RTX 4090 Max-Q vs L40S
Head-to-head specifications
| Metric | RTX 4090 Max-Q | L40S | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy | 23,120 | 32,060 | -27.9% |
| Avg FPS @ 1080p | 174 | 234 | -25.6% |
| Avg FPS @ 1440p | 110 | 148 | -25.7% |
| Avg FPS @ 4K | 62 | 84 | -26.2% |
| FP32 compute (TFLOPS) | 57.8 | 91.6 | -36.9% |
| VRAM | 24 GB GDDR6X | 48 GB GDDR6 | — |
| Memory bandwidth (GB/s) | 1,008 | 864 | +16.7% |
| TDP (W) | 202 | 350 | — |
| Stable Diffusion (it/s) | 23.1 | 36.6 | -36.9% |
| LLM inference (tokens/s) | 80 | 53 | +50.9% |
- L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 110 fps — about 26% faster.
- RTX 4090 Max-Q draws less power (202W vs 350W).
Verdict: RTX 4090 Max-Q or L40S?
RTX 4090 Max-Q advantages
- Memory bandwidth (+14%)
- Local LLM inference (+34%)
- Power efficiency (+42%)
L40S advantages
- 1440p gaming (+26%)
- 4K gaming (+26%)
- Synthetic benchmark performance (+28%)
- Video memory (+50%)
- AI image generation (+37%)
Which should you choose?
- Choose the RTX 4090 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads.
- Choose the L40S if you game at 1440p.
- Choose the RTX 4090 Max-Q if you run local LLMs and AI inference.
RTX 4090 Max-Q vs L40S: which should you choose?
RTX 4090 Max-Q — NVIDIA laptop graphics card (2022, Ada Lovelace) with 24 GB of GDDR6X, averaging 110 fps at 1440p.
L40S — NVIDIA desktop graphics card (2023, Ada Lovelace) with 48 GB of GDDR6, averaging 148 fps at 1440p.
RTX 4090 Max-Q vs L40S: L40S is faster for gaming. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 110 fps — about 26% faster. RTX 4090 Max-Q draws less power (202W vs 350W).
1080p, 1440p and 4K
At 1440p — the most common enthusiast resolution — the L40S averages 148 fps against 110. At 4K (62 vs 84 fps) VRAM (24GB vs 48GB) and memory bandwidth matter more.
AI and creator workloads
Beyond gaming, the L40S is quicker for AI image generation (36.6 vs 23.1 it/s in Stable Diffusion) and local LLM inference (80 vs 53 tokens/s), which increasingly matters for creators and developers.
Power and value
Board power is 202 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 4090 Max-Q better than the L40S?
L40S takes the overall edge, though RTX 4090 Max-Q wins in specific areas worth weighing. L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 110 fps — about 26% faster.
What is the main difference between the RTX 4090 Max-Q and the L40S?
L40S averages 148 fps at 1440p versus 110 fps — about 26% faster. RTX 4090 Max-Q draws less power (202W vs 350W).
Which should I choose?
Choose the RTX 4090 Max-Q if you work with high-resolution textures or memory-bound workloads. 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.