L40 vs Quadro RTX 5000

Ada LovelacevsTuringUpdated 35 days ago

The L40 emerges as the superior choice for most contemporary use cases: 90.5 TFLOPS compute, 48 GB VRAM, and 864 GB/s bandwidth deliver unmatched AI acceleration at a lower starting price of $0.67 per hour, rendering the Quadro RTX 5000 obsolete except in niche legacy scenarios.

L40 from $0.55/hrQuadro RTX 5000 from $0.82/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecL40QUADRO-RTX-5000
TDP300W230W
VRAM48 GB16 GB
CUDA Cores18,1763,072
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR6
ArchitectureAda LovelaceTuring
Form FactorsPCIePCIe
InterconnectNVLink
Tensor Cores568384
FP16 Performance90.5 TFLOPS11.2 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance90.5 TFLOPS11.2 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance724 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth864 GB/s448 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The L40's 90.5 TFLOPS FP16 and FP32 performance provides over eight times the compute capability of the Quadro RTX 5000's 11.2 TFLOPS, translating to faster AI model training and inference. Training deep neural networks on the L40 completes iterations rapidly, while the Quadro struggles with compute-intensive workloads due to its lower throughput.

Memory specifications define real-world usability: the L40's 48 GB VRAM supports larger batch sizes in LLM inference, avoiding out-of-memory issues common with the Quadro's 16 GB. Coupled with 864 GB/s bandwidth versus 448 GB/s, the L40 processes data flows efficiently, enabling high-throughput serving of large models.

Power consumption at 300W for the L40 versus 230W for the Quadro reflects greater headroom for sustained performance, with Ada Lovelace optimizations yielding better efficiency per watt in modern tasks.

Live Cloud Pricing

Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.

L40

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
TensorDock
TensorDock
NVIDIA L40S
48GB VRAM
$0.55/GPU/hr
Available
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.82/GPU/hr
Massed Compute
Massed Compute
NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
Available
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA L40S
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
Massed Compute
Massed Compute
2×NVIDIA L40
48GB VRAM
$0.86/GPU/hr
$1.72/hr total (2×)
Available

Quadro RTX 5000

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Paperspace
Paperspace
NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000
16GB VRAM
$0.82/GPU/hr
Available
Paperspace
Paperspace
2×NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000
16GB VRAM
$0.82/GPU/hr
$1.64/hr total (2×)
Available

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the L40

Select the L40 for AI-heavy workloads like large-scale LLM training or Stable Diffusion generation, where 48 GB VRAM and 90.5 TFLOPS FP16 performance handle massive models and datasets. Its 864 GB/s bandwidth supports high batch sizes in inference, and cloud pricing from $0.67 per hour offers strong value across 14 providers.

The L40 suits datacenter-scale simulations requiring PCIe compatibility and high memory capacity over legacy workstation needs.

When to Choose the Quadro RTX 5000

Choose the Quadro RTX 5000 for legacy professional visualization or CAD software optimized for Turing architecture, leveraging its NVLink interconnect for multi-GPU setups. At 230W TDP, it fits power-sensitive workstations, and $0.82 per hour pricing suits infrequent rendering tasks.

It remains viable where software compatibility trumps raw performance, avoiding migration costs to newer architectures.

Use Cases

LLM Training
L40

L40's 90.5 TFLOPS FP16 performance and 48 GB VRAM enable training of billion-parameter models efficiently. Quadro's 11.2 TFLOPS and 16 GB limit scalability.

LLM Inference
L40

With 864 GB/s bandwidth and 48 GB VRAM, L40 supports large batch inference without bottlenecks. Quadro's 448 GB/s and 16 GB constrain high-throughput serving.

Fine-tuning
L40

L40 handles fine-tuning of large models via 90.5 TFLOPS FP32 and ample VRAM. Quadro's lower specs prolong adaptation processes.

Stable Diffusion
L40

L40's high FP16 throughput and 48 GB VRAM accelerate image generation at scale. Quadro lacks capacity for complex diffusion pipelines.

Scientific Computing
L40

L40's 90.5 TFLOPS FP32 and 864 GB/s bandwidth excel in simulations. Quadro's 11.2 TFLOPS suits only lighter computations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM, L40 or Quadro RTX 5000?

The L40 provides 48 GB GDDR6 VRAM, triple the Quadro RTX 5000's 16 GB. This capacity benefits large model handling in AI tasks. Cloud users favor L40 for memory-intensive workloads.

How do the FLOPS compare between L40 and Quadro RTX 5000?

L40 delivers 90.5 TFLOPS in FP16 and FP32, over eight times the Quadro RTX 5000's 11.2 TFLOPS. This gap accelerates training and inference significantly. Performance scales with model complexity.

What is the memory bandwidth difference?

L40 achieves 864 GB/s bandwidth, nearly double the Quadro RTX 5000's 448 GB/s. Higher bandwidth supports larger batches in deep learning. It reduces data transfer bottlenecks.

Which GPU is cheaper in the cloud?

L40 starts at $0.67 per hour averaging $0.89 across 14 offers, versus Quadro RTX 5000 at $0.82 per hour across 2 offers. L40 provides better value for high-performance needs. Availability favors L40.

What architectures do they use?

L40 uses Ada Lovelace from 2023, while Quadro RTX 5000 employs Turing from 2018. Newer architecture yields efficiency gains in L40. It supports advanced AI features.

Which has lower TDP?

Quadro RTX 5000 consumes 230W, less than L40's 300W. Lower TDP suits constrained environments. L40 justifies higher draw with superior performance.

Which is cheaper to rent, the L40 or the Quadro RTX 5000?

Cloud rental prices for both the L40 and Quadro RTX 5000 vary by provider, configuration, and availability. This page shows live pricing from 25+ providers updated every 60 seconds. Scroll to the Live Cloud Pricing section to compare current rates.

How much VRAM does the L40 have compared to the Quadro RTX 5000?

The L40 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory. The Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Can I find L40 and Quadro RTX 5000 GPUs available to rent right now?

Yes. This page shows real-time availability across 25+ cloud GPU providers. The Live Cloud Pricing section displays only in-stock offers with current pricing.

What is the main difference between the L40 and the Quadro RTX 5000?

The L40 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture (2023) while the Quadro RTX 5000 uses Turing (2018). The L40 delivers 8.1x the FP16 throughput and 1.9x the memory bandwidth of the Quadro RTX 5000.

L40 vs Quadro RTX 5000: 8.1x FP16 Gap, 48GB vs 16GB | GPUPerHour