Short answer: NVIDIA A40 and RTX A6000 share 48GB GDDR6 ECC, Ampere architecture, compute capability 8.6, 300W board power and supported two-card NVLink. Their main difference is deployment: A40 is a passive data-center card with virtualization-first display behavior, while RTX A6000 is an active workstation card with displays enabled for desktop use. Choose the host role before comparing price or bandwidth.
A40 vs RTX A6000 specifications
| Specification | NVIDIA A40 | RTX A6000 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture / compute capability | Ampere / 8.6 | Ampere / 8.6 |
| Memory | 48GB GDDR6 ECC | 48GB GDDR6 ECC |
| Published bandwidth | 696GB/s | 768GB/s |
| Board power | 300W | 300W |
| Cooling | Passive | Active |
| Form factor | 10.5-inch dual slot | 10.5-inch dual slot |
| Power connector | One CPU 8-pin | One CPU 8-pin |
| Display behavior | Three DP 1.4 ports; disabled in default virtualization mode | Four DP 1.4a ports; workstation display role |
| NVLink | Two-way, 112.5GB/s bidirectional | Two-way, 112.5GB/s bidirectional |
Model fit is the same 48GB question
Both cards provide the same nominal capacity. Account for the exact weights or packaged artifact, KV cache, runtime workspaces, context, batch size and concurrency. A 70B-class 4-bit model can fit in some 48GB configurations but remain tight as cache or overhead grows.
Use the 70B VRAM guide and LLM VRAM calculator. If the complete workload exceeds 48GB, compare the 48GB and 80GB tiers rather than assuming two cards create one pool.
Cooling is the decisive hardware difference
A40 has a passive heatsink and depends on directed server airflow. RTX A6000 has an onboard active cooler designed for a professional workstation. A40 can be the wrong choice for a tower even when its dimensions and power appear compatible; an improvised fan is not equivalent to a validated airflow path.
Read the complete A40 deployment and used-card guide or the RTX A6000 local-AI guide before comparing offers.
Power and display details
- Both use CPU 8-pin power: follow NVIDIA’s board and workstation power documentation; do not substitute a visually similar cable by assumption.
- A40 display mode: NVIDIA says its physical display connectors are disabled in the default virtualization configuration and can be enabled with management tools.
- RTX A6000 desktop role: its active cooling and four display outputs align with a conventional workstation, but case airflow and 300W system planning still matter.
Does RTX A6000’s higher bandwidth make it faster?
Not by a predictable ratio. The 768GB/s versus 696GB/s specifications are hardware ceilings. Actual local-AI speed also depends on kernels, precision, runtime, prompt processing, context, CPU and system configuration. Measure the same workload and settings using the local-AI workload test.
Two cards and NVLink
Both products support two-card NVLink, but NVIDIA conditions memory and performance scaling on application support. NVLink does not automatically expose two 48GB cards as one transparent 96GB device. The runtime must partition the model or workload, and per-device headroom remains necessary. Read the multi-GPU VRAM guide.
Choose A40 when
- The card will live in a server chassis with validated directed airflow.
- The virtualization, display-mode and vGPU requirements are understood.
- The seller can prove the exact card’s condition and identity.
Choose RTX A6000 when
- You need an active-cooled professional workstation card.
- Local displays and conventional workstation integration matter.
- The used-card evidence, power cable and complete-system cost are acceptable.
Official NVIDIA sources
- NVIDIA A40 datasheet
- NVIDIA RTX A6000 datasheet
- NVIDIA workstation power guidelines
- NVIDIA CUDA compute-capability table
- NVIDIA NVLink bridge compatibility
Reviewed October 25, 2026. Specifications are sourced from NVIDIA. HighVRAM has not independently benchmarked A40 and RTX A6000 under one controlled workload. Used condition, support and prices change.
Considering the newer 48GB workstation generation? Compare A40 with RTX 6000 Ada across equal-capacity model fit, Ampere versus Ada, active cooling, power connector and NVLink.
Comparing A40 with a newer consumer GPU? Read A40 versus RTX 5090 for 48GB-versus-32GB model fit, Blackwell software, power, cooling, ECC and NVLink.