NVIDIA L40S vs NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation Comparison

# NVIDIA L40S vs NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation

The NVIDIA L40S and NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation are both Ada Lovelace architecture GPUs built on TSMC's 5 nm process, but they target different segments of the professional market. The L40S is a server-oriented card with a 99th percentile ranking across all GPUs, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation sits at the 98th percentile. Both share the AD102 chip, 76,300 million transistors, and a 609 mm² die, yet their benchmark scores show a substantial gap. In Geekbench OpenCL, the L40S scores 330,727 against the RTX 5000's 175,286, a 88.7% advantage. In Vulkan, the L40S leads 260,799 to 194,041, a 34.4% edge. The L40S wins both head-to-head tests, with an average benchmark score of 295,763 versus 184,664 for the RTX 5000.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The OpenCL result is the clearest indicator of the performance divide. The L40S delivers 330,727 points, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation manages only 175,286. That is an 88.7% delta, meaning the L40S nearly doubles the workstation card's compute throughput in this workload. For context, the L40S's nearest rival, the AMD Instinct MI300X, averages 317,994 points, which puts the L40S 7% behind that competitor. The RTX 5000, by contrast, sits just 0.5% above the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB's average score of 183,725, and 1.3% below the A100 SXM4 40 GB at 187,147. The L40S is clearly in a different performance tier, closer to the NVIDIA H200 NVL (334,891 average, 11.7% above the L40S) than to the RTX 5000.

The Vulkan benchmark tells a similar story but with a narrower margin. The L40S scores 260,799, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation posts 194,041. The 34.4% delta is still decisive, but the gap shrinks compared to OpenCL. This suggests the RTX 5000's architecture is relatively more competitive in graphics-oriented or driver-optimized workloads, though it still trails significantly. The RTX 5000's Vulkan result aligns with its nearest rivals: it is 1.4% above the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell (182,109 average) and 3.7% above the GeForce RTX 4090 D (178,050 average). Meanwhile, the L40S's Vulkan score reinforces its position near the top of the stack, just behind the H200 NVL and MI300X in average terms.

Looking at the aggregate data, the L40S holds a 60.1% higher average benchmark score (295,763 vs 184,664). The wins tally is 2-0 in favor of the L40S, with no test where the RTX 5000 takes the lead. However, the RTX 5000's relative competitiveness in Vulkan — cutting the OpenCL deficit from 88.7% down to 34.4% — hints that its lower compute resources are partially offset in specific rendering paths. For raw compute, the L40S is the clear choice; for mixed workloads, the RTX 5000 remains viable but outperformed.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use the AD102 chip on TSMC's 5 nm process, with identical transistor counts (76,300 million) and die size (609 mm²), yielding a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². The architecture is Ada Lovelace for both, and they share the same API support: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The core configurations, however, diverge significantly. The L40S has 18,176 shading units, 568 TMUs, 192 ROPs, 142 RT cores, and 568 tensor cores. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation scales down to 12,800 shading units, 400 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 100 RT cores, and 400 tensor cores. That is a 42% reduction in shading units and a 42% cut in both TMUs and tensor cores, with RT cores reduced by 42 as well.

Clock speeds differ slightly, favoring the RTX 5000. The L40S runs at a 1110 MHz base and 2520 MHz boost, while the RTX 5000 boosts to 2550 MHz from a 1155 MHz base. This modest clock advantage does little to offset the core count deficit. Memory configurations are also distinct. The L40S features 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 864.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5000 has 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 576.0 GB/s. Both use 2250 MHz memory with 18 Gbps effective speed, but the wider bus on the L40S provides 50% more bandwidth. Pixel rate reflects the ROP difference: 483.8 GPixel/s for the L40S versus 448.8 GPixel/s for the RTX 5000. Texture rate is 1,431.4 GTexel/s versus 1,020.0 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 91.61 TFLOPS versus 65.28 TFLOPS. FP16 is 1:1 with FP32 on both, so the ratios hold.

Power and physical specs also diverge. The L40S has a 300 W TDP with a suggested 700 W PSU, while the RTX 5000 draws 250 W with a 600 W PSU recommendation. Both are dual-slot cards with a single 16-pin power connector, and both use PCIe 4.0 x16. Dimensions are nearly identical: both are 267 mm long, with heights of 111 mm (L40S) and 112 mm (RTX 5000). Display outputs differ — the L40S includes 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RTX 5000 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. Production status separates them further: the L40S is end-of-life, released on 2022-10-12, while the RTX 5000 is active, released on 2023-08-08. The L40S's predecessor is Server Ampere and its successor is Server Hopper; the RTX 5000's predecessor is Workstation Ampere and its successor is Blackwell PRO W.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The L40S delivers 91.61 TFLOPS FP32 versus 65.28 TFLOPS for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, a 40.3% advantage. This is reflected in the 88.7% OpenCL score gap (330,727 vs 175,286).

Q: Is the RTX 5000 Ada Generation more power-efficient?

A: Yes, the RTX 5000 has a 250 W TDP versus 300 W for the L40S, and its suggested PSU is 600 W versus 700 W. However, the L40S provides substantially more performance per card, so efficiency depends on workload scaling.

Q: Can both cards handle the same memory bandwidth needs?

A: No. The L40S has 864.0 GB/s bandwidth with 48 GB of memory, while the RTX 5000 is limited to 576.0 GB/s with 32 GB. For large datasets or high-resolution textures, the L40S has a clear edge.

Q: Are there any workloads where the RTX 5000 wins?

A: The data shows zero wins for the RTX 5000 in the head-to-head tests (2-0 for the L40S). Its Vulkan score (194,041) is closer to the L40S's (260,799) than in OpenCL, but it still trails by 34.4%.

Q: How do these cards compare to their closest rivals?

A: The L40S averages 295,763, sitting 3% above the RTX 6000 Ada Generation (287,237) and 4.1% above the L40 (284,111), but 7% below the AMD Instinct MI300X (317,994). The RTX 5000 averages 184,664, which is 0.5% above the A100 SXM4 80 GB (183,725) and 1.4% above the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell (182,109).

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The L40S is end-of-life, released in 2022-10-12, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is active, released in 2023-08-08. The RTX 5000 is the newer, currently supported product.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the L40S outperforms the RTX 5000 Ada Generation in every measured benchmark. Its average score of 295,763 places it in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5000's 184,664 sits at the 98th percentile — a meaningful gap at the top of the market. For compute-heavy tasks like rendering, simulation, or AI inference, the L40S's 91.61 TFLOPS FP32 and 48 GB of memory with 864.0 GB/s bandwidth make it the stronger choice. The 88.7% OpenCL lead is decisive. However, the RTX 5000 has advantages in power draw (250 W vs 300 W), a lower PSU requirement (600 W vs 700 W), and is an active product with a later release date (2023-08-08 vs 2022-10-12). It also offers four DisplayPort outputs versus the L40S's one HDMI and three DisplayPorts, which may matter for multi-display workstation setups. The RTX 5000's Vulkan performance (194,041) is closer to the L40S (260,799), suggesting that in graphics-centric applications, the gap narrows. If you need maximum compute and memory capacity, the L40S is the pick. If you prioritize a lower power envelope, current production status, and more display outputs, the RTX 5000 is the pragmatic option — accepting a 60.1% average performance deficit.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA L40S | NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation |

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

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 76,300 million | 76,300 million |

| Die Size | 609 mm² | 609 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1110 MHz | 1155 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2520 MHz | 2550 MHz |

| Memory Size | 48 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 864.0 GB/s | 576.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 18,176 | 12,800 |

| TMUs | 568 | 400 |

| ROPs | 192 | 176 |

| RT Cores | 142 | 100 |

| Tensor Cores | 568 | 400 |

| Pixel Rate | 483.8 GPixel/s | 448.8 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,431.4 GTexel/s | 1,020.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 91.61 TFLOPS | 65.28 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 91.61 TFLOPS (1:1) | 65.28 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 300 W | 250 W |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 600 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-10-12 | 2023-08-08 |

Where Each One Wins

The L40S wins in raw compute, memory capacity, and bandwidth. Its 91.61 TFLOPS FP32 and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth are designed for server workloads where large datasets and parallel processing dominate. The 48 GB memory buffer handles models or scenes that would overflow the RTX 5000's 32 GB. In OpenCL, the 88.7% lead is the definitive statement — this card is built for throughput. The L40S also wins in texture rate (1,431.4 GTexel/s vs 1,020.0 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (483.8 GPixel/s vs 448.8 GPixel/s), making it superior for high-resolution rendering tasks. Its 300 W TDP is higher, but the performance per watt still favors the L40S given the 60.1% average score advantage.

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation wins in operational efficiency and flexibility. Its 250 W TDP and 600 W PSU requirement make it easier to integrate into existing workstations without major power infrastructure changes. The four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs provide more direct display connectivity than the L40S's single HDMI and three DisplayPorts. It is an active product, meaning ongoing driver support and availability, unlike the end-of-life L40S. In Vulkan, the RTX 5000's 194,041 score against the L40S's 260,799 shows a smaller 34.4% gap, indicating that in graphics-heavy or driver-optimized applications, the RTX 5000 is relatively more competitive. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz is also higher than the L40S's 2520 MHz, offering a slight clock-speed edge. For users who need a current-generation card with lower power draw and more display outputs, the RTX 5000 is the rational choice — provided the performance sacrifice is acceptable.