G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

L40S

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,499 less on MSRP ($7,500 MSRP vs $9,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $9,999 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌15.4% higher power demand at 300W vs 260W.

Quadro RTX 8000

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 260W instead of 300W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 48 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
33.3% HIGHER MSRP
$9,999 MSRPvs$7,500 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($9,999 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).

L40S

2022

Quadro RTX 8000

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,499 less on MSRP ($7,500 MSRP vs $9,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 2.0 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $9,999 MSRP).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅Draws 260W instead of 300W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌15.4% higher power demand at 300W vs 260W.

Trade-offs

❌Limited future-proofing: older hardware, 48 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in upcoming AAA games.
❌
33.3% HIGHER MSRP
$9,999 MSRPvs$7,500 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($9,999 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is L40S better than Quadro RTX 8000?

Yes. L40S is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 20,023 vs 19,927 in G3D Mark. On top of that, L40S is a 2022 card with no meaningful modern upscaling stack, while Quadro RTX 8000 is a 2018 model from an older high-end class with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

L40S is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2018, 97.2% more ray-tracing hardware, and a 5nm process instead of 12nm. That makes it the safer long-run choice for modern games.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

L40S can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $7,500 MSRP. L40S is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. L40S is about $2,499 cheaper on MSRP at $7,500 MSRP versus $9,999 MSRP, and you are getting 0.5% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $7,500 MSRP gets you newer hardware, and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Is Quadro RTX 8000 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Quadro RTX 8000 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $9,999 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. L40S is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

L40S Benchmark Check

Quadro RTX 8000 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
1080p
low	287 FPS	205 FPS
medium	256 FPS	190 FPS
high	216 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	151 FPS
1440p
low	256 FPS	187 FPS
medium	214 FPS	158 FPS
high	158 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	121 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	119 FPS
medium	98 FPS	100 FPS
high	68 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	70 FPS

Open L40S Open Quadro RTX 8000

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
1080p
low	784 FPS	499 FPS
medium	629 FPS	442 FPS
high	478 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	289 FPS
1440p
low	646 FPS	325 FPS
medium	528 FPS	274 FPS
high	411 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	183 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	153 FPS
medium	273 FPS	135 FPS
high	240 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	90 FPS

Open L40S Open Quadro RTX 8000

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
1080p
low	901 FPS	897 FPS
medium	721 FPS	717 FPS
high	601 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	448 FPS
1440p
low	676 FPS	673 FPS
medium	541 FPS	538 FPS
high	451 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	336 FPS
4K
low	451 FPS	448 FPS
medium	360 FPS	359 FPS
high	300 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	224 FPS

Open L40S Open Quadro RTX 8000

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
1080p
low	483 FPS	673 FPS
medium	422 FPS	605 FPS
high	376 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	448 FPS
1440p
low	345 FPS	544 FPS
medium	312 FPS	487 FPS
high	274 FPS	418 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	336 FPS
4K
low	224 FPS	355 FPS
medium	193 FPS	323 FPS
high	153 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	224 FPS

Open L40S Open Quadro RTX 8000

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of L40S and Quadro RTX 8000

L40S

The L40S is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in October 13 2022. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1110 MHz to 2520 MHz. It has 18176 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 142 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,023 points.

Quadro RTX 8000

The Quadro RTX 8000 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in August 13 2018. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1770 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 260W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,927 points. Launch price was $9,999.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The L40S scores 20,023 and the Quadro RTX 8000 reaches 19,927 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The L40S is built on Ada Lovelace while the Quadro RTX 8000 uses Turing, both on 5 nm vs 12 nm. Shader units: 18,176 (L40S) vs 4,608 (Quadro RTX 8000). Raw compute: 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S) vs 16.31 TFLOPS (Quadro RTX 8000). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 1770 MHz. Ray tracing: 142 RT cores (L40S) vs 72 (Quadro RTX 8000) with 568 Tensor cores vs 576.

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
G3D Mark Score	20,023	19,927
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Turing
Process Node	5 nm	12 nm
Shading Units	18176+294%	4608
Compute (TFLOPS)	91.61 TFLOPS+462%	16.31 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2520 MHz+42%	1770 MHz
ROPs	192+100%	96
TMUs	568+97%	288
L1 Cache	17.8 MB+296%	4.5 MB
L2 Cache	48 MB+700%	6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	142+97%	72
Tensor Cores	568	576+1%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The Quadro RTX 8000 gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The L40S relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 48 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40S) vs 768 GB/s (Quadro RTX 8000) — a 25% advantage for the L40S. Bus width: 384-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 48 MB (L40S) vs 6 MB (Quadro RTX 8000) — the L40S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
VRAM Capacity	48 GB	48 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	960 GB/s+25%	768 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit	384-bit
L2 Cache	48 MB+700%	6 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40S) vs 12.2 (Quadro RTX 8000). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
DirectX	12.2	12.2
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th Gen (L40S) vs NVENC 7.0 (Quadro RTX 8000). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs PureVideo HD VP10. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Quadro RTX 8000).

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
Encoder	NVENC 8th Gen	NVENC 7.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	PureVideo HD VP10
Codecs	H.264,H.265,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40S draws 300W versus the Quadro RTX 8000's 260W — a 14.3% difference. The Quadro RTX 8000 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 800W (L40S) vs 650W (Quadro RTX 8000). Power connectors: 16-pin vs 1x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	L40S	Quadro RTX 8000
TDP	300W	260W-13%
Recommended PSU	800W	650W-19%
Power Connector	16-pin	1x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin
Length	267mm	267mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	66.7	76.6+15%

💰

Value Analysis

The L40S launched at $7500 MSRP, while the Quadro RTX 8000 launched at $9999. The L40S costs 25% less ($2499 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (L40S) vs 2.0 (Quadro RTX 8000) — the L40S offers 35% better value. The L40S is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2018).