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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Tesla M40: it remains the more sensible modern option while Tesla M40 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Tesla M40

2015

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
212.5% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$800 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quadro RTX 3000

2018

Tesla M40

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,700 less on MSRP ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 13.6 vs 4.1 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $2,500 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Less risky long-term buy than Tesla M40: it remains the more sensible modern option while Tesla M40 is already legacy-tier future-proofing.

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 6 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 6 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 6 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.

Trade-offs

❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2015-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
212.5% HIGHER MSRP
$2,500 MSRPvs$800 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.1 vs 13.6 G3D/$ ($2,500 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Quadro RTX 3000 better than Tesla M40?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 10,858 vs 10,220 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Quadro RTX 3000 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, DLSS Super Resolution.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Quadro RTX 3000 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2018 generation instead of 2015, better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 12nm process instead of 28nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Quadro RTX 3000 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $800 MSRP. Quadro RTX 3000 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Quadro RTX 3000 is about $1,700 cheaper on MSRP at $800 MSRP versus $2,500 MSRP, and you are getting 6.2% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $800 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and DLSS Super Resolution.

Is Tesla M40 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Tesla M40 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $2,500 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Quadro RTX 3000 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and DLSS Super Resolution.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Quadro RTX 3000 Benchmark Check

Tesla M40 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
1080p
low	123 FPS	151 FPS
medium	113 FPS	130 FPS
high	98 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	65 FPS
1440p
low	106 FPS	121 FPS
medium	91 FPS	103 FPS
high	77 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	47 FPS
4K
low	56 FPS	42 FPS
medium	50 FPS	38 FPS
high	41 FPS	24 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	20 FPS

Open Quadro RTX 3000 Open Tesla M40

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
1080p
low	451 FPS	248 FPS
medium	391 FPS	214 FPS
high	317 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	128 FPS
1440p
low	296 FPS	173 FPS
medium	244 FPS	142 FPS
high	211 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	143 FPS	96 FPS
medium	126 FPS	78 FPS
high	108 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	49 FPS

Open Quadro RTX 3000 Open Tesla M40

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
1080p
low	489 FPS	460 FPS
medium	391 FPS	368 FPS
high	326 FPS	307 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	345 FPS
medium	293 FPS	276 FPS
high	244 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	244 FPS	230 FPS
medium	195 FPS	184 FPS
high	163 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	115 FPS

Open Quadro RTX 3000 Open Tesla M40

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
1080p
low	489 FPS	293 FPS
medium	391 FPS	252 FPS
high	326 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	217 FPS
medium	293 FPS	192 FPS
high	244 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	244 FPS	120 FPS
medium	195 FPS	96 FPS
high	163 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	61 FPS

Open Quadro RTX 3000 Open Tesla M40

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Quadro RTX 3000 and Tesla M40

Quadro RTX 3000

The Quadro RTX 3000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,858 points. Launch price was $9,999.

Tesla M40

The Tesla M40 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 10 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 948 MHz to 1112 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 10,220 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Quadro RTX 3000 scores 10,858 versus the Tesla M40's 10,220 — the Quadro RTX 3000 leads by 6.2%. The Quadro RTX 3000 is built on Turing while the Tesla M40 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 12 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 4,608 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 3,072 (Tesla M40). Raw compute: 16.31 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 6.832 TFLOPS (Tesla M40). Boost clocks: 1770 MHz vs 1112 MHz.

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
G3D Mark Score	10,858+6%	10,220
Architecture	Turing	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	12 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	4608+50%	3072
Compute (TFLOPS)	16.31 TFLOPS+139%	6.832 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1770 MHz+59%	1112 MHz
ROPs	96	96
TMUs	288+50%	192
L1 Cache	4.5 MB+309%	1.1 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+100%	3 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The Quadro RTX 3000 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Tesla M40 relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
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 Quadro RTX 3000 comes with 6 GB of VRAM, while the Tesla M40 has 8 GB. The Tesla M40 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 256-bit. L2 Cache: 6 MB (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 3 MB (Tesla M40) — the Quadro RTX 3000 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
VRAM Capacity	6 GB	8 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bus Width	256-bit	256-bit
L2 Cache	6 MB+100%	3 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 12.0 (Tesla M40). Vulkan: 1.0 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.5. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 0.

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
DirectX	12.1	12.0
Vulkan	1.0	1.1+10%
OpenGL	4.6+2%	4.5
Max Displays	4	0

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: 7th Gen NVENC (Quadro RTX 3000) vs NVENC 2.0 (2x) (Tesla M40). Decoder: 5th Gen NVDEC vs PureVideo HD VP6. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Tesla M40).

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
Encoder	7th Gen NVENC	NVENC 2.0 (2x)
Decoder	5th Gen NVDEC	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro RTX 3000 draws 260W versus the Tesla M40's 250W — a 3.9% difference. The Tesla M40 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 500W (Tesla M40). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 267mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 85°C.

Feature	Quadro RTX 3000	Tesla M40
TDP	260W	250W-4%
Recommended PSU	500W	500W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	267mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	85°C
Perf/Watt	41.8+2%	40.9

💰

Value Analysis

The Quadro RTX 3000 launched at $800 MSRP, while the Tesla M40 launched at $2500. The Quadro RTX 3000 costs 68% less ($1700 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 13.6 (Quadro RTX 3000) vs 4.1 (Tesla M40) — the Quadro RTX 3000 offers 231.7% better value. The Quadro RTX 3000 is the newer GPU (2018 vs 2015).