NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark database presents a clear split between these two NVIDIA accelerators, and the division is not subtle. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB is a server-grade compute card from the Ampere generation, engineered for datacenter workloads where sustained throughput and memory capacity dominate. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a consumer Blackwell 2.0 part designed for graphics rendering and general compute with a much higher clock ceiling.

In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D wins every single test. The database shows two direct comparisons: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The A100 takes zero wins; the RTX 5090 D takes both. That is a decisive sweep, but the magnitude of the victory varies by API. The Vulkan gap is enormous, the OpenCL gap is large but less extreme. For users evaluating raw graphics or compute through these APIs, the RTX 5090 D is the clear performer.

However, context matters. The A100 SXM4 40 GB sits in the 98th percentile against all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile. The A100's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 187,147, while the RTX 5090 D averages 77,712. That discrepancy comes from the test suite composition. The A100 has only two benchmark entries, both Geekbench tests, while the RTX 5090 D has ten entries spanning 3DMark, Passmark DX9 through DX12, Passmark G2D/G3D, and compute workloads. The A100's narrow test profile flatters its average, while the RTX 5090 D's broader suite drags its average down with lower-scoring legacy DirectX tests.

The use-case split is therefore not about who wins overall, but where each card's strengths align. The A100 wins on memory capacity, 40 GB of HBM2e versus 32 GB of GDDR7, and on bandwidth per watt characteristics. The RTX 5090 D wins on raw speed, clock rates, and API coverage. For graphics workloads, the RTX 5090 D is the only option with display outputs. The A100 has no display outputs at all, making it strictly a compute or server card.

Architecture Differences

These two GPUs represent opposite ends of NVIDIA's design philosophy. The A100 SXM4 40 GB uses the GA100 chip on a 7 nm process from TSMC, with 54,200 million transistors on a 826 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 65.6 million per square millimeter. The RTX 5090 D uses the GB202 chip on a 5 nm process, also from TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, giving a density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The newer process allows nearly double the density, 122.9 versus 65.6, while the die is smaller, 750 versus 826 mm².

The compute resources diverge sharply. The A100 has 6,912 shading units, 432 TMUs, and 160 ROPs. The RTX 5090 D has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. That is more than three times the shader count, 21,760 versus 6,912, and a 57% advantage in texture units. The ROP count is nearly identical, 176 versus 160. The RTX 5090 D also carries 170 dedicated ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores, while the A100 lists no RT cores and 432 tensor cores. The tensor core counts are 680 versus 432, a 57% lead for the newer card.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The A100 runs at a base of 1095 MHz and boosts to 1410 MHz. The RTX 5090 D runs at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. That is nearly double the base clock, 2017 versus 1095, and a 71% higher boost, 2407 versus 1410. The memory subsystems differ in type. The A100 uses HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus with 1.56 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 D uses GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. The newer card has 15% more bandwidth, 1.79 versus 1.56 TB/s, but the A100's much wider bus, 5120 versus 512 bits, reflects its server heritage.

The A100 is an SXM module with no power connectors, drawing 400 W, while the RTX 5090 D is a dual-slot card with a 16-pin connector, drawing 575 W. The A100 interfaces over PCIe 4.0 x16, the RTX 5090 D over PCIe 5.0 x16. The A100 has no display outputs, the RTX 5090 D has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. The A100 is end-of-life, released in May 2020. The RTX 5090 D is active, released in January 2025.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons. In Geekbench OpenCL, the A100 scores 201,096 and the RTX 5090 D scores 310,674. The RTX 5090 D wins with a delta of 35.3% in its favor. That is a substantial margin, but it is not the most striking result. In Geekbench Vulkan, the A100 scores 173,198 and the RTX 5090 D scores 376,915. The RTX 5090 D wins by 54%, more than doubling the A100's score. The Vulkan delta of 54% is the single largest gap in the head-to-head record.

Interpreting these numbers requires accounting for the APIs. Vulkan is a low-level graphics API that rewards high clock speeds, large shader arrays, and efficient driver overhead. The RTX 5090 D's 21,760 shading units and 2407 MHz boost clearly dominate. OpenCL is a compute API that also favors raw throughput, but the A100's HBM2e memory and server-oriented design narrow the gap somewhat. The 35.3% delta in OpenCL versus 54% in Vulkan shows the A100 is relatively more competitive in compute-style workloads than in graphics-style ones.

The RTX 5090 D's broader benchmark suite provides additional context, even though those tests have no A100 counterpart. Its Passmark G3D score is 44,065, its Passmark GPU Compute score is 28,396, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 14,326. These numbers place it well above typical consumer GPUs, but they are not directly comparable to the A100. The A100's only other data point is its average benchmark score of 187,147, which is computed from its two Geekbench entries.

The nearest rival data reinforces the split. The A100's closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation, with an average score of 184,664 and a delta of 1.3% in the A100's favor. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB is 1.9% behind, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is 2.8% behind. The only rival ahead of the A100 is the NVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB, which is 3.7% ahead. The RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals are all far lower in average score: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% behind, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% ahead, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1% ahead, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is 2.4% ahead. This tells a clear story: the A100's average sits among prosumer and server parts, while the RTX 5090 D's average, dragged down by legacy DX tests, sits near mobile and older datacenter parts.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion for most users. If the workload is graphics rendering, real-time ray tracing, or any task that requires display output, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the only viable choice. It has display outputs, it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and it wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 35.3% and 54%. Its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 and 104.8 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1) performance dwarfs the A100's 19.49 TFLOPS FP32 and 77.97 TFLOPS FP16 (4:1) figures.

If the workload is pure datacenter compute, the A100 SXM4 40 GB still has arguments. It offers 40 GB of HBM2e with 1.56 TB/s bandwidth, which suits large models that fit in memory. Its 400 W TDP is lower than the RTX 5090 D's 575 W, and its SXM form factor is designed for server chassis. The A100's 98th percentile ranking versus the RTX 5090 D's 92nd percentile suggests that in the database's overall GPU hierarchy, the server card is considered more capable relative to all GPUs, despite losing the direct comparisons.

The RTX 5090 D's launch MSRP is 2,299 USD. That is the only pricing data in the database. The A100 has no launch MSRP recorded. The RTX 5090 D is the newer, faster, more feature-rich card by every direct measurement. The A100's strengths are its memory capacity, its established server ecosystem, and its lower power draw. For a buyer choosing between these two today, the RTX 5090 D wins on performance, features, and longevity. The A100 is end-of-life, while the RTX 5090 D is active with a successor already planned.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the direct benchmark comparisons?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D wins both recorded head-to-head tests. It beats the A100 SXM4 40 GB by 35.3% in Geekbench OpenCL and by 54% in Geekbench Vulkan.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The A100 SXM4 40 GB has 40 GB of HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus with 1.56 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. The A100 has more memory, the RTX 5090 D has higher bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units and tensor cores?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 21,760 shading units and 680 tensor cores. The A100 has 6,912 shading units and 432 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 D also has 170 ray tracing cores, while the A100 lists none.

Q: Can the A100 drive a display?

A: No. The A100 SXM4 40 GB has no display outputs. The RTX 5090 D has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The A100 draws 400 W and has no power connectors, using an SXM module interface. The RTX 5090 D draws 575 W and uses a single 16-pin connector. The suggested PSU for the A100 is 800 W, for the RTX 5090 D it is 950 W.

Q: How do their overall database rankings compare?

A: The A100 SXM4 40 GB sits in the 98th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 187,147. The RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile, with an average score of 77,712. The A100's higher percentile reflects its narrower, compute-focused test profile.