NVIDIA L40S vs NVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB Comparison

The NVIDIA L40S and NVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB represent two distinct eras of NVIDIA’s datacenter GPU lineup. The L40S, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, is a modern workhorse aimed at high-throughput compute and rendering, while the V100S, based on the older Volta architecture, was a pioneering force for AI acceleration. The benchmark data provides a clear, though limited, head-to-head comparison that underscores the generational leap between them.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between the two GPUs is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are decisively in favor of the L40S. The L40S scores 330,727 points, while the V100S manages 194,415 points. This translates to a deltaPct of 70.1%, meaning the L40S is a staggering 70.1% faster in this compute-oriented test. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a complete generational overtaking. The L40S’s score places it in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the V100S, despite being a formidable card in its day, sits in the 98th percentile. While both are elite performers, the L40S is operating on a different level of raw compute throughput.

Looking at the L40S’s nearest rivals, its performance is consistent with its position. It sits 3% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation and 4.1% ahead of the NVIDIA L40. However, it trails the AMD Instinct MI300X by 7% and the NVIDIA H200 NVL by 11.7%. This indicates that while the L40S is a top-tier performer, it is not the absolute king of the hill in the broader datacenter landscape. For the V100S, its 194,415 average score puts it in a tight competition with its closest rivals. It is 0.8% behind the NVIDIA RTX 6000D, but 3.9% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB, 5.3% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation, and 5.8% ahead of the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB. This shows that the older Volta architecture can still hold its own against some newer, but lower-tier, GPU configurations.

The data shows a single, massive win for the L40S in the head-to-head comparison. The V100S has no wins in the shared benchmark suite. The sheer 70.1% delta is the defining statistic of this matchup, far outpacing the small differences seen when comparing each card to its own peers.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The L40S is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, utilizing a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its chip, the AD102, packs 76,300 million transistors onto a 609 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 125.3M / mm². In contrast, the V100S is based on the older Volta architecture and uses a 12 nm process. Its GV100 chip contains 21,100 million transistors on a much larger 815 mm² die, resulting in a significantly lower density of 25.9M / mm². The L40S is not just more advanced; it is a fundamentally more complex and densely packed piece of silicon.

The memory subsystems are also profoundly different. The L40S comes equipped with 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 864.0 GB/s. The V100S, however, features 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a massive 4096-bit bus, which allows it to achieve a higher bandwidth of 1.13 TB/s. This is a critical distinction: the V100S has less capacity but more raw memory bandwidth, a trait common in HBM-equipped parts of its era. The L40S counters with a generationally improved memory technology and 50% more capacity.

Compute capabilities show a clear leap forward for the L40S. It boasts 18,176 shading units, 568 TMUs, and 192 ROPs. Its FP32 compute is rated at 91.61 TFLOPS, and it delivers FP16 at the same rate (1:1). The V100S, by comparison, has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. Its FP32 throughput is a much lower 16.35 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance is 32.71 TFLOPS (2:1). In terms of raw shader count and FP32 performance, the L40S is over 5.5 times more powerful on paper. The V100S does feature 640 Tensor Cores, while the L40S has 568 Tensor Cores. However, the L40S also introduces 142 dedicated RT Cores, which the V100S lacks entirely, underscoring the L40S’s focus on real-time ray tracing and modern graphics workloads.

Other key differences include the bus interface and power requirements. The L40S runs on PCIe 4.0 x16, while the V100S is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16. The L40S has a higher TDP of 300 W and requires a single 16-pin power connector, whereas the V100S has a 250 W TDP and uses two 8-pin connectors. The L40S also has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the V100S is a compute-only board with no outputs. The L40S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the V100S is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data gives a clear picture of where each GPU excels. The L40S wins decisively in the Geekbench OpenCL test, a general-purpose compute benchmark that exercises raw shader and compute throughput. Its 70.1% lead indicates that it is the superior choice for any workload that relies heavily on FP32 compute, such as scientific simulation, AI inference, and rendering. The presence of RT Cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate also make the L40S the clear winner for real-time ray tracing, 3D rendering, and any hybrid compute/graphics workflows. Its higher VRAM capacity of 48 GB is another advantage for large datasets and complex scenes that need to reside in GPU memory.

The V100S, despite losing the compute benchmark, still has a distinct advantage in one area: memory bandwidth. With 1.13 TB/s, it offers significantly more bandwidth than the L40S’s 864.0 GB/s. This makes the V100S potentially better suited for memory-bandwidth-bound tasks. While the L40S wins on raw compute, applications that are heavily dependent on streaming large amounts of data through the GPU, such as certain types of deep learning training loops or HPC workloads with specific memory access patterns, could see a relative benefit from the V100S’s HBM2 subsystem. However, this advantage is likely to be outweighed by the L40S’s massive compute superiority in most real-world scenarios. The V100S also uses less power, with a 250 W TDP compared to the L40S’s 300 W, which could be a consideration in power-constrained environments.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA L40S is the unequivocal winner for nearly all purposes. Its 70.1% lead in the only available head-to-head benchmark is a chasm that cannot be ignored. The L40S is in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, while the V100S is in the 98th. Any user looking for maximum compute performance, modern feature support like ray tracing, and a larger memory pool should choose the L40S. It is a successor in the truest sense, delivering a generational leap in performance.

The V100S is the right choice only in a very specific niche. If a workload is absolutely constrained by memory bandwidth and cannot benefit from the L40S’s other advantages, the V100S’s 1.13 TB/s bandwidth could be a deciding factor. Its lower power draw is also a point in its favor. However, these are narrow exceptions. For anyone building a new system or upgrading, the data shows no compelling reason to select the V100S over the L40S unless the specific application is known to be bandwidth-bound and the lower compute power is acceptable. The V100S is an end-of-life product, and its performance ceiling is far below the L40S.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA L40S scores 330,727, which is 70.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla V100S PCIe 32 GB’s score of 194,415.

Q: How does the L40S compare to its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation?

A: The L40S has an average benchmark score of 295,763, which is 3% higher than the RTX 6000 Ada Generation’s average score of 287,237.

Q: Does the V100S have more memory bandwidth than the L40S?

A: Yes. The V100S has a memory bandwidth of 1.13 TB/s, which is higher than the L40S’s 864.0 GB/s. However, the L40S has more total memory (48 GB vs 32 GB).

Q: What is the difference in their FP32 compute performance?

A: The L40S is rated at 91.61 TFLOPS FP32, while the V100S is rated at 16.35 TFLOPS FP32. This represents a massive advantage for the L40S.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing hardware?

A: The NVIDIA L40S has 142 dedicated RT Cores. The NVIDIA Tesla V100S does not have any RT Cores.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The L40S is built on a 5 nm process, while the V100S is built on a 12 nm process, both at TSMC.