotely. Conversely, the RTX A5500 Mobile is a 165 W mobile chip with no dedicated power connectors, meant to be integrated into a laptop. Its display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent." Therefore, the A5500 Mobile is the only viable choice for professionals who need NVIDIA RTX-class performance in a portable workstation. The A100 cannot be used in a mobile context, and the A5500 Mobile is not suited for a rack server. The data suggests that users should select the A100 for fixed compute density and the A5500 Mobile for on-the-go rendering or simulation work that requires CUDA acceleration.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher raw compute performance based on the benchmark data?

A: The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB is significantly faster. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 178,627 versus 124,287 for the RTX A5500 Mobile, and the Vulkan test with 146,380 versus 103,601.

Q: How does the RTX A5500 Mobile compare to its nearest competitor?

A: The A5500 Mobile's average benchmark score of 113,944 is only 0.4% lower than its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, which scores 114,395. This places the A5500 Mobile in the 94th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the RTX A5500 Mobile support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes. The data lists the RTX A5500 Mobile as supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The A100 PCIe 40 GB does not have listed API support in the provided data.

Q: Is the A100 PCIe 40 GB suitable for a workstation with a monitor?

A: No. The A100 PCIe 40 GB has "No outputs" for display connections. It is designed as a compute accelerator without video output capabilities, whereas the RTX A5500 Mobile is "Portable Device Dependent," meaning its outputs depend on the host laptop.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth differences between the two cards?

A: The A100 has a massive advantage. It utilizes 40 GB of HBM2e memory on a 5120-bit bus, delivering 1.56 TB/s of bandwidth. The A5500 Mobile uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The RTX A5500 Mobile has a higher boost clock of 1500 MHz compared to the A100's 1410 MHz. However, the A100's architecture and memory subsystem still allow it to achieve far higher benchmark scores.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different design philosophies within the Ampere generation. The NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB uses the GA100 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This chip contains 54,200 million transistors on a die size of 826 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 65.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX A5500 Mobile uses the GA103 chip, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This smaller chip integrates 22,000 million transistors on a 496 mm² die, with a density of 44.4 million per square millimeter. The A100's larger, denser chip is a clear indicator of its server-grade compute focus.

The A100 is classified under the "Server Ampere (Axx)" generation, while the A5500 Mobile belongs to the "Ampere-MW (Ax000)" generation. This distinction is critical. The A100 implements 432 tensor cores and has no dedicated ray tracing cores listed. In contrast, the A5500 Mobile includes 58 dedicated ray tracing cores alongside 232 tensor cores. This indicates that the A5500 Mobile is designed for graphics workloads that benefit from ray tracing, while the A100 focuses on matrix math and deep learning acceleration via its tensor cores.

The memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The A100 uses HBM2e, which is a high-bandwidth, on-package memory technology, allowing for a 5120-bit bus and a staggering 1.56 TB/s bandwidth. The A5500 Mobile uses conventional GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus, yielding 512.0 GB/s. This difference in memory technology is a primary reason for the A100's performance lead in compute benchmarks. Furthermore, the A100 has no display outputs, reinforcing its role as a compute-only accelerator, while the A5500 Mobile's display outputs are dependent on the portable device it is integrated into.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts in nearly every category. The process node differs significantly: the A100 uses a 7 nm process, while the A5500 Mobile uses an 8 nm process. The transistor count is nearly 2.5 times higher on the A100 (54,200 million vs 22,000 million), and the die size is 826 mm² versus 496 mm². The A100's transistor density of 65.6M / mm² also surpasses the A5500 Mobile's 44.4M / mm².

Clock speeds show the mobile chip running faster. The A100 has a base clock of 765 MHz and a boost clock of 1410 MHz. The A5500 Mobile has a base clock of 975 MHz and a boost clock of 1500 MHz. Memory clocks also differ, with the A100 running at 1215 MHz (2.4 Gbps effective) and the A5500 Mobile at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). However, the memory bus width is the key differentiator: 5120-bit for the A100 versus 256-bit for the A5500 Mobile.

Memory capacity and type are major points of divergence. The A100 offers 40 GB of HBM2e, while the A5500 Mobile offers 16 GB of GDDR6. Bandwidth figures follow suit: 1.56 TB/s for the A100 versus 512.0 GB/s for the A5500 Mobile. The shading unit counts are close, with the A100 at 6912 and the A5500 Mobile at 7424, but the A100 has 432 TMUs and 160 ROPs, while the A5500 Mobile has 232 TMUs and 96 ROPs. The A100 has 432 tensor cores, and the A5500 Mobile has 232 tensor cores, while the A5500 Mobile uniquely has 58 RT cores.

The power and physical specifications are polar opposites. The A100 has a TDP of 250 W, is dual-slot, requires an 8-pin EPS connector, and lists a 600 W suggested PSU. The A5500 Mobile has a 165 W TDP, no slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The A100 has physical dimensions of 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the A5500 Mobile has no listed dimensions. The A100 is also an end-of-life product released on 2020-06-21, whereas the A5500 Mobile is also end-of-life but was released later on 2022-03-21.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a dominant performance by the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB in both recorded tests. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the A100 scores 178,627, while the RTX A5500 Mobile scores 124,287. This represents a 43.7% advantage for the A100, a massive margin that highlights the compute density of the server chip over the mobile part. This is the A100's biggest win, and it aligns with the A100's purpose as a compute accelerator where raw FP32 throughput (19.49 TFLOPS) and memory bandwidth (1.56 TB/s) are paramount.

The second test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows a similar story. The A100 scores 146,380, while the A5500 Mobile scores 103,601. The delta here is 41.3%, again favoring the A100. While the A5500 Mobile has a higher FP32 rating (22.27 TFLOPS vs 19.49 TFLOPS) and a higher boost clock (1500 MHz vs 1410 MHz), the A100's superior memory subsystem and larger chip architecture enable it to achieve significantly higher real-world scores in these API-based tests.

For the RTX A5500 Mobile, the data shows no wins against the A100. However, its strengths lie outside these specific compute benchmarks. The A5500 Mobile's inclusion of 58 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 suggests that in ray-traced rendering workloads, which are not captured by these Geekbench tests, the mobile chip would be the more capable choice. Additionally, its lower 165 W TDP and lack of external power connectors make it the only option for a mobile workstation. The A100's 250 W TDP and requirement for an 8-pin EPS connector make it physically impossible to deploy in such a scenario. The data shows that while the A100 is the clear winner in raw compute benchmarks, the A5500 Mobile wins in portability and graphics-specific features.