NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D vs NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two NVIDIA accelerators, with the GeForce RTX 4090 D taking every head-to-head contest. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4090 D scores 278,621 against the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB’s 131,696, a 111.6% advantage. That is more than double the raw compute output, and it shows in the Vulkan test too, where the 4090 D posts 246,941 versus 143,765, a 71.8% lead. There is no benchmark in the pack where the V100 wins.

The RTX 4090 D’s wins are not marginal. They are decisive across both API workloads. OpenCL exposes the largest gap, likely reflecting the 4090 D’s far higher FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth. The Vulkan gap, while smaller in percentage terms, still represents a 103,176-point absolute difference. For any workload that leans on these APIs, the 4090 D is the clear choice.

The Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB does have one structural advantage: memory capacity. It carries 32 GB of HBM2 versus the 4090 D’s 24 GB of GDDR6X. That extra 8 GB matters for models or datasets that exceed the 4090 D’s frame buffer. But in the benchmarks recorded, that capacity advantage never translates into a performance win. The V100’s 898.0 GB/s bandwidth is actually lower than the 4090 D’s 1.01 TB/s, so even in memory-bound scenarios the newer card holds the edge on throughput.

Where the V100 might still be relevant is in its niche as a compute-only SXM module. It has no display outputs, draws 250 W, and uses no power connectors, fitting into server chassis designed for that form factor. The 4090 D is a triple-slot PCIe card with display outputs and a 425 W TDP. Different physical designs, but the benchmark story is one-sided.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras and process nodes. The RTX 4090 D is built on Ada Lovelace, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process with 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². The Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB uses Volta, on TSMC’s 12 nm process, with 21,100 million transistors spread across a larger 815 mm² die, giving a density of just 25.9M per mm². The node advantage is stark: the 4090 D packs over six times more transistors per square millimeter.

Core counts follow the same trend. The 4090 D has 14,592 shading units, 456 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The V100 has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. Ray tracing hardware exists only on the Ada card, with 114 RT cores. The V100 has none. Tensor cores are present on both, but the 4090 D’s 456 tensor cores dwarf the V100’s 640 in count—wait, that is not right. The 4090 D has 456 tensor cores, and the V100 has 640. The V100 actually has more tensor cores, which is notable for a compute-focused card. However, the 4090 D’s tensor cores are from a newer generation with higher per-core throughput, which the benchmark scores reflect.

Clock speeds heavily favor the Ada part. The 4090 D runs at a 2280 MHz base and 2520 MHz boost, versus the V100’s 1290 MHz base and 1530 MHz boost. That is over 900 MHz higher boost clock. Memory also differs fundamentally: the 4090 D uses 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), delivering 1.01 TB/s. The V100 uses 32 GB of HBM2 on a massive 4096-bit bus at 877 MHz (1754 Mbps effective), yielding 898.0 GB/s. The 4090 D wins on bandwidth despite a much narrower bus, thanks to faster memory technology.

Compute rates tell the performance story. The 4090 D delivers 73.54 TFLOPS FP32 and the same 73.54 TFLOPS FP16 with 1:1 ratio. The V100 offers 15.67 TFLOPS FP32 and 31.33 TFLOPS FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. So the 4090 D is 4.7x faster in FP32 and 2.3x faster in FP16. Pixel and texture rates follow: 443.5 GPixel/s and 1,149.1 GTexel/s for the 4090 D, versus 195.8 GPixel/s and 489.6 GTexel/s for the V100.

API support also differs. The 4090 D supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the V100 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The 4090 D connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, the V100 via PCIe 3.0 x16. Power requirements are 425 W TDP with a single 16-pin connector and 800 W suggested PSU for the 4090 D, versus 250 W TDP, no connectors, and 600 W suggested PSU for the V100.

The Verdict

The data points to one answer for most buyers: the GeForce RTX 4090 D is the faster GPU by every measured metric. Its average benchmark score of 178,050 places it in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the V100’s 137,731 average sits in the 96th percentile. The 4090 D also holds a 29.3% lead in average score (178,050 vs 137,731). In head-to-head tests, it wins both, with deltas of 111.6% and 71.8%. Anyone choosing between these two for raw performance should take the 4090 D without hesitation.

But the V100’s 32 GB capacity is a genuine differentiator. For workloads that need more than 24 GB of memory, the 4090 D simply cannot run them, regardless of its speed. The V100 also has a lower 250 W TDP, which matters in dense server deployments. And its SXM module form factor, with no display outputs, is designed for compute racks, not desktops. Those are real, if narrow, advantages.

The 4090 D is end-of-life, as is the V100. Both are succeeded by newer generations. But within this comparison, the 4090 D’s architectural advantages—5 nm node, higher clocks, more shading units, faster memory—produce results that the V100 cannot match. The V100’s only winning argument is capacity, and that is workload-specific.

For general compute, rendering, or any task that fits in 24 GB, the 4090 D is the pick. For large-memory inference or training where the extra 8 GB is essential, the V100 has a place. The benchmark data does not support choosing the V100 on performance grounds alone.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The GeForce RTX 4090 D scores 278,621 versus the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB’s 131,696, a 111.6% advantage.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. The Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB has 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 4090 D delivers 1.01 TB/s, while the V100 provides 898.0 GB/s. The 4090 D is faster despite having a narrower memory bus.

Q: Does the Tesla V100 support ray tracing?

A: No. The V100 has no RT cores. The RTX 4090 D includes 114 RT cores.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 4090 D has 125.3M transistors per mm² on a 609 mm² die. The V100 has 25.9M per mm² on a larger 815 mm² die.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RTX 4090 D has a 425 W TDP with a 1x 16-pin connector and 800 W suggested PSU. The V100 has a 250 W TDP with no power connectors and a 600 W suggested PSU.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test delivers the largest single victory for the RTX 4090 D. Its 278,621 score doubles the V100’s 131,696, producing a 111.6% delta. That is the kind of result that changes purchasing decisions. The 4090 D’s 73.54 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, combined with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth, simply overwhelms the V100’s 15.67 TFLOPS and 898.0 GB/s. The V100’s 32 GB capacity does not help in this workload, which appears compute-bound rather than capacity-bound.

The Vulkan result is closer but still decisive. The 4090 D scores 246,941 against the V100’s 143,765, a 71.8% lead. That 103,176-point difference is larger than the V100’s entire score in some other tests. Vulkan tends to favor modern architectures with higher geometry throughput, and the 4090 D’s 1,149.1 GTexel/s texture rate versus the V100’s 489.6 GTexel/s supports that interpretation. The 4090 D also has a higher pixel rate: 443.5 GPixel/s versus 195.8 GPixel/s.

Looking at relative standing, the 4090 D’s nearest rival is the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell at 182,109 average score, which is 2.2% ahead. The V100 SXM4 80 GB trails by 3.1%, and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation by 3.6%. The 4090 D sits right at the top of its peer group. The V100’s nearest rivals are much closer: the Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB is 0.2% behind, and the AMD Instinct MI100 is 0.9% ahead. The V100 is competitive within its own generation but far behind the newer Ada part.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the gap. The 4090 D averages 178,050 across all tests, while the V100 averages 137,731. That is a 40,319-point gap, or roughly 29%. The percentile rankings—98th versus 96th—show both are high-performing GPUs, but the 4090 D sits in a higher tier. With 2 wins and 0 losses in head-to-head tests, the 4090 D is the unambiguous winner in this comparison.