L40S vs RTX 5090 D for Blender
Compare L40S 48 GB and RTX 5090 D for Blender Cycles. See benchmark performance, VRAM, power ratings and checked prices side by side. RTX 5090 D leads the Blender benchmark score by 91.0%.
Fastest in Cycles
RTX 5090 D
91% faster than L40S 48 GB
Most VRAM
L40S 48 GB
50% more VRAM than RTX 5090 D
Lowest power draw
L40S 48 GB
48% lower rating than RTX 5090 D
Cheapest
Cannot compare
Price unavailable for some GPUs
Best value for money
Cannot compare
Price or benchmark unavailable for some GPUs
GPU comparison
Key specifications for Blender rendering.
| Spec | L40S 48 GB | RTX 5090 D |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Price unavailable No current offer matches your preferences. | Price unavailable No current offer matches your preferences. |
| Value for money | N/A | N/A |
| Blender benchmark score | 7,848.06 | 14,990.64 +91% |
| VRAM | 48 GB More capacity for heavy scenes+50% | 32 GB More capacity for heavy scenes |
| System PSU | 700 W Secondary source suggestion−26% | 950 W Secondary source suggestion |
| Render support | CUDA, OpenCL | OptiX, CUDA |
| Performance | ||
| CUDA cores | 18,176 | 21,760 +20% |
| Boost clock | 2520 MHz +5% | 2407 MHz |
| RT cores | 142 | 170 +20% |
| Tensor cores | 568 | 680 +20% |
| Memory | ||
| Memory bandwidth | 864 GB/s | 1,790 GB/s +107% |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |
| Memory bus | 384-bit | 512-bit +33% |
| Platform | ||
| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |
| TDP | 300 W −48% | 575 W |
| Release year | 2022 | 2025 |
Blender Cycles benchmarks
Estimated seconds / frame Lower is faster
L40S 48 GB
Blender 4.5.0 · OptiX · 8 runs
RTX 5090 D
Blender 4.5.0 · OptiX · 12 runs
Junkshop
Monster
Classroom
Which GPU should you choose for Blender?
RTX 5090 D is faster for Blender rendering, but L40S 48 GB has more VRAM. That makes this a speed-versus-scene-headroom decision.
Cycles rendering performance
RTX 5090 D leads by 91.0% in the Renderjuice Blender benchmark model (14,991 vs 7,848). 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 32 GB on RTX 5090 D. That matters most for large environments, dense geometry, high-resolution textures, and less optimized production files.
Power ratings and cooling
L40S 48 GB is the lower-power option at 300 W TDP, compared with 575 W for RTX 5090 D. If render speed is close, that can make L40S 48 GB easier to cool and run quietly.
Is the upgrade worthwhile?
RTX 5090 D is both the newer and faster Blender rendering choice here. The main reason to choose L40S 48 GB would be price, availability, existing ownership, or a specific workstation requirement.
Comparison summary
RTX 5090 D leads the Blender benchmark score by 91.0%.
Fastest in Cycles: RTX 5090 D 91% faster than L40S 48 GB.
Most VRAM: L40S 48 GB 50% more VRAM than RTX 5090 D.
Lowest power draw: L40S 48 GB 48% lower rating than RTX 5090 D.
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 5090 D has 32 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.