NVIDIA A10M vs NVIDIA L40 Comparison

NVIDIA L40 and NVIDIA A10M are both end-of-life server accelerators from NVIDIA, but they target fundamentally different segments of the compute market. The recorded benchmark data shows a decisive victory for the L40, which posts an average benchmark score of 284,111 compared to the A10M's 135,230. This places the L40 in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the A10M sits in the 96th percentile. The performance gap is not marginal; it is a chasm that defines entirely separate use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The L40 is the clear winner in raw compute throughput. Its average benchmark score is more than double that of the A10M, and in the sole head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL), it leads by 144.7%. This makes the L40 the obvious choice for workloads where raw floating-point performance, memory bandwidth, and rendering capability are paramount. The data indicates that the L40 is built for high-end AI training, large-scale data center visualization, and complex 3D rendering tasks that can leverage its massive shader count and memory subsystem.

The A10M wins in efficiency and physical footprint, not in performance. It is a single-slot card with a 150 W TDP, while the L40 is a dual-slot card with a 300 W TDP. The A10M also requires a less powerful system PSU (450 W suggested versus 700 W for the L40). For deployments where space is constrained, power delivery is limited, or the workload is lighter (such as inference at the edge, virtual desktop infrastructure, or entry-level AI inference), the A10M provides a viable, lower-power alternative. However, the benchmark data does not show a single test where the A10M outperforms the L40.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two accelerators is generational. The L40 uses the AD102 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The A10M uses the GA102 chip on the older Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This process advantage alone accounts for a significant portion of the performance difference.

The transistor counts tell a stark story. The L40 packs 76,300 million transistors into a 609 mm² die, achieving a density of 125.3 million transistors per square millimeter. The A10M contains only 28,300 million transistors on a larger 628 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 45.1 million per square millimeter. This means the L40 has nearly 2.7 times the transistor count, which directly translates to its superior core counts and feature set. The L40 also includes 142 RT cores and 568 tensor cores, while the A10M has 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the L40's newer architecture provides more headroom for ray tracing and tensor operations.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a landslide. The NVIDIA L40 scores 330,926, while the NVIDIA A10M scores 135,230. The delta is 144.7% in favor of the L40. This is not a close race; the L40 more than doubles the A10M's output in this compute-heavy workload.

This result aligns with the theoretical specifications. The L40's FP32 throughput is 90.52 TFLOPS, compared to the A10M's 23.44 TFLOPS. The L40's texture rate is 1,414.3 GTexel/s versus 366.2 GTexel/s for the A10M. The pixel rate is similarly lopsided: 478.1 GPixel/s for the L40 versus 130.8 GPixel/s for the A10M. Memory bandwidth also heavily favors the L40: 864.0 GB/s versus 500.2 GB/s. Every measurable compute metric in the database points to the L40 being in a different performance class entirely.

Specification Differences

The specifications that differ between the two are extensive and define their distinct roles:

• Process Node: L40 is 5 nm (TSMC); A10M is 8 nm (Samsung).
• Transistors: L40 has 76,300 million; A10M has 28,300 million.
• Die Size: L40 is 609 mm²; A10M is 628 mm².
• Transistor Density: L40 is 125.3M / mm²; A10M is 45.1M / mm².
• Base Clock: L40 runs at 735 MHz; A10M at 975 MHz (the A10M has a higher base clock, but a much lower boost clock).
• Boost Clock: L40 reaches 2490 MHz; A10M tops out at 1635 MHz.
• Memory Clock: L40 operates at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective); A10M at 1563 MHz (12.5 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: L40 has 48 GB; A10M has 20 GB.
• Memory Bus Width: L40 uses a 384-bit bus; A10M uses a 320-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: L40 delivers 864.0 GB/s; A10M delivers 500.2 GB/s.
• Shading Units: L40 has 18,176; A10M has 7,168.
• TMUs: L40 has 568; A10M has 224.
• ROPs: L40 has 192; A10M has 80.
• RT Cores: L40 has 142; A10M has 56.
• Tensor Cores: L40 has 568; A10M has 224.
• Pixel Rate: L40 is 478.1 GPixel/s; A10M is 130.8 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: L40 is 1,414.3 GTexel/s; A10M is 366.2 GTexel/s.
• FP32 / FP16: L40 is 90.52 TFLOPS (1:1); A10M is 23.44 TFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: L40 is 300 W; A10M is 150 W.
• Slot Width: L40 is dual-slot; A10M is single-slot.
• Power Connectors: L40 uses 1x 16-pin; A10M uses 8-pin EPS.
• Suggested PSU: L40 requires 700 W; A10M requires 450 W.
• Display Outputs: L40 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a; A10M has no outputs.
• Dimensions: Both are 267 mm long, but the L40 is 111 mm high while the A10M is 112 mm high.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA L40 has an average benchmark score of 284,111, which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA A10M's score of 135,230.

Q: How much faster is the L40 in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The L40 scores 330,926 versus the A10M's 135,230, resulting in a performance advantage of 144.7% for the L40.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The L40 features 48 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the A10M has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Are these cards suitable for displays?

A: The L40 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs and is capable of driving displays. The A10M has no display outputs and is designed strictly for compute workloads.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The L40 has a TDP of 300 W and suggests a 700 W system PSU. The A10M has a TDP of 150 W and suggests a 450 W system PSU.

Q: Which card is in a higher performance percentile?

A: The L40 is in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the A10M is in the 96th percentile.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA L40 is the superior compute accelerator by every measured metric. It offers 90.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 48 GB of memory, and a 144.7% lead in the only direct benchmark comparison. Its architecture is newer, its transistor count is nearly triple, and its memory bandwidth is 73% higher. For any workload that demands maximum throughput, the L40 is the definitive choice.

The NVIDIA A10M, however, is not without a role. Its 150 W TDP and single-slot design make it suitable for dense server configurations where power and space are at a premium. Its 23.44 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is still substantial, and it matches the L40 in API support. For organizations running lighter inference tasks or needing to fit more accelerators into a chassis, the A10M's lower power footprint is its primary advantage. The benchmark data, however, shows no scenario where the A10M wins on raw speed. The verdict is simple: choose the L40 for performance, choose the A10M only if physical constraints override compute needs.