NVIDIA H200 NVL vs NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 32 GB Comparison

The Verdict

The data separates these two NVIDIA accelerators into distinct eras of compute. The NVIDIA H200 NVL is the clear performance leader, posting a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,891 against the Tesla V100 PCIe 32 GB's 168,763 — a 98.4% advantage. The H200 NVL also holds the 100th percentile rank among all GPUs, while the V100 sits at the 96th percentile. For any workload where raw compute throughput is the priority, the H200 NVL is the only rational choice based on benchmark evidence. The Tesla V100, however, remains relevant for legacy deployments or scenarios where its lower power envelope (250 W vs. 600 W) and established PCIe 3.0 infrastructure are acceptable constraints. The V100's production status is end-of-life, while the H200 NVL is active, so the former should only be selected for existing installations or compatibility-driven upgrades. Neither card offers display outputs, making both unsuitable for graphics work. The H200 NVL wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and that margin is decisive.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different process nodes and microarchitectures. The H200 NVL uses the GH100 chip built on Hopper architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The V100 uses the GV100 chip on Volta architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process, also at TSMC. The transistor counts reflect this generational leap: the H200 NVL packs 80,000 million transistors versus 21,100 million on the V100. Die sizes are nearly identical — 814 mm² for the H200 NVL and 815 mm² for the V100 — but the transistor density tells the story: 98.3M per mm² on the H200 NVL versus 25.9M per mm² on the V100. That is a 3.8x density advantage, enabled entirely by the smaller process node.

Memory architecture differs substantially. The H200 NVL features 141 GB of HBM3e with a 6144-bit bus and 4.89 TB/s bandwidth. The V100 offers 32 GB of HBM2 with a 4096-bit bus and 897.0 GB/s bandwidth. The H200 NVL has over four times the capacity and over five times the bandwidth. Clock speeds also diverge: the H200 NVL runs at 1365 MHz base and 1785 MHz boost, while the V100 runs at 1230 MHz base and 1380 MHz boost. The H200 NVL's memory clock is 1593 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) versus 876 MHz (1752 Mbps effective) on the V100.

Compute resources differ in configuration. The H200 NVL has 16,896 shading units, 528 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The V100 has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. Tensor core counts are 528 on the H200 NVL versus 640 on the V100 — the older card actually has more tensor cores, but they are architecturally older and slower. Neither card has RT cores. The H200 NVL's pixel rate is 42.84 GPixel/s versus 176.6 GPixel/s on the V100, and texture rates are 942.5 GTexel/s versus 441.6 GTexel/s respectively. The H200 NVL supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the V100 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single available head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is not close. The H200 NVL scores 334,891, while the V100 scores 168,763. This is a delta of 98.4%, meaning the H200 NVL nearly doubles the V100's output. In percentile terms, the H200 NVL sits at the absolute top (100th percentile), while the V100 is at the 96th — a high rank for a 2018 card, but a full four percentile points behind.

Context from nearest rivals clarifies the H200 NVL's position. The H200 NVL trails the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC by 9.4% (which scores 369,831) and the NVIDIA B200 by 3.1% (345,482). It leads the AMD Instinct MI300X by 5.3% (317,994) and the NVIDIA L40S by 13.2% (295,763). So the H200 NVL sits in the upper-middle tier of current flagship accelerators, behind only the newest Blackwell parts. The V100, by contrast, is tightly clustered with its peers: it trails the NVIDIA A10G by 1.1% (151,963), the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X by 6.5% (160,671), and the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB by 7.5% (162,504), while leading the AMD Instinct MI100 by 8.1% (139,035). The V100's average benchmark score is 150,305, while the H200 NVL's is 334,891 — a 122.8% aggregate gap.

The compute throughput numbers reinforce the benchmark result. The H200 NVL delivers 60.32 TFLOPS FP32 and 120.6 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The V100 delivers 14.13 TFLOPS FP32 and 28.26 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). That is a 4.3x advantage in FP32 and a 4.3x advantage in FP16 for the H200 NVL. The head-to-head benchmark delta of 98.4% actually understates the theoretical compute gap, likely due to memory bandwidth constraints or benchmark-specific scaling.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA H200 NVL | NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 32 GB |

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

| Chip | GH100 | GV100 |

| Architecture | Hopper | Volta |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 80,000 million | 21,100 million |

| Die Size | 814 mm² | 815 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 98.3M / mm² | 25.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1365 MHz | 1230 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1785 MHz | 1380 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1593 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) | 876 MHz (1752 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 141 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3e | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus | 6144 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 4.89 TB/s | 897.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 16896 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 528 | 320 |

| ROPs | 24 | 128 |

| Tensor Cores | 528 | 640 |

| Pixel Rate | 42.84 GPixel/s | 176.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 942.5 GTexel/s | 441.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 60.32 TFLOPS | 14.13 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 120.6 TFLOPS (2:1) | 28.26 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 600 W | 250 W |

| Power Connectors | 8-pin EPS | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 1000 W | 600 W |

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

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

| OpenGL | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | N/A | 1.4 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | Not specified |

| Height | 111 mm (4.4 inches) | Not specified |

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

| Release Date | 2024-11-17 | 2018-03-26 |

| Predecessor | Server Ada | Tesla Pascal |

| Successor | Server Blackwell | Tesla Turing |

| Avg Benchmark Score | 334891 | 150305 |

| Percentile | 100 | 96 |

The V100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the H200 NVL reports N/A for all three APIs. This is notable given neither card has display outputs — the V100's API support is vestigial but present, while the H200 NVL does not expose any graphics API.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The H200 NVL delivers 60.32 TFLOPS FP32 and 120.6 TFLOPS FP16, versus 14.13 TFLOPS FP32 and 28.26 TFLOPS FP16 on the V100. This is a 4.3x advantage in both precision formats.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each card provide?

A: The H200 NVL offers 4.89 TB/s across a 6144-bit HBM3e interface. The V100 offers 897.0 GB/s across a 4096-bit HBM2 interface. The H200 NVL has over 5x the bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The H200 NVL has a 600 W TDP with a suggested 1000 W PSU. The V100 has a 250 W TDP with a suggested 600 W PSU. The V100 uses 41.7% of the H200 NVL's power budget.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: The H200 NVL is listed as active production. The V100 is end-of-life. The V100's release date is 2018-03-26, while the H200 NVL's is 2024-11-17.

Q: How does the H200 NVL compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The H200 NVL trails the NVIDIA B300 SXM6 AC by 9.4% and the NVIDIA B200 by 3.1%, while leading the AMD Instinct MI300X by 5.3% and the NVIDIA L40S by 13.2%.

Q: Do either of these cards support display outputs?

A: Neither card has display outputs. The V100 does support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 in its API list, while the H200 NVL reports N/A for all three.

Where Each One Wins

The H200 NVL wins decisively in every measured compute category. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,891 versus 168,763 makes it the only choice for performance-critical workloads. The 141 GB memory capacity and 4.89 TB/s bandwidth enable large model residency and high-throughput data movement that the V100's 32 GB and 897.0 GB/s cannot approach. The H200 NVL's 60.32 TFLOPS FP32 throughput suits dense linear algebra, while its 120.6 TFLOPS FP16 output accelerates mixed-precision training. Its PCIe 5.0 interface doubles the data transfer rate of the V100's PCIe 3.0, reducing host-device communication bottlenecks.

The V100's wins are narrower and more situational. Its 250 W TDP means it can be deployed in systems with 600 W PSUs, versus the H200 NVL's 1000 W requirement. The V100's 128 ROPs deliver a 176.6 GPixel/s pixel rate — over 4x the H200 NVL's 42.84 GPixel/s — though this is irrelevant without display outputs. The V100's API support for DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 provides a compatibility path for compute workloads that rely on those interfaces, which the H200 NVL lacks entirely. The V100's 640 tensor cores outnumber the H200 NVL's 528, though the H200 NVL's are architecturally newer and yield higher aggregate throughput. For organizations with existing PCIe 3.0 infrastructure or power-limited racks, the V100 remains a functional if dated option. For anything else, the H200 NVL's 98.4% benchmark lead and 100th percentile ranking make it the data-backed winner.