NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC vs NVIDIA L4 Comparison

# NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC vs NVIDIA L4: Database Analysis

The recorded benchmark data places the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC far ahead of the NVIDIA L4 in raw compute performance. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the B300 scores 369,831 against the L4's 140,838, a delta of 162.6% in favor of the B300. This is not a marginal victory; it is a dominant, generation-defining gap. The L4, while efficient, occupies a different performance tier entirely.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison in the database is decisive. The Geekbench OpenCL result shows the B300 delivering 369,831 points, while the L4 manages 140,838 points. The B300 is 162.6% faster in this specific workload, a margin that dwarfs the differences seen between the two cards' respective rivals in their own segments.

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database, the B300 sits at the 100th percentile among all GPUs, meaning no recorded GPU scores higher in this test. The L4, by contrast, sits at the 95th percentile. Both are high performers, but the B300 is at the absolute top of the distribution. The B300 also surpasses its nearest listed rival, the NVIDIA B200, by 7%, and it leads the H200 NVL by 10.4%. Against AMD's Instinct MI300X, the B300 maintains a 16.3% edge. The L4's closest rival, the NVIDIA L40S, scores 295,763, which is 25% below the B300's score, but the L4's own 140,838 score reflects its positioning as a lower-throughput part.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC is the choice for workloads that demand maximum compute throughput. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 162.6% higher than the L4's, and it holds the top percentile position in the database. The B300 is for compute-heavy environments where raw performance is the top priority, such as large-scale AI training, scientific simulation, or high-performance data center workloads. The L4, with its 140,838 score, is a capable and efficient part, but it is not in the same league. The benchmark results indicate the B300 will complete OpenCL tasks in roughly 38% of the time. The L4 is a reasonable selection where the workload is modest and the power envelope is restricted, but for any performance-driven choice, the B300 is the clear winner.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators come from different design generations and have distinct internal layouts. The B300 is built on the Blackwell Ultra architecture (chip GB110), fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 208,000 million transistors onto a 1628 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 127.8 million per square millimeter. The L4 is a smaller Ada Lovelace design (chip AD104) on the same 5 nm process, with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, for 121.8 million per square millimeter. The B300's internal scale is significantly larger, and the data reflects that.

The compute resources differ strongly. The B300 integrates 18,944 shading units, 592 texture mapping units, and 24 render output processors. It has 592 tensor cores. The L4, on the other hand, contains 7,424 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 240 tensor cores. This is a 2.55x difference in shading and 2.47x in tensor cores. The B300 is the larger part in every internal resource category.

Memory and bandwidth are also heavily in the B300's favor. The B300 packs 288 GB of HBM3e across a 8192-bit bus, producing 8.19 TB/s. The L4 has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, pumping 300.1 GB/s. That is a 27.3x differential in memory bandwidth. The L4's memory is also smaller physically, and its GDDR6 memory type does not match the HBM3e stack.

The B300's clock strategy is also different. It runs at 1665 MHz base and 2032 MHz boost, with memory at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The L4 is slower: 795 MHz base, 2040 MHz boost, memory at 1563 MHz (12.5 Gbps effective). In raw compute, the B300's FP32 rating is 76.99 TFLOPS, while the L4's is 30.29 TFLOPS. The L4's 30.29 TFLOPS is not a small number, but the B300's is 154.2% higher.

Specification Differences

Where the two parts differ, the specification sheet shows the B300 as a much more physically large part. The B300 has a 1100 W TDP and is an SXM module form factor, while the L4 is a single-slot card at 72 W. The B300's suggested PSU is 1500 W; the L4's is 250 W. The B300 uses a PCIe 6.0 x16 interface, the L4 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The L4 has no display outputs, same as the B300.

The B300 is listed as Active in production; the L4's production status is Active as well. The B300's release was September 10, 2025. The L4's release was March 20, 2023. The B300's predecessor is "Server Hopper," while the L4's predecessor is "Server Ampere." The successors are likewise different: "Server Rubin" for the B300 and "Server Hopper" for the L4.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster, the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC or the NVIDIA L4?

A: The NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC is decisively faster. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 369,831 versus the L4's 140,838, which is 162.6% higher. No other data in the database is close.

Q: How much memory does the B300 have?

A: The B300 includes 288 GB of HBM3e on a 8192-bit bus, with 8.19 TB/s bandwidth. The L4 has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus and 300.1 GB/s.

Q: Is the L4 a good card for heavy compute?

A: Not relative to the B300. The L4 scores 140,838 in OpenCL, while the B300 scores 369,831, a 162.6% lead. The L4 is a capable mid-tier card, but the B300 is in the top of the database.

Q: What process node do they use?

A: Both use TSMC's 5 nm process. The B300 has 208,000 million transistors on a 1628 mm² die; the L4 has 35,800 million on 294 mm².

Q: Do they have the same bus interface?

A: No. The B300 uses PCIe 6.0 x16, while the L4 uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Q: What is the difference in tensor core counts?

A: The B300 has 592 tensor cores, the L4 has 240. That ratio is 2.47x in favor of the B300.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the benchmark placements, the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC is the pick in all head-to-head comparisons: it won the only recorded head-to-head test, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a 162.6% delta. It also either ties or wins in every category where data exists. The NVIDIA L4 doesn't win a single comparison; the B300 is better in raw compute, memory bandwidth, memory capacity, shading units, TMUs, ROPs, tensor cores, clock speed, FP32 throughput, and interface. The L4 is a more efficient, lower-power card (72 W vs 1100 W), and in a single-slot form factor, which gives it a place in power-constrained, density-critical environments. But in a benchmark database where the goal is to get maximum compute, the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC is the only choice.