L40S vs RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

L40S

2022Core: 1110 MHzBoost: 2520 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
NVIDIA

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023Core: 1110 MHzBoost: 1545 MHz
RTX family
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L40S vs RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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.

L40S vs RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

L40S

2022

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

  • 200% higher power demand at 300W vs 100W.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

  • Draws 100W instead of 300W, a 200W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).

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 1.9% in PassMark G3D (20,023 vs 19,656), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 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?
L40S makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, L40S is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and lighter 1440p headroom, RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has the stronger long-term case.

L40S vs RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU Technical Specifications

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

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.

NVIDIA

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1110 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,656 points.

Graphics Performance

The L40S scores 20,023 and the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU reaches 19,656 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The L40S is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 18,176 (L40S) vs 5,120 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S) vs 15.82 TFLOPS (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 1545 MHz. Ray tracing: 142 RT cores (L40S) vs 40 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) with 568 Tensor cores vs 160.

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score
20,023+2%
19,656
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
18176+255%
5120
Compute (TFLOPS)
91.61 TFLOPS+479%
15.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2520 MHz+63%
1545 MHz
ROPs
192+200%
64
TMUs
568+255%
160
L1 Cache
17.8 MB+256%
5 MB
L2 Cache
48 MB
48 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
142+255%
40
Tensor Cores
568+255%
160

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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.

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
Upscaling support
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The L40S has 48 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU carries 12 GB. L40S gives you 300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40S) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 122.2% advantage for the L40S. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the L40S and 192-bit on the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU.

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity
48 GB+300%
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
960 GB/s+122%
432 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+100%
192-bit
L2 Cache
48 MB
48 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40S) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
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 (L40S) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder
NVENC 8th Gen
NVENC 8th gen
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs
H.264,H.265,AV1
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40S draws 300W versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 100W — a 100% difference. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 800W (L40S) vs 150W (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 16-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP
300W
100W-67%
Recommended PSU
800W
150W-81%
Power Connector
16-pin
Mobile
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
0-100%
Temp (Load)
85°C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
66.7
196.6+195%
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureL40SRTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
MSRP
$7500
Codename
AD102
AD104
Release
October 13 2022
March 21 2023
Ranking
#76
#81

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