NVIDIA L20 vs NVIDIA RTX A4500 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark database records two direct comparisons between the NVIDIA L20 and the NVIDIA RTX A4500, and the results are decisively one-sided. In Geekbench OpenCL, the L20 scores 274,276 against the RTX A4500's 141,837, a delta of 93.4%. That is nearly double the compute throughput in a raw, API-agnostic workload. The Vulkan test tells a similar story: the L20 posts 228,018 versus 129,980, a 75.4% advantage. There is no benchmark in the head-to-head set where the RTX A4500 comes out ahead; the L20 wins both recorded tests.

Context from the wider database reinforces this gap. The L20's average benchmark score sits at 251,147, placing it in the 99th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA L40 at 284,111 (11.6% faster) and the RTX 6000 Ada Generation at 287,237 (12.6% faster), but it also beats the NVIDIA PG506-232 by 11.6% and the AMD Radeon PRO W7900D by 14.2%. The RTX A4500, by contrast, averages 91,671, which puts it in the 93rd percentile. Its closest competitors are much closer: the RTX A4500 Mobile is only 0.6% behind, the AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 is 0.9% ahead, and the Quadro GP100 trails by 4.8%. The L20 is not merely faster than the RTX A4500; it operates in a different performance tier altogether.

Looking at the individual tests, the OpenCL delta is the more striking of the two. A 93.4% improvement means the L20 delivers almost twice the score per unit of work. The Vulkan delta, while lower at 75.4%, still represents a massive lead. These are not marginal gains from clock tweaks or driver optimizations; they reflect fundamental differences in hardware capability. The L20's shading units number 11,776 against the RTX A4500's 7,168, and its texture units (368 versus 224) and ROPs (128 versus 96) follow the same pattern. The FP32 throughput tells the story plainly: 59.35 TFLOPS for the L20 versus 23.65 TFLOPS for the RTX A4500. That is a 2.5x raw compute advantage, which aligns with the observed benchmark deltas.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the NVIDIA L20 is the superior GPU in every measured category. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks, holds a higher average score across the database, and sits in a higher percentile of all GPUs (99th versus 93rd). If the choice is between these two for a workload that relies on OpenCL or Vulkan performance, the L20 is the clear pick. The delta is so large that no amount of driver tuning or workload adjustment could realistically close the gap.

The RTX A4500 is not a bad card by absolute standards. Its average score of 91,671 places it above the 93rd percentile, and it is competitive with its immediate peers. But against the L20, it is outclassed on every metric the database records. The L20's 274,276 OpenCL score is 93.4% higher, and its 228,018 Vulkan score is 75.4% higher. There is no scenario in the data where the RTX A4500 wins a comparison.

That said, the RTX A4500 has one practical advantage: it is marked as end-of-life in the database, while the L20 is active. For a new purchase, the L20 is the only sensible choice from a performance standpoint. The RTX A4500 might still be found in existing systems or secondary markets, but the data does not support selecting it over the L20 for any performance-sensitive task.

Where Each One Wins

The L20 wins every recorded benchmark, so the use-case split is straightforward. For OpenCL workloads, which often include general-purpose compute, scientific simulations, and some rendering tasks, the L20's 93.4% lead makes it the only viable option. The Vulkan test, which is more relevant to graphics-heavy applications and some game engines, also favors the L20 by 75.4%. If your software leverages either API, the L20 is the choice.

The RTX A4500 does not win any benchmark in the database, but it still has a role. Its lower power draw (200 W versus 275 W) and single 8-pin power connector make it easier to fit into existing workstations with modest power supplies. The suggested PSU is 550 W versus 600 W for the L20. Both cards are dual-slot and share the same 267 mm length, so physical compatibility is identical. The RTX A4500 also has a 20 GB memory buffer, which is substantial, though the L20 doubles that to 48 GB.

For users who already own an RTX A4500, the data does not suggest an urgent upgrade if their workloads are light on OpenCL or Vulkan. But for anyone building a new system or expanding a render farm, the L20's benchmark dominance leaves no argument for the older card.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA L20 than the RTX A4500 in OpenCL?

A: The L20 scores 274,276 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 141,837 for the RTX A4500, a delta of 93.4%.

Q: What about Vulkan performance?

A: The L20 scores 228,018 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the RTX A4500 scores 129,980. That is a 75.4% lead for the L20.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score across the database?

A: The L20 averages 251,147, placing it in the 99th percentile of all GPUs. The RTX A4500 averages 91,671, which is the 93rd percentile.

Q: Is the RTX A4500 competitive with any of the L20's rivals?

A: The RTX A4500's nearest rivals are the RTX A4500 Mobile (0.6% slower), AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 (0.9% faster), Quadro GP100 (4.8% slower), and AMD Radeon PRO W7600 (5.2% slower). The L20's rivals are far faster, such as the L40 at 284,111 and RTX 6000 Ada at 287,237.

Q: What is the memory difference between the two cards?

A: The L20 has 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX A4500 has 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus with 640.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card is still in production?

A: The L20 is listed as active, while the RTX A4500 is marked as end-of-life.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures. The L20 is built on Ada Lovelace, using the AD102 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RTX A4500 is Ampere, using the GA102 chip on an 8 nm process at Samsung. This process difference is significant: the L20 packs 76,300 million transistors into a 609 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 125.3 million per square millimeter. The RTX A4500 has 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, for a density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. Despite the L20's smaller die, it holds nearly 2.7x more transistors.

Compute resources follow the architectural divide. The L20 has 11,776 shading units, 368 texture units, 128 ROPs, 92 ray tracing cores, and 368 tensor cores. The RTX A4500 has 7,168 shading units, 224 texture units, 96 ROPs, 56 ray tracing cores, and 224 tensor cores. The L20's FP32 throughput is 59.35 TFLOPS, and its FP16 throughput is also 59.35 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The RTX A4500 delivers 23.65 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16 (also 1:1). Pixel and texture rates follow: the L20 hits 322.6 GPixel/s and 927.4 GTexel/s, while the RTX A4500 manages 158.4 GPixel/s and 369.6 GTexel/s.

Clock speeds differ as well. The L20 runs at a base of 1440 MHz and boosts to 2520 MHz. The RTX A4500 has a base of 1050 MHz and boosts to 1650 MHz. Memory clocks are 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the L20 and 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for the RTX A4500. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The L20's generation is listed as "Server Ada (Lxx)" while the RTX A4500 is "Workstation Ampere (Ax000)".

Specification Differences

The table below lists only the fields where the two cards differ, based on the database records.

| Specification | NVIDIA L20 | NVIDIA RTX A4500 |

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

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Ampere |

| Chip | AD102 | GA102 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 76,300 million | 28,300 million |

| Die Size | 609 mm² | 628 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 125.3M / mm² | 45.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1440 MHz | 1050 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2520 MHz | 1650 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 48 GB | 20 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 320 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 864.0 GB/s | 640.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 11776 | 7168 |

| TMUs | 368 | 224 |

| ROPs | 128 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 92 | 56 |

| Tensor Cores | 368 | 224 |

| Pixel Rate | 322.6 GPixel/s | 158.4 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 927.4 GTexel/s | 369.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 59.35 TFLOPS | 23.65 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 59.35 TFLOPS (1:1) | 23.65 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 275 W | 200 W |

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

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Generation | Server Ada (Lxx) | Workstation Ampere (Ax000) |

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

| Release Date | 2023-11-15 | 2021-11-22 |

| Predecessor | Server Ampere | Quadro Turing |

| Successor | Server Hopper | Workstation Ada |

| Height | 111 mm (4.4 inches) | 112 mm (4.4 inches) |