NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct benchmark scores for either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q or the NVIDIA N1X 48SM. Both entries show an average benchmark score of zero and no head-to-head benchmark results. The percentile versus all GPUs is identical at 50 for both parts, which places them at the midpoint of the database distribution, though this is a neutral placement rather than a performance verdict.

Because no measured frame rates, compute scores, or synthetic test results are available, the comparison must rely on the architectural specifications and derived throughput figures recorded in the database. The raw FP32 compute figures are very close: the RTX 4090 Max-Q delivers 28.31 TFLOPS, while the N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS. That is a margin of roughly 1.8% in favor of the N1X 48SM in pure shader math, a difference that is effectively negligible in real-world workloads. The FP16 figures mirror this exactly, with both parts running FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, so neither gains an advantage in half-precision compute.

The texture rate tells a different story. The N1X 48SM reaches 900.9 GTexel/s, which is more than double the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 442.3 GTexel/s. This is a substantial gap driven by the N1X 48SM having 384 texture mapping units versus 304 on the RTX 4090 Max-Q, combined with a much higher boost clock. Conversely, the RTX 4090 Max-Q wins decisively in pixel throughput: 163.0 GPixel/s against 112.6 GPixel/s for the N1X 48SM. That advantage comes from the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 112 render output units, more than twice the N1X 48SM's 48 ROPs, even though the N1X 48SM runs at a higher clock speed.

Memory bandwidth also splits the two. The RTX 4090 Max-Q offers 576.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus using GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective. The N1X 48SM uses LPDDR5X at 8.5 Gbps effective on the same 256-bit bus, yielding only 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 4090 Max-Q therefore has roughly 2.1 times the memory bandwidth, which matters for texture-heavy scenes, large framebuffers, and data-intensive workloads. In summary, the N1X 48SM leads in texture throughput and raw FP32, while the RTX 4090 Max-Q leads decisively in pixel fill and memory bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations and architectures. The RTX 4090 Max-Q is built on Ada Lovelace, using the AD103 chip, and belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. The N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture and is classified under Blackwell IGP (N1x). Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, so the manufacturing node is identical.

Die size is close: the RTX 4090 Max-Q measures 379 mm², while the N1X 48SM is 382 mm². The transistor count differs sharply, however. The RTX 4090 Max-Q packs 45,900 million transistors, giving a density of 121.1 million per mm². The N1X 48SM lists an unknown transistor count and no density figure, so the comparison stops there.

The shader configurations diverge significantly. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The N1X 48SM has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, and only 48 ROPs. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also leads in ray tracing cores with 76 versus 48, and in tensor cores with 304 versus 192. The N1X 48SM compensates with a much higher boost clock: 2346 MHz versus 1455 MHz on the RTX 4090 Max-Q. Base clocks are 741 MHz for the N1X 48SM and 930 MHz for the RTX 4090 Max-Q.

Memory configurations are fundamentally different. The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses 16 GB of GDDR6, while the N1X 48SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X. Both run on a 256-bit bus, but the effective memory speeds differ: 18 Gbps for the RTX 4090 Max-Q versus 8.5 Gbps for the N1X 48SM. The RTX 4090 Max-Q supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1X 48SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16.

API support is another clear divider. The RTX 4090 Max-Q lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 48SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, which suggests its driver stack or intended usage does not expose these conventional graphics APIs. Display outputs also differ: the RTX 4090 Max-Q is marked as portable device dependent, while the N1X 48SM has a single HDMI output.

Power specifications are incomplete for both. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has a TDP of 80 W and no power connectors, consistent with an integrated graphics processor (IGP) form factor. The N1X 48SM has an unknown TDP, also no power connectors, and is likewise an IGP. The RTX 4090 Max-Q launched in January 2023, while the N1X 48SM carries a release date of May 2026.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw FP32 compute performance?

A: The N1X 48SM is slightly ahead, delivering 28.83 TFLOPS versus 28.31 TFLOPS for the RTX 4090 Max-Q. The difference is about 1.8%, so it is unlikely to be noticeable in most workloads.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q uses 16 GB of GDDR6 with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 48SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has over twice the bandwidth, while the N1X 48SM has eight times the capacity.

Q: Which GPU has more texture mapping units?

A: The N1X 48SM has 384 TMUs, compared to 304 on the RTX 4090 Max-Q. Combined with its higher boost clock, this gives the N1X 48SM a texture rate of 900.9 GTexel/s, roughly double the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 442.3 GTexel/s.

Q: What about ray tracing and tensor core counts?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The N1X 48SM has 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. The RTX 4090 Max-Q leads in both.

Q: Are both GPUs the same physical size?

A: Die sizes are very close. The RTX 4090 Max-Q measures 379 mm², and the N1X 48SM measures 382 mm². Both are fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process.

Q: Does the N1X 48SM support DirectX or Vulkan?

A: The database lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan on the N1X 48SM. The RTX 4090 Max-Q supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

The data shows two GPUs with opposite strengths. The RTX 4090 Max-Q is the conventional graphics part: it has full API support, more RT and tensor cores, higher pixel fill rate, and more than double the memory bandwidth. The N1X 48SM is a compute-oriented IGP with a massive 128 GB memory pool, higher texture throughput, and a modest lead in FP32. For gaming and standard graphics workloads, the RTX 4090 Max-Q is clearly the better choice given its API coverage, higher ROP count, and memory bandwidth. For applications that need large memory capacity or extreme texture fetch rates, the N1X 48SM has the edge. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also runs at 80 W, which is a known power figure, while the N1X 48SM's TDP is unknown. Neither part has benchmark scores in the database, so these conclusions rest on architectural specifications alone.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q | NVIDIA N1X 48SM |

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

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Chip | AD103 | GB20B |

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

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | unknown |

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Base Clock | 930 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1455 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 576.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 9728 | 6144 |

| TMUs | 304 | 384 |

| ROPs | 112 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 76 | 48 |

| Tensor Cores | 304 | 192 |

| Pixel Rate | 163.0 GPixel/s | 112.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 442.3 GTexel/s | 900.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 28.31 TFLOPS | 28.83 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 28.31 TFLOPS (1:1) | 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 80 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 |

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

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 Max-Q wins in pixel processing, memory bandwidth, ray tracing, tensor compute, and API compatibility. Its 163.0 GPixel/s pixel rate is 45% higher than the N1X 48SM's 112.6 GPixel/s, which matters for high-resolution rendering and heavy fragment shader work. Its 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is more than double the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s, giving it a clear advantage in bandwidth-bound scenarios like large textures, high resolutions, and data streaming. The 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores versus 48 and 192 respectively mean the RTX 4090 Max-Q is better equipped for ray-traced effects and AI-accelerated features. Full DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support make it the only one of the two that can run standard PC graphics workloads without driver or API limitations.

The N1X 48SM wins in texture throughput, raw FP32 compute, and memory capacity. Its 900.9 GTexel/s texture rate is more than double the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 442.3 GTexel/s, which benefits workloads that fetch and filter textures heavily, such as certain compute shaders or scientific visualization. Its 28.83 TFLOPS FP32 is marginally above the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 28.31 TFLOPS, so for pure math throughput it is the faster part. The 128 GB memory capacity is eight times the RTX 4090 Max-Q's 16 GB, which is a decisive advantage for workloads that need to hold very large datasets on the GPU, such as machine learning inference with huge models or in-memory databases. The N1X 48SM also uses PCIe 5.0 x16, offering a newer host interface than the RTX 4090 Max-Q's PCIe 4.0 x16.

The choice between them depends on the workload. For gaming, rendering, and general graphics, the RTX 4090 Max-Q is the only viable option given its API support and higher pixel throughput. For compute-heavy tasks that need massive memory or extreme texture rates, the N1X 48SM is the stronger candidate, provided the software can operate without DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support.