Exceptional User Density and Performance for Graphics-Intensive VDI
Take remote productivity to the next level with the NVIDIA® A16, a GPU purpose-built for high-density, graphics-rich Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Engineered on the latest NVIDIA Ampere architecture, the A16 is optimized to deliver up to 64 concurrent users per board in a compact dual-slot design doubling the user density compared to its predecessor.
When paired with NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) software, the A16 offers the power and responsiveness needed to handle demanding workloads from anywhere. Its architecture is fine-tuned to meet the evolving demands of hybrid work, offering 4x the encoder throughput of the NVIDIA T4 and seamless support for diverse user profiles all on a single board.
Performance Specifications
| · CUDA Cores: 5120 (4 × 1280) |
| · Tensor Cores: 160 (4 × 40) |
| · RT Cores: 40 (4 × 10) |
| · GPU Memory: 64 GB GDDR6 with ECC (16 GB per GPU) |
| · Memory Bandwidth: 4 × 232 GB/s |
| · Max Power Consumption: 250 W |
| · Interconnect: PCI Express Gen 4.0 x16 |
| · Cooling: Passive |
| · vGPU Software Support: |
| o NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) |
| o NVIDIA Virtual Applications (vApps) |
| o NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) |
| o NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server (vCS) |
| · vGPU Profiles: Refer to the Virtual GPU Licensing Guide |
| · NVENC / NVDEC: 4x encoders / 8x decoders (AV1 Decode supported) |
| · Secure Boot: Yes – Hardware Root of Trust |
| · NEBS Compliance: Level 3 |
Key Features
Engineered for High-Density VDI
The NVIDIA A16 is designed with a unique quad-GPU board architecture, allowing it to maximize user density within a single server chassis. By combining this hardware design with NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) software, organizations can deliver full-featured virtual desktops complete with GPU acceleration to dozens of users simultaneously. This not only optimizes server space and energy use but also reduces operational costs while maintaining high performance.
Outstanding User Experience
Unlike CPU-only VDI solutions, the A16 leverages dedicated GPU resources to offer a responsive, high-frame-rate experience that feels virtually indistinguishable from a physical PC. Users benefit from smooth 2D/3D application performance, faster load times, and reduced input latency. This is especially critical for professionals who use graphically demanding tools such as CAD software, content creation platforms, and video conferencing applications.
Double the User Capacity
The A16 doubles the user density compared to previous-generation GPUs like the NVIDIA M10. With support for up to 64 concurrent users per board, it enables IT teams to serve more virtual desktops per server, improving scalability and reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). This makes it an ideal solution for large enterprises, educational institutions, and remote workforces that require efficient and cost-effective VDI deployments.
Multi-Monitor High-Resolution Support
Modern professionals often rely on multi-monitor setups for productivity. The A16 supports up to two 4K displays or one 5K monitor per user, providing crystal-clear visuals and ample screen real estate. This makes it perfect for use cases like financial trading, engineering, video editing, and medical imaging where resolution and clarity are critical for decision-making and workflow efficiency.
Superior Encoding Performance
With more than double the encoding throughput of its predecessor (the M10), the A16 delivers exceptional multi-user performance for streaming video, conferencing, and multimedia applications. Whether users are sharing screens, watching videos, or attending virtual meetings, the A16 ensures minimal buffering, reduced compression artifacts, and lower CPU utilization, freeing up system resources for other tasks.
Cutting-Edge Video Capabilities
A16 is equipped with state-of-the-art support for modern video codecs, including H.265 (HEVC) for efficient high-quality streaming, VP9 for web-based video, and AV1 decode, which is rapidly becoming the industry standard for 4K and 8K streaming. These codecs ensure that video playback and conferencing run efficiently even on low-bandwidth connections without compromising image quality.
Next-Generation PCIe 4.0 Support
The A16 utilizes PCI Express Gen 4.0 interface, doubling the bandwidth of PCIe Gen 3.0. This high-speed interconnect ensures faster communication between the GPU and CPU/memory, making it highly effective for data-heavy VDI workloads such as 3D rendering, AI-assisted tools, and real-time simulation.
Built on the NVIDIA Ampere Architecture
As part of the Ampere family, the A16 integrates 3rd-generation Tensor Cores, 2nd-generation RT Cores, and highly efficient CUDA Cores, enabling the flexibility to run both graphics-intensive applications and compute workloads. Whether you’re deploying NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) for design professionals or Virtual Compute Server (vCS) for data processing, the A16 adapts dynamically to your infrastructure needs.
Enterprise-Grade Reliability and Compatibility
- Built for 24/7 operation, the A16 is equipped with power-efficient, durable components that ensure long-term reliability in data center environments.
- It undergoes extensive validation and testing by NVIDIA and top OEM partners to ensure optimal performance under real-world workloads.
- Offers broad compatibility with enterprise applications, supporting the latest APIs including OpenGL, DirectX, Vulkan, and CUDA for a smooth and stable experience across various software platforms.
Enterprise-Grade Reliability
Built to meet the highest standards of uptime, stability, and performance in mission-critical environments
The
NVIDIA A16 has been engineered from the ground up to meet the rigorous demands of enterprise data centers and cloud infrastructure, where
continuous 24/7 operation is non-negotiable. Its reliability goes far beyond basic hardware stability it’s a full-stack solution designed to deliver long-term performance, compatibility, and maintainability.
24/7 Operational Design
The A16 is built using
data center-class components that are tested for durability, thermal stability, and power efficiency. Unlike consumer GPUs, the A16 is intended to operate under sustained workloads in dense server environments, maintaining optimal performance over extended periods without thermal throttling or performance degradation.
Power-Efficient Hardware
With a
maximum power draw of just 250W across four GPUs, the A16 delivers exceptional performance-per-watt. This makes it highly suitable for organizations looking to optimize energy usage and reduce operational costs in high-scale VDI deployments. Passive cooling also allows for dense configurations without relying on high-speed fans or active cooling units, improving overall reliability.
Extensive Testing and Validation
Each A16 unit is
rigorously tested and validated by NVIDIA and its OEM partners (such as Dell, HPE, Lenovo, and Supermicro) across a variety of server configurations and real-world use cases. This ensures compatibility with leading virtualization platforms such as
VMware vSphere,
Citrix XenServer, and
Microsoft Hyper-V, reducing the risk of integration issues and support downtime.
Enterprise Software Ecosystem Support
The A16 supports a wide range of
virtual GPU (vGPU) software stacks, including:
- NVIDIA Virtual PC (vPC) – optimized for everyday office and productivity apps
- NVIDIA Virtual Applications (vApps) – for application streaming use cases
- NVIDIA RTX Virtual Workstation (vWS) – for design, modeling, and simulation
- NVIDIA Virtual Compute Server (vCS) – for compute-accelerated workloads
This flexibility allows IT administrators to
dynamically allocate GPU resources based on user needs, all within a stable and scalable infrastructure.
Application Compatibility and API Support
NVIDIA maintains close partnerships with
ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) to ensure that the A16 is certified and optimized for leading professional applications across industries such as Autodesk, Adobe, Siemens, Dassault Systèmes, and more. It also supports the latest APIs, including:
- OpenGL
- DirectX
- Vulkan
- CUDA
This guarantees a consistent and error-free experience, even in complex virtualized environments.
Secure and Measured Boot with Hardware Root of Trust
The A16 supports secure boot features at the hardware level, which ensures that only authenticated firmware and software are executed on the device. This is especially critical in enterprise and government environments, where
data integrity and system security are top priorities.
In summary, the NVIDIA A16 isn’t just a GPU it’s a
scalable, secure, and future-ready platform built for enterprise IT infrastructures that demand maximum uptime, long lifecycle support, and complete confidence in performance and compatibility.
