AMD Instinct MI325X vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains no direct benchmark scores for either the AMD Instinct MI325X or the NVIDIA N1 20SM, and the head-to-head comparison table is empty. Neither part has an average benchmark score, and both sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, which reflects the absence of measured performance data rather than any real equivalence in capability. The wins tally is zero for both sides, so no single benchmark can be cited as a decisive victory for either accelerator.

The absence of scores does not mean the two parts are comparable in raw output. The AMD Instinct MI325X is specified for 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and the same 81.72 TFLOPS for FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is rated at 12.01 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.01 TFLOPS for FP16, also at a 1:1 ratio. In terms of raw floating-point capability, the MI325X delivers roughly 6.8 times the FP32 throughput of the N1 20SM, based strictly on the listed figures. The texture rate tells a similar story: the MI325X reaches 2,553.6 GTexel/s, while the N1 20SM reaches 375.4 GTexel/s, a difference of about 6.8 times as well. Pixel rate, however, is reversed: the MI325X is listed at 0 MPixel/s, while the N1 20SM produces 56.30 GPixel/s. This reflects the N1 20SM having 24 ROPs against the MI325X's 0 ROPs, a structural difference that makes the NVIDIA part capable of rasterization output while the AMD part is a pure compute accelerator with no display or pixel pipeline.

Memory bandwidth is another major divide. The MI325X has 256 GB of HBM3e on an 8192-bit bus, yielding 6.14 TB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s. The MI325X provides over 22 times the memory bandwidth of the N1 20SM, and its memory capacity is exactly double. Clock speeds also differ, with the MI325X boosting to 2100 MHz versus 2346 MHz for the N1 20SM, but the NVIDIA part's higher boost clock does not compensate for its far smaller shader array. The MI325X has 19,456 shading units and 1,216 TMUs, while the N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units and 160 TMUs. The AMD accelerator also carries 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores, whereas the MI325X lists no RT cores and no tensor cores in the database.

The Verdict

The data shows two fundamentally different products with different intended workloads. The AMD Instinct MI325X is a high-throughput compute accelerator built for dense floating-point and memory-bound operations. Its 81.72 TFLOPS FP32, 6.14 TB/s bandwidth, and 256 GB capacity position it for large-scale AI training, scientific simulation, and any workload that can saturate a wide HBM3e interface. The NVIDIA N1 20SM, by contrast, is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 382 mm² die, 2,560 shading units, and 24 ROPs. Its 12.01 TFLOPS FP32 and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth are far lower, but it includes features the MI325X lacks entirely: 20 RT cores, 80 tensor cores, a pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s, and a display output (1x HDMI).

Given the lack of benchmark scores, the verdict must rest on specification analysis. The MI325X is the clear choice for compute-heavy environments where FP32/FP16 throughput and memory bandwidth dominate. The N1 20SM is the only one of the two with display outputs, ROPs, and ray tracing support, making it the only option for any graphics or rendering task. The MI325X has no display outputs and no pixel pipeline, so it cannot drive a monitor or perform rasterization. The N1 20SM has PCIe 5.0 x16 connectivity just like the MI325X, but its memory subsystem and shader count are an order of magnitude smaller. For any user whose workload is compute-only and memory-intensive, the MI325X is the only sensible pick. For any workload requiring graphics output, RT cores, or tensor operations, the N1 20SM is the only part that can do it at all.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The AMD Instinct MI325X uses CDNA 3.0, a compute-focused architecture designed for data center acceleration. Its chip is named Aqua Vanjaram, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die. The transistor density is 150.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses Blackwell 2.0, a newer architecture generation, on the GB20B chip, also fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but with a much smaller 382 mm² die. The database lists the N1's transistor count as unknown, so a density comparison is not possible.

The MI325X has no ROPs, no RT cores, and no tensor cores listed. It also has no display outputs and no graphics API support (DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan are all listed as N/A). The N1 20SM, in contrast, has 24 ROPs, 20 RT cores, 80 tensor cores, and one HDMI output. Its graphics API support is also listed as N/A, but its hardware feature set clearly includes graphics and ray tracing capabilities. The MI325X is an OAM Module with no power connectors and no display outputs, while the N1 20SM is an IGP with no power connectors and one HDMI output. The MI325X's slot width is OAM Module, meaning it is a modular accelerator meant for server trays, while the N1 20SM is an integrated part, likely soldered onto a motherboard or module.

The memory architectures are radically different as well. The MI325X uses HBM3e, a stacked high-bandwidth memory design, with an 8192-bit bus. The N1 20SM uses LPDDR5X, a low-power memory standard, with a 256-bit bus. The MI325X's memory clock is 1500 MHz with 6 Gbps effective data rate, while the N1 20SM's memory runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective. The MI325X's bus width is 32 times wider, which is why its bandwidth is over 22 times higher despite a lower per-pin data rate. Both parts have no display outputs beyond the N1 20SM's single HDMI, and both list graphics APIs as N/A, indicating that neither is intended as a consumer gaming GPU.

Specification Differences

The two parts differ in nearly every measurable specification. The MI325X has 19,456 shading units against the N1 20SM's 2,560, a difference of roughly 7.6 times. Texture mapping units number 1,216 for the MI325X and 160 for the N1 20SM, also a 7.6 times difference. ROPs are 0 for the MI325X and 24 for the N1 20SM. The MI325X has no RT cores or tensor cores, while the N1 20SM has 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s for the MI325X and 56.30 GPixel/s for the N1 20SM. Texture rate is 2,553.6 GTexel/s for the MI325X and 375.4 GTexel/s for the N1 20SM. FP32 compute is 81.72 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS, and FP16 is identical to FP32 for both parts at a 1:1 ratio.

Base clocks are 1000 MHz for the MI325X and 741 MHz for the N1 20SM. Boost clocks are 2100 MHz for the MI325X and 2346 MHz for the N1 20SM. The N1 20SM boosts higher, but with 7.6 times fewer shaders, the overall throughput is far lower. Memory size is 256 GB for the MI325X and 128 GB for the N1 20SM. Memory type is HBM3e for the MI325X and LPDDR5X for the N1 20SM. Bus width is 8192 bits versus 256 bits. Bandwidth is 6.14 TB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. The MI325X has a TDP of 1000 W and a suggested PSU of 1400 W, while the N1 20SM has no TDP listed and no suggested PSU. The MI325X has no power connectors, and the N1 20SM also has none. Slot width is OAM Module for the MI325X and IGP for the N1 20SM. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16. The MI325X has no display outputs; the N1 20SM has one HDMI. Release dates are 2024-10-09 for the MI325X and 2026-05-31 for the N1 20SM, meaning the NVIDIA part is slated to launch roughly a year and a half later. The MI325X lists its predecessor as Radeon Instinct, while the N1 20SM has no predecessor. The N1 20SM is marked as Active in production status, while the MI325X has no production status listed.

FAQ

Q: Which part has higher FP32 throughput?

A: The AMD Instinct MI325X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32, compared to 12.01 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA N1 20SM. This makes the MI325X approximately 6.8 times faster in raw FP32 compute.

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1 20SM support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the N1 20SM has 20 RT cores. The AMD Instinct MI325X lists no RT cores at all, so the N1 20SM is the only one of the two with ray tracing hardware.

Q: Which part has more memory bandwidth?

A: The MI325X has 6.14 TB/s of bandwidth from 256 GB of HBM3e on an 8192-bit bus. The N1 20SM has 273.2 GB/s from 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. The MI325X offers more than 22 times the bandwidth.

Q: Can either part be used for display output?

A: Only the NVIDIA N1 20SM has a display output, specifically one HDMI port. The AMD Instinct MI325X has no display outputs and also has a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s, so it cannot drive a monitor.

Q: What is the difference in transistor count?

A: The MI325X has 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die. The N1 20SM has an unknown transistor count on a 382 mm² die. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC.

Q: Which part has tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1 20SM has 80 tensor cores. The AMD Instinct MI325X has no tensor cores listed in the database. For workloads that rely on tensor operations, the N1 20SM is the only option here.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI325X wins decisively in raw compute throughput, memory capacity, and memory bandwidth. Its 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 performance, combined with 256 GB of HBM3e and 6.14 TB/s bandwidth, makes it the superior choice for dense linear algebra, large model inference, and any workload where data movement is the bottleneck. The 2,553.6 GTexel/s texture rate further indicates strong shader-side output for compute-oriented texture operations. Its 153,000 million transistors and 1017 mm² die size reflect a design built for maximum parallel throughput at the cost of power, with a 1000 W TDP and a 1400 W suggested PSU. The absence of ROPs, RT cores, tensor cores, and display outputs means the MI325X is optimized for a single purpose: high-volume floating-point computation.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins in every category related to graphics and integrated functionality. It has 24 ROPs, a 56.30 GPixel/s pixel rate, 20 RT cores, 80 tensor cores, and one HDMI output. These features make it the only part of the two that can produce rendered images, accelerate ray-traced scenes, or perform tensor-based operations such as deep learning inference with dedicated hardware. Its lower boost clock of 2346 MHz is actually higher than the MI325X's 2100 MHz boost, and its 8.5 Gbps effective memory data rate is faster per pin than the MI325X's 6 Gbps effective rate, though the far narrower 256-bit bus limits total bandwidth. The N1 20SM is also an IGP, meaning it is designed to be integrated into a system rather than installed as a standalone accelerator, and its 382 mm² die is roughly 37.5% the size of the MI325X's 1017 mm² die. For any scenario involving graphics output, rasterization, ray tracing, or tensor workloads, the N1 20SM is the only part that can perform those tasks at all, despite its lower raw compute numbers. The MI325X cannot be used for any visual output, and its lack of tensor cores means it relies purely on shader-based compute for AI workloads, whereas the N1 20SM has dedicated tensor hardware. The data therefore splits cleanly: the MI325X for compute-only data center acceleration, the N1 20SM for integrated graphics and tensor-capable processing.