L40 vs RTX 5000 Ada Generation

L40

2022Core: 735 MHzBoost: 2490 MHz
VS
NVIDIA

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

2023Core: 1155 MHzBoost: 2550 MHz

L40 vs RTX 5000 Ada Generation 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.

L40 vs RTX 5000 Ada Generation: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

L40

2022

Why buy it

  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 32 GB).
  • More future proof: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 675% HIGHER MSRP
    $31,000 MSRPvs$4,000 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 1.1 vs 7.6 G3D/$ ($31,000 MSRP vs $4,000 MSRP).
  • 20% higher power demand at 300W vs 250W.

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $27,000 less on MSRP ($4,000 MSRP vs $31,000 MSRP).
  • Delivers 619.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 7.6 vs 1.1 G3D/$ ($4,000 MSRP vs $31,000 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 250W instead of 300W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 32 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

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 7.7% in PassMark G3D (32,601 vs 30,269), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with DLSS 4 Super Resolution (2025) and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation (2025), 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?
RTX 5000 Ada Generation makes the most sense to buy today. It is $27,000 cheaper on MSRP at $4,000 vs $31,000, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 619.6% (7.6 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.

L40 vs RTX 5000 Ada Generation Technical Specifications

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

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 9 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1155 MHz to 2550 MHz. It has 12800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 100 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 30,269 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the L40 scores 32,601 versus the RTX 5000 Ada Generation's 30,269 — the L40 leads by 7.7%. The L40 is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on 4 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 18,176 (L40) vs 12,800 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Raw compute: 90.52 TFLOPS (L40) vs 65.28 TFLOPS (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 2490 MHz vs 2550 MHz. Ray tracing: 142 RT cores (L40) vs 100 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) with 568 Tensor cores vs 400.

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
32,601+8%
30,269
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
4 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
18176+42%
12800
Compute (TFLOPS)
90.52 TFLOPS+39%
65.28 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2490 MHz
2550 MHz+2%
ROPs
192+9%
176
TMUs
568+42%
400
L1 Cache
17.8 MB+42%
12.5 MB
L2 Cache
96 MB+33%
72 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
142+42%
100
Tensor Cores
568+42%
400

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is support for DLSS 4 Multi 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 RTX 5000 Ada Generation 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.

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 4 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 4)
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The L40 has 48 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation carries 32 GB. L40 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40) vs 576 GB/s (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — a 66.7% advantage for the L40. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the L40 and 256-bit on the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. L2 Cache: 96 MB (L40) vs 72 MB (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — the L40 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
48 GB+50%
32 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6 ECC
Memory Bandwidth
960 GB/s+67%
576 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+50%
256-bit
L2 Cache
96 MB+33%
72 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
DirectX
12.2+2%
12 Ultimate
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th Gen (L40) vs NVENC (8th Gen) (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC (5th Gen). Supported codecs: AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9 (L40) vs AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation).

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
Encoder
NVENC 8th Gen
NVENC (8th Gen)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
NVDEC (5th Gen)
Codecs
AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9
AV1,H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40 draws 300W versus the RTX 5000 Ada Generation's 250W — a 18.2% difference. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (L40) vs 650W (RTX 5000 Ada Generation). Power connectors: 16-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 80°C.

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
TDP
300W
250W-17%
Recommended PSU
750W
650W-13%
Power Connector
16-pin
16-pin
Length
267mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
80°C
Perf/Watt
108.7
121.1+11%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the L40 came in at $31000, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation launched at $4000. On MSRP, RTX 5000 Ada Generation was 87.1% cheaper ($27000 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 1.1 (L40) vs 7.6 (RTX 5000 Ada Generation) — the RTX 5000 Ada Generation offers 590.9% better value. The newer card here is RTX 5000 Ada Generation (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureL40RTX 5000 Ada Generation
MSRP
$31000
$4000-87%
Performance per Dollar
1.1
7.6+591%
Codename
AD102
AD102
Release
October 13 2022
August 9 2023
Ranking
#61
#16

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