NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the core specifications of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q and the NVIDIA N1 16SM?

A: The RTX 4050 Max-Q uses the AD107 chip with 2,560 shading units, 80 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip with 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw floating-point performance?

A: The RTX 4050 Max-Q delivers 8.218 TFLOPS FP32, while the N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS FP32. The N1 16SM is approximately 17% ahead in theoretical FP32 throughput.

Q: What are the memory configurations of these two parts?

A: The RTX 4050 Max-Q has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What process nodes and die sizes do these chips use?

A: Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 4050 Max-Q has a 159 mm² die with 18,900 million transistors, while the N1 16SM has a 382 mm² die with unknown transistor count.

Q: What are the clock speeds for each GPU?

A: The RTX 4050 Max-Q runs at 1140 MHz base and 1605 MHz boost, with memory at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The N1 16SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Q: What API support does each GPU offer?

A: The RTX 4050 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan.

The Verdict

The recorded data positions these two GPUs for fundamentally different use cases. The RTX 4050 Max-Q is a mobile discrete GPU with a 35 W TDP, designed for portable gaming and content creation, with full DirectX 12 Ultimate support. The N1 16SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) within a larger Blackwell 2.0 package, offering substantial memory capacity and higher raw compute but lacking API support for conventional graphics workloads.

For gaming and standard graphics applications, the RTX 4050 Max-Q is the clear choice. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, all of which are absent from the N1 16SM's specification list. The RTX 4050 Max-Q also has a higher pixel rate at 77.04 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, indicating better fill-rate performance for rasterization-heavy tasks.

For compute-heavy workloads, particularly those leveraging FP32 throughput, the N1 16SM has the edge. Its 9.609 TFLOPS exceeds the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 8.218 TFLOPS, and its texture rate of 300.3 GTexel/s is more than double the 128.4 GTexel/s of the RTX 4050 Max-Q. The N1 16SM's 128 GB memory capacity and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth also dwarf the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 6 GB and 192.0 GB/s, making it more suitable for large dataset processing.

The N1 16SM's boost clock of 2346 MHz is substantially higher than the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 1605 MHz, indicating aggressive power delivery within its IGP design. However, its base clock of 741 MHz is notably lower, suggesting a wider dynamic range. The RTX 4050 Max-Q uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, giving the latter a wider bus path for data transfer.

The RTX 4050 Max-Q has more ROPs (48 vs 24), which contributes to its higher pixel rate. It also has more RT cores (20 vs 16) and tensor cores (80 vs 64), though the N1 16SM's higher clock speeds may offset some of these deficits in compute throughput. The N1 16SM's 128 TMUs versus the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 80 TMUs explains its dominant texture rate.

Neither GPU has a launch MSRP recorded in the database, and both are listed as Active production status. The RTX 4050 Max-Q was released in the GeForce 40 Mobile generation, while the N1 16SM is part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. The N1 16SM's release date is later, indicating a more recent design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records zero benchmark scores for both GPUs, with no head-to-head benchmark entries and zero wins for either part. The percentileVsAllGpus field lists both at the 50th percentile, indicating the database has not yet accumulated sufficient performance measurements to differentiate them. The avgBenchmarkScore is 0 for both, confirming the absence of recorded performance data.

Without benchmark results, the comparison must rely on specification-derived metrics. The N1 16SM leads in FP32 compute with 9.609 TFLOPS versus 8.218 TFLOPS, a difference of 1.391 TFLOPS or approximately 17%. This advantage stems from its higher boost clock of 2346 MHz, despite having 512 fewer shading units.

Texture throughput is the largest specification gap. The N1 16SM delivers 300.3 GTexel/s compared to the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 128.4 GTexel/s, more than a 2.3x difference. This is driven by the N1 16SM's 128 TMUs and high boost clock, against the RTX 4050 Max-Q's 80 TMUs at a lower 1605 MHz boost.

The RTX 4050 Max-Q counters in pixel throughput. Its 77.04 GPixel/s exceeds the N1 16SM's 56.30 GPixel/s by approximately 37%. The RTX 4050 Max-Q achieves this with 48 ROPs versus the N1 16SM's 24 ROPs, effectively doubling the ROP count to compensate for its lower clock speed.

Memory bandwidth favors the N1 16SM at 273.2 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s, a 42% advantage. The N1 16SM's 256-bit bus width and LPDDR5X memory provide this bandwidth, while the RTX 4050 Max-Q relies on a 96-bit GDDR6 bus. The N1 16SM also offers 128 GB of memory versus 6 GB, a 21x capacity difference that is the largest specification gap between the two parts.

Both GPUs list FP16 at the same rate as FP32 (1:1 ratio), indicating no dedicated half-precision acceleration path that would change throughput. The RTX 4050 Max-Q has 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, while the N1 16SM has 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores, suggesting the RTX 4050 Max-Q is better equipped for ray tracing and AI inference tasks per clock.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measured specification. The RTX 4050 Max-Q uses the AD107 chip on Ada Lovelace architecture, while the N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip on Blackwell 2.0 architecture. Process node is identical at 5 nm from TSMC, but die size differs significantly: 159 mm² for the RTX 4050 Max-Q versus 382 mm² for the N1 16SM. Transistor count is 18,900 million for the RTX 4050 Max-Q, while the N1 16SM's transistor count is listed as unknown.

Clock speeds diverge sharply. The RTX 4050 Max-Q has a base clock of 1140 MHz and boost of 1605 MHz. The N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and boost of 2346 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the RTX 4050 Max-Q runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the N1 16SM runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity is the most extreme difference: 6 GB GDDR6 for the RTX 4050 Max-Q versus 128 GB LPDDR5X for the N1 16SM. Bus width follows, with 96-bit versus 256-bit. Bandwidth is 192.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Compute unit counts vary: shading units are 2,560 versus 2,048; TMUs are 80 versus 128; ROPs are 48 versus 24; RT cores are 20 versus 16; tensor cores are 80 versus 64. The RTX 4050 Max-Q has a TDP of 35 W, while the N1 16SM's TDP is unknown. Both are IGP slot width with no power connectors.

Bus interfaces differ: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX 4050 Max-Q versus PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1 16SM. Display outputs are listed as Portable Device Dependent for the RTX 4050 Max-Q and 1x HDMI for the N1 16SM. API support is complete for the RTX 4050 Max-Q (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4) and entirely N/A for the N1 16SM.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4050 Max-Q is built on Ada Lovelace, NVIDIA's architecture for the GeForce 40-series mobile GPUs. It uses the AD107 chip, a compact 159 mm² die with 18,900 million transistors at a density of 118.9M per mm². The architecture is optimized for DirectX 12 Ultimate with full support for hardware ray tracing via 20 RT cores and AI acceleration via 80 tensor cores.

The N1 16SM uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip. This is a significantly larger design at 382 mm², though its transistor count is not recorded in the database. The architecture is part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, indicating it is designed for integrated use within a larger processor package. It includes 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores, suggesting ray tracing and tensor operation capability, but the API support is listed as N/A.

The RTX 4050 Max-Q is a discrete mobile GPU with a 35 W TDP, designed to operate within a laptop's thermal envelope. Its predecessor is GeForce 30 Mobile and its successor is GeForce 50 Mobile. The N1 16SM has no recorded predecessor or successor, and its TDP is unknown, consistent with an integrated processor design.

Both use 5 nm TSMC fabrication, but the N1 16SM's larger die size suggests it may share the package with other compute units. The RTX 4050 Max-Q's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is typical for a mid-range mobile GPU, while the N1 16SM's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface indicates a high-bandwidth connection to the host processor.

The RTX 4050 Max-Q's memory subsystem uses GDDR6 with 16 Gbps effective data rate, while the N1 16SM uses LPDDR5X at 8.5 Gbps effective. Despite the lower data rate, the N1 16SM's 256-bit bus provides higher total bandwidth. The N1 16SM's 128 GB memory capacity is unusual for a GPU, indicating it may serve as a unified memory pool for a larger system rather than dedicated graphics memory.

The RTX 4050 Max-Q's release date is earlier, and it is part of the established GeForce 40 Mobile generation. The N1 16SM is a newer design with a later release date, representing NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 architecture in an integrated form factor. The production status for both is Active, meaning both are currently available in the market according to the database records.