AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs NVIDIA L40S Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a decisive outcome: the NVIDIA L40S outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by an overwhelming margin in the recorded benchmark. The L40S achieves an average benchmark score of 295,763, while the Vega 64X scores 80,959, a difference of roughly 265%. In the only head-to-head test available, Geekbench OpenCL, the L40S scores 330,727 against 78,467, a 321.5% advantage. This is not a close contest; it is a generational and architectural gap.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, the L40S is for compute-heavy server workloads, AI inference, and any task that leverages massive parallel throughput. It sits in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 99% of the database's recorded graphics cards. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Instinct MI300X, which scores 317,994 (7% higher), and the NVIDIA H200 NVL, which scores 334,891 (11.7% higher). The L40S is competitive with these top-tier accelerators, though it trails them.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, in contrast, is a legacy part. It sits in the 92nd percentile, which is respectable, but its absolute scores are far lower. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (81,995, 1.3% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842, 1.4% lower). This places the Vega 64X in a much lower performance tier, closer to consumer or workstation mid-range parts than to server accelerators. The data suggests the Vega 64X is only suitable for legacy applications or systems where the L40S is not compatible, not for competitive performance.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA L40S than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X in compute workloads?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the L40S scores 330,727 versus 78,467 for the Vega 64X. This is a 321.5% higher score, meaning the L40S delivers more than four times the compute performance in this specific test.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score across all recorded tests?

A: The NVIDIA L40S has an average benchmark score of 295,763, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X averages 80,959. The L40S's average is about 3.65 times higher.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest competitors in the database?

A: The L40S is 3% behind the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation (287,237) and 4.1% behind the NVIDIA L40 (284,111), but it is 7% ahead of the AMD Instinct MI300X (317,994) and 11.7% ahead of the NVIDIA H200 NVL (334,891). The Vega 64X is 1.3% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (81,995) but 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842).

Q: What percentile ranking does each GPU hold?

A: The NVIDIA L40S ranks in the 99th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X ranks in the 92nd percentile. This means the L40S is near the top of the performance distribution, while the Vega 64X is still above average but far from elite.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and does it affect the benchmark outcome?

A: The NVIDIA L40S has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 384-bit bus and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X has 16 GB of HBM2 memory with a 2048-bit bus and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The L40S's larger memory and higher bandwidth contribute to its benchmark dominance, but the score difference is primarily driven by processing power.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the AMD GPU wins?

A: No. In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, the NVIDIA L40S wins the only test (Geekbench OpenCL). The database shows a single win for the L40S and zero wins for the Vega 64X.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The NVIDIA L40S is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, specifically the AD102 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 125.3 million per mm². This is a modern, high-density design optimized for parallel compute and AI workloads.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X uses the older GCN 5.0 architecture, based on the Vega 10 chip. It is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, containing 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die. Its transistor density is just 25.3 million per mm², a fraction of the L40S's density. This reflects a much older manufacturing process and a less sophisticated design.

The L40S features 18,176 shading units, 568 texture mapping units, and 192 render output units. It also includes 142 dedicated ray tracing cores and 568 tensor cores, which are essential for AI inference and ray-traced rendering. The Vega 64X, by contrast, has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, meaning it lacks hardware acceleration for AI and ray tracing tasks.

The API support also differs. The L40S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Vega 64X supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The L40S has a higher Vulkan version and a more advanced DirectX feature level.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification. The process node is a clear divider: the L40S uses 5 nm, while the Vega 64X uses 14 nm. Transistor count is 76,300 million versus 12,500 million. Die size is 609 mm² versus 495 mm². Transistor density is 125.3M per mm² versus 25.3M per mm².

Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story. The L40S has a base clock of 1110 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. The Vega 64X has a base clock of 1250 MHz and a boost clock of 1468 MHz. The Vega 64X has a higher base clock, but the L40S's boost clock is significantly higher, indicating better thermal and power headroom.

Memory is another major difference. The L40S has 48 GB of GDDR6 with a 384-bit bus and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 64X has 16 GB of HBM2 with a 2048-bit bus and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. Despite the Vega 64X's wider bus, the L40S's faster memory technology and higher effective speed (18 Gbps versus 2 Gbps) deliver much higher bandwidth.

Compute throughput is where the L40S dominates. It delivers 91.61 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 91.61 TFLOPS of FP16 (1:1 ratio). The Vega 64X delivers 12.03 TFLOPS of FP32 and 24.05 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio). The L40S's FP32 output is over seven times higher, and its FP16 output is nearly four times higher.

Power and physical design also differ. The L40S has a TDP of 300 W, uses a dual-slot design, requires a single 16-pin power connector, and suggests a 700 W PSU. The Vega 64X has a TDP of 250 W, is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU. The L40S uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Vega 64X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The L40S has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Vega 64X's outputs are portable device dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA L40S scores 330,727, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 78,467. The delta is 321.5% in favor of the L40S. This is not a marginal win; it is a complete rout.

To put this in context, the L40S's OpenCL score alone is higher than the Vega 64X's average benchmark score by a factor of over four. The L40S's nearest rivals in this performance class are the AMD Instinct MI300X (317,994) and the NVIDIA H200 NVL (334,891). The L40S is within 7% of the MI300X and 11.7% of the H200 NVL, meaning it holds its own against some of the most powerful accelerators in the database.

The Vega 64X, by contrast, is in a completely different league. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (81,995), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (79,605 and 79,396). The Vega 64X is actually 1.4% ahead of the RTX 5090 in average score, which is surprising given the RTX 5090's newer architecture, but the data shows the Vega 64X edges it out.

The L40S also has a second benchmark score: Geekbench Vulkan at 260,799. The Vega 64X has a Geekbench Metal score of 83,450. These are different APIs, so they are not directly comparable, but they reinforce the overall performance gap.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA L40S wins everywhere in this comparison. It has a single recorded win in the head-to-head benchmarks, and its average score is nearly four times higher. The L40S is clearly intended for server and data center workloads where raw compute throughput is paramount. Its 48 GB of memory, 91.61 TFLOPS of FP32, and 142 ray tracing cores make it suitable for AI training, scientific simulation, and high-end rendering. The data shows it is competitive with the AMD Instinct MI300X and NVIDIA H200 NVL, both of which are also server-class parts.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X has no wins in this comparison. However, its profile suggests it was designed for a different purpose: integration into portable devices, likely Apple Mac Pro systems. Its IGP design, lack of power connectors, and portable device dependent display outputs point to a specialized niche. It has 16 GB of HBM2 memory, which was generous for its time, and its FP16 output of 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) shows some utility for half-precision workloads. But against the L40S, it has no competitive advantage in any measured metric.

The practical takeaway is simple. For anyone building a server or workstation that requires maximum compute performance, the L40S is the clear choice based on the data. For anyone maintaining a legacy system that requires the Vega 64X's specific form factor or compatibility, the Vega 64X remains functional but cannot match the L40S in any benchmark. The gap is so large that the Vega 64X's 92nd percentile ranking is meaningless in direct competition; the L40S is in the 99th percentile, and the difference in performance is astronomical.