NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark results for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q versus the NVIDIA N1X 40SM. Both entries show an average benchmark score of 0, and neither has any nearest rivals listed. This means direct performance comparisons must be derived from the theoretical peak throughput figures recorded in their specifications.

The RTX 4090 Max-Q delivers 28.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS. That puts the Ada Lovelace part roughly 18% ahead in raw shader math. The gap is smaller than the shading unit count suggests, because the N1X 40SM operates at a much higher boost clock. The RTX 4090 Max-Q boosts to 1455 MHz, while the N1X 40SM boosts to 2346 MHz, a substantial 891 MHz advantage that helps the Blackwell part close the compute gap.

Texture throughput tells a different story. The N1X 40SM records 750.7 GTexel/s, which is 70% higher than the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 442.3 GTexel/s. This comes from the N1X's 320 texture mapping units versus 304 on the RTX 4090 Max-Q, combined with its much higher boost clock. Pixel fill rate favors the RTX 4090 Max-Q, however, at 163.0 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s, a 74% advantage driven by its 112 ROPs compared to just 40 on the N1X 40SM.

Memory bandwidth is another clear split. The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses 16 GB of GDDR6 across a 256-bit bus, achieving 576.0 GB/s. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X across the same 256-bit bus width, but only reaches 273.2 GB/s. The GDDR6 implementation delivers more than double the bandwidth, which matters for large textures and high-resolution rendering. The N1X 40SM's enormous 128 GB capacity is the counterweight, but its memory clock is much lower at 8.5 Gbps effective versus 18 Gbps effective on the RTX 4090 Max-Q.

Both GPUs support FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, meaning neither has a dedicated half-precision boost. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also has more ray tracing cores, 76 versus 40, and more tensor cores, 304 versus 160. These architectural differences suggest the RTX 4090 Max-Q should handle ray-traced workloads and AI inference tasks with more parallel resources, although no direct benchmark confirmation exists in the database.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses the AD103 chip built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. Both use the same process node, but the underlying architectures differ by two generations in design philosophy.

Transistor counts are only recorded for the AD103 chip, which packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.1 million transistors per square millimeter. The N1X 40SM's GB20B die is slightly larger at 382 mm², but its transistor count is listed as unknown, so density cannot be calculated. The die size difference is minimal, only 3 mm², suggesting both chips are comparable in physical area.

The RTX 4090 Max-Q belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation, while the N1X 40SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. The N1X 40SM is classified as an integrated graphics processor, despite its high specifications, which explains its IGP slot width and lack of power connectors. The RTX 4090 Max-Q is also listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors, indicating it is designed for portable devices where the motherboard provides power.

API support differs significantly. The RTX 4090 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists all three APIs as N/A, which means its software interface is not defined in the database. This is a notable omission, as it limits the N1X's compatibility profile to unknown territory. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, giving the Blackwell part twice the data transfer rate to the host system.

The N1X 40SM has a significantly higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1455 MHz, but a lower base clock at 741 MHz versus 930 MHz. This suggests the N1X has a wider clock range, possibly indicating more aggressive power management or thermal headroom. The RTX 4090 Max-Q's 80 W TDP is recorded, while the N1X 40SM's TDP is unknown, making power efficiency comparisons impossible from the available data.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 Max-Q wins in raw FP32 compute, delivering 28.31 TFLOPS versus the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. This makes it the stronger choice for general-purpose GPU compute, physics simulations, and applications that rely heavily on shader throughput. Its pixel fill rate of 163.0 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s also gives it a decisive advantage in rasterization-heavy workloads, particularly at high resolutions where fill rate becomes a bottleneck.

The RTX 4090 Max-Q also wins on memory bandwidth with 576.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. This matters for texture streaming, large data sets, and any workload that repeatedly accesses memory. The 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores on the RTX 4090 Max-Q further reinforce its position for ray-traced rendering and machine learning inference, offering nearly double the ray tracing cores and tensor cores of the N1X 40SM.

The N1X 40SM wins on texture throughput with 750.7 GTexel/s versus 442.3 GTexel/s. This makes it the better option for texel-bound workloads, such as certain procedural texture generation or applications that heavily sample textures. Its 320 TMUs compared to 304 give it a modest unit advantage, but the 70% throughput lead comes primarily from its higher boost clock.

The N1X 40SM also wins on memory capacity with 128 GB versus 16 GB. This is an enormous difference, eight times the capacity, which matters for workloads that need to hold large models or data sets entirely in VRAM. The N1X 40SM's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface also gives it a bandwidth advantage to the host system, which could help with data transfer-heavy workloads. Its higher boost clock of 2346 MHz suggests better per-clock efficiency or more aggressive clock scaling, but without TDP data, the power cost of that clock speed remains unknown.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses the AD103 chip with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, while the N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with unknown transistor count on a 382 mm² die. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 76 RT cores, and 304 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The N1X has fewer of everything except TMUs, where it leads by 16 units.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The RTX 4090 Max-Q runs at 930 MHz base and 1455 MHz boost. The N1X 40SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. The N1X's boost clock is 891 MHz higher, while its base clock is 189 MHz lower. Memory clocks also differ: the RTX 4090 Max-Q uses 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, while the N1X 40SM uses 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 16 GB of GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus and 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both use the same bus width, but the memory type, capacity, and bandwidth all differ.

The RTX 4090 Max-Q records an 80 W TDP, while the N1X 40SM's TDP is unknown. Both use IGP slot width and have no power connectors. The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the RTX 4090 Max-Q is listed as portable device dependent, while the N1X 40SM has 1x HDMI. API support differs completely, with the RTX 4090 Max-Q supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three.

Release dates differ by over three years. The RTX 4090 Max-Q was released on January 2, 2023, while the N1X 40SM has a release date of May 31, 2026. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has a predecessor in the GeForce 30 Mobile series and a successor in the GeForce 50 Mobile series, while the N1X 40SM has neither. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also has a listed pixel rate of 163.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 442.3 GTexel/s, while the N1X 40SM has 93.84 GPixel/s and 750.7 GTexel/s respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q delivers 28.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is 18% higher than the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. Both also deliver FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32.

Q: How do their memory systems compare?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses 16 GB of GDDR6 with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the RTX 4090 Max-Q has more than double the bandwidth, while the N1X has eight times the capacity.

Q: What is the clock speed difference?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q runs at 930 MHz base and 1455 MHz boost. The N1X 40SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. The N1X boosts 891 MHz higher but has a 189 MHz lower base clock.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing and tensor cores?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM has 40 ray tracing cores and 160 tensor cores. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has nearly double both.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: No. The RTX 4090 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists all three APIs as N/A in the database.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: Both are listed as Active in production status. The RTX 4090 Max-Q was released on January 2, 2023, while the N1X 40SM has a release date of May 31, 2026.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to the RTX 4090 Max-Q as the stronger choice for compute-heavy and rasterization-heavy workloads. Its 28.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance, 163.0 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth give it clear advantages in shader math, fill-rate-bound rendering, and bandwidth-sensitive tasks. The 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores further support ray-traced rendering and AI inference workloads. Its 80 W TDP is the only power figure recorded, providing a reference point for efficiency that the N1X 40SM lacks entirely.

The N1X 40SM is the better choice for texture-heavy workloads and memory capacity-bound tasks. Its 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate is 70% higher than the RTX 4090 Max-Q, and its 128 GB memory capacity is eight times larger. The higher boost clock of 2346 MHz indicates the design can scale to substantial frequencies, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides a faster host connection. However, its API support is entirely unlisted, which raises uncertainty about software compatibility.

For a portable device where power draw is constrained, the RTX 4090 Max-Q's recorded 80 W TDP gives builders a concrete reference point. The N1X 40SM has no TDP figure, making its power requirements unknown. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also benefits from a longer track record, with a release date in early 2023 and clear predecessor and successor lineage. The N1X 40SM's release date in mid-2026 and lack of generation context make it a newer, less established part.

The choice depends on workload priorities. If the task requires raw compute, high bandwidth, ray tracing, or tensor operations, the RTX 4090 Max-Q is the safer selection based on the available data. If the task requires large memory capacity or extreme texture throughput, the N1X 40SM offers capabilities the RTX 4090 Max-Q cannot match. Without head-to-head benchmark results in the database, these theoretical peak specifications are the only basis for comparison, and they favor the RTX 4090 Max-Q in more categories overall.