NVIDIA L40 vs NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation and the NVIDIA L40 are two professional graphics cards built on the same AD102 chip and Ada Lovelace architecture, yet they serve different market segments—one for workstations and the other for servers. The benchmark data shows they are remarkably close in overall performance, with the RTX 6000 Ada averaging a score of 281,932 and the L40 averaging 281,655, a difference of just 0.1%. However, their individual test results reveal distinct strengths, with the L40 winning in OpenCL and the RTX 6000 Ada taking Vulkan. This analysis breaks down their architectural similarities, benchmark performance, and specification differences to clarify which card suits specific workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation holds a marginal lead with an average benchmark score of 281,932, compared to the NVIDIA L40’s 281,655, a difference of only 0.1%.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Geekbench OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA L40 is the winner in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 330,683 versus the RTX 6000 Ada’s 311,629, which represents a 5.8% advantage for the L40.

Q: Which GPU performs better in Geekbench Vulkan tests?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation wins in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 252,235 compared to the L40’s 232,627, giving the RTX 6000 Ada an 8.4% lead.

Q: What are the memory specifications for both cards?

A: Both cards feature 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, but the RTX 6000 Ada has a higher bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s, while the L40 offers 864.0 GB/s.

Q: Are the two cards based on the same underlying chip?

A: Yes, both the RTX 6000 Ada and the L40 use the AD102 chip fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with identical transistor counts of 76,300 million and a die size of 609 mm².

Q: What is the difference in their release dates?

A: The NVIDIA L40 was released earlier on 2022-10-12, while the RTX 6000 Ada Generation followed on 2022-12-02. Both are now listed as end-of-life products.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 6000 Ada Generation and the L40 share the same fundamental architecture, both built on the AD102 chip using the Ada Lovelace design. The process node is identical at 5 nm, with TSMC as the foundry, and both packs contain 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². This means the core compute resources are exactly the same on paper: 18,176 shading units, 568 texture mapping units, 192 raster operation units, 142 ray tracing cores, and 568 tensor cores.

Despite this underlying sameness, the cards are differentiated by their intended use cases, as reflected in their generation labels. The RTX 6000 Ada is classified under "Workstation Ada," while the L40 belongs to "Server Ada (Lxx)." This distinction does not alter the silicon, but it does influence how the cards are configured. The RTX 6000 Ada runs a base clock of 915 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, whereas the L40 operates at a lower base clock of 735 MHz and a boost clock of 2490 MHz. Consequently, the RTX 6000 Ada achieves slightly higher pixel and texture rates—481.0 GPixel/s and 1,422.8 GTexel/s versus the L40’s 478.1 GPixel/s and 1,414.3 GTexel/s.

The memory subsystems also differ in speed. The RTX 6000 Ada uses a 2500 MHz memory clock (20 Gbps effective), while the L40 runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). This translates to a bandwidth advantage for the RTX 6000 Ada at 960.0 GB/s compared to the L40’s 864.0 GB/s. Both cards support the same API set—DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4—and offer identical display outputs with 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. The predecessor and successor lineage also differs: the RTX 6000 Ada follows Workstation Ampere and is succeeded by Blackwell PRO W, while the L40 follows Server Ampere and is succeeded by Server Hopper.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a picture of two cards that trade blows depending on the API. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA L40 emerges as the clear winner with a score of 330,683, outperforming the RTX 6000 Ada’s 311,629 by a substantial 5.8%. This result is notable because the L40’s lower clock speeds do not hinder its OpenCL performance; the data suggests the L40’s server-oriented design may be better optimized for this compute workload. The RTX 6000 Ada, despite its higher boost clock of 2505 MHz versus the L40’s 2490 MHz, falls behind in this test, indicating that raw clock speed is not the sole determinant of OpenCL performance.

Conversely, the RTX 6000 Ada takes a decisive victory in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 252,235 against the L40’s 232,627, an 8.4% margin. This is the larger of the two deltas, suggesting that the RTX 6000 Ada has a significant advantage in Vulkan-based applications, which often rely on the graphics pipeline and driver optimizations. The Vulkan win offsets the OpenCL loss, resulting in a near-tie in average benchmark scores: 281,932 for the RTX 6000 Ada and 281,655 for the L40, a delta of just 0.1%.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides additional context. The RTX 6000 Ada is 3.6% behind the NVIDIA L40S (average score 292,603) and 5.8% ahead of the NVIDIA L20 (average score 266,428), while also trailing the NVIDIA H200 NVL (305,608) by 7.7%. The L40 shows a similar pattern, being 3.7% behind the L40S and 5.7% ahead of the L20, with a 7.8% deficit to the H200 NVL. These figures confirm that both cards occupy the same performance tier, with the L40S representing the next step up and the L20 a step down. The percentile rankings reinforce this: the RTX 6000 Ada sits at the 100th percentile among all GPUs, while the L40 is at the 99th, indicating both are top-tier performers.

Specification Differences

While the two cards share many specifications, several key fields differ, and these differences align with their respective workstation and server roles. The clock speeds are the most obvious divergence: the RTX 6000 Ada has a base clock of 915 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, whereas the L40 operates at 735 MHz base and 2490 MHz boost. This gives the RTX 6000 Ada a higher peak throughput in raw compute terms, as reflected in its FP32 performance of 91.06 TFLOPS versus the L40’s 90.52 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance of 91.06 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 90.52 TFLOPS (1:1).

Memory clocks also differ, with the RTX 6000 Ada running at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) and the L40 at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). This leads to a bandwidth gap of 960.0 GB/s for the RTX 6000 Ada versus 864.0 GB/s for the L40. The physical dimensions show a minor variation in height: the RTX 6000 Ada measures 112 mm (4.4 inches), while the L40 is 111 mm (4.4 inches), though both share the same length of 267 mm (10.5 inches). Both are dual-slot cards with a 1x 16-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 700 W.

The generation labels and release dates differentiate them further. The RTX 6000 Ada is from the "Workstation Ada" generation and was released on 2022-12-02, while the L40 is from the "Server Ada (Lxx)" generation and launched earlier on 2022-10-12. Their predecessors and successors also differ: the RTX 6000 Ada’s predecessor is Workstation Ampere and its successor is Blackwell PRO W, whereas the L40’s predecessor is Server Ampere and its successor is Server Hopper. Notably, the RTX 6000 Ada has a launch MSRP of 6,799 USD, while the L40 has no listed launch MSRP. The production status for both is end-of-life.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates that neither card is a universal winner, making the choice heavily dependent on the target workload. For users prioritizing OpenCL compute tasks, the NVIDIA L40 is the better pick, as it delivers a 5.8% higher score in Geekbench OpenCL (330,683 versus 311,629). This advantage, despite the L40’s lower clock speeds, suggests that server-oriented optimizations in the L40 yield tangible benefits for certain compute APIs. The L40’s earlier release date and server lineage may also be relevant for data-center deployments where OpenCL workloads are common.

On the other hand, the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation is the superior choice for Vulkan-based applications, winning by 8.4% (252,235 versus 232,627). Its higher clock speeds—both base and boost—and greater memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s provide a measurable edge in graphics-heavy tasks. The RTX 6000 Ada also holds a slight overall advantage with an average benchmark score of 281,932 versus 281,655, and it reaches the 100th percentile among all GPUs, compared to the L40’s 99th. For workstation users who rely on Vulkan for rendering or professional visualization, the RTX 6000 Ada’s performance profile is more compelling.

In practical terms, the data shows a near-parity in overall performance, with a 0.1% difference in average scores. The RTX 6000 Ada’s launch MSRP of 6,799 USD provides a reference point, but the L40’s lack of a listed MSRP makes direct cost comparison impossible from the available data. The decision ultimately rests on the API workload: choose the L40 for OpenCL-centric compute, or the RTX 6000 Ada for Vulkan-centric graphics. Both cards are end-of-life, so availability may be limited, but their performance remains highly competitive, sitting just behind the L40S and H200 NVL while comfortably ahead of the L20.