NVIDIA L40 vs NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB Comparison

# NVIDIA L40 vs NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB

The NVIDIA L40 and NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB represent two distinct eras of NVIDIA's server GPU lineup, separated by roughly four and a half years of architectural evolution. The L40, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, delivers an average benchmark score of 284,111, placing it in the 99th percentile of all GPUs. The V100 SXM2 32 GB, based on the older Volta architecture and a 12 nm process, averages 137,731 points, sitting in the 96th percentile. The performance gap is substantial, with the L40 leading by 151.3% in OpenCL and 65.1% in Vulkan workloads, yet the V100 retains relevance in specific niches due to its HBM2 memory and SXM form factor.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA L40 than the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB in OpenCL?

A: The L40 scores 330,926 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the V100's 131,696, representing a 151.3% advantage for the L40.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth, and by how much?

A: The Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB offers 898.0 GB/s bandwidth, slightly higher than the L40's 864.0 GB/s, despite the L40 having a larger 48 GB frame buffer.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between these two architectures?

A: The L40's AD102 chip packs 125.3 million transistors per mm², while the V100's GV100 achieves 25.9 million per mm² — a 4.8x density advantage for the newer process.

Q: Does the L40 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the L40 includes 142 dedicated RT cores, whereas the V100 has no RT core count listed in the specifications.

Q: How do the Tensor Core counts compare?

A: The V100 SXM2 32 GB has 640 Tensor Cores, exceeding the L40's 568 Tensor Cores, though the L40's are based on a newer architecture generation.

Q: What is the FP16 throughput difference between the two?

A: The L40 delivers 90.52 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, while the V100 provides 31.33 TFLOPS FP16 at a 2:1 ratio — the L40 is 2.9x faster in half-precision compute.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these GPUs is generational. The L40 uses the AD102 chip fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process, containing 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die. The V100 SXM2 32 GB employs the GV100 chip on a 12 nm process with 21,100 million transistors spread across a larger 815 mm² die. This process shrink enables the L40 to achieve 125.3M transistors per mm² versus the V100's 25.9M per mm².

The L40's Ada Lovelace architecture introduces hardware ray tracing with 142 RT cores, a feature entirely absent from the Volta-based V100. Shader resources differ dramatically: the L40 contains 18,176 shading units, 568 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, compared to the V100's 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The L40 also doubles down on rasterization throughput with a pixel rate of 478.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,414.3 GTexel/s, versus the V100's 195.8 GPixel/s and 489.6 GTexel/s.

Memory architectures diverge significantly. The L40 uses 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, while the V100 SXM2 32 GB employs 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit interface. Despite the V100's wider bus, bandwidth is nearly identical — 864.0 GB/s for the L40 versus 898.0 GB/s for the V100. The Tensor Core counts favor the older card (640 vs 568), but the L40's FP32 compute of 90.52 TFLOPS dwarfs the V100's 15.67 TFLOPS, a 5.8x difference.

API support also reflects the newer architecture: the L40 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) while the V100 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The L40 features four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, whereas the V100 SXM2 module has no display outputs at all. Power delivery differs as well — the L40 is a dual-slot card with a 16-pin connector rated at 300 W TDP, while the V100 is an SXM module with no power connectors and a 250 W TDP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data clearly favors the L40 across all tested workloads. In Geekbench OpenCL, the L40 scores 330,926 against the V100's 131,696, yielding a 151.3% delta. This is more than a 2.5x improvement in raw compute throughput, consistent with the L40's 5.8x advantage in FP32 TFLOPS and its newer architecture's efficiency gains.

Vulkan results show a narrower but still decisive gap. The L40 achieves 237,295 points versus 143,765 for the V100, a 65.1% advantage. The smaller delta in Vulkan compared to OpenCL may reflect the V100's mature driver support for its compute-heavy design, but the L40 still wins decisively. Notably, the L40's Vulkan score is lower than its OpenCL score by 28.2%, whereas the V100's Vulkan score is actually 9.2% higher than its OpenCL result — suggesting the older architecture handles Vulkan's abstraction layer relatively better.

When considering average benchmark scores, the L40 at 284,111 sits 106.3% above the V100's 137,731. The L40's nearest rivals include the RTX 6000 Ada Generation at 287,237 (1.1% higher) and the L40S at 295,763 (3.9% higher), placing it in a competitive tier. The V100's nearest rival is the Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB at 138,063 (0.2% lower), showing the SXM2 variant is essentially at parity with its PCIe sibling. Across the full GPU landscape, the L40's 99th percentile ranking versus the V100's 96th percentile underscores the generational leap.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA L40 | NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | AD102 | GV100 |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Volta |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 76,300 million | 21,100 million |

| Die Size | 609 mm² | 815 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 125.3M / mm² | 25.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 735 MHz | 1290 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2490 MHz | 1530 MHz |

| Memory Size | 48 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 864.0 GB/s | 898.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 18,176 | 5,120 |

| TMUs | 568 | 320 |

| ROPs | 192 | 128 |

| RT Cores | 142 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 568 | 640 |

| Pixel Rate | 478.1 GPixel/s | 195.8 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,414.3 GTexel/s | 489.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 90.52 TFLOPS | 15.67 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 90.52 TFLOPS (1:1) | 31.33 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 300 W | 250 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | SXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 16-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Release Date | 2022-10-12 | 2018-03-26 |

The Verdict

The data presents a clear hierarchy: the NVIDIA L40 outperforms the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB in every benchmark recorded, with average score advantage exceeding 100%. For workloads leveraging OpenCL or Vulkan — common in compute, rendering, and AI inference — the L40 delivers 65% to 151% higher performance, making it the superior choice for any new deployment where both options are available.

The V100's strengths lie in its memory architecture. The SXM2 module's HBM2 memory delivers 898.0 GB/s bandwidth, slightly edging out the L40's 864.0 GB/s, and its 4096-bit bus offers unique characteristics for bandwidth-sensitive workloads. The V100 also has more Tensor Cores (640 vs 568), though their older generation and the L40's vastly higher FP16 throughput (90.52 vs 31.33 TFLOPS) likely offset this advantage in practice.

For users with existing V100 infrastructure, the L40 represents a compelling upgrade path. The 48 GB frame buffer versus 32 GB enables larger models and datasets, while the 5.8x FP32 advantage accelerates compute-heavy tasks. The L40's dual-slot form factor and PCIe 4.0 x16 interface make it easier to integrate into standard servers, whereas the V100's SXM module requires specialized chassis.

However, the V100 retains value in specific scenarios. Its 250 W TDP is lower than the L40's 300 W, and the SXM form factor with no power connectors simplifies power delivery in supported systems. The V100's 96th percentile ranking is respectable, and its 0.2% performance delta from the PCIe 16 GB variant suggests consistent behavior across form factors. For legacy applications tuned for Volta's compute characteristics, or HBM2 memory patterns, the V100 remains a functional option.

The verdict from benchmark data: the L40 is the clear performance leader, offering 2x or better average performance with newer features like ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate support. The V100 SXM2 32 GB is an end-of-life product from 2018, and its 12 nm process and Volta architecture place it firmly in a previous generation. Buyers should choose the L40 for new workloads requiring maximum compute throughput, while the V100 may still serve existing deployments where its specific memory and power profile are already integrated into the infrastructure.