AMD Radeon 8040S vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon 8040S and NVIDIA N1X 48SM occupy opposite ends of the mobile graphics spectrum, with the former representing a mature, shipping integrated solution and the latter an upcoming Blackwell IGP with radically different specifications. The recorded data shows the AMD Radeon 8040S has a PassMark G3D score of 10578, an average benchmark score of 2440, and sits at the 17th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce 710M at 2433 average score (0.3% slower), the Intel HD Graphics 610 at 2425 (0.6% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M at 2422 (0.7% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 7400 at 2467 (1.1% faster). This cluster of results indicates the 8040S performs on par with entry-level discrete and integrated graphics from several generations ago.

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has no recorded benchmarks, no average score, and no nearest rivals in the database. Its percentile of 50 is a placeholder value, not a measured result. Consequently, the verdict must be based on architectural specifications rather than direct performance measurements. The N1X 48SM carries 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, 48 render output units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. Its FP32 throughput is 28.83 TFLOPS, with identical FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio. The AMD Radeon 8040S, by comparison, has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and no tensor cores. Its FP32 rate is 5.734 TFLOPS, also matching FP16 at 1:1.

For users running DirectX workloads on a system that is already available, the AMD Radeon 8040S is the only option with measurable results. The database shows it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with PassMark scores of 48 for DirectX 10, 80 for DirectX 11, 47 for DirectX 12, and 134 for DirectX 9. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM lists DirectX as N/A, OpenGL as N/A, and Vulkan as N/A, meaning no API compatibility data exists for it. Anyone requiring confirmed driver and API support must choose the AMD part.

For workloads that demand raw compute throughput, texture processing, or ray tracing hardware, the NVIDIA N1X 48SM presents substantially higher theoretical limits. Its FP32 output is approximately 5 times that of the AMD part (28.83 TFLOPS versus 5.734 TFLOPS), its texture rate is 900.9 GTexel/s versus 179.2 GTexel/s, and it has three times the RT cores (48 versus 16). The N1X also integrates 192 tensor cores, which the AMD part lacks entirely. The data suggests the N1X is intended for a different performance class, but without benchmark scores, its realized performance cannot be verified.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 8040S uses the Strix Halo chip built on RDNA 3.5 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm TSMC process. Its die size is 308 mm². The manufacturing node is smaller than the N1X's 5 nm process, which suggests the AMD design achieves higher density per square millimeter, though transistor counts for both parts are listed as unknown. The 8040S belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 8000M) generation and has a predecessor identified as Polaris Mobile. Its release date is recorded as 2025-01-05.

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, produced on a 5 nm TSMC process with a die size of 382 mm². This makes the NVIDIA die approximately 74 mm² larger than the AMD die, a 24% increase in physical area. The N1X belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation and has no predecessor listed. Its release date is 2026-05-31, over a year later than the AMD part.

The clock behavior differs substantially. The AMD Radeon 8040S runs at a base clock of 1295 MHz and boosts to 2800 MHz, a 1505 MHz range. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost of 2346 MHz, a 1605 MHz range. Despite the lower absolute clocks, the N1X achieves far higher throughput due to its larger execution resource pool. The AMD part's memory clock is listed as "System Shared" with no fixed rate, while the N1X specifies a memory clock of 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective data rate.

Architecturally, the RDNA 3.5 design in the AMD part uses a unified shader arrangement with 1024 shading units, while Blackwell 2.0 in the N1X deploys 6144 shading units. The RT core counts differ by a factor of three (16 versus 48). The N1X adds tensor cores (192) for AI-oriented workloads, a feature absent from the AMD specification. The AMD part supports a full modern API stack, whereas the N1X lists no API support in the database, which may indicate incomplete driver readiness or undisclosed compatibility.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs. The headToHeadBenchmarks array is empty, and both winsA and winsB are recorded as 0. The AMD Radeon 8040S has seven individual PassMark scores, while the NVIDIA N1X 48SM has none. This absence of comparative data means any performance assessment must rely on the standalone measurements for the AMD part and the theoretical specifications for the NVIDIA part.

The AMD Radeon 8040S achieves its strongest result in PassMark G3D with a score of 10578. Its GPU compute score is 5138, which is roughly half of the G3D score, indicating that compute-intensive workloads perform at a lower level than graphics rendering in this architecture. The DirectX 9 score of 134 is the highest among the DirectX tests, followed by DirectX 11 at 80, DirectX 10 at 48, and DirectX 12 at 47. The G2D score of 1052 reflects 2D graphics performance that is far below the 3D result, which is typical for an integrated part with no dedicated video memory.

The nearest rival data for the AMD part shows a very tight cluster. The AMD Radeon RX 7400 leads the group with an average score of 2467, beating the 8040S by 1.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce 710M is the closest competitor at 2433, trailing by 0.3%. The Intel HD Graphics 610 follows at 2425, trailing by 0.6%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M rounds out the group at 2422, trailing by 0.7%. These deltas are all within 2%, meaning the 8040S performs essentially identically to these older or lower-tier parts in average scoring terms.

For the NVIDIA N1X 48SM, the absence of benchmark data means no wins can be tabulated. Its FP32 rate of 28.83 TFLOPS is 5.03 times the AMD part's 5.734 TFLOPS. Its texture rate of 900.9 GTexel/s is 5.03 times the AMD part's 179.2 GTexel/s. Its pixel rate of 112.6 GPixel/s is 1.26 times the AMD part's 89.60 GPixel/s. These ratios are consistent with the shader count ratio (6144 divided by 1024 equals 6.0), though the actual throughput ratios are lower due to the clock differences. The N1X's memory bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s comes from a 256-bit LPDDR5X bus, while the AMD part's bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning it shares main memory without a fixed allocation.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every recorded specification field. The AMD Radeon 8040S uses a 4 nm process; the NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses 5 nm. Die size is 308 mm² for AMD versus 382 mm² for NVIDIA. Base clocks are 1295 MHz versus 741 MHz, and boost clocks are 2800 MHz versus 2346 MHz. The AMD part's memory is system-shared with no size, type, bus width, or bandwidth specified; the NVIDIA part has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Shading units number 1024 for AMD and 6144 for NVIDIA. TMUs are 64 versus 384. ROPs are 32 versus 48. RT cores are 16 versus 48. Tensor cores are absent on AMD and number 192 on NVIDIA. Pixel rate is 89.60 GPixel/s versus 112.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 179.2 GTexel/s versus 900.9 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 throughput are both 5.734 TFLOPS for AMD and both 28.83 TFLOPS for NVIDIA, with each part running FP32 and FP16 at a 1:1 ratio.

Thermal design power is 55 W for AMD and unknown for NVIDIA. Both use an IGP slot width with no power connectors and a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for AMD and "1x HDMI" for NVIDIA. API support: AMD lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; NVIDIA lists N/A for all three. Production status is Active for both. Release dates are 2025-01-05 for AMD and 2026-05-31 for NVIDIA.

The AMD part's average benchmark score is 2440 with a 17th percentile ranking. The NVIDIA part's average score is 0 with a 50th percentile placeholder. The AMD part has four nearest rivals; the NVIDIA part has none. These specification differences point to two designs with different objectives: the AMD part targets a low-power, confirmed-compatible integrated solution, while the NVIDIA part aims for high compute density with a much larger execution footprint.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS FP32, which is 5.03 times the AMD Radeon 8040S's 5.734 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 8040S support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, the AMD part lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support, along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM lists N/A for all three APIs in the database.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the NVIDIA N1X 48SM?

A: The N1X 48SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 8040S uses system-shared memory with no dedicated size or bandwidth figures.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 8040S compare to its nearest rivals?

A: Its average benchmark score is 2440. The AMD Radeon RX 7400 is 1.1% faster at 2467, the NVIDIA GeForce 710M is 0.3% slower at 2433, the Intel HD Graphics 610 is 0.6% slower at 2425, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M is 0.7% slower at 2422.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 48 RT cores, triple the 16 RT cores found in the AMD Radeon 8040S. The NVIDIA part also includes 192 tensor cores, which the AMD part does not have.

Q: What are the die sizes and process nodes for both GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon 8040S uses a 4 nm TSMC process with a 308 mm² die. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses a 5 nm TSMC process with a 382 mm² die.

Q: Does the database contain any direct benchmark comparisons between the two?

A: No, the head-to-head benchmark array is empty, and the NVIDIA N1X 48SM has no recorded benchmark scores. Only the AMD Radeon 8040S has PassMark results, with a G3D score of 10578 and a GPU compute score of 5138.