Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two integrated GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile is built on the Xe-LPG architecture as part of the Meteor Lake chip, belonging to the Arc Graphics-M generation. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation.

Q: How do the process nodes compare between the two?

A: The Intel part uses a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel itself. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses a 5 nm process from TSMC, which is a denser manufacturing node.

Q: What is the difference in shading unit count?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile has 384 shading units, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM has 2560 shading units. This is a substantial difference in raw compute resource allocation.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing and tensor operations?

A: The NVIDIA N1 20SM includes 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile lists no dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores in its specifications.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: The Intel part uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What is the release date for each product?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile was released on December 13, 2023. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has a release date of May 31, 2026.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile and NVIDIA N1 20SM represent two fundamentally different approaches to integrated graphics. The Intel part derives from the Meteor Lake processor family, using the Xe-LPG architecture. It is manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The die size for the NVIDIA chip is 382 mm², while the Intel die size is not recorded in the database.

The compute architectures diverge sharply. The Intel GPU has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The NVIDIA part has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The NVIDIA GPU also carries dedicated hardware blocks: 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The Intel part has no such dedicated units listed.

Clock behavior also differs. The Intel part runs at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 1800 MHz. The NVIDIA part has a 741 MHz base clock and a 2346 MHz boost clock. The NVIDIA part reaches a much higher boost frequency, and its base clock is more than double the Intel base clock.

Memory architecture is another major split. The Intel GPU relies entirely on system shared memory, with its bandwidth described as system dependent. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has a dedicated 128 GB LPDDR5X pool on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory clock for the NVIDIA part is 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective data rate.

The API support differs in an important way. The Intel part exposes DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA part lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating that its software interface may be oriented toward a different compute or graphics stack.

The bus interface also separates the two. The Intel GPU uses a Ring Bus connection, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs for the Intel part are portable device dependent, while the NVIDIA part lists 1x HDMI.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile and the NVIDIA N1 20SM in the database. Both products have zero benchmark scores recorded and zero nearest rivals listed. The wins count is zero for each side. The percentile versus all GPUs is 50 for both parts.

Despite the lack of direct benchmark comparisons, the specification data provides clear performance indicators. The NVIDIA N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the Intel part delivers 1,382.4 GFLOPS, which converts to approximately 1.38 TFLOPS. This means the NVIDIA part has roughly 8.7 times the FP32 throughput of the Intel GPU. The FP16 comparison is similar: the NVIDIA part delivers 12.01 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, while the Intel part delivers 2.765 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio.

Texture and pixel throughput follow the same pattern. The NVIDIA N1 20SM achieves 375.4 GTexel/s of texture rate and 56.30 GPixel/s of pixel rate. The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile achieves 43.20 GTexel/s and 14.40 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA part is roughly 8.7 times faster in texture fill and about 3.9 times faster in pixel fill.

The memory bandwidth advantage belongs entirely to the NVIDIA part. Its 273.2 GB/s of dedicated LPDDR5X bandwidth contrasts with the Intel part's system dependent bandwidth, which has no fixed figure in the database. For workloads that depend on memory throughput, the NVIDIA part has a structural advantage.

The NVIDIA part also has more than six times the shading units, nearly seven times the TMUs, and three times the ROPs. The ray tracing cores and tensor cores on the NVIDIA part add capabilities that the Intel part lacks entirely. These hardware resources position the NVIDIA N1 20SM as the stronger compute platform on paper.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification field.

Process node: Intel uses 10 nm, NVIDIA uses 5 nm. Foundry: Intel for the Intel part, TSMC for the NVIDIA part.

Base clock: Intel at 300 MHz, NVIDIA at 741 MHz. Boost clock: Intel at 1800 MHz, NVIDIA at 2346 MHz.

Memory size: Intel system shared, NVIDIA 128 GB. Memory type: Intel system shared, NVIDIA LPDDR5X. Bus width: Intel system shared, NVIDIA 256 bit. Bandwidth: Intel system dependent, NVIDIA 273.2 GB/s. Memory clock: Intel system shared, NVIDIA 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Shading units: Intel 384, NVIDIA 2560. TMUs: Intel 24, NVIDIA 160. ROPs: Intel 8, NVIDIA 24. Ray tracing cores: Intel none listed, NVIDIA 20. Tensor cores: Intel none listed, NVIDIA 80.

Pixel rate: Intel 14.40 GPixel/s, NVIDIA 56.30 GPixel/s. Texture rate: Intel 43.20 GTexel/s, NVIDIA 375.4 GTexel/s. FP32: Intel 1,382.4 GFLOPS, NVIDIA 12.01 TFLOPS. FP16: Intel 2.765 TFLOPS (2:1), NVIDIA 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1).

TDP: Intel 28 W, NVIDIA unknown. Power connectors: Intel none listed, NVIDIA none. Bus interface: Intel Ring Bus, NVIDIA PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs: Intel portable device dependent, NVIDIA 1x HDMI.

API support: Intel DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4. NVIDIA lists N/A for all three.

Die size: Intel not recorded, NVIDIA 382 mm². Transistors: Intel not recorded, NVIDIA unknown. Release date: Intel December 13, 2023, NVIDIA May 31, 2026. Predecessor: Intel HD Graphics-M, NVIDIA none listed. Production status: both active. Launch MSRP: neither product has a recorded launch MSRP.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins in raw compute throughput. Its FP32 output of 12.01 TFLOPS is roughly 8.7 times the Intel part's 1,382.4 GFLOPS. The texture rate of 375.4 GTexel/s versus 43.20 GTexel/s and the pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s versus 14.40 GPixel/s give the NVIDIA part a dominant position in fill-rate-bound workloads. The 2560 shading units provide a much larger execution pool for parallel shader work.

The NVIDIA part also wins in memory capacity and bandwidth. The 128 GB LPDDR5X pool with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth is a fixed, dedicated resource. The Intel part depends on system shared memory with no guaranteed bandwidth figure. Applications that stream large datasets or rely on frequent memory access will favor the NVIDIA part.

The NVIDIA part wins in feature support for ray tracing and tensor operations. The 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores enable workloads that the Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile cannot accelerate with dedicated hardware. The tensor cores, in particular, open up machine learning and AI inference tasks.

The Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile wins in power efficiency as recorded. Its TDP is 28 W, while the NVIDIA part has an unknown TDP. For systems where power draw must stay within a strict envelope, the Intel part has a documented advantage.

The Intel part wins in API compatibility for conventional graphics stacks. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA part lists no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support, which limits its use in traditional PC gaming and graphics applications.

The Intel part also wins on the release timeline. Its December 13, 2023 release date makes it available much earlier than the NVIDIA part, which has a May 31, 2026 release date. The Intel part's predecessor is recorded as HD Graphics-M, giving it a clear lineage, while the NVIDIA part has no predecessor listed.

The Intel part uses a Ring Bus interface, which suits its integrated position in the Meteor Lake chip. The NVIDIA part uses PCIe 5.0 x16, which provides a wider external connection path. The display output situation favors the Intel part for portable devices, since its outputs are device dependent, while the NVIDIA part lists only a single HDMI output.

For systems that prioritize fixed memory bandwidth, dedicated AI acceleration, and high compute throughput, the NVIDIA N1 20SM is the stronger choice. For systems that need a documented low TDP, traditional graphics API support, and an earlier availability window, the Intel Arc Graphics 48EU Mobile holds the advantage. The database records no direct benchmark wins for either side, so these conclusions rest on the specification differences.