NVIDIA H200 NVL vs NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation Comparison

The NVIDIA H200 NVL and NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation are fundamentally different accelerators, and the benchmark data reflects that. The H200 NVL is the clear performance leader, delivering a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,891, which is 91.1% higher than the RTX 5000 Ada’s 175,286. The RTX 5000 Ada is not without merit, but its strengths lie in areas the data shows are secondary to raw compute throughput, such as display output and API support. The verdict is decisive: for pure computational workloads, the H200 NVL dominates, while the RTX 5000 Ada serves a different, more workstation-centric purpose.

Where Each One Wins

The H200 NVL wins the only head-to-head benchmark available, and it wins by a massive margin. In Geekbench OpenCL, the H200 NVL scores 334,891 against the RTX 5000 Ada’s 175,286, a 91.1% advantage. This is not a marginal victory; it is a near-doubling of performance. This single result categorizes the H200 NVL as a compute monster, placing it in the 100th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5000 Ada sits at the 98th percentile. The data shows the H200 NVL is built for heavy, sustained computational lifting, where its massive memory subsystem and tensor throughput come into play.

The RTX 5000 Ada’s wins are not in raw compute scores but in its feature set. It is the only one of the two with display outputs, offering 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. It also supports modern graphics APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the H200 NVL reports N/A for all of these. This makes the RTX 5000 Ada the only viable option for tasks requiring visual output or graphics API compatibility, such as rendering, visualization, or interactive workstation use. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz, significantly higher than the H200 NVL’s 1785 MHz, also suggests a design optimized for burst performance in latency-sensitive tasks, even if the aggregate compute score is lower.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two is stark. The H200 NVL is built on the Hopper architecture (chip GH100), while the RTX 5000 Ada uses Ada Lovelace (chip AD102). Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but they diverge in transistor density. The RTX 5000 Ada packs 125.3M transistors per mm² on a 609 mm² die, totaling 76,300 million transistors. The H200 NVL has a lower density of 98.3M / mm² but compensates with a larger 814 mm² die, totaling 80,000 million transistors.

Memory is where the H200 NVL pulls away decisively. It carries 141 GB of HBM3e on a 6144-bit bus, delivering 4.89 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5000 Ada offers 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. That is an 8.5x difference in memory capacity and a similar gap in bandwidth. The H200 NVL also has more shading units (16,896 vs 12,800), more TMUs (528 vs 400), and more tensor cores (528 vs 400). However, the RTX 5000 Ada has far more ROPs (176 vs 24) and a higher pixel rate (448.8 GPixel/s vs 42.84 GPixel/s), indicating its rasterization heritage.

Clock speeds tell a complementary story. The RTX 5000 Ada boosts to 2550 MHz, well above the H200 NVL’s 1785 MHz. This allows the RTX 5000 Ada to achieve a higher FP32 throughput of 65.28 TFLOPS, slightly edging out the H200 NVL’s 60.32 TFLOPS. In FP16, the H200 NVL doubles its rate to 120.6 TFLOPS (2:1), while the RTX 5000 Ada remains at 65.28 TFLOPS (1:1). The H200 NVL’s power draw is 600 W with a suggested PSU of 1000 W, while the RTX 5000 Ada uses 250 W with a 600 W suggested PSU, making the latter far more energy-efficient per watt for FP32 work.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single available head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is a decisive victory for the H200 NVL. The H200 NVL scores 334,891, while the RTX 5000 Ada scores 175,286. The delta is 91.1%, meaning the H200 NVL is nearly twice as fast in this test. This result is consistent with the H200 NVL’s position in its nearest rival list, where it outperforms the AMD Instinct MI300X by 5.3% and the NVIDIA L40S by 13.2%. The only GPUs ahead of it are the NVIDIA B200 and B300 SXM6 AC, which beat it by 3.1% and 9.4%, respectively.

For the RTX 5000 Ada, the same benchmark places it in a different competitive tier. Its 175,286 score is nearly identical to the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB (183,725, a 0.5% difference) and the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB (187,147, a -1.3% difference). It also edges out the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell by 1.4% and the GeForce RTX 4090 D by 3.7%. This shows the RTX 5000 Ada is competitive with previous-generation server accelerators but is in a completely different performance class than the H200 NVL, which targets the next tier of compute.

The benchmark data also highlights the memory bandwidth impact. The H200 NVL’s 4.89 TB/s bandwidth is likely the primary driver of its 91.1% lead in OpenCL, a test that heavily stresses memory throughput. The RTX 5000 Ada’s 576.0 GB/s bandwidth, while respectable for a workstation card, cannot compete with HBM3e. The H200 NVL’s 141 GB memory capacity also allows it to handle datasets far larger than the RTX 5000 Ada’s 32 GB, which is a qualitative advantage not captured in the raw score but implied by the specifications.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA H200 NVL scores 334,891, which is 91.1% higher than the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation’s 175,286.

Q: Does the RTX 5000 Ada Generation support display outputs?

A: Yes, it has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The H200 NVL has no display outputs.

Q: What memory types and capacities do these GPUs use?

A: The H200 NVL uses 141 GB of HBM3e with a 6144-bit bus, while the RTX 5000 Ada uses 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: How do their FP32 performance figures compare?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada achieves 65.28 TFLOPS FP32, slightly higher than the H200 NVL’s 60.32 TFLOPS. In FP16, the H200 NVL reaches 120.6 TFLOPS (2:1), while the RTX 5000 Ada stays at 65.28 TFLOPS (1:1).

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada has a 250 W TDP with a 600 W suggested PSU, while the H200 NVL has a 600 W TDP with a 1000 W suggested PSU.

Q: Are these GPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: No, the H200 NVL is in the 100th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5000 Ada is in the 98th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split in use cases. The NVIDIA H200 NVL is the superior choice for any workload that prioritizes raw compute throughput and massive memory capacity. Its 91.1% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is overwhelming, and its 141 GB of HBM3e memory with 4.89 TB/s bandwidth makes it suitable for large-scale data processing, AI training, and scientific computing. It is in the 100th percentile of all GPUs, outperforming rivals like the AMD Instinct MI300X by 5.3% and the NVIDIA L40S by 13.2%. The H200 NVL’s FP16 performance of 120.6 TFLOPS is double its FP32 rate, indicating a design optimized for mixed-precision workloads common in deep learning.

The NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the only choice if you need display outputs or graphics API support. Its 4x DisplayPort 1.4a and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 make it a functional workstation GPU, whereas the H200 NVL has no display outputs and reports N/A for all graphics APIs. The RTX 5000 Ada is also more power-efficient, with a 250 W TDP versus 600 W, and it offers slightly higher FP32 performance at 65.28 TFLOPS. However, its 32 GB memory and 576.0 GB/s bandwidth are dwarfed by the H200 NVL, and its 98th percentile standing places it in the same league as the A100 SXM4 series, not the H200 NVL.

For a workstation user who needs to see their work on screen and run graphics applications, the RTX 5000 Ada is the logical pick. For a server room or a compute cluster where results matter more than visuals, the H200 NVL is the definitive winner. There is no middle ground in the benchmark data — these are two different tools for two different jobs.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA H200 NVL | NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation |

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

| Architecture | Hopper | Ada Lovelace |

| Generation | Server Hopper (Hxx) | Workstation Ada |

| Chip | GH100 | AD102 |

| Transistors | 80,000 million | 76,300 million |

| Die Size | 814 mm² | 609 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 98.3M / mm² | 125.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1365 MHz | 1155 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1785 MHz | 2550 MHz |

| Memory Size | 141 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3e | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 6144 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 4.89 TB/s | 576.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 16896 | 12800 |

| TMUs | 528 | 400 |

| ROPs | 24 | 176 |

| Tensor Cores | 528 | 400 |

| Pixel Rate | 42.84 GPixel/s | 448.8 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 942.5 GTexel/s | 1,020.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 60.32 TFLOPS | 65.28 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 120.6 TFLOPS (2:1) | 65.28 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 600 W | 250 W |

| Power Connectors | 8-pin EPS | 1x 16-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 1000 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | N/A | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| OpenGL Support | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | N/A | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2024-11-17 | 2023-08-08 |

| Predecessor | Server Ada | Workstation Ampere |

| Successor | Server Blackwell | Blackwell PRO W |