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

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 GB).

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 300W vs 100W.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 300W, a 200W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).

L40S

2022

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

2023

Why buy it

✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 2.7 vs 0 G3D/$ ($7,500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (48 GB vs 12 GB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 100W instead of 300W, a 200W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 300W vs 100W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 12 GB vs 48 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 2.7 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $7,500 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is L40S better than RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 20,023 vs 19,656 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer L40S is the overall package: you are getting no meaningful modern upscaling stack.

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

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2023 generation instead of 2022. 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 priced in an unclear MSRP range at $7,500 MSRP versus an unclear MSRP, and you are getting 1.9% higher G3D Mark. RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is the newer 2023 card, so it still has a real case if you care more about newer architecture, lower power draw (100W vs 300W), and future-proofing than about squeezing out the strongest gaming value today.

When does RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU make more sense than L40S?

Yes. RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is still an excellent gaming GPU in 2026: it is very strong for 1080p, good for 1440p, and more limited at 4K. It makes more sense if your priority is newer architecture, lower power draw (100W vs 300W), future-proofing, and staying closer to an unclear MSRP more than squeezing out the extra headroom of L40S. The trade-off is that L40S currently gives you 1.9% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 100+%.

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

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low	287 FPS	143 FPS
medium	256 FPS	124 FPS
high	216 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	77 FPS
1440p
low	256 FPS	114 FPS
medium	214 FPS	95 FPS
high	158 FPS	76 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	53 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	51 FPS
medium	98 FPS	44 FPS
high	68 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	59 FPS	28 FPS

Open L40S Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low	784 FPS	379 FPS
medium	629 FPS	327 FPS
high	478 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	646 FPS	282 FPS
medium	528 FPS	236 FPS
high	411 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	132 FPS
medium	273 FPS	113 FPS
high	240 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	72 FPS

Open L40S Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low	901 FPS	826 FPS
medium	721 FPS	680 FPS
high	601 FPS	590 FPS
ultra	451 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	676 FPS	628 FPS
medium	541 FPS	510 FPS
high	451 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	332 FPS
4K
low	451 FPS	406 FPS
medium	360 FPS	324 FPS
high	300 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	212 FPS

Open L40S Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
1080p
low	483 FPS	301 FPS
medium	422 FPS	260 FPS
high	376 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	345 FPS	239 FPS
medium	312 FPS	211 FPS
high	274 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	224 FPS	142 FPS
medium	193 FPS	121 FPS
high	153 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	79 FPS

Open L40S Open RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of L40S and RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

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.

RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 21 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1110 MHz to 1545 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,656 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The L40S scores 20,023 and the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU reaches 19,656 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The L40S is built on Ada Lovelace while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU uses Ada Lovelace, both on a 5 nm process. Shader units: 18,176 (L40S) vs 5,120 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Raw compute: 91.61 TFLOPS (L40S) vs 15.82 TFLOPS (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Boost clocks: 2520 MHz vs 1545 MHz. Ray tracing: 142 RT cores (L40S) vs 40 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) with 568 Tensor cores vs 160.

Feature	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
G3D Mark Score	20,023+2%	19,656
Architecture	Ada Lovelace	Ada Lovelace
Process Node	5 nm	5 nm
Shading Units	18176+255%	5120
Compute (TFLOPS)	91.61 TFLOPS+479%	15.82 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2520 MHz+63%	1545 MHz
ROPs	192+200%	64
TMUs	568+255%	160
L1 Cache	17.8 MB+256%	5 MB
L2 Cache	48 MB	48 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	142+255%	40
Tensor Cores	568+255%	160

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU 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	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The L40S comes with 48 GB of VRAM, while the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU has 12 GB. The L40S offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 960 GB/s (L40S) vs 432 GB/s (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU) — a 122.2% advantage for the L40S. Bus width: 384-bit vs 192-bit.

Feature	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
VRAM Capacity	48 GB+300%	12 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	960 GB/s+122%	432 GB/s
Bus Width	384-bit+100%	192-bit
L2 Cache	48 MB	48 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (L40S) vs 12 Ultimate (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
DirectX	12.2+2%	12 Ultimate
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th Gen (L40S) vs NVENC 8th gen (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Decoder: NVDEC 5th Gen vs NVDEC 5th gen. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,AV1 (L40S) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU).

Feature	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
Encoder	NVENC 8th Gen	NVENC 8th gen
Decoder	NVDEC 5th Gen	NVDEC 5th gen
Codecs	H.264,H.265,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The L40S draws 300W versus the RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU's 100W — a 100% difference. The RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 800W (L40S) vs 150W (RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU). Power connectors: 16-pin vs Mobile. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80°C.

Feature	L40S	RTX 3500 Ada Generation Laptop GPU
TDP	300W	100W-67%
Recommended PSU	800W	150W-81%
Power Connector	16-pin	Mobile
Length	267mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	0-100%
Temp (Load)	85°C	80°C-6%
Perf/Watt	66.7	196.6+195%