NVIDIA B300 vs NVIDIA H20 NVL16 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no benchmark scores for either the NVIDIA B300 or the NVIDIA H20 NVL16. With an average benchmark score of 0 and a percentile rank of 50 for both cards, there is no measured performance data to compare directly. The head-to-head benchmark section is empty, and neither card records any wins in this category.

The absence of scores means that any performance comparison must be derived from the technical specifications listed in the database. The B300 uses the GB110 chip under the Blackwell Ultra architecture, while the H20 NVL16 uses the GH100 chip under the Hopper architecture. Both are built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the B300 packs 104,000 million transistors against the H20's 80,000 million.

Clock speeds tell a mixed story. The B300 has a base clock of 1665 MHz and a boost clock of 2032 MHz. The H20 NVL16 runs a higher base clock at 1830 MHz but a lower boost clock at 1980 MHz. The B300's higher boost clock suggests it can sustain greater peak throughput, while the H20's higher base clock indicates a more consistent baseline frequency.

Memory capacity and bandwidth are where the B300 pulls decisively ahead. The B300 carries 144 GB of HBM3e memory across a 4096-bit bus, delivering 4.10 TB/s of bandwidth. The H20 NVL16 offers 96 GB of HBM3 memory on a wider 6144-bit bus, yielding 4.03 TB/s. The B300's memory is both larger and slightly faster in raw bandwidth, though the H20's wider bus partially compensates for its lower memory clock.

The compute resources show a substantial gap. The B300 features 18,944 shading units, 592 texture mapping units, and 592 tensor cores. The H20 NVL16 has 9,984 shading units, 312 TMUs, and 312 tensor cores. In FP32 throughput, the B300 delivers 76.99 TFLOPS versus the H20's 39.54 TFLOPS. For FP16, the B300 reaches 1,231.8 TFLOPS (16:1 ratio), while the H20 produces 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The B300's FP16 advantage is particularly stark, reflecting its architecture's emphasis on tensor operations.

Pixel and texture rates reinforce this pattern. The B300 outputs 48.77 GPixel/s and 1,202.9 GTexel/s. The H20 NVL16 outputs 47.52 GPixel/s and 617.8 GTexel/s. Pixel rates are nearly identical, but the B300's texture rate is roughly double that of the H20.

Power draw diverges sharply. The B300 has a TDP of 1400 W and a suggested PSU of 1800 W. The H20 NVL16 has a TDP of 400 W and a suggested PSU of 800 W. The B300 consumes 3.5 times the power of the H20, which has direct implications for system design, cooling, and energy costs in dense server deployments.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear performance hierarchy. The B300 leads on nearly every compute metric: FP32 throughput, FP16 throughput, texture rate, shading units, tensor cores, and memory capacity. It also has a higher boost clock and slightly higher memory bandwidth. The H20 NVL16 wins on base clock, memory bus width, and power efficiency, but these advantages do not translate into higher raw compute scores in the recorded specifications.

For workloads that are bound by FP32 or FP16 compute, the B300 is the stronger choice. Its 76.99 TFLOPS FP32 output is nearly double the H20's 39.54 TFLOPS. In FP16, the B300's 1,231.8 TFLOPS is more than 15 times the H20's 79.07 TFLOPS, though the different FP16 ratios (16:1 for B300, 2:1 for H20) mean these figures are not directly comparable for all use cases.

The H20 NVL16 serves a different requirement profile. Its 400 W TDP allows for far denser server configurations, and its 96 GB memory capacity remains substantial for many inference and training tasks. The H20's 6144-bit bus, wider than the B300's 4096-bit bus, indicates a design focused on memory throughput per watt.

Neither card has a launch MSRP recorded in the database, so no price-based comparison is possible from the available facts.

Where Each One Wins

The B300 wins in scenarios that demand maximum compute density. Its 144 GB memory capacity, 4.10 TB/s bandwidth, and 592 tensor cores make it suited for large-scale model training, where the ability to hold bigger batches and larger models in memory directly reduces communication overhead. The FP16 throughput of 1,231.8 TFLOPS supports high-efficiency tensor operations, assuming the workload can leverage the 16:1 FP16 ratio.

The B300 also excels in texture-bound graphics or rendering tasks, if such workloads were applicable to a server accelerator. Its 1,202.9 GTexel/s rate is roughly double the H20's 617.8 GTexel/s, and the shading unit count of 18,944 provides substantial parallel processing capability.

The H20 NVL16 wins in power-constrained environments. A 400 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 800 W means multiple H20 units can fit into the power budget of a single B300. The H20's 96 GB memory and 4.03 TB/s bandwidth still provide solid throughput for inference serving, where latency per request often matters more than raw aggregate compute.

The H20's higher base clock of 1830 MHz versus the B300's 1665 MHz suggests more stable performance under sustained loads that do not reach boost frequencies. Its 6144-bit bus also means the H20 can access its memory across a wider interface, potentially reducing memory latency in access patterns that benefit from parallelism.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The NVIDIA B300 has 144 GB of HBM3e memory, while the NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has 96 GB of HBM3 memory.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The B300 delivers 4.10 TB/s across a 4096-bit bus, and the H20 NVL16 delivers 4.03 TB/s across a 6144-bit bus. The B300 is about 1.7% faster in raw bandwidth terms.

Q: How do the FP32 compute capabilities compare?

A: The B300 outputs 76.99 TFLOPS in FP32, nearly double the H20 NVL16's 39.54 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The B300 has a TDP of 1400 W and suggests an 1800 W PSU. The H20 NVL16 has a TDP of 400 W and suggests an 800 W PSU.

Q: Which GPU has more tensor cores?

A: The B300 has 592 tensor cores, compared to the H20 NVL16's 312 tensor cores.

Q: Are both GPUs on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both use a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the B300 has 104,000 million transistors versus the H20's 80,000 million.

Architecture Differences

The B300 is built on the Blackwell Ultra architecture with the GB110 chip, while the H20 NVL16 uses the Hopper architecture with the GH100 chip. The B300 belongs to the Server Blackwell generation, and the H20 NVL16 belongs to the Server Hopper generation. The B300's predecessor is Server Hopper, and its successor is Server Rubin. The H20 NVL16's predecessor is Server Ada, and its successor is Server Blackwell.

Both chips are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The B300 integrates 104,000 million transistors, while the H20 NVL16 integrates 80,000 million. The H20 NVL16 has a recorded die size of 814 mm² and a transistor density of 98.3 million per mm². The B300's die size is not recorded in the database.

Memory architecture differs significantly. The B300 uses HBM3e with 144 GB capacity, a 4096-bit bus, and a memory clock of 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective speed. The H20 NVL16 uses HBM3 with 96 GB capacity, a 6144-bit bus, and a memory clock of 1313 MHz with 5.3 Gbps effective speed. The wider bus on the H20 partially offsets its lower clock speed, resulting in bandwidth figures within 2% of each other.

The compute core layout shows a generational shift. The B300 contains 18,944 shading units, 592 TMUs, and 592 tensor cores. The H20 NVL16 contains 9,984 shading units, 312 TMUs, and 312 tensor cores. The B300 effectively doubles the H20's unit counts across all three categories.

Clock behavior also differs. The B300 runs at 1665 MHz base and 2032 MHz boost. The H20 NVL16 runs at 1830 MHz base and 1980 MHz boost. The B300's boost clock is 52 MHz higher, but its base clock is 165 MHz lower, implying a wider frequency range under load.

Both cards are SXM modules with PCIe 5.0 x16 interfaces and no display outputs. The B300 has no recorded API support data, while the H20 NVL16 lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A. The B300's release date is recorded as 2025-09-10, and the H20 NVL16's release date is 2025-09-01, placing them nine days apart in the database timeline.

The power delivery requirements reflect the architectural gap. The B300's 1400 W TDP and 1800 W suggested PSU contrast with the H20 NVL16's 400 W TDP and 800 W suggested PSU. Both cards are listed as active in production status.