AMD Instinct MI355X vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data positions these two accelerators at opposite ends of the computing spectrum. The AMD Instinct MI355X is a dedicated datacenter compute module built around the MI350 256CU chip, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the GB20B chip. The benchmark database currently shows no head-to-head benchmark entries for this pair, so the win split is zero for each. However, the specification data alone establishes a clear division of purpose.

The AMD Instinct MI355X wins outright in raw compute throughput, memory capacity, and memory bandwidth. Its FP32 output is 78.64 TFLOPS, and its FP16 output is also 78.64 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The NVIDIA N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, also at a 1:1 ratio. That means the AMD part has roughly 6.5 times the floating-point throughput of the NVIDIA part. The MI355X also carries 288 GB of HBM3e memory on an 8192-bit bus, yielding 8.19 TB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s. The AMD part has 30 times the memory bandwidth.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins in areas tied to its integrated nature. It has 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores, whereas the AMD part lists no dedicated RT or tensor core counts. The N1 20SM also has 24 ROPs and a pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s; the MI355X reports 0 ROPs and a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s. The NVIDIA part includes a display output (1x HDMI), while the AMD module has no display outputs at all. The N1 20SM is marked as Active in production status, while the MI355X has no listed production status. The NVIDIA part also has a later release date of 2026-05-31, versus 2025-06-11 for the AMD part.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different foundries and process nodes. The AMD Instinct MI355X uses a 3 nm process at TSMC with 185,000 million transistors on a 2380 mm² die. The transistor density is 77.7 million per mm². The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses a 5 nm process, also at TSMC, with a 382 mm² die and an unknown transistor count. The die size difference is substantial: the AMD chip is over six times larger.

The AMD part is built on the CDNA 4.0 architecture, part of the Instinct (MIx) generation. The NVIDIA part uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. The AMD chip is labeled MI350 256CU, which aligns with a compute-focused design. The NVIDIA chip is labeled GB20B, indicating an integrated processor design.

Memory architecture differs completely. The MI355X uses HBM3e with 288 GB capacity, an 8192-bit bus, and 8.19 TB/s bandwidth. The N1 20SM uses LPDDR5X with 128 GB capacity, a 256-bit bus, and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ: the AMD part has a 1000 MHz base and 2400 MHz boost, while the NVIDIA part has a 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. The memory clocks are 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective) for AMD and 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA.

Shading resources show the scale difference. The MI355X has 16,384 shading units and 1,024 TMUs. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The AMD part reports 0 ROPs, consistent with a compute accelerator that does not rasterize. The NVIDIA part has 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores; the AMD part lists no such units. Texture rates are 2,457.6 GTexel/s for AMD versus 375.4 GTexel/s for NVIDIA, a 6.5-times gap that mirrors the FP32 difference.

Power and physical design also diverge. The MI355X has a TDP of 1400 W and a suggested PSU of 1800 W. It uses an OAM Module slot width and has no power connectors listed. The N1 20SM has an unknown TDP, no suggested PSU, and an IGP slot width. The AMD part measures 102 mm in length and 165 mm in width; the NVIDIA part has no listed dimensions. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 as the bus interface.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database currently records zero head-to-head benchmark entries for the AMD Instinct MI355X versus the NVIDIA N1 20SM. With no benchmark scores or percentile comparisons available, the analysis must rely entirely on the specification fields. That said, the spec data provides clear quantitative deltas.

In FP32 compute, the MI355X delivers 78.64 TFLOPS against 12.01 TFLOPS for the N1 20SM. That is a 66.63 TFLOPS difference, or approximately 5.5 times the NVIDIA part's output. The same ratio holds for FP16, where both parts run at a 1:1 ratio relative to FP32. The MI355X posts 78.64 TFLOPS FP16, and the N1 20SM posts 12.01 TFLOPS FP16. This means the AMD part is ahead by the same absolute margin in both precisions.

Memory bandwidth is the largest relative gap. The MI355X has 8.19 TB/s, which is 30 times the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s. The capacity difference is 160 GB in favor of the AMD part (288 GB versus 128 GB). The bus width difference is 8192 bits versus 256 bits, a 32-fold gap. These numbers indicate that the AMD part is designed for memory-bound workloads such as large model inference or training, while the NVIDIA part targets integrated use cases with modest memory demands.

Texture rate also favors AMD heavily. The MI355X processes 2,457.6 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s for the N1 20SM. That is a 6.5-times advantage, consistent with the shading unit count ratio (16,384 versus 2,560, also 6.4 times). The NVIDIA part has a pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s, while the AMD part reports 0 MPixel/s, meaning the AMD module cannot rasterize pixels at all. The NVIDIA part's 24 ROPs enable that pixel output, and its 20 RT cores add ray tracing capability that the AMD part does not list.

Clock speeds are closer than compute ratios. The MI355X boosts to 2400 MHz, and the N1 20SM boosts to 2346 MHz, a difference of only 54 MHz. Base clocks differ more: 1000 MHz for AMD versus 741 MHz for NVIDIA. The AMD part's higher clock combined with 6.4 times more shading units produces the massive throughput advantage. The NVIDIA part compensates with its integrated feature set, including display output and graphics-specific units.

The Verdict

The data shows that the AMD Instinct MI355X is a compute accelerator for high-throughput environments. Its 78.64 TFLOPS FP32, 288 GB HBM3e, and 8.19 TB/s bandwidth place it in a category for large-scale parallel workloads. The absence of ROPs, pixel rate, and display outputs confirms that it is not intended for graphics output. The 1400 W TDP and 1800 W suggested PSU indicate a system designed for high-density compute, not consumer or workstation use.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor with a different role. Its 12.01 TFLOPS FP32, 128 GB LPDDR5X, and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth are lower by every compute metric, but it includes 20 RT cores, 80 tensor cores, 24 ROPs, and a 1x HDMI output. The pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 375.4 GTexel/s show that it can handle graphics tasks. Its 5 nm process and 382 mm² die are modest compared to the AMD part's 3 nm process and 2380 mm² die.

For users who need raw compute and massive memory bandwidth, the MI355X is the only choice based on the data. For users who need an integrated chip with graphics output, ray tracing, and tensor cores in a single package, the N1 20SM is the only choice. The two parts do not compete in the same segment; the MI355X targets accelerators, and the N1 20SM targets integrated processors. The release dates support this: the MI355X launched on 2025-06-11, and the N1 20SM launched on 2026-05-31, nearly a year later.

Neither part has a launch MSRP listed in the database. The benchmark scores are zero for both, and their percentile versus all GPUs is 50 for each, which reflects the absence of benchmark data rather than any measured performance. The nearest rivals lists are empty for both parts, so no direct competitor comparisons are available.

FAQ

Q: Which part has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X delivers 78.64 TFLOPS FP32, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS FP32. The AMD part is roughly 6.5 times faster in this metric.

Q: What memory configurations do the two parts use?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X uses 288 GB of HBM3e with an 8192-bit bus and 8.19 TB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the AMD part support ray tracing or tensor operations?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X lists no RT cores and no tensor cores in the database. The NVIDIA N1 20SM lists 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores.

Q: Which part has display outputs?

A: The NVIDIA N1 20SM has 1x HDMI output. The AMD Instinct MI355X has no display outputs, consistent with its compute-only design.

Q: What are the process nodes for each chip?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X uses a 3 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses a 5 nm process, also at TSMC.

Q: When did each part launch?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X has a release date of 2025-06-11. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has a release date of 2026-05-31.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Instinct MI355X | NVIDIA N1 20SM |

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

| Chip | MI350 256CU | GB20B |

| Architecture | CDNA 4.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Generation | Instinct (MIx) | Blackwell IGP (N1x) |

| Process Node | 3 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 185,000 million | unknown |

| Die Size | 2380 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2400 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz, 8 Gbps effective | 1067 MHz, 8.5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 288 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3e | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 8192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 8.19 TB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 16384 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 1024 | 160 |

| ROPs | 0 | 24 |

| RT Cores | None listed | 20 |

| Tensor Cores | None listed | 80 |

| Pixel Rate | 0 MPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 2,457.6 GTexel/s | 375.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 78.64 TFLOPS | 12.01 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 78.64 TFLOPS (1:1) | 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 1400 W | unknown |

| Slot Width | OAM Module | IGP |

| Suggested PSU | 1800 W | None listed |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x HDMI |

| Production Status | None listed | Active |

| Release Date | 2025-06-11 | 2026-05-31 |

| Dimensions | 102 mm length, 165 mm width | None listed |