L40 vs V100 SXM2
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | L40 | V100 SXM2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 90.5 | 7.8 | +1,060.5% |
| VRAM | 48 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB HBM2 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 864 | 900 | -4.0% |
| TDP (W) | 300 | 300 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 36.2 | 25.0 | +44.8% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 53 | 95 | -44.2% |
- L40 offers 90.5 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 7.8. These cards span different eras or segments, so modern gaming benchmarks are not directly comparable — judge them within their own generation and use case.
Verdict: L40 or V100 SXM2?
L40 advantages
- Video memory (+67%)
- AI image generation (+31%)
V100 SXM2 advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+4%)
- Local LLM inference (+44%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the L40 if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work.
- Choose the V100 SXM2 if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the L40 if you run AI image generation locally.
L40 vs V100 SXM2: which should you choose?
L40 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 147 fps at 1440p.
V100 SXM2 — NVIDIA server graphics card (2017, Volta) with 16 GB of HBM2; launched at $10,000.
L40 vs V100 SXM2: L40 has more raw compute. L40 offers 90.5 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 7.8. These cards span different eras or segments, so modern gaming benchmarks are not directly comparable — judge them within their own generation and use case.
Different eras, different missions
These two parts do not compete head-to-head: L40 (2022, Desktop) and V100 SXM2 (2017, Server) come from different generations or market segments, so modern game benchmarks do not apply to both. The specification table above is best read as architectural context — process node, memory technology and power budgets show how far GPU design has moved.
Specifications at a glance
L40 carries 48 GB of GDDR6 against 16 GB of HBM2 on V100 SXM2, with board powers of 300 W and 300 W respectively.
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 V100 SXM2?
These two are closely matched — the right pick comes down to which specific strengths you value and the price you actually pay. L40 offers 90.5 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 7.8. These cards span different eras or segments, so modern gaming benchmarks are not directly comparable — judge them within their own generation and use case.
What is the main difference between the L40 and the V100 SXM2?
L40 offers 90.5 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 7.8. These cards span different eras or segments, so modern gaming benchmarks are not directly comparable — judge them within their own generation and use case.
Which should I choose?
Choose the L40 if you play the latest titles at high textures or do GPU-accelerated work. Choose the V100 SXM2 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.