AMD Instinct MI300A vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data separates these two accelerators into entirely different compute classes despite both carrying 128 GB of memory. The AMD Instinct MI300A is a dedicated accelerator module built for maximum throughput, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for a different workload profile.

The MI300A dominates in raw shader throughput. It carries 14,592 shading units compared to the N1X 40SM's 5,120, a difference of roughly 2.85x. This translates directly into FP32 compute: the MI300A delivers 61.29 TFLOPS against the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. For any workload that scales with shader count, the AMD part holds a decisive advantage.

Texture processing also favors the MI300A heavily. Its 912 texture mapping units produce a texture rate of 1,915.2 GTexel/s, versus 320 TMUs and 750.7 GTexel/s on the NVIDIA part. That is a 2.55x margin in texture throughput. The MI300A also dwarfs the NVIDIA chip in memory bandwidth with 5.32 TB/s from HBM3 on an 8,192-bit bus, compared to 273.2 GB/s from LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. The bandwidth gap is approximately 19.5x, which matters enormously for large data movement.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM wins in areas the MI300A does not even address. The MI300A has zero pixel output (0 MPixel/s) and no display outputs. The N1X 40SM has 40 ROPs, a pixel rate of 93.84 GPixel/s, and a single HDMI output. The NVIDIA part also includes 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, while the MI300A lists no ray tracing or dedicated tensor core counts in the database.

The N1X 40SM also consumes far less power, though the database does not list a TDP for it. The MI300A lists a 750 W TDP with a suggested power supply of 1150 W. The NVIDIA part is an IGP with no power connector requirements listed. This positions the N1X 40SM for compact, power-constrained deployments, while the MI300A is a high-power accelerator module.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different design philosophies. The MI300A uses the Aqua Vanjaram chip with CDNA 3.0 architecture, a compute-focused design from AMD's Instinct (MIx) generation. The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of NVIDIA's Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation.

Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the physical implementations diverge sharply. The MI300A die measures 1,017 mm² with 153,000 million transistors, yielding a density of 150.4 million transistors per mm². The N1X 40SM die is 382 mm², and its transistor count is listed as unknown in the database. The MI300A is a massive monolithic compute die; the NVIDIA part is roughly 37.6% of that die area.

Memory technology separates them further. The MI300A uses HBM3 with a 128 GB capacity, an 8,192-bit bus, and 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses LPDDR5X with the same 128 GB capacity but a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock differs too: the MI300A runs at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the N1X 40SM runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). The higher effective data rate per pin on the NVIDIA part does not compensate for the vastly narrower bus.

Clock behavior also differs. The MI300A has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost of 2100 MHz. The N1X 40SM starts lower at 741 MHz base but boosts higher to 2346 MHz. The NVIDIA part has a higher peak clock, but the AMD part sustains a higher base clock and has far more execution units.

Shader organization reflects the different targets. The MI300A has 14,592 shading units, 912 TMUs, and zero ROPs. It is purely a compute and texture engine. The N1X 40SM has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. It is a more complete graphics and compute processor, though with far lower peak numbers in every shader category.

The MI300A is an OAM Module with no display outputs and no power connectors (power comes through the module interface). The N1X 40SM is an IGP with one HDMI output. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 as the bus interface. The MI300A released on December 5, 2023; the N1X 40SM is dated May 31, 2026, and its production status is listed as Active.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300A delivers 61.29 TFLOPS FP32, which is 2.55x higher than the NVIDIA N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS.

Q: Do both processors have the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both have 128 GB. However, the MI300A uses HBM3 with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth on an 8,192-bit bus, while the N1X 40SM uses LPDDR5X with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Can either processor output video?

A: Only the NVIDIA N1X 40SM can. It has 40 ROPs, a 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate, and one HDMI output. The AMD MI300A has 0 MPixel/s pixel rate and no display outputs.

Q: Which has more shading units?

A: The MI300A has 14,592 shading units. The N1X 40SM has 5,120, which is about 35.1% of the AMD part's count.

Q: What are the boost clocks?

A: The MI300A boosts to 2100 MHz. The N1X 40SM boosts higher, to 2346 MHz.

Q: Which processor has tensor and ray tracing hardware?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM includes 160 tensor cores and 40 RT cores. The MI300A lists no tensor core or RT core counts in the database.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Instinct MI300A | NVIDIA N1X 40SM |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | CDNA 3.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Chip | Aqua Vanjaram | GB20B |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Die Size | 1017 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 153,000 million | unknown |

| Transistor Density | 150.4M / mm² | null |

| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2100 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Type | HBM3 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 8192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 5.32 TB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz 5.2 Gbps effective | 1067 MHz 8.5 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 14592 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 912 | 320 |

| ROPs | 0 | 40 |

| RT Cores | null | 40 |

| Tensor Cores | null | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 0 MPixel/s | 93.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,915.2 GTexel/s | 750.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 61.29 TFLOPS | 24.02 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | null | 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 750 W | unknown |

| Slot Width | OAM Module | IGP |

| Power Connectors | None | None |

| Suggested PSU | 1150 W | null |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x HDMI |

| Release Date | 2023-12-05 | 2026-05-31 |

| Production Status | null | Active |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries, so the comparison relies on recorded specification-level measurements. The largest single margin is memory bandwidth. The MI300A's 5.32 TB/s is 19.5x the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s. This is not a small edge; it is a fundamental difference in memory subsystem design. HBM3 on an 8,192-bit bus versus LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus places these parts in different performance tiers for bandwidth-bound workloads.

FP32 compute shows a 2.55x advantage for the MI300A (61.29 TFLOPS versus 24.02 TFLOPS). The shading unit count difference (14,592 versus 5,120) is 2.85x, slightly larger than the FP32 gap, which suggests the MI300A's per-shader efficiency is modestly lower at its higher base clock of 1000 MHz versus 741 MHz, but the sheer unit count overwhelms that effect.

Texture rate favors the MI300A at 1,915.2 GTexel/s versus 750.7 GTexel/s, a 2.55x margin that aligns closely with the FP32 ratio. The TMU count difference is 2.85x (912 versus 320), so the texture rate per TMU is slightly lower on the AMD part, again likely due to clock differences.

The NVIDIA part wins in pixel throughput and clock speed. Its 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate is achieved with 40 ROPs, while the MI300A has zero pixel output capability. The N1X 40SM also boosts to 2346 MHz, which is 246 MHz higher than the MI300A's 2100 MHz boost. The base clock comparison favors AMD heavily: 1000 MHz versus 741 MHz, a 259 MHz gap.

The N1X 40SM lists FP16 performance at 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio with FP32). The MI300A lists no FP16 figure in the database. This means the NVIDIA part has a known 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, while the AMD part's FP16 behavior is unrecorded.

The release dates are separated by roughly two and a half years, with the MI300A appearing in December 2023 and the N1X 40SM dated May 2026. The NVIDIA part is marked Active in production status; the AMD part's status is not listed.

The Verdict

The data positions the AMD Instinct MI300A as a high-throughput compute accelerator with no display capability and a 750 W TDP. Its strengths are memory bandwidth (5.32 TB/s), FP32 throughput (61.29 TFLOPS), and texture rate (1,915.2 GTexel/s). It is an OAM module with no power connectors, drawing power through the module interface, and requires a suggested 1150 W power supply. It uses HBM3 exclusively, has no ROPs, and cannot produce any pixel output.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an integrated processor with a broader feature set but lower peak throughput. It has 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, 160 tensor cores, a 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate, and one HDMI output. Its FP32 compute is 24.02 TFLOPS, and its memory bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s. It consumes less power per the database, though no TDP is listed.

For compute-heavy tasks that move large data sets, the MI300A is the clear choice based on bandwidth and shader throughput. For any workload requiring display output, pixel processing, ray tracing, or tensor operations, the N1X 40SM is the only option that has that hardware. The MI300A has no pixel rate, no RT cores, and no tensor core count recorded.

The die size difference is substantial: 1,017 mm² versus 382 mm². The MI300A packs 153,000 million transistors; the N1X 40SM's count is unknown. The MI300A is a larger, more complex chip tailored for maximum compute density. The N1X 40SM is a smaller, integrated part with a higher boost clock (2346 MHz) and a complete graphics pipeline.

The choice depends on whether the task needs raw compute throughput or integrated graphics functionality. The MI300A wins every shader, texture, and memory bandwidth metric. The N1X 40SM wins every graphics output, ray tracing, tensor, and pixel rate metric. There is no overlap in their winning categories, which makes the decision straightforward from the recorded data.