L40S vs RTX 3060 for Blender
Compare L40S 48 GB and RTX 3060 12 GB for Blender Cycles. See benchmark performance, VRAM, power ratings and checked prices side by side. L40S 48 GB leads the Blender benchmark score by 294.5%.
Fastest in Cycles
L40S 48 GB
294% faster than RTX 3060 12 GB
Most VRAM
L40S 48 GB
300% more VRAM than RTX 3060 12 GB
Lowest power draw
RTX 3060 12 GB
43% lower rating than L40S 48 GB
Cheapest
Cannot compare
Price unavailable for some GPUs
Best value for money
Cannot compare
Price or benchmark unavailable for some GPUs
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Price unavailable No current offer matches your preferences. | $456.70 Checked Oct 5, 2026 |
| Value for money | N/A | 4.36 |
| Performance | ||
| Blender benchmark score | 7,848.06 +294% | 1,989.59 |
| CUDA cores | 18,176 +407% | 3,584 |
| Boost clock | 2520 MHz +42% | 1.78 GHz |
| RT cores | 142 +407% | 28 |
| Tensor cores | 568 +407% | 112 |
| Memory | ||
| VRAM | 48 GB More capacity for heavy scenes+300% | 12 GB Meets Blender’s recommended VRAM |
| Memory bandwidth | 864 GB/s +140% | 360 GB/s |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Memory bus | 384-bit +100% | 192-bit |
| Memory speed | N/A | 15 Gbps |
| Platform | ||
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Ampere |
| Render support | CUDA, OpenCL | OptiX, CUDA |
| TDP | 300 W | 170 W −43% |
| System PSU | 700 W Secondary source suggestion | N/A |
| Release year | 2022 | 2021 |
Blender Cycles benchmarks
Estimated seconds / frame Lower is faster
L40S 48 GB
Blender 4.5.0 · OptiX · 8 runs
RTX 3060 12 GB
Blender 5.2.0 · OptiX · 91 runs
Junkshop
Monster
Classroom
Which GPU should you choose for Blender?
L40S 48 GB is the stronger Blender rendering pick here based on benchmark score.
Cycles rendering performance
L40S 48 GB leads by 294.5% in the Renderjuice Blender benchmark model (7,848 vs 1,990). For render-time-first decisions, that is the card to prioritize.
VRAM and scene capacity
L40S 48 GB has more scene headroom with 48 GB of VRAM versus 12 GB on RTX 3060 12 GB. That matters most for large environments, dense geometry, high-resolution textures, and less optimized production files.
Power ratings and cooling
RTX 3060 12 GB is the lower-power option at 170 W TDP, compared with 300 W for L40S 48 GB. If render speed is close, that can make RTX 3060 12 GB easier to cool and run quietly.
Is the upgrade worthwhile?
L40S 48 GB is both the newer and faster Blender rendering choice here. The main reason to choose RTX 3060 12 GB would be price, availability, existing ownership, or a specific workstation requirement.
Comparison summary
L40S 48 GB leads the Blender benchmark score by 294.5%.
Fastest in Cycles: L40S 48 GB 294% faster than RTX 3060 12 GB.
Most VRAM: L40S 48 GB 300% more VRAM than RTX 3060 12 GB.
Lowest power draw: RTX 3060 12 GB 43% lower rating than L40S 48 GB.
Cheapest: Cannot compare Price unavailable for some GPUs.
Best value for money: Cannot compare Price or benchmark unavailable for some GPUs.
L40S 48 GB has 48 GB of VRAM, while RTX 3060 12 GB has 12 GB, which matters when scenes, textures, or geometry get heavier.
If you are deciding between these cards for Blender, focus first on Blender benchmark score, VRAM capacity, memory bandwidth, and whether your scenes are likely to benefit more from raw speed or extra memory headroom. The comparison table above keeps those tradeoffs in one place.