Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 and the NVIDIA N1 20SM occupy entirely different positions in the database, despite sharing the same 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The Intel part is a 10 nm, 1280 mm² discrete accelerator with 100,000 million transistors, 7168 shading units, and 48 GB of HBM2e memory on an 8192-bit bus. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is a 5 nm integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on a 382 mm² die with 2560 shading units and 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. The data shows no head-to-head benchmark results between them, so the verdict rests entirely on their recorded specifications. The Intel Max 1100 delivers 22.22 TFLOPS FP32, nearly double the 12.01 TFLOPS of the N1 20SM, and provides 1.23 TB/s of memory bandwidth versus 273.2 GB/s. The N1 20SM counters with 4.6 times the memory capacity, 80 tensor cores versus none listed for Intel, and a much higher boost clock of 2346 MHz versus 1550 MHz. Users who need raw compute throughput and massive memory bandwidth for dense data-center workloads should look to the Intel part. Users who need unified memory capacity, tensor acceleration, and a compact IGP form factor should look to the NVIDIA part.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 records 22.22 TFLOPS FP32, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM records 12.01 TFLOPS FP32. The Intel part leads by approximately 85%.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The Intel Max 1100 uses 48 GB of HBM2e across an 8192-bit bus, yielding 1.23 TB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X across a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. Intel has 4.5 times the bandwidth, NVIDIA has 2.67 times the capacity.

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1 20SM support tensor operations?

A: Yes, the N1 20SM lists 80 tensor cores. The Intel Max 1100 lists no tensor core count in the database.

Q: What are the physical form factors?

A: The Intel Max 1100 is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, requiring a 1x 12-pin power connector and a 700 W suggested PSU. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is an IGP with no power connectors and no dimensions recorded.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The NVIDIA N1 20SM boosts to 2346 MHz, compared to the Intel Max 1100's 1550 MHz boost. The NVIDIA part also has a lower base clock of 741 MHz versus 1000 MHz.

Q: When did each product release?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 released on January 9, 2023. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has a release date of May 31, 2026.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 is built on the Ponte Vecchio chip, using Intel's Generation 12.5 architecture and a 10 nm process node fabricated by Intel. The die measures 1280 mm² and contains 100,000 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 78.1 million per square millimeter. This is a discrete accelerator with no display outputs, designed exclusively for compute workloads.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip, based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture and manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. The die is 382 mm², and the transistor count is listed as unknown in the database. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) from the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, and it includes one HDMI display output.

The architectural split is stark. Intel's part is a massive, power-hungry discrete chip with a 300 W TDP, while NVIDIA's part is an IGP with an unknown TDP and no power connectors. The Intel chip packs 7168 shading units, 448 texture mapping units, and 56 ray tracing cores, but lists zero ROPs and a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s. The NVIDIA chip has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 20 ray tracing cores, and 80 tensor cores. The Intel architecture emphasizes raw shader and texture throughput for compute, while the NVIDIA architecture includes rasterization and tensor capabilities that the Intel part lacks. The Intel part's API support covers DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan listed, while the NVIDIA part lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, suggesting it targets non-graphics compute environments.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification field. The Intel Max 1100 runs at a 1000 MHz base clock and 1550 MHz boost, while the N1 20SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. Memory frequency differs as well: Intel's memory runs at 600 MHz with 1200 Mbps effective, while NVIDIA's runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Memory size: 48 GB HBM2e for Intel, 128 GB LPDDR5X for NVIDIA. Bus width: 8192-bit versus 256-bit. Bandwidth: 1.23 TB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. Shading units: 7168 versus 2560. TMUs: 448 versus 160. ROPs: 0 versus 24. Ray tracing cores: 56 versus 20. Tensor cores: none listed versus 80. Pixel rate: 0 MPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 694.4 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 22.22 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS. FP16: 22.22 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP: 300 W versus unknown. Slot width: dual-slot versus IGP. Power connectors: 1x 12-pin versus none. Suggested PSU: 700 W versus not listed. Display outputs: none versus 1x HDMI. Dimensions: 267 mm length versus no dimensions recorded. Release date: January 2023 versus May 2026. The Intel part lists a successor (H3C Graphics), while the NVIDIA part lists none.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark results between the Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 and the NVIDIA N1 20SM. Both parts have zero benchmark entries, zero average benchmark scores, and zero nearest rivals. The wins tally shows zero for both sides.

The absence of benchmark data means the specification comparison carries the analytical weight. The Intel part's FP32 throughput of 22.22 TFLOPS is 85% higher than the NVIDIA part's 12.01 TFLOPS. The texture rate difference is similarly lopsided: 694.4 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s, a margin of 85% again. Memory bandwidth favors Intel by a factor of 4.5, with 1.23 TB/s against 273.2 GB/s.

The NVIDIA part wins on memory capacity with 128 GB versus 48 GB, a 2.67 times advantage. The pixel rate comparison is one-sided by definition: NVIDIA records 56.30 GPixel/s, while Intel records 0 MPixel/s. The boost clock favors NVIDIA at 2346 MHz versus 1550 MHz, a 51% advantage. The base clock favors Intel at 1000 MHz versus 741 MHz, a 35% advantage. The NVIDIA part's tensor core count of 80 gives it a capability the Intel part cannot match, as the Intel listing has no tensor core field populated.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 wins in compute throughput scenarios. Its 22.22 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1) performance positions it for dense numerical workloads where shader count and memory bandwidth dominate. The 1.23 TB/s bandwidth over an 8192-bit bus supports large working sets that require rapid data movement. The 56 ray tracing cores and 448 TMUs add compute paths for geometry and texture-heavy tasks. The 300 W TDP and dual-slot form factor with a 12-pin connector indicate a server-installed accelerator designed for sustained load.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins in capacity and feature-rich scenarios. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory dwarfs the Intel part's 48 GB, making it suitable for workloads that need large memory footprints without the bandwidth ceiling. The 80 tensor cores provide dedicated matrix math acceleration, a resource absent from the Intel part. The 24 ROPs and 56.30 GPixel/s pixel rate give it rasterization capability that the Intel part lacks entirely. The 2346 MHz boost clock suggests a spiky, latency-sensitive performance profile, and the IGP form factor with no power connectors implies a low-power integrated solution rather than a discrete card. The HDMI output makes it the only one of the two that can drive a display.

The data indicates a clear split: the Intel Max 1100 is a throughput-oriented discrete compute accelerator, and the NVIDIA N1 20SM is a memory-rich integrated processor with tensor and display functionality. Neither part has benchmark results to confirm real-world behavior, so these conclusions derive purely from recorded specifications. The 5 nm process node and 2026 release date give the NVIDIA part a process and recency advantage, while the Intel part's 10 nm node and 2023 release date reflect an earlier design generation with a much larger die. The 1280 mm² Intel die versus 382 mm² NVIDIA die shows a 3.35 times silicon area difference, and the 100,000 million transistor count versus unknown for NVIDIA underscores how differently these two chips approach the same problem of data-center compute.