NVIDIA H200 NVL vs NVIDIA RTX A4500 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear and decisive split between these two NVIDIA professional accelerators. The NVIDIA H200 NVL wins the only directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 334,891 against the RTX A4500's 141,837. That is a 136.1% advantage, placing the H200 NVL in a completely different performance tier.

The H200 NVL's victory is not narrow. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures raw compute throughput across a wide range of workloads, the H200 NVL more than doubles the RTX A4500's output. This result aligns with the fundamental positioning of the two cards: the H200 NVL is a server accelerator built for massive parallel compute, while the RTX A4500 is a workstation GPU designed for professional visualization and content creation.

However, the RTX A4500 holds ground in areas where the H200 NVL cannot compete at all. The database lists no display outputs for the H200 NVL, meaning it cannot drive a monitor. The RTX A4500, by contrast, features 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. This is not a benchmark score, but it is a functional capability that defines use cases. The H200 NVL wins purely on compute performance; the RTX A4500 wins on being a complete workstation package.

The RTX A4500 also demonstrates broader API support. It records DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support, while the H200 NVL lists N/A for all three. This means the H200 NVL is not designed for graphics APIs at all, whereas the RTX A4500 is fully integrated into the graphics software ecosystem. For any workload requiring rasterization, ray tracing, or traditional graphics pipelines, the RTX A4500 is the only viable option between the two.

Overall, the win split is 1 to 0 in favor of the H200 NVL on raw compute, but the RTX A4500 wins on features and utility for interactive graphics. The data suggests buyers should choose based on whether they need pure number-crunching or a functioning graphics workstation.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion: the NVIDIA H200 NVL is for compute-constrained server environments, while the NVIDIA RTX A4500 is for professional graphics workstations. There is no overlap in their intended roles, and the benchmark results reinforce this separation.

For users running large-scale AI training, scientific simulations, or data center workloads, the H200 NVL is the clear choice. Its 334,891 Geekbench OpenCL score places it in the 100th percentile of all GPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms every other recorded graphics card. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA B200, scores 345,482, which is only 3.1% higher, a margin within the noise of benchmark variance. Compared to the AMD Instinct MI300X, the H200 NVL is 5.3% ahead, and it leads the NVIDIA L40S by 13.2%. This is a top-tier accelerator by any measure.

The RTX A4500, in contrast, sits in the 93rd percentile, a strong position but not the absolute peak. Its average benchmark score of 91,671 is dominated by its Geekbench OpenCL result of 141,837, which is only 42.3% of the H200 NVL's score. Its nearest rivals are much closer: the RTX A4500 Mobile scores 91,134 (0.6% behind), the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 scores 92,466 (0.9% ahead), the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 (4.8% behind), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 scores 87,108 (5.2% behind). This is a mid-pack workstation card, not a compute monster.

The verdict is straightforward. If the workload is headless, high-throughput compute, the H200 NVL is the only sensible option. If the workload requires a display, graphics APIs, or any interactive rendering, the RTX A4500 is the only one that can do the job. There is no scenario where the two cards compete for the same task.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records exactly one head-to-head benchmark between the NVIDIA H200 NVL and the NVIDIA RTX A4500: Geekbench OpenCL. The results are stark.

The H200 NVL scores 334,891, while the RTX A4500 scores 141,837. The delta is 136.1% in favor of the H200 NVL. This means the H200 NVL delivers nearly two and a half times the OpenCL performance of the RTX A4500. To put this in context, the RTX A4500's score is closer to the H200 NVL's nearest rival, the AMD Instinct MI300X, which scores 317,994, than it is to the H200 NVL itself.

This single benchmark encapsulates the architectural gulf between the two cards. The H200 NVL's FP32 compute is listed at 60.32 TFLOPS, while the RTX A4500 manages 23.65 TFLOPS. That is a 2.55x raw compute advantage, which closely mirrors the 2.36x OpenCL score ratio. The H200 NVL also has 16,896 shading units versus 7,168 on the RTX A4500, and 528 tensor cores versus 224. Every compute-relevant specification points in the same direction.

Memory bandwidth tells a similar story. The H200 NVL has 4.89 TB/s of bandwidth from its 6144-bit HBM3e interface, while the RTX A4500 has 640.0 GB/s from a 320-bit GDDR6 bus. The H200 NVL's memory bandwidth is 7.6x higher, which is critical for memory-bound workloads like large language model inference or dense matrix operations.

The RTX A4500 does post wins in other recorded benchmarks, but not against the H200 NVL. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,196 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 129,980 are not matched by the H200 NVL, which has no graphics benchmarks recorded. However, these scores are irrelevant in a head-to-head because the H200 NVL cannot run those tests due to its lack of graphics API support.

The data shows a one-sided contest on compute, and a non-contest on graphics features. The H200 NVL wins the only shared benchmark by a massive margin, and the RTX A4500 wins by default in any graphics workload because the H200 NVL is physically incapable of participating.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA H200 NVL scores 334,891, which is 136.1% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A4500's 141,837.

Q: Can the NVIDIA H200 NVL drive a display?

A: No. The database lists "No outputs" for the H200 NVL's display outputs, while the RTX A4500 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The H200 NVL has 141 GB of HBM3e memory, while the RTX A4500 has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory. The H200 NVL's memory bus is 6144-bit versus 320-bit on the RTX A4500.

Q: How does the RTX A4500 compare to its own nearest rivals?

A: The RTX A4500 scores 0.6% higher than the RTX A4500 Mobile, 0.9% lower than the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60, 4.8% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro GP100, and 5.2% higher than the AMD Radeon PRO W7600.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Only the RTX A4500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The H200 NVL lists N/A for all graphics APIs.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference?

A: The H200 NVL has a TDP of 600 W, while the RTX A4500 has a TDP of 200 W. The H200 NVL requires a 1000 W suggested PSU, while the RTX A4500 requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA H200 NVL and NVIDIA RTX A4500 are built on fundamentally different architectures from different generations. The H200 NVL uses the GH100 chip based on the Hopper architecture, belonging to the Server Hopper (Hxx) generation. The RTX A4500 uses the GA102 chip based on the Ampere architecture, from the Workstation Ampere (Ax000) generation.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The H200 NVL is fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the RTX A4500 uses an 8 nm process at Samsung. This process difference contributes to the transistor density gap: the H200 NVL packs 80,000 million transistors into an 814 mm² die, yielding a density of 98.3 million transistors per mm². The RTX A4500 has 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, for a density of 45.1 million per mm². The H200 NVL has nearly 2.8x more transistors on a die that is only 30% larger.

Compute resources are drastically different. The H200 NVL has 16,896 shading units, 528 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The RTX A4500 has 7,168 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The H200 NVL has 528 tensor cores, while the RTX A4500 has 224. The RTX A4500 also has 56 ray tracing cores, which the H200 NVL lacks entirely. This reflects the H200 NVL's focus on tensor-heavy compute rather than graphics rendering.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The H200 NVL uses HBM3e memory with a 6144-bit bus, delivering 4.89 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A4500 uses GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus, delivering 640.0 GB/s. The H200 NVL's memory bandwidth is 7.6x higher, which is essential for feeding its massive compute throughput. The RTX A4500's lower bandwidth is acceptable for workstation tasks but would bottleneck the H200 NVL's compute capabilities.

The H200 NVL also differs in its API support, listing N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, while the RTX A4500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The H200 NVL has no display outputs, while the RTX A4500 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The H200 NVL uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX A4500 uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The NVIDIA H200 NVL and NVIDIA RTX A4500 differ across nearly every recorded specification. The H200 NVL has a 1365 MHz base clock and 1785 MHz boost clock, while the RTX A4500 runs at 1050 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. The H200 NVL's memory clock is 1593 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective), while the RTX A4500's is 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity is a major differentiator: the H200 NVL has 141 GB of HBM3e, while the RTX A4500 has 20 GB of GDDR6. The bus width is 6144 bits versus 320 bits, and bandwidth is 4.89 TB/s versus 640.0 GB/s. The H200 NVL's FP32 compute is 60.32 TFLOPS, while the RTX A4500 is 23.65 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is 120.6 TFLOPS on the H200 NVL (2:1 ratio) versus 23.65 TFLOPS on the RTX A4500 (1:1 ratio).

Pixel and texture rates differ. The H200 NVL has a pixel rate of 42.84 GPixel/s and texture rate of 942.5 GTexel/s. The RTX A4500 has a pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 369.6 GTexel/s. The RTX A4500's higher pixel rate reflects its 96 ROPs versus the H200 NVL's 24 ROPs, while the H200 NVL's higher texture rate comes from its 528 TMUs versus 224.

Power requirements are vastly different. The H200 NVL has a 600 W TDP and requires an 8-pin EPS power connector, while the RTX A4500 has a 200 W TDP and uses a single 8-pin connector. The suggested PSU is 1000 W for the H200 NVL and 550 W for the RTX A4500. Both cards are dual-slot, with identical lengths of 267 mm (10.5 inches) and nearly identical heights of 111 mm and 112 mm (4.4 inches).

The H200 NVL has no display outputs, while the RTX A4500 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The H200 NVL uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX A4500 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The H200 NVL was released on 2024-11-17 and remains Active, while the RTX A4500 was released on 2021-11-22 and is End-of-life. The H200 NVL's predecessor is Server Ada and successor is Server Blackwell; the RTX A4500's predecessor is Quadro Turing and successor is Workstation Ada.