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

✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 16 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
2049% HIGHER MSRP
$7,500 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 57.4 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 300W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $7,151 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2049.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 57.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4 (2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 300W, a 225W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

L40S

2022

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

2025

Why buy it

✅200% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 16 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $7,151 less on MSRP ($349 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2049.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 57.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($349 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
✅More future proof: RDNA 4 (2025) on 4nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 75W instead of 300W, a 225W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025).
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
2049% HIGHER MSRP
$7,500 MSRPvs$349 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 57.4 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $349 MSRP).
❌300% higher power demand at 300W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB better than L40S?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 20,023 vs 20,024 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR Upscaling + Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1, plus much lower power draw (75W vs 300W).

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

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack and better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack, and a 4nm process instead of 5nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

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

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $349 MSRP. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is about $7,151 cheaper on MSRP at $349 MSRP versus $7,500 MSRP, and you are getting 0.0% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $349 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (75W vs 300W), and FSR Upscaling + Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1.

Is L40S still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. L40S is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $7,500 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and FSR Upscaling + Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1.

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

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
1080p
low	287 FPS	160 FPS
medium	256 FPS	140 FPS
high	216 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	256 FPS	143 FPS
medium	214 FPS	120 FPS
high	158 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	61 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	65 FPS
medium	98 FPS	57 FPS
high	68 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	35 FPS

Open L40S Open Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
1080p
low	784 FPS	133 FPS
medium	629 FPS	100 FPS
high	478 FPS	70 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	48 FPS
1440p
low	646 FPS	91 FPS
medium	528 FPS	59 FPS
high	411 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	33 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	47 FPS
medium	273 FPS	33 FPS
high	240 FPS	26 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	19 FPS

Open L40S Open Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
1080p
low	901 FPS	630 FPS
medium	721 FPS	497 FPS
high	601 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	364 FPS
1440p
low	676 FPS	404 FPS
medium	541 FPS	338 FPS
high	451 FPS	282 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	229 FPS
4K
low	451 FPS	269 FPS
medium	360 FPS	221 FPS
high	300 FPS	170 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	117 FPS

Open L40S Open Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
1080p
low	483 FPS	235 FPS
medium	422 FPS	197 FPS
high	376 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	130 FPS
1440p
low	345 FPS	180 FPS
medium	312 FPS	153 FPS
high	274 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	224 FPS	97 FPS
medium	193 FPS	77 FPS
high	153 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	49 FPS

Open L40S Open Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of L40S and Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

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.

Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB

The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 2 2025. It features the RDNA 4 architecture. The boost clock speed is 2530 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,024 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The L40S scores 20,023 and the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB reaches 20,024 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The L40S is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB uses RDNA 4, both on 5 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 18,176 (L40S) vs 2,048 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 2530 MHz.

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
G3D Mark Score	20,023	20,024
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	RDNA 4
Process Node	5 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	18176+788%	2048
Boost Clock	2520 MHz	2530 MHz

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The L40S lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The L40S comes with 48 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB has 16 GB. The L40S offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40S) vs 320 GB/s (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB) — a 200% advantage for the L40S. Bus width: 384-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
VRAM Capacity	48 GB+200%	16 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	960 GB/s+200%	320 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+200%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40S) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
DirectX	12.2	12.2
Vulkan	1.3	1.4+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th Gen (L40S) vs VCN 5.0 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs VCN 5.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB).

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
Encoder	NVENC 8th Gen	VCN 5.0
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	VCN 5.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265,AV1	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40S draws 300W versus the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB's 75W — a 120% difference. The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 800W (L40S) vs 550W (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB). Power connectors: 16-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 240mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	L40S	Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB
TDP	300W	75W-75%
Recommended PSU	800W	550W-31%
Power Connector	16-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	240mm
Height	111mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	66.7	267.0+300%

💰

Value Analysis

The L40S launched at $7500 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB launched at $349. The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB costs 95.3% less ($7151 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.7 (L40S) vs 57.4 (Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB) — the Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB offers 2025.9% better value. The Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB is the newer GPU (2025 vs 2022).