NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents two fundamentally different NVIDIA products that target entirely different use cases. The GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q is a mobile gaming and creative workstation part built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, while the NVIDIA N1 16SM is a Blackwell 2.0 IGP designed for integrated systems with massive memory capacity.

Based strictly on the recorded specifications, the RTX 4080 Max-Q is the clear choice for raw graphics compute. It delivers 20.04 TFLOPS FP32 performance versus 9.609 TFLOPS for the N1 16SM, a 108.5% advantage. The RTX 4080 Max-Q also has 7424 shading units compared to 2048, 58 ray tracing cores versus 16, and 232 tensor cores versus 64. For gaming, content creation, or any GPU-accelerated workload, the RTX 4080 Max-Q dominates.

The N1 16SM, however, wins decisively in memory capacity. It offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory versus 12 GB of GDDR6 on the RTX 4080 Max-Q. This makes the N1 16SM suitable for workloads that require enormous memory pools, such as large language model inference or data processing, where the RTX 4080 Max-Q would run out of memory entirely. The N1 16SM also uses PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16 on the RTX 4080 Max-Q, doubling the bus bandwidth available for data transfer.

The N1 16SM has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1350 MHz on the RTX 4080 Max-Q, but this does not compensate for the massive difference in core count. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a higher base clock as well at 795 MHz versus 741 MHz.

Neither part has public benchmark scores in the database, and both sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 4080 Max-Q is the practical choice for anyone needing a discrete GPU in a portable system that can handle modern games and demanding graphics workloads. The N1 16SM is a specialized part for systems where memory capacity trumps raw rendering speed.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4080 Max-Q uses the AD104 chip built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. It packs 35,800 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, also manufactured by TSMC on 5 nm, but with a larger 382 mm² die. Transistor count for the N1 16SM is listed as unknown in the database, and no density figure is recorded.

The RTX 4080 Max-Q belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, lists all APIs as N/A, indicating it is not designed for traditional graphics rendering through standard APIs.

Memory architecture differs completely. The RTX 4080 Max-Q uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth and 18 Gbps effective speed. The N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth and 8.5 Gbps effective speed. The N1 16SM has a wider bus but slower memory, resulting in lower overall bandwidth despite having more than ten times the capacity.

The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a TDP of 60 W, while the N1 16SM's TDP is unknown. Both are IGP form factors with no power connectors and no dedicated slot width beyond the IGP designation. The RTX 4080 Max-Q uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are portable device dependent on the RTX 4080 Max-Q, while the N1 16SM has a single HDMI output.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark results between these two parts, and neither has an average benchmark score. The comparison must therefore rely entirely on the specification-level data.

The most significant difference is in raw compute throughput. The RTX 4080 Max-Q delivers 20.04 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio), while the N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS in both formats. The RTX 4080 Max-Q is 108.5% faster in peak floating-point performance. This means any workload that scales with FLOPs will run at roughly double the speed on the RTX 4080 Max-Q.

Texture processing favors the RTX 4080 Max-Q as well. It achieves 313.2 GTexel/s versus 300.3 GTexel/s on the N1 16SM, a 4.3% advantage. Pixel throughput shows a larger gap: 108.0 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, giving the RTX 4080 Max-Q a 91.8% lead. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 232 texture mapping units and 80 ROPs, compared to 128 TMUs and 24 ROPs on the N1 16SM.

Memory bandwidth heavily favors the RTX 4080 Max-Q, with 432.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s, a 58.1% advantage. This matters for texture-heavy workloads and high-resolution rendering. However, the N1 16SM's 128 GB capacity allows it to hold datasets that simply cannot fit in the RTX 4080 Max-Q's 12 GB frame buffer.

The N1 16SM's higher boost clock of 2346 MHz versus 1350 MHz shows the architectural efficiency of Blackwell 2.0, but the core count disparity overwhelms this clock advantage. The N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 ray tracing cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, 80 ROPs, 58 ray tracing cores, and 232 tensor cores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q delivers 20.04 TFLOPS FP32 versus 9.609 TFLOPS on the N1 16SM, making it 108.5% faster in peak floating-point throughput.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 12 GB of GDDR6, while the N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X. The N1 16SM offers more than ten times the memory capacity.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is 58.1% higher than the N1 16SM's 273.2 GB/s. The N1 16SM uses a 256-bit bus but slower 8.5 Gbps memory, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q uses a 192-bit bus with faster 18 Gbps memory.

Q: What architecture does each GPU use?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip. The N1 16SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB20B chip. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process.

Q: Are these GPUs comparable for gaming?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it suitable for modern gaming. The N1 16SM lists all APIs as N/A, indicating it is not designed for standard graphics rendering workloads.

Q: What is the power consumption of each GPU?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a TDP of 60 W. The N1 16SM's TDP is listed as unknown in the database, so no direct power comparison is possible.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 Max-Q wins in every measured graphics performance category. It has 3.6 times the shading units, 1.8 times the TMUs, 3.3 times the ROPs, 3.6 times the ray tracing cores, and 3.6 times the tensor cores compared to the N1 16SM. Its FP32 throughput is more than double, pixel rate is nearly double, and memory bandwidth is 58.1% higher. For gaming, rendering, video encoding, or any graphics-intensive task, the RTX 4080 Max-Q is the superior part.

The N1 16SM wins in memory capacity with 128 GB versus 12 GB. This makes it suitable for workloads that require loading massive datasets into GPU memory, such as large neural network inference or scientific computing applications where the RTX 4080 Max-Q would be constrained by its 12 GB limit. The N1 16SM also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, which doubles the bus bandwidth available for host-to-device transfers compared to the RTX 4080 Max-Q's PCIe 4.0 x16.

The N1 16SM has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz, but this only helps within its smaller core configuration. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a higher base clock at 795 MHz versus 741 MHz, suggesting it maintains more consistent performance at lower load states.

For ray tracing performance, the RTX 4080 Max-Q has 58 dedicated RT cores versus 16 on the N1 16SM. Similarly, for AI workloads using tensor cores, the RTX 4080 Max-Q has 232 versus 64, giving it 3.6 times the matrix compute capability.

The N1 16SM has a larger die at 382 mm² versus 294 mm² on the RTX 4080 Max-Q, despite having fewer active cores. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a higher transistor density at 121.8M per mm², while the N1 16SM's density is unknown.

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 4080 Max-Q | N1 16SM |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | AD104 | GB20B |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 35,800 million | unknown |

| Base Clock | 795 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1350 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus | 192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 432.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Memory Speed | 18 Gbps effective | 8.5 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 7424 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 232 | 128 |

| ROPs | 80 | 24 |

| RT Cores | 58 | 16 |

| Tensor Cores | 232 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 108.0 GPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 313.2 GTexel/s | 300.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 20.04 TFLOPS | 9.609 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 20.04 TFLOPS (1:1) | 9.609 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 60 W | unknown |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | N/A |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | N/A |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | N/A |

| Generation | GeForce 40 Mobile | Blackwell IGP (N1x) |

| Release Date | 2023-01-02 | 2026-05-31 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 30 Mobile | none |

| Successor | GeForce 50 Mobile | none |