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.

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

Why buy it

✅+10.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $7,001 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1564.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Draws 220W instead of 300W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: L40S is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

L40S

2022

Why buy it

✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (20,023 vs 22,172).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
1403% HIGHER MSRP
$7,500 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌36.4% higher power demand at 300W vs 220W.

GeForce RTX 3070

2020

L40S

2022

Why buy it

✅+10.7% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $7,001 less on MSRP ($499 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1564.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 44.4 vs 2.7 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅Draws 220W instead of 300W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅500% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 8 GB).
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅More future proof: Ada Lovelace on 5nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: L40S is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (20,023 vs 22,172).
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌
1403% HIGHER MSRP
$7,500 MSRPvs$499 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.7 vs 44.4 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌36.4% higher power demand at 300W vs 220W.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3070 better than L40S?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3070 is the better GPU overall here. You are getting 10.7% higher PassMark G3D performance and DLSS 2 Super Resolution. It also comes from 2020 instead of 2022, which helps its case as the more complete modern gaming card.

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 2020, more VRAM at 48 GB instead of 8 GB, the stronger feature stack with no meaningful modern upscaling stack instead of DLSS Super Resolution, and a 5nm process instead of 8nm. That extra memory headroom makes it the safer pick for newer games, heavier textures, and higher settings over time.

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

GeForce RTX 3070 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3070 is about $7,001 cheaper on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $7,500 MSRP, and you are getting 10.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 1564.3%. L40S is the newer 2022 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does L40S make more sense than GeForce RTX 3070?

Yes. L40S is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is excellent for 1080p, very strong for 1440p, and still capable at 4K with sensible settings or upscaling. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, future-proofing, and staying closer to $7,500 MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of GeForce RTX 3070. The trade-off is that GeForce RTX 3070 currently gives you 10.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 1564.3%.

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.

GeForce RTX 3070 Benchmark Check

L40S Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
1080p
low	158 FPS	287 FPS
medium	140 FPS	256 FPS
high	123 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	256 FPS
medium	109 FPS	214 FPS
high	96 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	98 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	117 FPS
medium	67 FPS	98 FPS
high	52 FPS	68 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	59 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open L40S

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
1080p
low	470 FPS	784 FPS
medium	405 FPS	629 FPS
high	327 FPS	478 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	416 FPS
1440p
low	294 FPS	646 FPS
medium	246 FPS	528 FPS
high	213 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	332 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	338 FPS
medium	120 FPS	273 FPS
high	105 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	201 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open L40S

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
1080p
low	885 FPS	901 FPS
medium	712 FPS	721 FPS
high	619 FPS	601 FPS
ultra	499 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	676 FPS
medium	557 FPS	541 FPS
high	473 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	374 FPS	338 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	451 FPS
medium	388 FPS	360 FPS
high	330 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	225 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open L40S

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
1080p
low	600 FPS	483 FPS
medium	527 FPS	422 FPS
high	433 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	288 FPS
1440p
low	489 FPS	345 FPS
medium	433 FPS	312 FPS
high	339 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	297 FPS	209 FPS
4K
low	292 FPS	224 FPS
medium	270 FPS	193 FPS
high	238 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	117 FPS

Open GeForce RTX 3070 Open L40S

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3070 and L40S

GeForce RTX 3070

The GeForce RTX 3070 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1500 MHz to 1725 MHz. It has 5888 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 220W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 22,172 points. Launch price was $499.

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.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3070 scores 22,172 versus the L40S's 20,023 — the GeForce RTX 3070 leads by 10.7%. The GeForce RTX 3070 is built on Ampere while the L40S uses Ada Lovelace, both on 8 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 5,888 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 18,176 (L40S). Raw compute: 20.31 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S). Boost clocks: 1725 MHz vs 2520 MHz. Ray tracing: 46 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 142 (L40S) with 184 Tensor cores vs 568.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
G3D Mark Score	22,172+11%	20,023
Architecture	Ampere	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	8 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	5888	18176+209%
Compute (TFLOPS)	20.31 TFLOPS	91.61 TFLOPS+351%
Boost Clock	1725 MHz	2520 MHz+46%
ROPs	96	192+100%
TMUs	184	568+209%
L1 Cache	5.8 MB	17.8 MB+207%
L2 Cache	4 MB	48 MB+1100%
Ray Tracing Cores	46	142+209%
Tensor Cores	184	568+209%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3070 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	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
Upscaling Tech	DLSS 2 Super Resolution	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3070 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the L40S has 48 GB. The L40S offers 500% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 960 GB/s (L40S) — a 114.3% advantage for the L40S. Bus width: 256-bit vs 384-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 48 MB (L40S) — the L40S has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	48 GB+500%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	448 GB/s	960 GB/s+114%
Bus Width	256-bit	384-bit+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB	48 MB+1100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 12.2 (L40S). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3070) vs NVENC 8th Gen (L40S). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs NVDEC 5th Gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	NVENC 8th Gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	NVDEC 5th Gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1,VP9	H.264,H.265,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3070 draws 220W versus the L40S's 300W — a 30.8% difference. The GeForce RTX 3070 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 800W (L40S). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 16-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 267mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3070	L40S
TDP	220W-27%	300W
Recommended PSU	650W-19%	800W
Power Connector	8-pin	16-pin
Length	242mm	267mm
Height	112mm	111mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	100.8+51%	66.7

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3070 launched at $499 MSRP, while the L40S launched at $7500. The GeForce RTX 3070 costs 93.3% less ($7001 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 44.4 (GeForce RTX 3070) vs 2.7 (L40S) — the GeForce RTX 3070 offers 1544.4% better value. The L40S is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2020).