GeForce RTX 4090 D vs L40

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090 D

2023Core: 2280 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS

L40

2022Core: 735 MHzBoost: 2490 MHz

GeForce RTX 4090 D vs L40 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 4090 D vs L40: 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 4090 D

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $29,401 less on MSRP ($1,599 MSRP vs $31,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 1727.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 19.2 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($1,599 MSRP vs $31,000 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 24 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 41.7% higher power demand at 425W vs 300W.
  • 13.9% longer card at 304mm vs 267mm.

L40

2022

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 24 GB).
  • Draws 300W instead of 425W, a 125W reduction.
  • Measures 267mm instead of 304mm, a 37mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • GeForce RTX 4090 D is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 1838.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $31,000 MSRPvs$1,599 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 19.2 G3D/$ ($31,000 MSRP vs $1,599 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
L40 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 6.1% in PassMark G3D (32,601 vs 30,725), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4090 D is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution (2023) and DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while L40 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4090 D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $29,401 cheaper on MSRP at $1,599 vs $31,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1727.1% (19.2 vs 1.1), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. L40 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 4090 D vs L40 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4090 D

The GeForce RTX 4090 D is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 28 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 2280 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 14592 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 425W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 114 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 30,725 points. Launch price was $1,599.

NVIDIA

L40

The L40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 13 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 2490 MHz. It has 18176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 142 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 32,601 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4090 D scores 30,725 versus the L40's 32,601 — the L40 leads by 6.1%. The GeForce RTX 4090 D is built on Ada Lovelace while the L40 uses Ada Lovelace, both on 5 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 14,592 (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 18,176 (L40). Raw compute: 73.54 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 90.52 TFLOPS (L40). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 2490 MHz. Ray tracing: 114 RT cores (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 142 (L40) with 456 Tensor cores vs 568.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
G3D Mark Score
30,725
32,601+6%
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
4 nm
Shading Units
14592
18176+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)
73.54 TFLOPS
90.52 TFLOPS+23%
Boost Clock
2520 MHz+1%
2490 MHz
ROPs
176
192+9%
TMUs
456
568+25%
L1 Cache
14.3 MB
17.8 MB+24%
L2 Cache
72 MB
96 MB+33%
Ray Tracing Cores
114
142+25%
Tensor Cores
456
568+25%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4090 D is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The L40 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4090 D gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The L40 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
Standard
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of VRAM, while the L40 carries 48 GB. L40 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 1008 GB/s (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 960 GB/s (L40) — a 5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 4090 D. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 4090 D and 384-bit on the L40. L2 Cache: 72 MB (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 96 MB (L40) — the L40 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
VRAM Capacity
24 GB
48 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
1008 GB/s+5%
960 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit
384-bit
L2 Cache
72 MB
96 MB+33%
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 12.2 (L40). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12.2+2%
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 2x NVENC (8th Gen) (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L40). Decoder: NVDEC (5th Gen) vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (L40).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
Encoder
2x NVENC (8th Gen)
NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder
NVDEC (5th Gen)
NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs
H.264,HEVC,AV1,VP9
AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4090 D draws 425W versus the L40's 300W — a 34.5% difference. The L40 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 850W (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 750W (L40). Power connectors: 16-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 304mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 78°C vs 80°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
TDP
425W
300W-29%
Recommended PSU
850W
750W-12%
Power Connector
16-pin
16-pin
Length
304mm
267mm
Height
137mm
111mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
78°C-3%
80°C
Perf/Watt
72.3
108.7+50%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4090 D came in at $1599, while the L40 launched at $31000. On MSRP, GeForce RTX 4090 D was 94.8% cheaper ($29401 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 19.2 (GeForce RTX 4090 D) vs 1.1 (L40) — the GeForce RTX 4090 D offers 1645.5% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4090 D (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4090 DL40
MSRP
$1599-95%
$31000
Performance per Dollar
19.2+1645%
1.1
Codename
AD102
AD102
Release
December 28 2023
October 13 2022
Ranking
#14
#61

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