NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data for both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Max-Q and the NVIDIA N1 16SM shows no direct head-to-head benchmark results. Both entries sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of zero for each. This means the quantitative comparison must be derived from their underlying specifications rather than measured performance deltas.

The strongest numerical advantage for the RTX 4060 Max-Q appears in shading unit count. It delivers 3072 shading units against the N1 16SM's 2048, a 50% higher count. This translates into a higher pixel throughput: the RTX 4060 Max-Q reaches 70.56 GPixel/s, while the N1 16SM manages 56.30 GPixel/s, making the former 25.3% faster in pixel fill. The RTX 4060 Max-Q also has more ray tracing cores (24 versus 16) and more tensor cores (96 versus 64), both representing a 50% advantage in those specialized units.

The N1 16SM counters with a substantial lead in texture processing. Its 128 texture mapping units (TMUs) exceed the RTX 4060 Max-Q's 96, and the resulting texture rate reflects this: 300.3 GTexel/s versus 141.1 GTexel/s. That is a 112.8% advantage for the N1 16SM in texture fill rate, a decisive margin for workloads that depend on texture sampling.

In raw floating-point compute, the N1 16SM edges ahead. Its FP32 throughput is 9.609 TFLOPS, while the RTX 4060 Max-Q delivers 9.032 TFLOPS. The difference is 6.4% in favor of the N1 16SM, a narrow lead but a real one. Both GPUs maintain a 1:1 ratio for FP16, meaning they offer identical half-precision performance relative to their FP32 output.

Memory capacity is the largest single advantage in the entire comparison. The N1 16SM integrates 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, which is 16 times the 8 GB available on the RTX 4060 Max-Q. The bus width also differs substantially: 256 bit versus 128 bit, allowing the N1 16SM to reach 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 6.7% higher than the RTX 4060 Max-Q's 256.0 GB/s.

Clock behavior separates the two as well. The RTX 4060 Max-Q has a higher base clock at 1140 MHz versus 741 MHz, but the N1 16SM boosts much higher at 2346 MHz versus 1470 MHz. The boost delta of 876 MHz indicates the N1 16SM's peak clock capability, while the RTX 4060 Max-Q relies on a more consistent baseline.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4060 Max-Q wins in scenarios that demand high pixel output and ray tracing throughput. Its 70.56 GPixel/s pixel rate and 24 ray tracing cores position it for rasterization-heavy workloads at high resolutions, especially where per-pixel shading and ray-traced effects matter. The additional 8 tensor cores beyond the N1 16SM (96 versus 64) also give it a measurable edge in AI inference tasks that scale with tensor core count, though the N1 16SM's higher FP32 could offset this in some mixed workloads.

The N1 16SM wins decisively in texture-bound operations. Its 300.3 GTexel/s texture rate, more than double the RTX 4060 Max-Q, makes it the stronger choice for applications that sample textures heavily, such as certain game engines or compute shaders with frequent texture fetches. The 128 GB memory pool is the dominant factor for large dataset workloads, including in-memory inference, large language model contexts, or massive asset loading where the 8 GB frame buffer of the RTX 4060 Max-Q would be exhausted quickly.

The N1 16SM also takes the overall compute crown with its 9.609 TFLOPS FP32 output. For general-purpose compute tasks that do not rely on the specialized RT or tensor cores, this 6.4% advantage could translate into shorter execution times. The 256 bit memory bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth support this compute role better than the RTX 4060 Max-Q's narrower 128 bit interface.

The RTX 4060 Max-Q holds a structural advantage in API support. It lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 16SM records N/A for all three APIs. This suggests the RTX 4060 Max-Q is designed for conventional graphics workloads with full driver and API coverage, whereas the N1 16SM appears oriented toward a different execution model.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Max-Q has 3072 shading units, while the NVIDIA N1 16SM has 2048, giving the RTX 4060 Max-Q a 50% higher count.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The N1 16SM integrates 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, which is 16 times the 8 GB of GDDR6 found on the RTX 4060 Max-Q.

Q: Which GPU provides higher texture throughput?

A: The N1 16SM delivers 300.3 GTexel/s, which is 112.8% higher than the RTX 4060 Max-Q's 141.1 GTexel/s, due to its 128 TMUs versus 96.

Q: How do the FP32 compute performances compare?

A: The N1 16SM reaches 9.609 TFLOPS, while the RTX 4060 Max-Q achieves 9.032 TFLOPS, a 6.4% advantage for the N1 16SM.

Q: Which GPU has a faster boost clock?

A: The N1 16SM boosts to 2346 MHz, compared to the RTX 4060 Max-Q's 1470 MHz. However, the RTX 4060 Max-Q has a higher base clock at 1140 MHz versus 741 MHz.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 4060 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 16SM records N/A for all three APIs.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The RTX 4060 Max-Q uses 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores. The N1 16SM uses 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4060 Max-Q has double the ROPs, while the N1 16SM has 33% more TMUs.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The RTX 4060 Max-Q pairs 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128 bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 16SM pairs 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256 bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Clock profiles differ in both base and boost. The RTX 4060 Max-Q runs at 1140 MHz base and 1470 MHz boost. The N1 16SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. Memory clocks also vary: 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for the RTX 4060 Max-Q versus 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1 16SM.

The bus interface separates them. The RTX 4060 Max-Q uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the RTX 4060 Max-Q lists "Portable Device Dependent," while the N1 16SM lists a single HDMI output.

Power characteristics are partially specified. The RTX 4060 Max-Q has a TDP of 35 W, while the N1 16SM lists TDP as unknown. Both use integrated form factors (IGP) with no power connectors.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4060 Max-Q is built on the AD107 chip using Ada Lovelace architecture, part of the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the die sizes diverge: 159 mm² for the RTX 4060 Max-Q versus 382 mm² for the N1 16SM.

Transistor counts differ significantly. The RTX 4060 Max-Q contains 18,900 million transistors, yielding a density of 118.9M per mm². The N1 16SM records transistor count as unknown, with no density figure available. The larger die for the N1 16SM, despite fewer shading units, indicates a different design priority, likely tied to its 128 GB memory integration.

Release timing separates the generations. The RTX 4060 Max-Q launched on 2023-01-02, while the N1 16SM is dated 2026-05-31, a gap of over three years. The RTX 4060 Max-Q lists a predecessor in GeForce 30 Mobile and a successor in GeForce 50 Mobile, while the N1 16SM lists neither.

The API exposure differs fundamentally. The RTX 4060 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists N/A across all three, suggesting it may not expose traditional graphics APIs in the same manner, possibly operating through a different interface given its IGP classification.

Both GPUs use the same foundry and process node, so architectural differences are not attributable to manufacturing scale. The RTX 4060 Max-Q's Ada Lovelace design targets mobile discrete graphics with a 35 W TDP, while the N1 16SM's Blackwell 2.0 design appears oriented toward an integrated package with a much larger memory footprint and a 256 bit bus.

The Verdict

The recorded data splits the choice cleanly by workload type. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Max-Q is the stronger option for conventional graphics rendering, API-compatible gaming, and ray-traced workloads. Its 3072 shading units, 48 ROPs, and 24 RT cores provide a 25.3% pixel rate advantage (70.56 versus 56.30 GPixel/s) and a 50% advantage in RT and tensor core counts. The full API support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 makes it the only one of the two with defined compatibility for standard graphics pipelines.

The NVIDIA N1 16SM is the clear choice for texture-heavy compute and large-memory data processing. Its 300.3 GTexel/s texture rate, 112.8% above the RTX 4060 Max-Q, is the largest performance delta in the comparison. The 128 GB memory capacity is an order-of-magnitude advantage that no benchmark score could offset for datasets exceeding 8 GB. Its 9.609 TFLOPS FP32 also edges out the RTX 4060 Max-Q by 6.4%, making it the faster raw compute device.

For users who need a mobile graphics solution with ray tracing, pixel throughput, and API compatibility, the RTX 4060 Max-Q is the only viable option in this pair. For users who need massive memory capacity, texture throughput, or peak FP32 compute, the N1 16SM dominates. The N1 16SM's 2346 MHz boost clock versus 1470 MHz suggests higher peak performance in burst workloads, while the RTX 4060 Max-Q's 1140 MHz base clock ensures a higher floor.

The data does not include direct benchmark scores or measured deltas, so the verdict rests entirely on specification analysis. Both GPUs share the 50th percentile rank and zero average benchmark score, indicating no empirical performance data has been recorded. The decision must follow the specification advantages: pixel and ray tracing for the RTX 4060 Max-Q, texture and memory for the N1 16SM.