Intel Arc G3 Extreme vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits this comparison into two very different usage profiles. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme and the NVIDIA N1X 40SM occupy the same IGP slot in portable devices, but they are built for different jobs. There are no direct head-to-head benchmark entries in the database, so the win analysis is derived from the architectural and specification data available.

The Intel Arc G3 Extreme wins in scenarios that rely on its Xe3-LPG architecture and API compatibility. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it can run modern graphics workloads with full feature sets. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A, so it is not positioned for standard desktop or mobile graphics API workloads. For gaming, emulation, or any application that requires a conventional graphics API, the Intel part is the only one of the two that can deliver.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM wins in raw compute throughput and memory capacity. It delivers 24.02 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is more than three times the Intel part's 7.680 TFLOPS. It also has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme uses system shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent and not fixed. Any workload that needs large memory pools or sustained memory throughput favors the NVIDIA part.

For ray tracing, the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores versus 12 on the Intel Arc G3 Extreme. The NVIDIA part also has 160 tensor cores, while the Intel part lists none. This indicates the NVIDIA IGP is designed for AI acceleration and compute-heavy tasks, while the Intel part is more of a general-purpose integrated graphics solution.

The Intel Arc G3 Extreme has a lower TDP at 80 W, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has an unknown TDP. In thermally constrained portable devices, the Intel part is the safer choice for power budgets. The NVIDIA part's unknown power draw introduces uncertainty for system designers.

Architecture Differences

The two IGPs come from different fabs and process nodes. Intel builds the Arc G3 Extreme on a 3 nm process at Intel foundries, using the Panther Lake chip with Xe3-LPG architecture. NVIDIA builds the N1X 40SM on a 5 nm process at TSMC, using the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The Intel part is part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation, while the NVIDIA part belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation.

The die size differs significantly. NVIDIA's GB20B measures 382 mm², while Intel does not list a die size. Transistor counts are unknown for both parts. The Intel part uses a 3 nm node, which is denser than NVIDIA's 5 nm node, but without transistor counts, the density advantage cannot be quantified.

Clocks are distinct. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme runs at a 300 MHz base and boosts to 2500 MHz. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has a 741 MHz base and boosts to 2346 MHz. The Intel part has a higher boost clock, but the NVIDIA part starts from a much higher base. Memory clocks also differ: the Intel part uses system shared memory with no dedicated clock, while the NVIDIA part runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective speed.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. These are large structural differences. The NVIDIA part has more than triple the shading units and more than six times the TMUs. The pixel rate is 93.84 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 60.00 GPixel/s for Intel. The texture rate is 750.7 GTexel/s for NVIDIA versus 120.0 GTexel/s for Intel.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, while the Intel Arc G3 Extreme is an IGP with no discrete bus. The NVIDIA part has 1x HDMI display output, while the Intel part's display outputs are portable device dependent. Both use no power connectors and are IGP slot width.

The NVIDIA part's API support is listed as N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. This is unusual for a graphics processor and suggests it is intended for compute or proprietary driver paths rather than standard graphics API workloads. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Release dates are identical: both are listed as active production with a 2026-05-31 release. Neither has launch MSRP data in the database.

The Verdict

The data indicates two different buyers. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme is for anyone who needs a standard integrated GPU with modern graphics API support. It runs DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which makes it viable for games and conventional graphics applications. Its 80 W TDP fits into power-limited portable designs. It delivers 7.680 TFLOPS FP32, 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate, which are modest but usable numbers for an IGP.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is for compute-focused workloads that bypass conventional graphics APIs. It has 24.02 TFLOPS FP32, 24.02 TFLOPS FP16, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth is a massive pool for AI inference, data processing, or large in-memory datasets. The lack of DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support means it is not a drop-in replacement for a gaming GPU.

Neither part has benchmark scores or nearest rivals in the database, so both sit at the 50th percentile versus all GPUs. The average benchmark score is 0 for both. This means the database has no performance measurements to rank them against other GPUs. The comparison must rest on specifications alone.

The NVIDIA part's unknown TDP is a red flag for portable designs. The Intel part's 80 W TDP is documented and manageable. If power draw matters, the Intel part is the only one with a confirmed figure.

For API-driven workloads, pick the Intel Arc G3 Extreme. For raw compute and memory capacity, pick the NVIDIA N1X 40SM. The two parts do not compete for the same user.

FAQ

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1X 40SM support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: No. The database lists DirectX as N/A for the NVIDIA N1X 40SM. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: Which IGP has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, compared to 1536 on the Intel Arc G3 Extreme.

Q: How much memory does the NVIDIA N1X 40SM have?

A: It has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: What is the boost clock difference between the two?

A: The Intel Arc G3 Extreme boosts to 2500 MHz, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM boosts to 2346 MHz. The Intel part also has a lower base clock at 300 MHz versus 741 MHz.

Q: Does either part have tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 160 tensor cores. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme lists no tensor cores.

Q: What process nodes do the two IGPs use?

A: The Intel Arc G3 Extreme uses a 3 nm process at Intel foundries. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses a 5 nm process at TSMC.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

There are no head-to-head benchmark entries in the database for this pairing. Both parts have zero benchmark scores, zero wins, and no nearest rival data. The comparison is therefore driven entirely by the specification fields.

The largest win for the NVIDIA N1X 40SM is FP32 throughput. It delivers 24.02 TFLOPS against 7.680 TFLOPS for the Intel Arc G3 Extreme. That is roughly 3.1 times the FP32 performance, a massive gap for an IGP comparison. FP16 follows the same pattern: the NVIDIA part delivers 24.02 TFLOPS at 1:1 ratio, while the Intel part delivers 15.36 TFLOPS at 2:1 ratio. The NVIDIA part does not rely on a packed math trick to reach its number.

Texture rate is another dominant win for NVIDIA. The N1X 40SM reaches 750.7 GTexel/s versus 120.0 GTexel/s for Intel. That is more than six times the texture fill rate. Pixel rate favors NVIDIA as well, at 93.84 GPixel/s versus 60.00 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA part has 320 TMUs versus 48, and 40 ROPs versus 24, which explains the fill rate results.

Memory is not close. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 128 GB of dedicated LPDDR5X memory with 273.2 GB/s of fixed bandwidth. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme has no dedicated memory at all; it relies on system shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent. For any workload that stresses memory, the NVIDIA part is in a different class.

Ray tracing and AI hardware also favor NVIDIA. The N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme has 12 RT cores and no tensor cores. The NVIDIA part is built for ray-traced compute and AI workloads, while the Intel part only has the RT core count as a ray tracing feature.

The Intel Arc G3 Extreme wins on clock speed. Its boost clock of 2500 MHz exceeds the NVIDIA part's 2346 MHz. Its base clock of 300 MHz is much lower than the NVIDIA part's 741 MHz, but the boost ceiling is higher. The Intel part also wins on power transparency, with an 80 W TDP versus an unknown figure for NVIDIA.

The Intel part wins on API support. DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 are all listed for Intel. The NVIDIA part lists N/A for all three. For any standard graphics workload, the Intel part is the only functional option.

The NVIDIA part wins on bus interface. It uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the Intel part is an IGP with no discrete bus interface. This gives the NVIDIA part a path to external connectivity, though it is still listed as an IGP slot width.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Arc G3 Extreme | NVIDIA N1X 40SM |

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

| Chip | Panther Lake | GB20B |

| Architecture | Xe3-LPG | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Generation | Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) | Blackwell IGP (N1x) |

| Process Node | 3 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Die Size | unknown | 382 mm² |

| Base Clock | 300 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2500 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Clock | System Shared | 1067 MHz 8.5 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1536 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 48 | 320 |

| ROPs | 24 | 40 |

| RT Cores | 12 | 40 |

| Tensor Cores | None listed | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 60.00 GPixel/s | 93.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 120.0 GTexel/s | 750.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 7.680 TFLOPS | 24.02 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) | 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 80 W | unknown |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | N/A |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | N/A |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | N/A |