A40 vs L40
Explore a head to head comparison of specifications, performance, and pricing.
A40
The NVIDIA A40 delivers high-performance computing capabilities for AI, machine learning, and data science applications.
L40
The NVIDIA L40 delivers high-performance computing capabilities for AI, machine learning, and data science applications.
A40 vs L40: Which Should You Choose?
Both the A40 and L40 offer 48 GB of VRAM, putting them on equal footing for memory-bound workloads. On FP16 throughput, the L40 delivers 90.52 TFLOPS versus 37.42 TFLOPS on the A40 — 2× faster for mixed-precision training and inference. Memory bandwidth favors the L40 at 0.86 TB/s compared to 0.70 TB/s on the A40, which directly impacts inference latency for memory-bandwidth-bound models. Architecturally, the A40 is built on Ampere while the L40 uses Ada Lovelace, reflecting different generational capabilities and optimizations. On Shadeform, the L40 starts from $0.99/hr versus $1.10/hr for the A40 — 11% more expensive — reflecting the performance premium.
A40 — Best Use Cases
- •General-purpose deep learning training
- •Fine-tuning models up to 13B parameters
- •AI inference at moderate throughput
- •Computer vision and NLP workloads
Choose A40 when:
- ✓Maximum performance justifies the higher cost
- ✓Your workload does not require peak FP16 throughput
L40 — Best Use Cases
- •LLM inference and model serving
- •Image generation and diffusion models
- •Smaller fine-tuning runs
- •Cost-efficient GPU compute
Choose L40 when:
- ✓Cost efficiency is your primary concern
- ✓You are training large models or running high-throughput inference
See how the A40 & L40 compare
Compare detailed hardware specifications and average pricing for the A40 and L40.
Compare Hardware Specifications
| A40 | L40 | |
|---|---|---|
| GPU Type | A40 | L40 |
| VRAM per GPU | 48 GB | 48 GB |
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | NVIDIA |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| Interconnect | PCIe Gen4 | PCIe Gen4 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 696 GB/s | 864 GB/s |
| FP16 TFLOPS | 37.42 TFLOPS (1:1) | 90.52 TFLOPS (1:1) |
| CUDA Cores | 10752 | 18176 |
| Tensor Cores | 336 (3rd Gen) | 568 (4th Gen) |
| RT Cores | 84 (2nd Gen) | 142 (3rd Gen) |
| Base Clock | 1125 MHz | 735 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1740 MHz | 2490 MHz |
| TDP | 300W | 300W |
| Process Node | TSMC 8nm | TSMC 4N |
| Data Formats | INT8, BF16, FP16, TF32, FP32 | FP8, INT8, BF16, FP16, TF32, FP32 |
Compare Average On-Demand Pricing
| A40 | L40 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GPU | $1.48 /hr | $0.99 /hr |
| 2 GPUs | $2.20 /hr | $1.99 /hr |
| 4 GPUs | $5.92 /hr | $4.98 /hr |
| 8 GPUs | $8.80 /hr | $8.00 /hr |
Frequently Asked Questions: A40 vs L40
The main differences are FP16 throughput (37.42 vs 90.52 TFLOPS), architecture (Ampere vs Ada Lovelace). The A40 uses the Ampere architecture while the L40 is based on Ada Lovelace, giving each GPU different generational capabilities.
The L40 is generally better for large language model training due to its higher throughput and 48 GB of VRAM, which allows fitting larger models or larger batch sizes in a single pass. For smaller models or fine-tuning tasks where cost matters more, both GPUs can be effective.
On Shadeform, the L40 is available from $0.99/hr. The A40 starts from $1.10/hr. Prices vary by provider, region, and contract length. Reserved commitments can reduce hourly costs significantly compared to on-demand pricing.
Based on TFLOPS per dollar, the L40 offers better raw compute value at current Shadeform on-demand rates. However, the best choice depends on your specific workload — if you need the extra VRAM or throughput of the A40, paying the premium may be justified by faster job completion and lower total cost.
The A40 is currently available across 2 cloud providers on Shadeform's network, compared to 2 for the L40. Shadeform lets you deploy either GPU across all available providers from a single platform, so you can always find available capacity without manually checking each cloud.
Mixing different GPU types in a single training cluster is generally not recommended, as it creates performance bottlenecks where faster GPUs wait for slower ones. For best results, use a homogeneous cluster of either A40 or L40. Shadeform supports on-demand clusters of up to 64 GPUs of the same type with no commitment required.
Explore A40 & L40 Instances
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