L40S vs L40
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | L40S | L40 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 32,060 | 31,682 | +1.2% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 234 | 231 | +1.3% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 148 | 147 | +0.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 84 | 84 | — |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 91.6 | 90.5 | +1.2% |
| VRAM | 48 GB GDDR6 | 48 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 864 | 864 | — |
| TDP (W) | 350 | 300 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 36.6 | 36.2 | +1.1% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 53 | 53 | — |
- L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 147 fps — about 1% faster.
- L40 draws less power (300W vs 350W).
Verdict: L40S or L40?
L40S advantages
- No decisive advantage on the tracked metrics.
L40 advantages
- Power efficiency (+14%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the L40 if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
L40S vs L40: which should you choose?
L40S — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2023, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 148 fps at 1440p.
L40 — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 147 fps at 1440p.
L40S vs L40: L40S is faster for gaming. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 147 fps — about 1% faster. L40 draws less power (300W vs 350W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40S averages 148 fps against 147. At 4K (84 vs 84 fps) VRAM (48GB vs 48GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
AI and creator workloads
Beyond gaming, the L40S is quicker for AI image generation (36.6 vs 36.2 it/s in Stable Diffusion) and local LLM inference (53 vs 53 tokens/s), which increasingly matters for creators and developers.
Power and value
Board power is 350 W versus 300 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 L40S better than the L40?
L40 is the clearly stronger overall choice, winning most of the dimensions that matter. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 147 fps — about 1% faster.
What is the main difference between the L40S and the L40?
L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 147 fps — about 1% faster. L40 draws less power (300W vs 350W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the L40 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.