CUDA Kernel Benchmarking Package

This package provides a Python API to the CUDA Kernel Benchmarking Library NVBench.

Installation

Install from PyPI:

python -m pip install cuda-bench

Use an optional dependency if you want pip to install a compatible cuda-bindings package as well:

python -m pip install "cuda-bench[cu12]"  # Install cuda-bindings 12.x
python -m pip install "cuda-bench[cu13]"  # Install cuda-bindings 13.x

The published Linux wheel is compatible with both CUDA 12.x and CUDA 13.x Python environments. It contains two native extensions: one built with a CUDA 12.x Toolkit and installed under cuda.bench.cu12, and one built with a CUDA 13.x Toolkit and installed under cuda.bench.cu13. At runtime, cuda-bench queries the installed cuda.bindings package to determine the CUDA major version and loads the matching native extension.

The cu12 and cu13 extras do not select different cuda-bench wheels. They only select the compatible cuda-bindings dependency family. If your environment already provides an appropriate cuda-bindings 12.x or 13.x package, installing plain cuda-bench is sufficient.

A local CUDA Toolkit is not required when installing a published wheel, but the NVIDIA driver must support the CUDA runtime used by the installed cuda.bindings package. Use the same CUDA major version for other CUDA Python binary packages in the environment, for example cupy-cuda12x with cuda-bench[cu12] or cupy-cuda13x with cuda-bench[cu13].

Building from source

Ensure recent version of CMake

Since nvbench requires CMake >=3.30.4, either install a recent CMake or create a conda environment with CMake and Ninja:

conda create -n build_env --yes cmake ninja
conda activate build_env

Ensure CUDA compiler

Building cuda-bench from source requires a CUDA Toolkit with nvcc. Ensure that the appropriate environment variables are set. For example, on Linux, assuming the CUDA Toolkit is installed system-wide:

export CUDACXX=/usr/local/cuda/bin/nvcc
export CUDAARCHS=all-major

Unlike the published wheel, a local source build only builds the native extension for the CUDA Toolkit found by CMake. The CUDA major version selected in the install command below must match that Toolkit.

Build Python project

Now switch to the Python package directory and install cuda-bench from source:

cd nvbench/python
python -m pip install ".[cu12]"  # If CUDACXX points to a CUDA 12.x toolkit
python -m pip install ".[cu13]"  # If CUDACXX points to a CUDA 13.x toolkit

Editable installs (python -m pip install -e .) are currently not supported. They do not install the versioned CUDA extension layout used by cuda-bench. Re-run the non-editable install command after making source changes.

Verify that package works

python test/run_1.py

Run examples

# Example benchmarking numba.cuda kernel
python examples/throughput.py

# Example benchmarking kernels authored using cuda.core
python examples/axes.py

# Example benchmarking algorithms from cuda.cccl.parallel
python examples/cccl_parallel_segmented_reduce.py

# Example benchmarking CuPy function
python examples/cupy_extract.py