L40 vs RX 5500 XT
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | L40 | RX 5500 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 31,682 | 1,820 | +1,640.8% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 231 | 32 | +621.9% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 147 | 17 | +764.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 84 | 9 | +833.3% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 90.5 | 5.2 | +1,640.8% |
| VRAM | 48 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 864 | 224 | +285.7% |
| TDP (W) | 300 | 130 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 36.2 | 0.8 | +4,425.0% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 53 | 11 | +381.8% |
- L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 765% faster.
- RX 5500 XT draws less power (130W vs 300W).
Verdict: L40 or RX 5500 XT?
L40 advantages
- 1440p gaming (+88%)
- 4K gaming (+89%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+94%)
- Video memory (+83%)
- Memory bandwidth (+74%)
- AI image generation (+98%)
- Local LLM inference (+79%)
RX 5500 XT advantages
- Power efficiency (+57%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the L40 if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the RX 5500 XT if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the L40 if you game at 4K or drive a high-resolution display.
L40 vs RX 5500 XT: which should you choose?
L40 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 147 fps at 1440p.
RX 5500 XT — AMD desktop graphics card (2019, RDNA 1) with 8 GB of GDDR6, averaging 17 fps at 1440p; launched at $199.
L40 vs RX 5500 XT: L40 is faster for gaming. L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 765% faster. RX 5500 XT draws less power (130W vs 300W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40 averages 147 fps against 17. At 4K (84 vs 9 fps) VRAM (48GB vs 8GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
AI and creator workloads
Beyond gaming, the L40 is quicker for AI image generation (36.2 vs 0.8 it/s in Stable Diffusion) and local LLM inference (53 vs 11 tokens/s), which increasingly matters for creators and developers.
Power and value
Board power is 300 W versus 130 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 RX 5500 XT?
L40 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 765% faster.
What is the main difference between the L40 and the RX 5500 XT?
L40 averages 147 fps at 1440p versus 17 fps — about 765% faster. RX 5500 XT draws less power (130W vs 300W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the L40 if you game at 1440p. Choose the RX 5500 XT if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
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.