NVIDIA H200 NVL vs NVIDIA Quadro GP100 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded benchmark in the database, Geekbench OpenCL, delivers a decisive outcome. The NVIDIA H200 NVL scores 334,891, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445. This represents a 283% advantage for the H200 NVL, a gap so large that the two cards operate in entirely different performance strata.

Context from the nearest rivals list clarifies just how commanding this lead is. The H200 NVL sits 5.3% ahead of the AMD Instinct MI300X, which posts an average score of 317,994. It also leads the NVIDIA L40S, which scores 295,763, by 13.2%. Against the newer NVIDIA B200, the H200 NVL trails by only 3.1%, with the B200 scoring 345,482. The H200 NVL even holds its ground against the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC, which scores 369,831, coming within 9.4% of that flagship. In percentile terms, the H200 NVL ranks at the 100th percentile of all GPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms every other recorded graphics card.

The Quadro GP100, by contrast, sits at the 93rd percentile, a strong position in its own right but a world apart from the top. Its nearest rivals show a much tighter competitive cluster. The AMD Radeon PRO W7600 scores 87,108, just 0.4% behind the GP100. The NVIDIA CMP 40HX scores 85,637, trailing by 2.1%. On the other side, the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile scores 91,134, which is 4% ahead of the GP100, and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 scores 91,671, 4.6% ahead. These margins are small, indicating that the GP100 competes in a crowded mid-range field where a few percentage points separate cards.

The head-to-head result is unambiguous: the H200 NVL wins the only recorded benchmark, and it wins by an order of magnitude. The delta of 283% is not an incremental improvement; it is a generational leap. The database records one win for the H200 NVL and zero for the Quadro GP100.

Architecture Differences

The underlying silicon tells the story of two very different design philosophies separated by nearly a decade of progress. The H200 NVL uses the GH100 chip built on the Hopper architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 80,000 million transistors onto an 814 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 98.3 million per square millimeter. The Quadro GP100 uses the GP100 chip on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die, for a density of 25.1 million per square millimeter. The density difference is stark: the H200 NVL crams nearly four times more transistors into a die that is only about a third larger.

The compute resources diverge sharply. The H200 NVL features 16,896 shading units, 528 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It also includes 528 tensor cores, a feature entirely absent from the Quadro GP100, which has no tensor cores at all. The GP100 offers 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The ROP count is notable: the GP100 has four times the ROPs of the H200 NVL, a reflection of its intended role in graphics and display workloads. The H200 NVL prioritizes raw compute throughput over rasterization.

Clock speeds reinforce the architectural split. The H200 NVL runs at a base of 1365 MHz and boosts to 1785 MHz. The GP100 operates at 1304 MHz base and 1443 MHz boost. While the H200 NVL clocks higher, the real difference comes from the sheer number of execution units. The FP32 throughput tells the story: 60.32 TFLOPS for the H200 NVL versus 10.34 TFLOPS for the GP100. FP16 performance follows the same pattern: 120.6 TFLOPS for the H200 NVL versus 20.69 TFLOPS for the GP100.

Memory configurations could not be more different. The H200 NVL carries 141 GB of HBM3e memory on a 6144-bit bus, delivering 4.89 TB/s of bandwidth. The GP100 offers 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, with 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The H200 NVL has nearly nine times the memory capacity and over six times the bandwidth. Memory clock rates also reflect the generational jump: the H200 NVL runs at 1593 MHz, or 6.4 Gbps effective, while the GP100 operates at 715 MHz, or 1430 Mbps effective.

The feature sets align with their respective generations. The H200 NVL has no display outputs and no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan API support, marking it as a pure compute accelerator. The GP100 provides 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, with DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3 support. The power profiles differ accordingly: the H200 NVL draws up to 600 W with a suggested 1000 W power supply, while the GP100 consumes 235 W with a 550 W suggestion. The H200 NVL uses an 8-pin EPS connector and PCIe 5.0 x16; the GP100 uses a single 8-pin connector and PCIe 3.0 x16.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA H200 NVL is the overwhelmingly faster part in compute workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,891 dwarfs the Quadro GP100's 87,445 by 283%. The H200 NVL also ranks at the 100th percentile of all GPUs, while the GP100 sits at the 93rd percentile. For any task that relies on general compute performance, the H200 NVL is the clear choice.

The GP100 retains relevance only in specific legacy or graphics-oriented contexts. It supports display outputs, which the H200 NVL lacks entirely. It also provides DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the H200 NVL lists no graphics API support. If the workload requires rendering to a screen or using graphics pipelines, the GP100 is the only one of the two that can do the job.

The H200 NVL is also the more future-proof option. It belongs to the Server Hopper generation, released in November 2024, and remains in active production. The GP100, from the Quadro Pascal generation, launched in September 2016 and is now end-of-life. The H200 NVL's predecessor is Server Ada and its successor is Server Blackwell, indicating an ongoing product roadmap. The GP100's predecessor is Quadro Maxwell and its successor is Quadro Volta, placing it at the end of a completed line.

For compute density, memory capacity, and raw throughput, the H200 NVL wins decisively. For graphics output and legacy compatibility, the GP100 has no competition in this pairing, simply because the H200 NVL offers no such features. The choice depends entirely on whether the task involves display rendering or pure computation.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA H200 NVL than the Quadro GP100 in OpenCL?

A: The H200 NVL scores 334,891 versus 87,445 for the GP100, a 283% advantage.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and by how much?

A: The H200 NVL has 141 GB of HBM3e, while the GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2, giving the H200 NVL roughly nine times the capacity.

Q: Does either card support display outputs?

A: Only the Quadro GP100 supports displays, with 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The H200 NVL has no display outputs.

Q: Are tensor cores present on both cards?

A: No, the H200 NVL includes 528 tensor cores, while the Quadro GP100 has no tensor cores at all.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The H200 NVL delivers 4.89 TB/s over a 6144-bit HBM3e interface, compared to 732.2 GB/s over a 4096-bit HBM2 interface for the GP100.

Q: Which card is newer and still in production?

A: The H200 NVL, released in November 2024, is active in production. The Quadro GP100, from September 2016, is end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The H200 NVL claims every compute-oriented category in the recorded data. Its FP32 throughput of 60.32 TFLOPS is nearly six times the GP100's 10.34 TFLOPS. FP16 performance follows a similar pattern: 120.6 TFLOPS versus 20.69 TFLOPS. The H200 NVL also dominates in texture rate, posting 942.5 GTexel/s against 323.2 GTexel/s for the GP100. Memory bandwidth of 4.89 TB/s versus 732.2 GB/s gives the H200 NVL a massive advantage in data-intensive workloads. The 100th percentile ranking confirms that the H200 NVL sits at the top of the entire database.

The Quadro GP100 wins in areas related to rasterization and display. Its pixel rate of 138.5 GPixel/s exceeds the H200 NVL's 42.84 GPixel/s, a 3.2x advantage. The GP100 also has 96 ROPs versus just 24 on the H200 NVL, reinforcing its design for graphics output. The GP100's display outputs, graphics API support, and lower power draw of 235 W versus 600 W make it suitable for workstation environments where rendering and power efficiency matter. Its nearest rival cluster, with scores within 5% either way, shows that the GP100 remains competitive within its own generation.

Use-case split: the H200 NVL is for AI training, scientific simulation, and high-performance compute where memory capacity and bandwidth are critical. The GP100 is for CAD, visualization, and any workload that requires driving displays or using OpenGL and Vulkan pipelines.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA H200 NVL | NVIDIA Quadro GP100 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Hopper | Pascal |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 16 nm |

| Transistors | 80,000 million | 15,300 million |

| Die Size | 814 mm² | 610 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 98.3M / mm² | 25.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1365 MHz | 1304 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1785 MHz | 1443 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1593 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) | 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 141 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3e | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus | 6144 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 4.89 TB/s | 732.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 16896 | 3584 |

| TMUs | 528 | 224 |

| ROPs | 24 | 96 |

| Tensor Cores | 528 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 42.84 GPixel/s | 138.5 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 942.5 GTexel/s | 323.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 60.32 TFLOPS | 10.34 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 120.6 TFLOPS (2:1) | 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 600 W | 235 W |

| Power Connectors | 8-pin EPS | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 1000 W | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | N/A | 12 (12_1) |

| OpenGL | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | N/A | 1.3 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2024-11-17 | 2016-09-30 |

| Predecessor | Server Ada | Quadro Maxwell |

| Successor | Server Blackwell | Quadro Volta |