Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for the Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile and the NVIDIA N1 16SM. Both parts have zero recorded benchmark scores, an average benchmark score of zero, and no nearest rival data. The wins count for each side is zero. This absence of measured performance data means the comparison must proceed through architectural specifications, clock behavior, and memory subsystem characteristics rather than observed frame rates or compute scores.

The most striking numerical disparity appears in raw compute throughput. The NVIDIA N1 16SM delivers 9,609 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile produces 1,280.0 GFLOPS. That places the NVIDIA part at approximately 7.5 times the single-precision throughput of the Intel solution. Texture rate follows a similar pattern: the NVIDIA N1 16SM reaches 300.3 GTexel/s against 40.00 GTexel/s for the Intel part, a multiplier of roughly 7.5 as well. Pixel rate shows a narrower gap, with NVIDIA at 56.30 GPixel/s versus Intel at 20.00 GPixel/s, meaning the NVIDIA part is about 2.8 times faster in pixel fill.

Clock behavior complicates the raw throughput comparison. The Intel part runs a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The NVIDIA part has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. Intel has the higher boost ceiling by 154 MHz, but NVIDIA starts from a much higher base frequency, more than double the Intel base. The NVIDIA part also sustains FP16 at the same rate as FP32, 9.609 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, whereas the Intel part reaches 2.560 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, meaning it halves throughput when moving from FP16 to FP32. In FP16, NVIDIA still leads by a factor of roughly 3.75.

Memory bandwidth is another decisive separator. The NVIDIA N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, producing 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth at an effective 8.5 Gbps data rate. The Intel part uses system shared memory with a system dependent bandwidth figure, so no fixed bandwidth number exists in the database. The Intel memory clock is listed as system shared as well. Without a dedicated memory bus width or speed, the Intel part cannot match the fixed 273.2 GB/s that the NVIDIA configuration guarantees.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile holds advantages in certain architectural characteristics. Its boost clock of 2500 MHz exceeds the NVIDIA boost clock of 2346 MHz, so in short bursts where clock ramp is the limiting factor, the Intel design can operate at a higher frequency. The Intel part also supports a more complete API feature set: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1 16SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan in the database, which suggests the recorded API support is either not exposed or not applicable for this IGP configuration. For software stacks that depend on these standard graphics APIs, the Intel part is the only one with documented support.

The Intel part also lists a 3 nm process node from Intel foundry, while the NVIDIA part uses a 5 nm node from TSMC. The Intel process is the smaller geometry, which can imply efficiency or density advantages, though the database does not record transistor counts for either chip. The Intel die size is unknown, while the NVIDIA die size is 382 mm². The Intel part has a known 25 W TDP, while the NVIDIA TDP is unknown, so the power envelope comparison cannot be completed.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM wins decisively in compute-oriented workloads. It has 2048 shading units against 256, 128 TMUs against 16, 24 ROPs against 8, 16 RT cores against 2, and 64 tensor cores against none listed for the Intel part. Every fixed-function unit count favors NVIDIA. The FP32 and FP16 throughput figures, texture rate, pixel rate, and memory bandwidth all favor NVIDIA. The NVIDIA part also supports 128 GB of dedicated LPDDR5X memory, which removes dependence on system memory performance.

The interface differs as well. The NVIDIA part connects via PCIe 5.0 x16, while the Intel part uses an IGP bus interface. The NVIDIA display output is listed as 1x HDMI, while the Intel display outputs are portable device dependent. For a system that requires a discrete-style PCIe connection or a fixed HDMI output, the NVIDIA part provides the documented interface.

Architecture Differences

The two parts come from entirely different design lineages. The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile uses the Wildcat Lake chip with the Xe3-LPG architecture, belonging to the Arc Graphics-M (Wildcat Lake) generation. The NVIDIA N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip with the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, belonging to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. Intel builds its chip on a 3 nm process at Intel foundry; NVIDIA builds its chip on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA die measures 382 mm², while the Intel die size is unknown. Transistor counts are unknown for both.

Execution resources differ by an order of magnitude. The Intel part has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, 8 ROPs, 2 RT cores, and no tensor core count listed. The NVIDIA part has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. These unit counts directly explain the throughput ratios recorded in the specification fields.

Memory architecture is fundamentally different. The Intel part uses system shared memory with no dedicated bus width, no dedicated memory type, and system dependent bandwidth. The NVIDIA part uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth and a memory clock of 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective data rate. The NVIDIA memory subsystem is fully specified, while the Intel memory subsystem depends entirely on the host platform.

Clock domains also diverge. The Intel base clock is 300 MHz with a 2500 MHz boost. The NVIDIA base clock is 741 MHz with a 2346 MHz boost. The NVIDIA part has the higher base clock by 441 MHz, while the Intel part has the higher boost clock by 154 MHz. FP16 execution differs in ratio: Intel uses a 2:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, NVIDIA uses a 1:1 ratio. That means NVIDIA does not sacrifice FP16 throughput relative to FP32, while Intel halves its FP16 rate when operating in FP32 mode.

API support is a major differentiator. The Intel part lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA part lists N/A for all three. The Intel part also has a predecessor listed as HD Graphics-M, while the NVIDIA part has no predecessor recorded. Both parts are marked as active production status. The Intel release date is recorded as 2026-04-15, and the NVIDIA release date is recorded as 2026-05-31.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1 16SM delivers 9,609 GFLOPS of FP32, while the Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile delivers 1,280.0 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA part is roughly 7.5 times higher in single-precision throughput.

Q: Does the Intel part support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes. The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1 16SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan in the database.

Q: What memory configuration does the NVIDIA N1 16SM use?

A: The NVIDIA N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth and an 8.5 Gbps effective data rate. The Intel part uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: How do the boost clocks compare?

A: The Intel part boosts to 2500 MHz, and the NVIDIA part boosts to 2346 MHz. Intel has the higher boost clock by 154 MHz. The NVIDIA base clock is 741 MHz, which is higher than the Intel base clock of 300 MHz.

Q: Which part has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1 16SM has 16 RT cores. The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile has 2 RT cores. NVIDIA also has 64 tensor cores, while the Intel part lists no tensor core count.

Q: What is the process node for each chip?

A: The Intel chip uses a 3 nm process at Intel foundry. The NVIDIA chip uses a 5 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA die size is 382 mm², while the Intel die size is unknown.

The Verdict

The data indicates two products aimed at different points in the mobile graphics spectrum. The NVIDIA N1 16SM is the compute-dominant part: 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, 64 tensor cores, 9,609 GFLOPS of FP32, 273.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and 128 GB of dedicated LPDDR5X memory. Every measured throughput metric in the database favors NVIDIA by a wide margin, from 7.5 times in FP32 and texture rate to 2.8 times in pixel rate.

The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile is the API-complete part. It is the only one of the two with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support. It also carries the higher boost clock at 2500 MHz and the smaller process node at 3 nm, with a known 25 W TDP. Its system shared memory approach and lower execution resource counts point to a design intended for lightweight integrated graphics duty rather than high-throughput compute.

A user choosing between these parts should base the decision on the workload. If the application requires standard graphics APIs, particularly DirectX 12 Ultimate or Vulkan, the Intel part has documented support and the NVIDIA part does not. If the workload is compute-bound and can use the NVIDIA execution resources, the NVIDIA N1 16SM provides the far higher raw throughput, the larger memory pool, and the fixed memory bandwidth. The absence of benchmark scores means no measured performance ranking exists, but the specification data alone shows a clear split between Intel as the API-oriented IGP and NVIDIA as the compute-oriented IGP.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile | NVIDIA N1 16SM |

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

| Chip | Wildcat Lake | GB20B |

| Architecture | Xe3-LPG | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Generation | Arc Graphics-M (Wildcat 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 | 256 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 16 | 128 |

| ROPs | 8 | 24 |

| RT cores | 2 | 16 |

| Tensor cores | null | 64 |

| Pixel rate | 20.00 GPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 40.00 GTexel/s | 300.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,280.0 GFLOPS | 9.609 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 2.560 TFLOPS (2:1) | 9.609 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 25 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 |

| Predecessor | HD Graphics-M | null |

| Release date | 2026-04-15 | 2026-05-31 |