NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile?

A: The database records an average benchmark score of 8746 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile. This places it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Q: How does the RTX 3050 A Mobile compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile is essentially tied with the GeForce GTX 460 v2, which scores 8743 (0% delta). It sits 0.7% ahead of the Quadro P2200 (8686 score) and is 1.2% behind the Radeon R9 M265X (8851 score).

Q: What is the N1 16SM's percentile ranking?

A: The N1 16SM holds the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, despite having no recorded benchmark scores.

Q: Does the N1 16SM support DirectX?

A: No. The N1 16SM lists DirectX as N/A, along with OpenGL and Vulkan also marked as N/A. The RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What memory configurations do these two GPUs use?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What process nodes are used for each chip?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses an 8 nm Samsung process. The N1 16SM uses a 5 nm TSMC process.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different architectural generations. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA106 chip, while the N1 16SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB20B chip. This places the N1 16SM in a newer design generation with substantial internal changes.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses Samsung's 8 nm node with a die size of 276 mm² and 12,000 million transistors. The N1 16SM uses TSMC's 5 nm node with a larger 382 mm² die, though its transistor count is listed as unknown in the database. The smaller process node allows for higher density and efficiency improvements.

Core counts diverge considerably. The N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 1792 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The N1 16SM leads in shading units and TMUs, but the RTX 3050 A Mobile has more ROPs. Ray tracing and tensor core counts also differ: the N1 16SM has 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has 14 RT cores and 56 tensor cores.

The memory subsystem diverges sharply. The N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. This represents a major difference in memory capacity and bandwidth capacity.

The bus interface also differs. The N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors required. The N1 16SM has a single HDMI display output, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile's display outputs are portable device dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between these two GPUs. However, the recorded data for each provides a basis for comparison. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has eight benchmark scores, while the N1 16SM has none recorded. This absence of data for the N1 16SM means direct numerical comparisons cannot be made from benchmark results.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile shows specific performance characteristics in its recorded benchmarks. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 52998. In Passmark tests, it scores 61 in DirectX 10, 94 in DirectX 11, 55 in DirectX 12, and 152 in DirectX 9. Its Passmark G2D score is 526, G3D score is 11664, and GPU compute score is 4419. The average benchmark score across these entries is 8746.

The N1 16SM's theoretical compute output, as derived from its clock and core specifications, indicates higher raw performance potential. Its FP32 output is 9.609 TFLOPS and FP16 output is 9.609 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The RTX 3050 A Mobile produces 4.813 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, also with a 1:1 ratio. This means the N1 16SM has roughly double the compute throughput of the RTX 3050 A Mobile on paper.

Texture and pixel rates follow similar patterns. The N1 16SM achieves a texture rate of 300.3 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s. The RTX 3050 A Mobile delivers 75.21 GTexel/s and 42.98 GPixel/s. The N1 16SM leads substantially in texture throughput, while its pixel rate advantage is more moderate.

Boost clocks differ significantly. The N1 16SM boosts to 2346 MHz from a base of 741 MHz. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a base clock of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1343 MHz. The N1 16SM's boost clock is considerably higher, which contributes to its higher theoretical performance.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The process node is 8 nm for the RTX 3050 A Mobile versus 5 nm for the N1 16SM. The foundry is Samsung for the former and TSMC for the latter. Die size is 276 mm² versus 382 mm². Transistor count is 12,000 million for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, while the N1 16SM's count is unknown.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a base clock of 1065 MHz and boost of 1343 MHz. The N1 16SM has a base of 741 MHz and boost of 2346 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) for the RTX 3050 A Mobile versus 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1 16SM.

Memory configuration shows the largest gap. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 16SM has 128 GB LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 16SM has 32 times the memory capacity and 1.42 times the bandwidth.

Core counts differ in every category. Shading units: 1792 versus 2048. TMUs: 56 versus 128. ROPs: 32 versus 24. RT cores: 14 versus 16. Tensor cores: 56 versus 64. The N1 16SM has more shading units, TMUs, RT cores, and tensor cores, but fewer ROPs.

Compute rates are higher on the N1 16SM. Pixel rate is 42.98 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 75.21 GTexel/s versus 300.3 GTexel/s. FP32 is 4.813 TFLOPS versus 9.609 TFLOPS. FP16 matches FP32 for both at the same values.

Power and interface specifications show differences. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, while the N1 16SM's TDP is unknown. Both use IGP slot width with no power connectors. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile and PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1 16SM. Display outputs are portable device dependent for the former and 1x HDMI for the latter.

API support differs completely. The RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists all three as N/A. Production status is end-of-life for the RTX 3050 A Mobile and active for the N1 16SM. Release dates are late 2023 for the former and mid-2026 for the latter.

Where Each One Wins

The N1 16SM wins on raw compute specifications. Its FP32 throughput of 9.609 TFLOPS is exactly double the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 4.813 TFLOPS. Texture rate is nearly four times higher at 300.3 GTexel/s versus 75.21 GTexel/s. Memory bandwidth is 42% higher at 273.2 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s. Memory capacity is drastically higher at 128 GB versus 4 GB.

The N1 16SM also wins on connectivity. Its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides more bandwidth potential than the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface of the RTX 3050 A Mobile. The newer 5 nm process node suggests improved efficiency characteristics, and the boost clock of 2346 MHz is significantly higher than the 1343 MHz boost of the RTX 3050 A Mobile.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile wins on software compatibility and API support. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM has no API support listed. This makes the RTX 3050 A Mobile the only one of the two with documented graphics API compatibility.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile also wins on ROP count with 32 versus 24 for the N1 16SM. Its pixel rate of 42.98 GPixel/s, while lower than the N1 16SM's 56.30 GPixel/s, benefits from the higher ROP count. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a lower base clock (1065 MHz versus 741 MHz), which may indicate different power management characteristics.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile has recorded benchmark data, including a Passmark G3D score of 11664 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 52998. The N1 16SM has no recorded benchmarks, so its real-world performance cannot be verified from the database.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between theoretical capability and practical compatibility. The N1 16SM demonstrates vastly higher compute specifications: double the FP32 throughput, nearly four times the texture rate, and significantly higher memory bandwidth and capacity. Its 50th percentile ranking, despite having no recorded benchmark scores, suggests the database positions it as a mid-range performer. The RTX 3050 A Mobile, at the 44th percentile, sits slightly below that ranking.

However, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the only one of the two with any benchmark results or API support. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support make it the only option for software expecting standard graphics APIs. The N1 16SM's N/A status across all three major APIs indicates it cannot run conventional graphics workloads.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile also has the advantage of documented real-world performance. Its average benchmark score of 8746 places it alongside the GTX 460 v2, Quadro P2200, Radeon R9 M265X, and Radeon Pro WX 5100. These rivals all score within 1.3% of each other, indicating a tightly clustered performance tier.

For users requiring a GPU with standard API support and verified benchmark performance, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the only viable choice from the data. For users prioritizing raw compute specifications and memory capacity, the N1 16SM offers substantially higher numbers on paper. The N1 16SM's active production status and newer architecture suggest it represents the current generation, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is end-of-life.

The lack of head-to-head benchmark data prevents a definitive performance ranking. The N1 16SM's theoretical advantages in compute, texture rate, memory bandwidth, and memory capacity are substantial. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's advantages lie in API support, ROP count, and verified benchmark results. The choice depends entirely on whether the workload requires standard graphics APIs or can utilize the N1 16SM's raw specifications.