NVIDIA A2 vs NVIDIA TITAN V Comparison

The NVIDIA A2 and NVIDIA TITAN V occupy the same performance percentile (79th) according to the aggregate data, yet their individual benchmark profiles could not be more different. The A2 is a low-power Ampere workstation card designed for efficiency and modern API support, while the TITAN V is a high-end Volta behemoth with massive compute throughput. The average benchmark scores are nearly identical—34,690 for the A2 versus 34,355 for the TITAN V—but this masks a 77.5% and 77.6% gap in the two head-to-head tests, where the TITAN V utterly dominates. This paradox—similar aggregate scores but wildly divergent individual results—suggests the average is skewed by test selection rather than representing true performance parity.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split based on workload and environment. For any task involving raw compute throughput in OpenCL or Vulkan, the NVIDIA TITAN V is the definitive choice; it delivers 157,265 in Geekbench OpenCL and 152,117 in Vulkan, dwarfing the A2's 35,357 and 34,023 respectively. That is a 4.4x and 4.5x advantage in these specific tests, which cannot be ignored for compute-heavy applications.

However, the A2 wins decisively on efficiency and deployment flexibility. It consumes 60W compared to the TITAN V's 250W, requires no power connectors (versus 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin), and is single-slot with no display outputs—designed for dense server installations. The TITAN V needs a 600W suggested PSU and takes up dual slots with a 267mm length, making it a physical and power hog.

The verdict for buyers: if you need max compute performance per card and have the power and space budget, the TITAN V is the only option here. If you need a low-profile, low-power accelerator for inference or lightweight rendering in a rack, the A2's 16GB GDDR6 memory and 60W envelope are compelling. The TITAN V's 12GB HBM2 with 651.3 GB/s bandwidth is faster, but the A2's 200.1 GB/s is adequate for its intended role. Neither card is for gaming—the A2 has no outputs, and the TITAN V's DirectX 12 (12_1) support is older than the A2's 12 Ultimate.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent distinct architectural generations. The A2 uses the GA107 chip on Samsung's 8nm process with 8,700 million transistors in a 200 mm² die, yielding a density of 43.5M transistors per mm². The TITAN V uses the GV100 chip on TSMC's 12nm process with 21,100 million transistors in an 815 mm² die, for a density of just 25.9M per mm². The A2's smaller, denser design confirms process improvements, but the TITAN V's sheer scale provides 4x the shading units (5,120 vs 1,280) and 8x the tensor cores (640 vs 40).

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The A2 uses 16GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, achieving 200.1 GB/s. The TITAN V uses 12GB of HBM2 on a 3072-bit bus, achieving 651.3 GB/s—over 3x the bandwidth. The TITAN V also has 320 texture mapping units and 96 ROPs versus the A2's 40 TMUs and 32 ROPs, leading to a 465.6 GTexel/s texture rate versus 70.8 GTexel/s, and a 139.7 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 56.64 GPixel/s.

The A2 includes 10 RT cores, which the TITAN V lacks entirely, giving the A2 hardware ray tracing support. The TITAN V's FP16 throughput is 29.80 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio to FP32, while the A2's FP16 is 4.531 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio—the TITAN V's half-precision capability is 6.5x higher. The A2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the TITAN V is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1), meaning the A2 is more future-proof for modern graphics APIs.

Where Each One Wins

The TITAN V wins decisively in raw compute benchmarks. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 157,265 is 4.4x higher than the A2's 35,357, and its Vulkan score of 152,117 is 4.5x higher than the A2's 34,023. This suggests the TITAN V is superior for GPU compute tasks like scientific simulation, machine learning training, and rendering workloads that leverage its 640 tensor cores and 14.90 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The 651.3 GB/s memory bandwidth also favors large dataset processing.

The A2 wins on efficiency and integration. Its 60W TDP allows passive cooling or low-profile designs, and the lack of power connectors simplifies installation in pre-existing servers. The 16GB memory capacity is 4GB larger than the TITAN V's 12GB, which is advantageous for models or datasets that exceed 12GB but fit within 16GB. The A2's single-slot form factor and PCIe 4.0 x8 interface (versus PCIe 3.0 x16) provide modern connectivity, though the x8 width may bottleneck in some systems.

The A2 also wins on API modernity with DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 support, matching the TITAN V's Vulkan 1.4 but exceeding its DirectX capability. For ray tracing workloads, the A2's 10 RT cores are a prerequisite, as the TITAN V has none. The A2's launch in November 2021 versus the TITAN V's December 2017 means the A2 benefits from four years of architectural refinements, including 8nm versus 12nm process technology.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The TITAN V dominates. It scores 157,265 in Geekbench OpenCL and 152,117 in Vulkan, versus the A2's 35,357 and 34,023—a 77.5% and 77.6% lead respectively. Its FP32 throughput is 14.90 TFLOPS versus 4.531 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the A2 support ray tracing?

A: Yes. The A2 includes 10 RT cores, while the TITAN V has zero RT cores. This makes the A2 the only option here for hardware-accelerated ray tracing workloads.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The A2 has 16GB of GDDR6, while the TITAN V has 12GB of HBM2. However, the TITAN V's memory bandwidth is 651.3 GB/s versus 200.1 GB/s, so the TITAN V moves data much faster despite lower capacity.

Q: Why are their average benchmark scores so close if the TITAN V wins so big?

A: The A2's average score of 34,690 is based on only two Geekbench results, while the TITAN V's 34,355 average includes ten tests across multiple suites (PassMark, 3DMark, Geekbench). The TITAN V's lower scores in DirectX 9 (213), DirectX 10 (153), and DirectX 11 (152) drag its average down, masking its compute strength.

Q: Which card is easier to deploy in a server?

A: The A2. It is single-slot, has no power connectors, requires a 250W PSU, and draws 60W. The TITAN V is dual-slot, requires 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors, needs a 600W PSU, and draws 250W.

Q: What is the TITAN V's launch MSRP?

A: The TITAN V had a launch MSRP of 2,999 USD. The A2 has no launch MSRP listed in the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two shared benchmarks are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, and the TITAN V wins both by overwhelming margins. In OpenCL, the TITAN V scores 157,265 against the A2's 35,357, a delta of -77.5% for the A2. In Vulkan, the TITAN V scores 152,117 against 34,023, a delta of -77.6%. These are not close contests; the TITAN V's architectural advantages—4x shading units, 8x tensor cores, and 3.25x memory bandwidth—translate directly into compute dominance.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite available for the TITAN V, its PassMark G3D score is 19,805, with GPU compute at 9,263. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3,565. These results show the TITAN V is capable in modern DX12 workloads, but its DirectX 9 (213), DirectX 10 (153), and DirectX 11 (152) scores are low, indicating poor legacy API performance relative to its compute power. The A2 has no equivalent PassMark or 3DMark data in the pack, so comparisons beyond Geekbench are impossible.

The A2's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB at 34,561 (0.4% higher) and the AMD Radeon HD 7970 at 34,541 (0.4% higher), showing the A2 sits in a tight cluster of mid-range performers. The TITAN V's rivals include the RTX A1000 at 34,207 (0.4% lower) and the RTX A2000 12 GB at 34,154 (0.6% lower), placing it in a similar cluster. Despite their identical 79th percentile ranking, the head-to-head data proves the TITAN V is in a different performance class for compute, while the A2's aggregate score is buoyed by having fewer, more consistent benchmarks.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every hardware specification. The A2 uses the GA107 chip on an 8nm Samsung process, while the TITAN V uses GV100 on 12nm TSMC. Transistor counts are 8,700 million versus 21,100 million, with die sizes of 200 mm² and 815 mm² respectively. The A2 has 1,280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the TITAN V has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Tensor cores are 40 versus 640, and the A2 adds 10 RT cores that the TITAN V lacks.

Clock speeds differ: the A2 runs at 1440 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, while the TITAN V runs at 1200 MHz base and 1455 MHz boost. Memory specs are stark: the A2 has 16GB GDDR6 at 1563 MHz (12.5 Gbps effective) on a 128-bit bus with 200.1 GB/s bandwidth; the TITAN V has 12GB HBM2 at 848 MHz (1696 Mbps effective) on a 3072-bit bus with 651.3 GB/s bandwidth. Pixel rates are 56.64 GPixel/s versus 139.7 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 70.80 GTexel/s versus 465.6 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specs diverge completely. The A2 is a 60W single-slot card with no power connectors and a 250W suggested PSU; the TITAN V is a 250W dual-slot card with 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors and a 600W PSU. The TITAN V measures 267mm in length, 112mm in height, and 40mm in width. The A2 has no display outputs, while the TITAN V has 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Bus interfaces are PCIe 4.0 x8 for the A2 and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the TITAN V. The A2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4; the TITAN V supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4.