L40 vs RTX 5090 SE
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | L40 | RTX 5090 SE | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 31,682 | 26,776 | +18.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 231 | 198 | +16.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 147 | 126 | +16.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 84 | 71 | +18.3% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 90.5 | 66.9 | +35.2% |
| VRAM | 48 GB GDDR6 | 24 GB GDDR7 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 864 | 1,344 | -35.7% |
| TDP (W) | 300 | 500 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 36.2 | 26.8 | +35.1% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 53 | 107 | -50.5% |
- L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 126 fps — about 17% faster.
- L40 draws less power (300W vs 500W).
Verdict: L40 or RTX 5090 SE?
L40 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+14%)
- 4K gaming (+15%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+15%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- AI image generation (+26%)
- Power efficiency (+40%)
RTX 5090 SE advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+36%)
- Local LLM inference (+50%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the L40 if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the RTX 5090 SE if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the L40 if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
L40 vs RTX 5090 SE: which should you choose?
L40 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 147 fps at 1440p.
RTX 5090 SE — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2026, Blackwell) with 24 GB of GDDR7, averaging 126 fps at 1440p; launched at $1,499.
L40 vs RTX 5090 SE: L40 is faster for gaming. L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 126 fps — about 17% faster. L40 draws less power (300W vs 500W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40 averages 147 fps against 126. At 4K (84 vs 71 fps) VRAM (48GB vs 24GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
AI and creator workloads
Beyond gaming, the L40 is quicker for AI image generation (36.2 vs 26.8 it/s in Stable Diffusion) and local LLM inference (107 vs 53 tokens/s), which increasingly matters for creators and developers.
Power and value
Board power is 300 W versus 500 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 L40 better than the RTX 5090 SE?
L40 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 126 fps — about 17% faster.
What is the main difference between the L40 and the RTX 5090 SE?
L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 126 fps — about 17% faster. L40 draws less power (300W vs 500W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the L40 if you game at 1440p. Choose the RTX 5090 SE if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
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.