AMD Radeon 880M vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the architectural generations of the AMD Radeon 880M and the NVIDIA N1 16SM?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M uses RDNA 3.5 architecture on the Strix Point chip, belonging to the Navi III IGP generation. The NVIDIA N1 16SM uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip, belonging to the Blackwell IGP generation.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M has a boost clock of 2900 MHz, while the NVIDIA N1 16SM has a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The AMD part runs 554 MHz higher at maximum boost.

Q: What are the memory configurations of the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth, meaning it relies on the host system's RAM. The NVIDIA N1 16SM has 128 GB of dedicated LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, compared to 768 on the AMD Radeon 880M. The NVIDIA part also has 128 texture mapping units versus 48, and 24 ROPs versus 16.

Q: What is the FP32 compute throughput for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M delivers 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The NVIDIA N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS, which is more than double the AMD part's throughput.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1 16SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support as N/A in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 880M wins on clock speed and API compatibility. Its boost clock of 2900 MHz is substantially higher than the 2346 MHz of the NVIDIA N1 16SM, which gives it an advantage in scenarios where raw frequency matters, such as lightly threaded or latency-sensitive workloads. Additionally, the AMD part has full DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support, whereas the NVIDIA N1 16SM reports no API support in the database, making the AMD GPU the only viable choice for standard gaming and graphics applications.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM wins decisively on raw hardware resources and compute throughput. It packs 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores, compared to 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 12 RT cores on the AMD part. This translates to 9.609 TFLOPS FP32 versus 4.454 TFLOPS, a 2.16x advantage. The NVIDIA GPU also has a monumental memory advantage with 128 GB of dedicated LPDDR5X memory at 273.2 GB/s, whereas the AMD part depends entirely on system memory with bandwidth that varies by host platform.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM also wins on bus interface, using PCIe 5.0 x16 versus the AMD's PCIe 4.0 x8. This gives it double the lanes on a newer standard, which matters for data transfer between the GPU and the rest of the system. The AMD part wins on process node at 4 nm versus 5 nm, though both are manufactured by TSMC.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 880M is built on RDNA 3.5, the latest iteration of AMD's graphics architecture for integrated GPUs. It uses a 4 nm process at TSMC and packs 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 145.9 million per square millimeter. The chip is named Strix Point, and the GPU belongs to the Navi III IGP generation, succeeding the Navi II IGP. Its 12 RT cores handle ray tracing workloads, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM is built on Blackwell 2.0, NVIDIA's newest GPU architecture. It uses a 5 nm process at TSMC and has a larger die at 382 mm², though its transistor count is listed as unknown in the database. The chip is named GB20B, and the GPU belongs to the Blackwell IGP generation. It has 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores, indicating a stronger focus on ray tracing and AI acceleration than the AMD part. However, the database lists its DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support as N/A, which suggests it is not designed for conventional graphics APIs.

The AMD Radeon 880M has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, while the NVIDIA N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The AMD part runs at a higher frequency but with fewer execution units, while the NVIDIA part compensates with a much wider architecture.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification in the database. The AMD Radeon 880M uses a 4 nm process node with 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die, achieving 145.9 million transistors per mm². The NVIDIA N1 16SM uses a 5 nm process on a larger 382 mm² die, with its transistor count and density listed as unknown.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The AMD part has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost of 2900 MHz, while the NVIDIA part has a base of 741 MHz and a boost of 2346 MHz. Memory configurations are entirely different: the AMD GPU uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the NVIDIA GPU has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Execution unit counts favor NVIDIA heavily. The NVIDIA N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. The AMD Radeon 880M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 12 RT cores, with no tensor cores listed. Pixel rate is 56.30 GPixel/s on the NVIDIA part versus 46.40 GPixel/s on the AMD part. Texture rate is 300.3 GTexel/s versus 139.2 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 compute are both 9.609 TFLOPS on NVIDIA versus 4.454 TFLOPS on AMD.

The bus interface differs as well: PCIe 5.0 x16 on NVIDIA versus PCIe 4.0 x8 on AMD. Display outputs are 1x HDMI on NVIDIA versus portable-device-dependent on AMD. The TDP for the AMD part is 15 W, while the NVIDIA TDP is unknown. Both are integrated GPUs with no power connectors and no dedicated slot width. The AMD part was released on 2024-07-14, while the NVIDIA part has a release date of 2026-05-31.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the AMD Radeon 880M and the NVIDIA N1 16SM. The AMD part has a full set of benchmark scores across 10 tests, while the NVIDIA part has no recorded benchmark entries. This absence of data means any direct performance comparison must be inferred from the architectural specifications and the AMD part's standalone benchmark results.

The AMD Radeon 880M scores 535 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 31285 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 40006 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its Passmark scores are 31 in DirectX 10, 73 in DirectX 11, 32 in DirectX 12, and 97 in DirectX 9. The GPU also records 969 in Passmark G2D, 7615 in Passmark G3D, and 3719 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its average benchmark score is 8436, placing it in the 43rd percentile among all GPUs.

The nearest rivals for the AMD Radeon 880M provide context for its performance level. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX scores 8427 on average, a 0.1% delta from the AMD part. The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 scores 8458, a -0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon HD 8870M also scores 8462, a -0.3% delta, and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X scores 8325, a 1.3% delta. This puts the Radeon 880M in a performance band around 8300-8500 average benchmark score, roughly equivalent to older discrete mobile GPUs.

For the NVIDIA N1 16SM, the database lists an average benchmark score of 0 and a 50th percentile ranking, but no actual benchmark entries or rival comparisons exist. The GPU's theoretical compute advantage (9.609 TFLOPS versus 4.454 TFLOPS) suggests it would outperform the AMD part in compute-heavy workloads, but without measured data, this remains inference from specifications rather than verified results.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between the two GPUs. The AMD Radeon 880M is a fully supported, benchmarked integrated GPU that delivers 4.454 TFLOPS FP32 performance, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and operates at a 15 W TDP. Its recorded benchmark scores place it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 8436 and nearest rivals in the 8300-8500 range. This makes it a viable option for standard graphics workloads where API compatibility and driver support are essential.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM, by contrast, has no recorded benchmarks, no API support listed, and no rival comparisons. Its specifications show a much larger GPU with 2048 shading units, 128 GB of dedicated memory, and 9.609 TFLOPS of compute, but the absence of any measured performance data means those specifications cannot be validated against real-world results. The 50th percentile ranking appears to be a placeholder rather than a measured value, given the zero average benchmark score.

For users who need a GPU that works with existing graphics APIs and has verified performance data, the AMD Radeon 880M is the only choice between the two. It has a complete suite of benchmark results, a known process node (4 nm), and a defined power envelope of 15 W. Its performance is comparable to discrete GPUs like the GeForce GTX 675MX and MX330, which provides a concrete reference point.

For users who prioritize raw compute throughput and memory capacity, the NVIDIA N1 16SM has the superior specifications on paper. Its 2.16x FP32 advantage, 128 GB of memory, and 64 tensor cores indicate a GPU designed for compute and AI workloads rather than traditional graphics. However, the lack of any benchmark data, API support, or power specifications means these advantages cannot be verified, and the GPU's practical usability remains unknown.

The database records no head-to-head wins for either GPU, reflecting the absence of direct comparison data. Users should therefore treat the NVIDIA N1 16SM's specifications as promising but unverified, while the AMD Radeon 880M's measured performance provides a reliable baseline. The AMD part is the safer choice for immediate use in graphics applications; the NVIDIA part may offer more headroom for compute tasks if its specifications translate to real performance, but no evidence currently confirms this.