NVIDIA L4 vs NVIDIA Quadro GP100 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded benchmark shared by both cards in the database is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisively one-sided. The NVIDIA L4 scores 140838, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87445. That is a 61.1% advantage for the L4, a gap large enough to classify the GP100 as a legacy performer next to the newer server part.

Putting that score into context, the L4 sits at the 95th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 131072. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, averages 131938, which is only 0.7% higher. The L4 is also within 3.1% of the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation and the NVIDIA A10M, and 3.2% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W6800. In practical terms, the L4 is not just beating an older Pascal card; it is performing in the same tier as some of the most capable accelerators from recent generations.

The Quadro GP100, by contrast, sits at the 93rd percentile, with an average score of 87445. Its closest rivals are the AMD Radeon PRO W7600, which is 0.4% higher, and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX, which is 2.1% higher. The GP100 trails the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile by 4% and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 by 4.6%. That places the GP100 in a much lower performance class, despite its age and its once-flagship positioning.

The delta is stark: the L4 delivers 61.1% more OpenCL performance than the GP100. No other head-to-head test exists in the database, so this single data point defines the comparison. The L4 wins the only recorded matchup, and it wins by a wide margin.

Where Each One Wins

The L4 wins the only benchmark category where both cards have data, which is Geekbench OpenCL. That makes the use-case split simple: for any workload that relies on OpenCL compute, the L4 is the clear choice. The score of 140838 versus 87445 means the L4 completes OpenCL tasks in roughly 62% of the time the GP100 would need, assuming linear scaling.

The GP100 has no recorded wins in the database. It does, however, have strengths that are not captured by the benchmark data. Its memory subsystem is notably different: 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus delivers 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than double the L4's 300.1 GB/s from 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. For workloads that are bandwidth-bound rather than compute-bound, the GP100's memory architecture could still matter. That is a qualitative observation based on the recorded specifications, not a benchmark result.

The L4 also has a significant advantage in raw FP32 throughput: 30.29 TFLOPS versus 10.34 TFLOPS. In FP16, the L4 matches its FP32 rate at 30.29 TFLOPS (1:1), while the GP100 reaches 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1). The L4 is faster in both precisions, but the GP100's FP16 ratio means it can do more FP16 work per FP32 operation, which historically suited certain HPC tasks. Still, the absolute numbers favor the L4.

The GP100 does have one clear physical advantage: it provides display outputs (1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the L4 has no outputs at all. If you need a workstation card that can drive monitors, the GP100 is the only one of the two that can do so directly. The L4 is a server accelerator, not a display adapter.

The Verdict

The data points to the NVIDIA L4 for nearly every compute scenario. It wins the only recorded benchmark by 61.1%, offers 30.29 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, and does so within a 72 W power envelope. That power draw is remarkably low for the performance level, and the L4 requires no external power connectors and only a 250 W suggested PSU. The GP100, by contrast, draws 235 W, needs a 1x 8-pin connector, and asks for a 550 W PSU.

The GP100 is end-of-life, while the L4 is still in active production. The L4 is built on a 5 nm TSMC process with 35,800 million transistors, while the GP100 uses 16 nm and 15,300 million transistors. The architectural gap is enormous: Ada Lovelace versus Pascal, with the L4 supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and featuring 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The GP100 has no RT cores and no tensor cores, and its API support tops out at DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

For anyone choosing between these two today, the L4 is the rational pick for server-side inference, rendering, or general compute. The only reason to select the GP100 would be if you require display outputs or if you specifically need the higher memory bandwidth of HBM2. Those are narrow use cases. The benchmark data, the production status, and the power efficiency all favor the L4.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA L4 scores 140838 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 61.1% higher than the Quadro GP100's 87445.

Q: Does the Quadro GP100 have any advantages over the L4?

A: Yes, in memory bandwidth and display outputs. The GP100 has 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth from 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, and it has 1x DVI plus 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The L4 has no display outputs.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The L4 has a 72 W TDP and requires no power connectors, with a 250 W suggested PSU. The GP100 has a 235 W TDP, needs a 1x 8-pin connector, and requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which card supports ray tracing and tensor operations?

A: Only the L4. It has 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The GP100 has neither.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. The L4 is listed as active, while the GP100 is end-of-life.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The L4 is within 0.7% of the RTX 3090 Ti and 3.1% of the RTX 4000 Ada Generation. The GP100 is 4% behind the RTX A4500 Mobile and 4.6% behind the RTX A4500.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of NVIDIA's GPU design. The L4 uses the AD104 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm TSMC process. The GP100 uses the GP100 chip on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm TSMC process. That process difference is a major factor in everything else: the L4 packs 35,800 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, giving a density of 121.8M transistors per mm². The GP100 has 15,300 million transistors on a much larger 610 mm² die, yielding only 25.1M transistors per mm².

The L4's Ada architecture brings modern features that the GP100 simply cannot offer. It has 60 RT cores for ray tracing and 240 tensor cores for AI workloads. The GP100 has neither. The L4 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6. The GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6. The API gap matters for modern applications, especially those using ray tracing or Vulkan extensions.

The L4 also has a much higher transistor density, which translates to more compute resources. It has 7424 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The GP100 has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GP100's higher ROP count is its only structural advantage, and it does not compensate for the massive difference in shading units.

The L4 is a server-generation product, listed under "Server Ada (Lxx)", while the GP100 is a Quadro Pascal workstation part. That positioning explains the L4's lack of display outputs and the GP100's DVI and DisplayPort options. Architecturally, they are not just different tiers; they are different product philosophies.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show clear divergences in nearly every category.

Process and die: The L4 uses 5 nm TSMC with a 294 mm² die. The GP100 uses 16 nm TSMC with a 610 mm² die. Transistor counts are 35,800 million versus 15,300 million, and densities are 121.8M/mm² versus 25.1M/mm².

Clocks: The L4 has a base clock of 795 MHz and a boost of 2040 MHz. The GP100 has a base of 1304 MHz and a boost of 1443 MHz. The GP100 starts higher but boosts much lower, reflecting its older architecture.

Memory: The L4 has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with 300.1 GB/s bandwidth. The GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, with 732.2 GB/s bandwidth. The GP100 wins bandwidth; the L4 wins capacity.

Compute: The L4 delivers 30.29 TFLOPS FP32 and 30.29 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1). The GP100 delivers 10.34 TFLOPS FP32 and 20.69 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

Pixel and texture rates: The L4 has 163.2 GPixel/s and 489.6 GTexel/s. The GP100 has 138.5 GPixel/s and 323.2 GTexel/s. The L4 leads in both.

Power and cooling: The L4 is 72 W TDP, single-slot, with no power connectors and a 250 W suggested PSU. The GP100 is 235 W TDP, dual-slot, requires 1x 8-pin, and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Physical dimensions: The L4 is 169 mm long and 56 mm high. The GP100 is 267 mm long and 111 mm high. The L4 is far smaller.

Bus and outputs: Both use PCIe x16, but the L4 is PCIe 4.0 and the GP100 is PCIe 3.0. The L4 has no display outputs; the GP100 has 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Release and status: The L4 was released in March 2023 and is active. The GP100 was released in September 2016 and is end-of-life. The L4's predecessor is Server Ampere, its successor is Server Hopper. The GP100's predecessor is Quadro Maxwell, its successor is Quadro Volta.