NVIDIA H20 vs NVIDIA L4 Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for the NVIDIA H20 and the NVIDIA L4?

A: The NVIDIA L4 has an average benchmark score of 131072, while the NVIDIA H20 has an average benchmark score of 0. The H20 has no recorded benchmarks in the database.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU versus all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA L4 sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA H20 sits at the 50th percentile.

Q: What are the closest rivals to the NVIDIA L4 according to the database?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti with an average score of 131938 (0.7% higher), the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation with 135218 (3.1% higher), the NVIDIA A10M with 135230 (3.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6800 with 135396 (3.2% higher).

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The NVIDIA H20 uses 96 GB of HBM3 memory with a 6144-bit bus and 4.03 TB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA L4 uses 24 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and 300.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The NVIDIA H20 has a TDP of 500 W and a suggested PSU of 900 W. The NVIDIA L4 has a TDP of 72 W and a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: What is the release date for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA L4 was released on 2023-03-20, and the NVIDIA H20 was released on 2024-01-31.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA H20 and NVIDIA L4 represent two distinct server architectures from NVIDIA. The H20 is built on the Hopper architecture using the GH100 chip, while the L4 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the similarities end there.

The H20's GH100 die measures 814 mm² and houses 80,000 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 98.3M / mm². The L4's AD104 die is considerably smaller at 294 mm² with 35,800 million transistors, giving it a higher transistor density of 121.8M / mm². This density difference suggests the Ada Lovelace design packs transistors more efficiently, while the Hopper chip prioritizes raw scale and memory bandwidth.

Clock behavior differs notably between the two. The H20 has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 1980 MHz. The L4 has a much lower base clock of 795 MHz but a higher boost clock of 2040 MHz. This indicates the L4 relies on aggressive boosting to reach peak performance, while the H20 maintains a consistently high clock rate.

The H20 features 9984 shading units, 312 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The L4 has 7424 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The H20's higher shading unit count and TMU count suggest greater raw compute throughput, but the L4's ROP count is more than triple that of the H20, which impacts pixel processing capabilities.

Memory architecture separates these cards fundamentally. The H20 uses HBM3 with 96 GB capacity, a 6144-bit bus, and 4.03 TB/s bandwidth. The L4 uses GDDR6 with 24 GB capacity, a 192-bit bus, and 300.1 GB/s bandwidth. The H20 delivers more than 13 times the memory bandwidth of the L4, which is critical for large model inference and memory-bound workloads.

Tensor core counts also differ: the H20 has 312 tensor cores, while the L4 has 240. The L4 additionally includes 60 RT cores, while the H20 has no recorded RT core count. The H20's FP16 performance is listed at 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1), while the L4's FP16 is 30.29 TFLOPS (1:1), meaning the H20's FP16 throughput is more than double that of the L4.

The H20 is an SXM module with PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the L4 is a single-slot card with PCIe 4.0 x16. The L4 has physical dimensions of 169 mm length and 56 mm height. The H20 has no listed dimensions. Both cards have no display outputs. The L4 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the H20 has no recorded API support.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows two GPUs with entirely different performance profiles and design goals. The NVIDIA L4 has actual benchmark results: a Geekbench OpenCL score of 140838 and a Vulkan score of 121306, averaging 131072. The NVIDIA H20 has no benchmarks in the database, making direct performance comparison impossible from measured results.

The L4's 95th percentile ranking places it among the top GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals all score within 3.2% of its average, with the RTX 3090 Ti at 0.7% higher, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation at 3.1% higher, the A10M at 3.1% higher, and the Radeon PRO W6800 at 3.2% higher. This indicates the L4 performs competitively with these established workstation and server cards.

The H20, with its 50th percentile and zero benchmark score, cannot be evaluated through the same lens. Its specifications, however, tell a different story. The 96 GB HBM3 memory with 4.03 TB/s bandwidth is a massive capability that the L4's 24 GB GDDR6 with 300.1 GB/s cannot approach. For workloads that exceed the L4's memory capacity, the H20 is the only option between these two.

The H20's 500 W TDP versus the L4's 72 W TDP reflects their different physical designs. The H20 requires a 900 W suggested PSU, while the L4 needs only 250 W. The L4's low power draw and single-slot form factor make it suitable for dense server deployments where power and space are constrained. The H20's SXM module format targets high-performance compute nodes with ample power delivery.

The data suggests the L4 is the measured performer with proven results, while the H20 is a specification-driven product awaiting benchmark validation. Users requiring validated performance and broad software compatibility should consider the L4. Users needing maximum memory capacity and bandwidth for large-scale compute workloads should examine the H20's specifications more closely.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The H20 uses the GH100 chip on the Hopper architecture, while the L4 uses the AD104 chip on Ada Lovelace. The H20's die is 814 mm² versus 294 mm² for the L4, and the H20 carries 80,000 million transistors compared to 35,800 million for the L4. Transistor density favors the L4 at 121.8M / mm² versus 98.3M / mm² for the H20.

Clock speeds show the H20 with a higher base clock of 1830 MHz versus 795 MHz for the L4, but the L4 has a higher boost clock of 2040 MHz versus 1980 MHz for the H20. Memory clocks also differ: the H20 runs at 1313 MHz with 5.3 Gbps effective, while the L4 runs at 1563 MHz with 12.5 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity, type, bus width, and bandwidth all favor the H20: 96 GB HBM3 with 6144-bit bus and 4.03 TB/s versus 24 GB GDDR6 with 192-bit bus and 300.1 GB/s. The H20 has 9984 shading units, 312 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The L4 has 7424 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The L4 has 60 RT cores, while the H20 has no recorded RT cores. Tensor core counts are 312 for the H20 and 240 for the L4.

Pixel rate favors the L4 at 163.2 GPixel/s versus 47.52 GPixel/s for the H20. Texture rate favors the H20 at 617.8 GTexel/s versus 489.6 GTexel/s for the L4. FP32 compute favors the H20 at 39.54 TFLOPS versus 30.29 TFLOPS for the L4. FP16 compute also favors the H20 at 79.07 TFLOPS versus 30.29 TFLOPS for the L4.

Power consumption differs dramatically: the H20 draws 500 W TDP with a 900 W suggested PSU, while the L4 draws 72 W TDP with a 250 W suggested PSU. The H20 uses an SXM Module slot width with PCIe 5.0 x16, while the L4 is single-slot with PCIe 4.0 x16. The L4 has dimensions of 169 mm length and 56 mm height; the H20 has no listed dimensions. The L4 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the H20 has no API support listed. The L4 was released on 2023-03-20, while the H20 was released on 2024-01-31.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the NVIDIA H20 and the NVIDIA L4. The H20 has zero recorded benchmarks and no wins in any category. The L4 has two recorded benchmarks and likewise has no recorded head-to-head wins against the H20 specifically.

The L4's individual benchmark scores provide the only measured data: 140838 in Geekbench OpenCL and 121306 in Geekbench Vulkan. These scores place the L4 in the 95th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 131072 is within 0.7% of the RTX 3090 Ti's 131938, within 3.1% of the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's 135218, within 3.1% of the A10M's 135230, and within 3.2% of the Radeon PRO W6800's 135396.

The H20's lack of benchmark data means its performance relative to the L4 cannot be quantified from the database. Its specification sheet indicates higher FP32 and FP16 throughput, but without measured results, these remain theoretical figures. The H20's 39.54 TFLOPS FP32 and 79.07 TFLOPS FP16 exceed the L4's 30.29 TFLOPS in both categories, but the absence of real-world benchmark scores prevents confirmation.

The L4's nearest rival comparisons show a tight performance cluster. The RTX 3090 Ti leads by 0.7%, a margin that falls within typical benchmark variance. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation, A10M, and Radeon PRO W6800 all trail the L4's rivals by roughly 3%, suggesting the L4 competes in a well-established performance tier.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the NVIDIA L4 wins in every measurable category. It has actual benchmark scores, a 95th percentile ranking, and an average score of 131072. The H20 has no benchmarks and sits at the 50th percentile. For any workload where validated performance matters, the L4 is the only choice between these two based on measured results.

The L4 also wins on power efficiency. Its 72 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU contrast sharply with the H20's 500 W TDP and 900 W suggested PSU. The L4's single-slot design and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface make it easier to deploy in standard server chassis. The H20's SXM Module format requires specialized infrastructure.

The L4 wins on API support with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 available. The H20 lists no API support, which limits its software compatibility for graphics-oriented workloads. The L4 also has 80 ROPs versus the H20's 24, giving it a clear advantage in pixel processing at 163.2 GPixel/s versus 47.52 GPixel/s.

The H20 wins on specifications that the L4 cannot match. Its 96 GB HBM3 memory with 4.03 TB/s bandwidth dwarfs the L4's 24 GB GDDR6 with 300.1 GB/s. For large language models, massive datasets, or memory-hungry inference workloads, the H20's memory subsystem provides capacity and bandwidth that the L4 cannot approach.

The H20 also wins on compute throughput specifications. Its FP32 of 39.54 TFLOPS exceeds the L4's 30.29 TFLOPS by a significant margin. Its FP16 of 79.07 TFLOPS is more than double the L4's 30.29 TFLOPS. The H20's 312 tensor cores and 312 TMUs also outnumber the L4's 240 tensor cores and 240 TMUs. Texture rate favors the H20 at 617.8 GTexel/s versus 489.6 GTexel/s.

The H20's 2024-01-31 release date makes it the newer product, while the L4's 2023-03-20 release date places it earlier in the product cycle. The H20 belongs to the Server Hopper generation with a successor of Server Blackwell, while the L4 belongs to the Server Ada generation with a successor of Server Hopper.

The data indicates the L4 is the practical choice for validated, efficient, widely compatible deployment. The H20 is the specification leader for maximum memory and compute capability, pending benchmark confirmation.