NVIDIA PG506-232 vs NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB Comparison

The NVIDIA PG506-232 and the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB represent two distinct eras of NVIDIA's server accelerators, with the former built on the Ampere architecture and the latter on Volta. The data shows a clear generational shift in performance characteristics, memory configuration, and power efficiency, making them suitable for very different deployment scenarios despite sharing the same dual-slot, no-display-output form factor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between these two cards is limited to a single OpenCL test, but the results are decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL workload, the NVIDIA PG506-232 scores 225,124 points, while the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB scores 163,063 points. This translates to a 38.1% advantage for the PG506-232, a substantial margin that underscores the architectural leap between the two generations.

To contextualize this victory, the nearestRivals data for the PG506-232 shows it sits just 2.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7900D (219,827 points) and 8.7% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80 GB (207,124 points). It also trails the NVIDIA L20 by 10.4% (251,147 points) and leads the NVIDIA RTX 6000D by 14.9% (195,964 points). This places the PG506-232 in the upper echelon of current accelerators, with a 99th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The Tesla V100, by contrast, presents a different competitive picture. Its nearest rivals are clustered very closely, with the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB just 0.2% ahead (137,731 points), the AMD Instinct MI100 only 0.7% ahead (139,035 points), and the AMD Radeon PRO V620 1.2% behind (136,472 points). The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo trails by 1.7% (135,774 points). This tight grouping indicates that the V100 PCIe 16 GB remains competitive within its own performance tier, but that tier is significantly below the one occupied by the PG506-232. Its 96th percentile ranking, while still strong, reflects its age relative to the broader GPU landscape.

The 38.1% delta in OpenCL performance is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational shift. The PG506-232's score of 225,124 versus the V100's 163,063 means that, in raw compute throughput as measured by this specific workload, the Ampere card is over a third faster. This is the single most important data point for anyone deciding between these two used or refurbished server cards.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the available benchmark data?

A: The NVIDIA PG506-232 is significantly faster, scoring 225,124 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB's 163,063, a 38.1% difference.

Q: How does the PG506-232 compare to other modern accelerators?

A: According to its nearestRivals data, the PG506-232 is 2.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7900D and 8.7% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80 GB, but it is 10.4% behind the NVIDIA L20 and 14.9% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 6000D.

Q: Is the Tesla V100 still a competitive option in its performance class?

A: Yes, the data shows it is very tightly grouped with its nearest rivals. It is virtually tied with the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB (0.2% behind) and the AMD Instinct MI100 (0.7% behind), while leading the AMD Radeon PRO V620 by 1.2% and the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo by 1.7%.

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

A: The NVIDIA PG506-232 features 24 GB of HBM2 memory, while the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB features 16 GB of HBM2 memory.

Q: Are there any benchmark results where the Tesla V100 wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data includes only one test (Geekbench OpenCL), and the PG506-232 wins that test. The wins tally shows 1 win for the PG506-232 and 0 for the V100.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each card?

A: The NVIDIA PG506-232 ranks in the 99th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB ranks in the 96th percentile.

The Verdict

The choice between these two cards is straightforward based on the available data. The NVIDIA PG506-232 is the clear performance winner, offering a 38.1% higher OpenCL score than the Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB. It also provides a larger memory pool (24 GB vs. 16 GB), higher memory bandwidth (933.1 GB/s vs. 897.0 GB/s), and a more advanced architecture. For any workload where raw compute throughput and memory capacity are paramount, the PG506-232 is the superior pick.

The Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB, however, is not without merit. Its nearestRivals data shows it is highly competitive with other accelerators in its own performance bracket, such as the SXM2 variant and the Instinct MI100. It also has a higher FP32 throughput (14.13 TFLOPS vs. 10.32 TFLOPS) and a wider memory bus (4096-bit vs. 3072-bit), though this does not translate into a win in the OpenCL benchmark. Its lower TDP of 300 W, while still higher than the PG506-232's 165 W, is an outlier compared to some newer cards but standard for its generation.

For a user prioritizing maximum performance and future-proofing, the data unequivocally points to the PG506-232. For a user with a limited power budget or a specific need for the V100's unique FP16 throughput characteristics (28.26 TFLOPS vs. 10.32 TFLOPS), the V100 could still be a viable choice, but it is not the performance leader in this matchup.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The PG506-232 uses a GA100 chip on a 7 nm process from TSMC, while the V100 uses a GV100 chip on a 12 nm process, also from TSMC. The PG506-232 has 54,200 million transistors on an 826 mm² die, compared to the V100's 21,100 million transistors on an 815 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 65.6M / mm² for the PG506-232 versus 25.9M / mm² for the V100.

Clock speeds are also different. The PG506-232 has a base clock of 930 MHz and a boost clock of 1440 MHz, while the V100 has a base clock of 1245 MHz and a boost clock of 1380 MHz. Memory clocks are 1215 MHz (2.4 Gbps effective) for the PG506-232 and 876 MHz (1752 Mbps effective) for the V100.

The memory configuration differs significantly. The PG506-232 has 24 GB of HBM2 with a 3072-bit bus and 933.1 GB/s bandwidth. The V100 has 16 GB of HBM2 with a 4096-bit bus and 897.0 GB/s bandwidth. Core counts also vary: the PG506-232 has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 224 tensor cores, while the V100 has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 128 ROPs, and 640 tensor cores.

Power and interface specifications diverge as well. The PG506-232 has a TDP of 165 W with a single 8-pin EPS connector and a suggested PSU of 450 W, while the V100 has a TDP of 300 W with two 8-pin connectors and a suggested PSU of 700 W. The PG506-232 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, whereas the V100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The PG506-232 measures 267 mm in length and 112 mm in height, while the V100's dimensions are not listed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is profound. The PG506-232 is built on the Ampere architecture (generation "Server Ampere (Axx)"), while the V100 is built on the older Volta architecture (generation "Tesla Volta (Vxx)"). This represents a full generational leap, with the PG506-232's successor being "Server Ada" and its predecessor being "Tesla Turing," whereas the V100's predecessor is "Tesla Pascal" and its successor is "Tesla Turing."

The manufacturing process highlights the efficiency gains of the newer card. The PG506-232 uses a 7 nm process, while the V100 uses a 12 nm process. This allows the PG506-232 to pack more than double the transistors (54,200 million vs. 21,100 million) into a nearly identical die size (826 mm² vs. 815 mm²), resulting in a transistor density of 65.6M / mm² versus 25.9M / mm².

Compute capabilities show a notable shift in design philosophy. The PG506-232 delivers 10.32 TFLOPS of both FP32 and FP16 performance, indicating a 1:1 ratio. The V100, by contrast, delivers 14.13 TFLOPS of FP32 and 28.26 TFLOPS of FP16, a 2:1 ratio that emphasizes its strength in mixed-precision workloads. The PG506-232 has fewer shading units (3584 vs. 5120), TMUs (224 vs. 320), and ROPs (96 vs. 128), but its tensor core count is 224 versus the V100's 640.

Feature support also differs. The V100 lists API support for DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the PG506-232 lists no API support data. Both cards have no display outputs, confirming their server-focused design. The release dates reflect the generational gap: the V100 was released in June 2017, while the PG506-232 was released in April 2021. Both are now marked as end-of-life products.