GTX 680 vs L40S
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | GTX 680 | L40S | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,137 | 32,060 | -96.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 27 | 234 | -88.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 14 | 148 | -90.5% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 7 | 84 | -91.7% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 3.3 | 91.6 | -96.5% |
| VRAM | 2 GB GDDR5 | 48 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 224 | 864 | -74.1% |
| TDP (W) | 195 | 350 | — |
- L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 91% faster.
- GTX 680 draws less power (195W vs 350W).
Verdict: GTX 680 or L40S?
GTX 680 advantages
- Power efficiency (+44%)
L40S advantages
- 1440p gaming (+91%)
- 4K gaming (+92%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+96%)
- Video memory (+96%)
- Memory bandwidth (+74%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the GTX 680 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the L40S if you game at 1440p.
GTX 680 vs L40S: which should you choose?
GTX 680 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2012, Kepler) with 2 GB of GDDR5, averaging 14 fps at 1440p; launched at $499.
L40S — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2023, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 148 fps at 1440p.
GTX 680 vs L40S: L40S is faster for gaming. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 91% faster. GTX 680 draws less power (195W vs 350W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40S averages 148 fps against 14. At 4K (7 vs 84 fps) VRAM (2GB vs 48GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
Power and value
Board power is 195 W versus 350 W, which affects PSU headroom, case cooling and noise.
The verdict
Both are credible choices in the graphics card comparison space; the specification table above lays out every metric so you can weigh the trade-offs that matter to you. Pick the one whose strengths line up with how you will actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GTX 680 better than the L40S?
L40S is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 91% faster.
What is the main difference between the GTX 680 and the L40S?
L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 14 fps — about 91% faster. GTX 680 draws less power (195W vs 350W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the GTX 680 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise. Choose the L40S if you game at 1440p.
Methodology
Graphics cards are compared on 3DMark Time Spy scores, average gaming frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, FP32 compute throughput, VRAM capacity and type, memory bandwidth, board power (TDP) and launch MSRP — plus AI workload throughput (Stable Diffusion iterations/s and local LLM tokens/s) where measured. Vintage and server GPUs without modern benchmark results are compared on specifications only, clearly labelled. Frame rates are averages across a game suite at high settings; specific titles vary.