GeForce RTX 3060
L40S
GeForce RTX 3060 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 3060 vs L40S FPS Benchmarks
Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.
Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
GeForce RTX 3060 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 3060
2021Why buy it
- ✅Costs $7,171 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 1834.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 51.7 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($329 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
- ✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
- ✅Draws 170W instead of 300W, a 130W reduction.
- ✅Measures 242mm instead of 267mm, a 25mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (16,995 vs 20,023).
- ❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
L40S
2022Why buy it
- ✅+17.8% higher PassMark G3D performance.
- ✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 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.
- ❌2179.6% HIGHER MSRP$7,500 MSRPvs$329 MSRP
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 51.7 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
- ❌76.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 170W.
- ❌10.3% longer card at 267mm vs 242mm.
Quick Answers
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GeForce RTX 3060 vs L40S Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
GeForce RTX 3060
The GeForce RTX 3060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 12 2021. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1320 MHz to 1777 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 170W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 16,995 points. Launch price was $329.
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 3060 scores 16,995 versus the L40S's 20,023 — the L40S leads by 17.8%. The GeForce RTX 3060 is built on Ampere while the L40S uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 3,584 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 18,176 (L40S). Raw compute: 12.74 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S). Boost clocks: 1777 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 28 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 142 (L40S) with 112 Tensor cores vs 568.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 16,995 | 20,023+18% |
| Architecture | Ampere | Ada Lovelace |
| Process Node | 8 nm | 5 nm |
| Shading Units | 3584 | 18176+407% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 12.74 TFLOPS | 91.61 TFLOPS+619% |
| Boost Clock | 1777 MHz | 2520 MHz+42% |
| ROPs | 48 | 192+300% |
| TMUs | 112 | 568+407% |
| L1 Cache | 3.5 MB | 17.8 MB+409% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB | 48 MB+1500% |
| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | 142+407% |
| Tensor Cores | 112 | 568+407% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
The GeForce RTX 3060 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.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| 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 3060 has 12 GB of VRAM, while the L40S carries 48 GB. L40S gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 360 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 960 GB/s (L40S) — a 166.7% advantage for the L40S. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the GeForce RTX 3060 and 384-bit on the L40S. L2 Cache: 3 MB (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 48 MB (L40S) — the L40S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 12 GB | 48 GB+300% |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 360 GB/s | 960 GB/s+167% |
| Bus Width | 192-bit | 384-bit+100% |
| L2 Cache | 3 MB | 48 MB+1500% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 12.2 (L40S). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| 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 7th Gen (GeForce RTX 3060) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L40S). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC 7th Gen | NVENC 8th Gen |
| Decoder | NVDEC 5th Gen | NVDEC 5th Gen |
| Codecs | AV1,H.265,H.264,VP9 | H.264,H.265,AV1 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce RTX 3060 draws 170W versus the L40S's 300W — a 55.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 800W (L40S). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 170W-43% | 300W |
| Recommended PSU | 550W-31% | 800W |
| Power Connector | 8-pin | 16-pin |
| Length | 242mm | 267mm |
| Height | 112mm | 111mm |
| Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Temp (Load) | 75-12% | 85°C |
| Perf/Watt | 100.0+50% | 66.7 |
Value Analysis
At launch, the GeForce RTX 3060 came in at $329, while the L40S launched at $7500. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 3060 was 95.6% cheaper ($7171 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 51.7 (GeForce RTX 3060) vs 2.7 (L40S) — the GeForce RTX 3060 offers 1814.8% better value. The newer card here is L40S (2022 vs 2021).
| Feature | GeForce RTX 3060 | L40S |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $329-96% | $7500 |
| Performance per Dollar | 51.7+1815% | 2.7 |
| Codename | GA106 | AD102 |
| Release | January 12 2021 | October 13 2022 |
| Ranking | #114 | #76 |
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