NVIDIA A2 vs NVIDIA RTX A6000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive performance gap between the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and the NVIDIA A2 across the two shared benchmark tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX A6000 scores 193,937 points, while the A2 manages 35,357 points. That is a delta of 448.5% in favor of the RTX A6000, meaning the A6000 delivers more than five times the raw compute throughput in this workload. For context, the RTX A6000’s average benchmark score of 44,075 places it roughly 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile and 1.8% above the NVIDIA Quadro M6000, while the A2’s average of 34,690 sits just 0.4% above the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB. The gap between the two cards is not a marginal one; it is a chasm.

The Vulkan results tell a similar story, though the margin narrows slightly. The RTX A6000 posts 164,462 points in Geekbench Vulkan, against 34,023 points for the A2. That is a 383.4% advantage for the A6000. In practical terms, the A6000 is roughly 4.8 times faster in this API, which matters for compute workloads that leverage Vulkan’s low-level access to the GPU. The A2’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon HD 7970 and the NVIDIA TITAN V, all sit within 1.4% of its average score, confirming that the A2 is positioned in a far lower performance tier.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite, the RTX A6000 also has PassMark scores that the A2 lacks entirely in the database. The A6000 achieves 22,577 in PassMark G3D, 14,110 in PassMark GPU Compute, and 913 in PassMark G2D. It also records scores in DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, ranging from 87 in DirectX 12 to 245 in DirectX 9. The A2 has no recorded PassMark results, which limits direct comparisons, but the Geekbench data alone is sufficient to establish the hierarchy. The RTX A6000 is not just ahead; it is ahead by multiples, not percentages.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA RTX A6000 is the superior card for anyone who needs maximum compute throughput. Its average benchmark score of 44,075 places it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, while the A2 sits in the 79th percentile with an average score of 34,690. The A6000 wins both head-to-head tests, and its nearest rivals in the database are high-end parts like the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and the RTX 4090 Mobile. The A2’s nearest rivals, by contrast, include the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB and the RTX A1000, both of which are entry-level workstation cards. If your workload demands heavy compute, rendering, or simulation, the RTX A6000 is the obvious choice.

However, the A2 is not without its merits. It is a single-slot, 60 W card with no power connectors, which means it can drop into systems with minimal power and space requirements. The RTX A6000, by comparison, is a dual-slot card with a 300 W TDP and an 8-pin EPS connector, requiring a 700 W power supply. For a server or edge deployment where power density and physical footprint are the primary constraints, the A2’s low profile is a significant advantage. The A2 also has no display outputs, which suggests it is intended for headless compute or inference tasks rather than interactive graphics. If your priority is raw performance, pick the RTX A6000. If your priority is efficiency and compactness, the A2 is the only option that fits.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture and use Samsung’s 8 nm process node, but they are vastly different chips. The RTX A6000 uses the GA102 die, which packs 28,300 million transistors onto a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1 million transistors per mm². The A2 uses the GA107 die, which has 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, for a density of 43.5 million transistors per mm². The GA102 is a full-size flagship die, while the GA107 is a cut-down entry-level part, and that difference dominates every other spec.

The compute resources reflect this divide. The RTX A6000 has 10,752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. The A2 has 1,280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That is roughly 8.4 times more shading units and 8.4 times more TMUs on the A6000. Ray tracing and tensor cores follow the same pattern: the A6000 has 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores, while the A2 has 10 RT cores and 40 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput tells the story cleanly: the A6000 delivers 38.71 TFLOPS, while the A2 delivers 4.531 TFLOPS. Both cards support FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, so the relative gap is identical in half-precision work.

Memory is another major divider. The RTX A6000 comes with 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, providing 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The A2 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 200.1 GB/s. The effective memory clock also differs: the A6000 runs at 16 Gbps, while the A2 runs at 12.5 Gbps. For large datasets or high-resolution textures, the A6000’s extra capacity and bandwidth are critical. The A2’s smaller memory footprint will cap its usefulness in memory-bound workloads, even if its compute were sufficient.

The two cards also differ in interface and output. The RTX A6000 uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 connection and has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The A2 uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 connection and has no display outputs at all. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so software compatibility is identical. The RTX A6000 was released in October 2020 with a launch MSRP of 4,649 USD, while the A2 came later in November 2021. Both are now end-of-life, with the same predecessor (Quadro Turing) and successor (Workstation Ada) in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A6000 scores 193,937 points, which is 448.5% higher than the A2’s 35,357 points. The A6000 wins decisively.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX A6000 scores 164,462 points in Geekbench Vulkan, while the A2 scores 34,023 points. The A6000 leads by 383.4%.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX A6000 has a 300 W TDP and requires a 700 W power supply, while the A2 has a 60 W TDP and only needs a 250 W power supply. The A2 also has no power connectors, while the A6000 uses an 8-pin EPS connector.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. There is no difference in API support between the two.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RTX A6000 has 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, while the A2 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is 768.0 GB/s for the A6000 and 200.1 GB/s for the A2.

Q: Which card is better for a compact server or edge deployment?

A: The A2 is the better fit for space-constrained systems. It is single-slot, has no power connectors, and a 60 W TDP, whereas the RTX A6000 is dual-slot, uses an 8-pin EPS connector, and draws 300 W.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX A6000 wins every benchmark where both cards have recorded results. It is the clear choice for compute-heavy workloads such as 3D rendering, scientific simulation, machine learning training, and any task that can leverage its 38.71 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput or its 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores. The 48 GB memory pool and 768.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for datasets that would exhaust the A2’s 16 GB capacity. The A6000 also has display outputs, so it can drive up to four 4K displays, which is useful for visualization work. Its dual-slot design and 300 W TDP are acceptable in a workstation or rack server with adequate cooling.

The A2 wins on physical and electrical efficiency. Its 60 W TDP means it can run in passively cooled or low-power systems, and its single-slot design fits in dense chassis where space is at a premium. The lack of power connectors simplifies installation, and the 250 W suggested power supply means it can be paired with a modest system PSU. The A2 is best suited for headless inference, video encoding, or light compute tasks where the workload is small enough to fit in 16 GB of memory and does not require the A6000’s massive compute resources. Its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is sufficient for its bandwidth needs, and its absence of display outputs is not a drawback in a server environment.

In short, the RTX A6000 is a flagship workstation card that dominates in every measured metric. The A2 is a low-power compute accelerator that trades performance for efficiency. The data does not suggest any scenario where the A2 outperforms the A6000, but it does suggest scenarios where the A2 is the more practical choice. If you need maximum performance, buy the A6000. If you need minimal power draw and footprint, the A2 is the only option that fits.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every specification. The RTX A6000 uses the GA102 chip, while the A2 uses the GA107. Transistor count is 28,300 million versus 8,700 million, and die size is 628 mm² versus 200 mm². The A6000 has a base clock of 1410 MHz and a boost clock of 1800 MHz, while the A2 has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The A6000’s memory runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed, while the A2’s runs at 1563 MHz with 12.5 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration differs significantly: the A6000 has 48 GB, a 384-bit bus, and 768.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the A2 has 16 GB, a 128-bit bus, and 200.1 GB/s bandwidth. Shading units are 10,752 versus 1,280, TMUs are 336 versus 40, and ROPs are 112 versus 32. RT cores are 84 versus 10, and tensor cores are 336 versus 40. Pixel rate is 201.6 GPixel/s versus 56.64 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 604.8 GTexel/s versus 70.80 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 are both 38.71 TFLOPS on the A6000 versus 4.531 TFLOPS on the A2.

Power and physical specs are also different. The A6000 has a 300 W TDP, is dual-slot, uses an 8-pin EPS connector, and requires a 700 W power supply. The A2 has a 60 W TDP, is single-slot, has no power connectors, and requires a 250 W power supply. The A6000 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the A2 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a on the A6000 and none on the A2. The A6000 measures 267 mm in length and 112 mm in height, while the A2 has no recorded dimensions. The A6000 was released in October 2020 with a launch MSRP of 4,649 USD, while the A2 was released in November 2021 with no recorded MSRP. Both are end-of-life products.