NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive victory for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 in the two directly comparable benchmark tests. The RTX 5090 wins both head-to-head matchups, leaving the A100 SXM4 40 GB without a single win in these direct comparisons.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 5090 scores 334,370 against the A100's 201,096. That is a 39.9% advantage for the GeForce card. The gap is substantial and consistent with the architectural positioning of the two products: one is a server compute accelerator from 2020, the other a consumer flagship from 2025.

The Vulkan result is even more lopsided. The RTX 5090 records 376,728 points, while the A100 SXM4 40 GB manages 173,198. The delta here is 54% in favor of the RTX 5090. This is a massive difference, more than doubling the A100's score. Vulkan is a graphics-oriented API, and the A100 has no display outputs, so this result likely reflects the GeForce card's dedicated graphics pipeline and higher shading throughput.

Looking at the broader database averages, the picture becomes more complex. The A100 SXM4 40 GB has an average benchmark score of 187,147 across all recorded tests, while the RTX 5090 averages 79,842. However, this average is skewed by the RTX 5090's inclusion of several low-scoring legacy DirectX tests in its benchmark suite. The A100 has only two recorded benchmarks, both compute-oriented, while the RTX 5090 has ten, including PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests that score between 185 and 395. These legacy tests drag down the GeForce card's average despite its strong modern performance.

The percentile rankings tell a different story about database-wide standing. The A100 SXM4 40 GB sits at the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5090 is at the 92nd percentile. The A100's higher percentile reflects its consistent compute performance across its limited benchmark set, while the RTX 5090's broader test coverage includes older workloads where it does not shine.

When examining nearest rivals, the A100 SXM4 40 GB is 1.3% ahead of the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, 1.9% ahead of the A100 SXM4 80 GB, and 2.8% ahead of the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell. It trails the Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB by 3.7%. The RTX 5090, by contrast, is 0.3% ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.6% ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, while trailing the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%. These rival comparisons show that both cards cluster tightly with their respective peers, despite the large head-to-head gap between them.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 wins with a score of 334,370, which is 39.9% higher than the A100 SXM4 40 GB's 201,096.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The RTX 5090 scores 376,728 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the A100 SXM4 40 GB scores 173,198. The RTX 5090 leads by 54%.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking in the database?

A: The A100 SXM4 40 GB ranks at the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5090 ranks at the 92nd percentile.

Q: Does the A100 beat any of its nearest rivals?

A: Yes, the A100 SXM4 40 GB is 1.3% ahead of the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, 1.9% ahead of the A100 SXM4 80 GB, and 2.8% ahead of the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell. It only trails the Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB by 3.7%.

Q: What is the RTX 5090's closest rival according to average score?

A: The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is the closest, with the RTX 5090 leading by just 0.3%. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB trails by 0.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.1%.

Q: Why does the A100 have a higher average benchmark score despite losing both head-to-head tests?

A: The A100's average of 187,147 comes from only two compute-oriented benchmarks. The RTX 5090's average of 79,842 includes ten tests, several of which are legacy PassMark DirectX workloads that score very low, pulling its average down.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and target different market segments. The A100 SXM4 40 GB uses the GA100 chip on the Ampere architecture, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. The process shrink is significant, and the transistor data reflects it.

The A100 packs 54,200 million transistors on an 826 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 65.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX 5090 carries 92,200 million transistors on a smaller 750 mm² die, achieving a density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. That is nearly double the density, a direct consequence of the newer process node and architectural design.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The A100 uses 40 GB of HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus, delivering 1.56 TB/s of bandwidth. Memory clock is listed at 1215 MHz, or 2.4 Gbps effective. The RTX 5090 uses 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, with 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock is 1750 MHz, or 28 Gbps effective. The A100 has a wider bus but slower memory, while the RTX 5090 compensates with much faster GDDR7.

Compute resources differ substantially. The A100 has 6,912 shading units, 432 TMUs, and 160 ROPs. It also includes 432 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, plus 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The RTX 5090's shading unit count is more than triple that of the A100.

Clock speeds are dramatically different. The A100 runs at a 1095 MHz base and 1410 MHz boost. The RTX 5090 runs at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. The GeForce card's boost clock is over 1 GHz higher than the A100's.

The FP32 throughput tells the story clearly. The A100 delivers 19.49 TFLOPS, while the RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS. That is a 5.4x difference in raw single-precision compute. FP16 performance is also divergent: the A100 advertises 77.97 TFLOPS at a 4:1 ratio, while the RTX 5090 achieves 104.8 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio.

Form factor and power delivery also differ. The A100 is an SXM module with no power connectors and no display outputs. The RTX 5090 is a dual-slot card with a 16-pin connector, and it includes 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. The A100 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 5090 uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The A100 has no listed DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan API support, while the RTX 5090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that the RTX 5090 is the clear winner in the two direct comparisons available. It leads by 39.9% in OpenCL and 54% in Vulkan. For any workload represented by those tests, the RTX 5090 is the stronger choice.

However, the A100 SXM4 40 GB is not without merit. Its 98th percentile ranking versus the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile suggests that, across the entire database of GPUs, the A100 holds a higher standing among all recorded devices. Its average benchmark score of 187,147 is more than double the RTX 5090's 79,842, though this is heavily influenced by the RTX 5090's inclusion of low-scoring legacy tests.

The A100's nearest rival comparisons show it competing at a high level within its server-class peer group. It leads the RTX 5000 Ada Generation by 1.3%, the A100 SXM4 80 GB by 1.9%, and the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell by 2.8%. The RTX 5090's rival group, meanwhile, consists of much older hardware like the Tesla P100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, with deltas under 1.5% in either direction.

The choice between these two cards depends on the workload. For modern compute and graphics benchmarks, the RTX 5090 is superior. For users prioritizing a GPU that ranks at the 98th percentile in the database and has a higher average score across its benchmark set, the A100 remains a valid option. The A100 is also the only one of the two with an end-of-life production status, while the RTX 5090 is active. The A100 has no display outputs, making it unsuitable for any graphics output workload. The RTX 5090, with its HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, is the only one that can drive a display.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every recorded specification. The A100 uses the GA100 chip on Ampere architecture, while the RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip on Blackwell 2.0. Process nodes differ: 7 nm for the A100, 5 nm for the RTX 5090. Transistor counts are 54,200 million versus 92,200 million. Die size is 826 mm² for the A100 and 750 mm² for the RTX 5090. Transistor density is 65.6M per mm² versus 122.9M per mm².

Base clocks are 1095 MHz versus 2017 MHz. Boost clocks are 1410 MHz versus 2407 MHz. Memory clocks are 1215 MHz (2.4 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). Memory size is 40 GB versus 32 GB. Memory type is HBM2e versus GDDR7. Bus width is 5120 bit versus 512 bit. Bandwidth is 1.56 TB/s versus 1.79 TB/s.

Shading units are 6,912 versus 21,760. TMUs are 432 versus 680. ROPs are 160 versus 176. The A100 has no RT cores listed, while the RTX 5090 has 170. Tensor cores are 432 versus 680. Pixel rate is 225.6 GPixel/s versus 423.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 609.1 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s. FP32 is 19.49 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS. FP16 is 77.97 TFLOPS (4:1) versus 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1).

TDP is 400 W versus 575 W. Slot width is SXM Module versus dual-slot. Power connectors are none versus 1x 16-pin. Suggested PSU is 800 W versus 950 W. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are none versus 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. API support is absent on the A100, while the RTX 5090 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Dimensions are not listed for the A100, while the RTX 5090 measures 304 mm by 137 mm by 40 mm. Production status is end-of-life for the A100 and active for the RTX 5090. Release dates are 2020-05-13 for the A100 and 2025-01-29 for the RTX 5090. The RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5090 wins in raw compute benchmarks. It beats the A100 by 39.9% in OpenCL and by 54% in Vulkan. It has more than five times the FP32 throughput, higher clock speeds, and a much larger shading unit count. It is the choice for any workload that relies on the Geekbench tests or on raw single-precision compute. It also has display outputs, making it the only option here that can drive a monitor. Its active production status means it is currently available, and its PCIe 5.0 interface provides a newer bus standard.

The A100 SXM4 40 GB wins in database standing. It holds the 98th percentile versus the RTX 5090's 92nd. Its average benchmark score of 187,147 is far higher than the RTX 5090's 79,842. It leads its nearest rivals, including the RTX 5000 Ada Generation and the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, by margins of 1.3% to 2.8%. Its HBM2e memory provides a wider 5120-bit bus, and its 40 GB capacity exceeds the RTX 5090's 32 GB. It also has a lower TDP at 400 W versus 575 W, and a lower suggested PSU of 800 W versus 950 W.

For compute-heavy server workloads that resemble the A100's benchmark set, the A100's higher percentile and average score make it a defensible choice. For modern graphics and compute workloads measured by OpenCL and Vulkan, the RTX 5090 is the clear winner. The data does not support a single universal winner; it supports a workload-dependent split.