RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q vs L40S
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q | L40S | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 8,961 | 32,060 | -72.0% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 79 | 234 | -66.2% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 48 | 148 | -67.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 27 | 84 | -67.9% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 20.8 | 91.6 | -77.2% |
| VRAM | 10 GB GDDR6X | 48 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 840 | 864 | -2.8% |
| TDP (W) | 144 | 350 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 8.3 | 36.6 | -77.3% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 42 | 53 | -20.8% |
- L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 48 fps — about 68% faster.
- RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q draws less power (144W vs 350W).
Verdict: RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q or L40S?
RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q advantages
- Power efficiency (+59%)
L40S advantages
- 1440p gaming (+68%)
- 4K gaming (+68%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+72%)
- Video memory (+79%)
- AI image generation (+77%)
- Local LLM inference (+21%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q if you want lower power draw, heat and noise.
- Choose the L40S if you game at 1440p.
RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q vs L40S: which should you choose?
RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2020, Ampere) with 10 GB of GDDR6X, averaging 48 fps at 1440p.
L40S — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2023, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 148 fps at 1440p.
RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q vs L40S: L40S is faster for gaming. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 48 fps — about 68% faster. RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q draws less power (144W vs 350W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40S averages 148 fps against 48. At 4K (27 vs 84 fps) VRAM (10GB vs 48GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
AI and creator workloads
Beyond gaming, the L40S is quicker for AI image generation (36.6 vs 8.3 it/s in Stable Diffusion) and local LLM inference (53 vs 42 tokens/s), which increasingly matters for creators and developers.
Power and value
Board power is 144 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 RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q 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 48 fps — about 68% faster.
What is the main difference between the RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q and the L40S?
L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 48 fps — about 68% faster. RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q draws less power (144W vs 350W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 3080 10GB Max-Q 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.