L40S vs RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

L40S

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

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

2023Core: 720 MHzBoost: 1560 MHz
RTX family
·······

L40S vs RTX 4000 SFF 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.

L40S vs RTX 4000 SFF 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.

L40S

2022

Why buy it

  • 2300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 2 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 275.2% HIGHER MSRP
    $7,500 MSRPvs$1,999 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 10.3 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
  • 328.6% higher power demand at 300W vs 70W.

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

2023

Why buy it

  • Costs $5,501 less on MSRP ($1,999 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
  • Delivers 287.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.3 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 70W instead of 300W, a 230W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 3.2% in PassMark G3D (20,669 vs 20,023), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation 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 L40S 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 4000 SFF Ada Generation makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5,501 cheaper on MSRP at $1,999 vs $7,500, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 287.3% (10.3 vs 2.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

L40S vs RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation 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 4000 SFF Ada Generation

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 720 MHz to 1560 MHz. It has 6144 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 70W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 48 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,669 points.

Graphics Performance

The L40S scores 20,023 and the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation reaches 20,669 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The L40S is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 18,176 (L40S) vs 6,144 (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation). Raw compute: 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S) vs 19.17 TFLOPS (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 1560 MHz. Ray tracing: 142 RT cores (L40S) vs 48 (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation) with 568 Tensor cores vs 192.

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
G3D Mark Score
20,023
20,669+3%
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Process Node
5 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
18176+196%
6144
Compute (TFLOPS)
91.61 TFLOPS+378%
19.17 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
2520 MHz+62%
1560 MHz
ROPs
192+200%
64
TMUs
568+196%
192
L1 Cache
17.8 MB+197%
6 MB
L2 Cache
48 MB
48 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
142+196%
48
Tensor Cores
568+196%
192

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The L40S does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation 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 4000 SFF Ada Generation
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
Frame Generation
Not Supported
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
Low Latency
Standard
NVIDIA Reflex
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The L40S has 48 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation carries 2 GB. L40S gives you 2300% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40S) vs 280 GB/s (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation) — a 242.9% advantage for the L40S. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the L40S and 160-bit on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
VRAM Capacity
48 GB+2300%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6 ECC
Memory Bandwidth
960 GB/s+243%
280 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+140%
160-bit
L2 Cache
48 MB
48 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40S) vs 12.2 (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
DirectX
12.2
12.2
Vulkan
1.3
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th Gen (L40S) vs 8th Gen NVENC (2x) (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation).

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
Encoder
NVENC 8th Gen
8th Gen NVENC (2x)
Decoder
NVDEC 5th Gen
5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs
H.264,H.265,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40S draws 300W versus the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 70W — a 124.3% difference. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 800W (L40S) vs 750W (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation). Power connectors: 16-pin vs 1x 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
TDP
300W
70W-77%
Recommended PSU
800W
750W-6%
Power Connector
16-pin
1x 8-pin
Length
267mm
267mm
Height
111mm
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
85°C
80°C-6%
Perf/Watt
66.7
295.3+343%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the L40S came in at $7500, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation launched at $1999. On MSRP, RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation was 73.3% cheaper ($5501 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (L40S) vs 10.3 (RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation) — the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation offers 281.5% better value. The newer card here is RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation (2023 vs 2022).

FeatureL40SRTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation
MSRP
$7500
$1999-73%
Performance per Dollar
2.7
10.3+281%
Codename
AD102
AD104
Release
October 13 2022
March 21 2023
Ranking
#76
#71

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.