NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data places both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q and the NVIDIA N1 16SM at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Neither part has individual benchmark scores or head-to-head results, so the verdict rests on architectural and specification differences rather than measured performance. The RTX 4070 Max-Q is the choice for software that relies on DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, as the N1 16SM reports no API support for any of those. The N1 16SM is the choice for memory-heavy workloads, offering 128 GB of LPDDR5X against the 8 GB GDDR6 of the RTX 4070 Max-Q, along with a wider 256-bit memory bus and higher peak bandwidth. The RTX 4070 Max-Q counters with more shading units, more RT cores, more tensor cores, and higher FP32 and FP16 throughput. The data indicates a split: the RTX 4070 Max-Q for graphics API compatibility and raw shader compute, the N1 16SM for capacity and bandwidth-bound tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from distinct NVIDIA architectures and process nodes. The RTX 4070 Max-Q uses the AD106 chip built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. Both are integrated graphics packages with an IGP slot width and no power connectors.

Transistor counts differ sharply. The AD106 packs 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The GB20B has an unknown transistor count but a substantially larger die at 382 mm². The N1 16SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, while the RTX 4070 Max-Q belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation.

Memory architecture separates the two clearly. The RTX 4070 Max-Q uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s. The N1 16SM delivers 16 times the memory capacity and a modest bandwidth advantage of 17.2 GB/s.

Compute resources differ in configuration. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, 48 ROPs, 36 RT cores, and 144 tensor cores. The N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4070 Max-Q leads in every count: 2560 more shading units, 16 more TMUs, 24 more ROPs, 20 more RT cores, and 80 more tensor cores.

Clock behavior differs. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a base clock of 735 MHz and a boost clock of 1230 MHz. The N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The N1 16SM boosts to 1116 MHz higher, which partially offsets its smaller core count.

The bus interface differs: the RTX 4070 Max-Q uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the RTX 4070 Max-Q lists "Portable Device Dependent," while the N1 16SM lists a single HDMI output.

The release dates are far apart. The RTX 4070 Max-Q shipped on 2023-01-02, while the N1 16SM is dated 2026-05-31. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a predecessor in GeForce 30 Mobile and a successor in GeForce 50 Mobile; the N1 16SM lists no predecessor or successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q delivers 11.34 TFLOPS FP32, while the N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS FP32. The RTX 4070 Max-Q is ahead by 1.731 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory does each GPU offer?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 8 GB of GDDR6, while the N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X. The N1 16SM offers 120 GB more capacity.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, and the N1 16SM has 273.2 GB/s. The N1 16SM leads by 17.2 GB/s.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 4070 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.

Q: Which GPU has more RT cores and tensor cores?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores. The N1 16SM has 16 RT cores and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 20 more RT cores and 80 more tensor cores.

Q: What are the boost clocks of each GPU?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q boosts to 1230 MHz, and the N1 16SM boosts to 2346 MHz. The N1 16SM boosts 1116 MHz higher.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in the following recorded fields:

• Chip: AD106 (RTX 4070 Max-Q) vs GB20B (N1 16SM)
• Architecture: Ada Lovelace vs Blackwell 2.0
• Generation: GeForce 40 Mobile vs Blackwell IGP (N1x)
• Die Size: 188 mm² vs 382 mm²
• Transistors: 22,900 million vs unknown
• Transistor Density: 121.8M / mm² vs null
• Base Clock: 735 MHz vs 741 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1230 MHz vs 2346 MHz
• Memory Clock: 2000 MHz, 16 Gbps effective vs 1067 MHz, 8.5 Gbps effective
• Memory Size: 8 GB vs 128 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR6 vs LPDDR5X
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit vs 256 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 256.0 GB/s vs 273.2 GB/s
• Shading Units: 4608 vs 2048
• TMUs: 144 vs 128
• ROPs: 48 vs 24
• RT Cores: 36 vs 16
• Tensor Cores: 144 vs 64
• Pixel Rate: 59.04 GPixel/s vs 56.30 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 177.1 GTexel/s vs 300.3 GTexel/s
• FP32: 11.34 TFLOPS vs 9.609 TFLOPS
• FP16: 11.34 TFLOPS (1:1) vs 9.609 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 35 W vs unknown
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 vs PCIe 5.0 x16
• Display Outputs: Portable Device Dependent vs 1x HDMI
• APIs: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4 vs N/A for all three
• Release Date: 2023-01-02 vs 2026-05-31
• Predecessor: GeForce 30 Mobile vs null
• Successor: GeForce 50 Mobile vs null

Both share the 5 nm process node, TSMC as foundry, IGP slot width, no power connectors, no suggested PSU, and active production status. Both have no launch MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark results for these two GPUs, and neither has individual benchmark scores or nearest rivals. The comparison therefore relies on the specification-derived rates and capacities.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q wins in pixel throughput. Its pixel rate of 59.04 GPixel/s exceeds the N1 16SM's 56.30 GPixel/s by 2.74 GPixel/s. This advantage comes despite the N1 16SM's higher boost clock, indicating the RTX 4070 Max-Q's larger ROP count of 48 against 24 carries the result.

The N1 16SM wins in texture throughput. Its texture rate of 300.3 GTexel/s is substantially higher than the RTX 4070 Max-Q's 177.1 GTexel/s, a lead of 123.2 GTexel/s. The N1 16SM achieves this with 128 TMUs versus 144 TMUs, relying on its 2346 MHz boost clock to overcome the smaller count.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q wins in FP32 and FP16 compute. It delivers 11.34 TFLOPS in both precision modes, while the N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS in both. The margin is 1.731 TFLOPS, approximately 18% higher. Both parts run FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, so there is no half-precision acceleration advantage for either.

The N1 16SM wins in memory bandwidth. At 273.2 GB/s, it outperforms the RTX 4070 Max-Q's 256.0 GB/s by 17.2 GB/s. The N1 16SM also has a 256-bit bus versus 128-bit, and its lower memory clock of 1067 MHz is offset by the wider interface.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q wins in API support. It lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists N/A for all three, meaning the recorded data shows no compatibility for those APIs.

The N1 16SM wins in memory capacity by a wide margin. At 128 GB versus 8 GB, it offers 16 times the memory. This is the largest single-specification gap in the comparison.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 Max-Q is the stronger choice for shader-bound compute workloads. Its 4608 shading units and 144 tensor cores give it 11.34 TFLOPS FP32, which is 1.731 TFLOPS above the N1 16SM. Applications that exercise pixel throughput also favor it, as the 48 ROPs produce 59.04 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q is the only option with recorded graphics API support. DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 are all listed for this GPU, while the N1 16SM shows N/A for all three. Any workload requiring those APIs must use the RTX 4070 Max-Q.

The N1 16SM is the stronger choice for memory-capacity-bound workloads. The 128 GB LPDDR5X pool dwarfs the 8 GB GDDR6 of the RTX 4070 Max-Q. For datasets that exceed 8 GB, the N1 16SM is the only part that can hold them in local memory.

The N1 16SM also wins in memory bandwidth and texture throughput. Its 273.2 GB/s bandwidth exceeds 256.0 GB/s, and its 300.3 GTexel/s texture rate is 123.2 GTexel/s higher. These advantages come from the 256-bit bus and the 2346 MHz boost clock.

The N1 16SM has the higher boost clock by 1116 MHz, which drives its texture rate despite fewer TMUs. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has the higher pixel rate despite a lower boost clock, due to double the ROP count.

The bus interface favors the N1 16SM with PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8, which matters for host-side data movement. The N1 16SM also lists a dedicated HDMI output, while the RTX 4070 Max-Q's display outputs are portable-device-dependent.

The TDP field shows 35 W for the RTX 4070 Max-Q, while the N1 16SM's TDP is unknown. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a stated power envelope; the N1 16SM does not.

The release timeline places the RTX 4070 Max-Q in early 2023 and the N1 16SM in mid-2026, a gap of over three years. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has both a predecessor and successor in the database, while the N1 16SM has neither.

The final split is clear. The RTX 4070 Max-Q wins on compute throughput, pixel rate, tensor cores, RT cores, and API coverage. The N1 16SM wins on memory capacity, memory bandwidth, texture rate, boost clock, and bus interface width.