GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs L40S

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024Core: 1042 MHzBoost: 1470 MHz
RTX family
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VS

L40S

2022Core: 1110 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs L40S Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs L40S: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

2024

Why buy it

  • Costs $7,331 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 2282.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($169 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • Draws 70W instead of 300W, a 230W reduction.
  • Measures 160mm instead of 267mm, a 107mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (10,749 vs 20,023).
  • Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

L40S

2022

Why buy it

  • +86.3% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • 700% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 6 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
  • 4337.9% HIGHER MSRP
    $7,500 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 63.6 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).
  • 328.6% higher power demand at 300W vs 70W.
  • 66.9% longer card at 267mm vs 160mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
L40S is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 86.3% in PassMark G3D (20,023 vs 10,749), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
L40S is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 48 GB vs 6 GB of VRAM, a 5nm process instead of 8nm, and 142 vs 18 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 3050 6GB makes the most sense to buy today. It is $7,331 cheaper on MSRP at $169 vs $7,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2282.4% (63.6 vs 2.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, L40S has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB vs L40S Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3050 6GB

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 2 2024. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1042 MHz to 1470 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 18 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,749 points. Launch price was $179.

NVIDIA

L40S

The L40S is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 13 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1110 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 18176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 142 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,023 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB scores 10,749 versus the L40S's 20,023 — the L40S leads by 86.3%. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is built on Ampere while the L40S uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 18,176 (L40S). Raw compute: 6.774 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S). Boost clocks: 1470 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 18 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 142 (L40S) with 72 Tensor cores vs 568.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
G3D Mark Score
10,749
20,023+86%
Architecture
Ampere
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
8 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2304
18176+689%
Compute (TFLOPS)
6.774 TFLOPS
91.61 TFLOPS+1252%
Boost Clock
1470 MHz
2520 MHz+71%
ROPs
32
192+500%
TMUs
72
568+689%
L1 Cache
2.3 MB
17.8 MB+674%
L2 Cache
2 MB
48 MB+2300%
Ray Tracing Cores
18
142+689%
Tensor Cores
72
568+689%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The L40S leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB has 6 GB of VRAM, while the L40S carries 48 GB. L40S gives you 700% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 168 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 960 GB/s (L40S) — a 471.4% advantage for the L40S. Memory bus width is 96-bit on the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB and 384-bit on the L40S. L2 Cache: 2 MB (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 48 MB (L40S) — the L40S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
VRAM Capacity
6 GB
48 GB+700%
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
168 GB/s
960 GB/s+471%
Bus Width
96-bit
384-bit+300%
L2 Cache
2 MB
48 MB+2300%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 12.2 (L40S). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L40S). Decoder: NVDEC (7th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only) (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
Encoder
NVENC (5th Gen)
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC (7th Gen)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1 (Decode Only)
H.264,H.265,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB draws 70W versus the L40S's 300W — a 124.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 6GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 800W (L40S). Power connectors: None vs 16-pin. Card length: 160mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
TDP
70W-77%
300W
Recommended PSU
300W-63%
800W
Power Connector
None
16-pin
Length
160mm
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75°C-12%
85°C
Perf/Watt
153.6+130%
66.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB came in at $169, while the L40S launched at $7500. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3050 6GB was 97.7% cheaper ($7331 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 63.6 (GeForce RTX 3050 6GB) vs 2.7 (L40S) — the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB offers 2255.6% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (2024 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3050 6GBL40S
MSRP
$169-98%
$7500
Performance per Dollar
63.6+2256%
2.7
Codename
GA107
AD102
Release
February 2 2024
October 13 2022
Ranking
#252
#76

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