NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 16SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between the two GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has nine recorded benchmark scores, covering OpenCL, Vulkan, and multiple DirectX and Passmark tests. The NVIDIA N1 16SM has no recorded benchmark entries in the database, with an empty benchmark array and an average score of 0. This means the RTX 4090 Mobile carries every measurable performance win by default.

For the RTX 4090 Mobile, the strongest individual results are in Geekbench OpenCL at 180831 and Geekbench Vulkan at 170774. The Passmark G3D score of 27212 and the G2D score of 984 further show its range. The compute-focused Passmark GPU Compute score sits at 12347, while the older DirectX tests produce 310 for DirectX 9, 262 for DirectX 11, 173 for DirectX 10, and 107 for DirectX 12. The average benchmark score across these entries is 43667, placing it in the 84th percentile versus all GPUs in the database.

The N1 16SM, by contrast, has no scores to compare. Its percentile is listed at 50, but that figure is not derived from any recorded test. The database shows no wins for either side in a head-to-head comparison, with winsA and winsB both at 0, but that is because no head-to-head benchmark entries exist. The practical interpretation is that the RTX 4090 Mobile is the only one of the two with measurable benchmark presence, and all nine recorded tests favor it.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The RTX 4090 Mobile uses the AD103 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, belonging to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, belonging to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor counts differ sharply. The RTX 4090 Mobile packs 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, giving a density of 121.1M per mm². The N1 16SM has an unknown transistor count but a slightly larger die at 382 mm², with no density figure recorded.

The compute resources diverge substantially. The RTX 4090 Mobile has 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, 112 raster operations units, 76 ray tracing cores, and 304 tensor cores. The N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 ray tracing cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4090 Mobile leads in every category by a wide margin, with roughly 4.75 times the shading units and 4.75 times the tensor cores.

Clock behavior also differs. The RTX 4090 Mobile runs a base clock of 1335 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz. The N1 16SM has a lower base of 741 MHz but a much higher boost of 2346 MHz. Memory clocks show the RTX 4090 Mobile at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, while the N1 16SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Feature support is another separator. The RTX 4090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists no API support, with DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan all marked as N/A. This indicates the RTX 4090 Mobile is a full-featured graphics solution, while the N1 16SM appears oriented toward compute or integrated scenarios rather than traditional graphics workloads.

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 43667 across nine tests. The N1 16SM has an average score of 0, as it has no recorded benchmarks.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 9728 shading units, while the N1 16SM has 2048 shading units. This gives the RTX 4090 Mobile a 4.75x advantage in this metric.

Q: Which GPU has more memory and what type?

A: The N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth figures?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 576.0 GB/s, while the N1 16SM delivers 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 4090 Mobile has more than double the bandwidth.

Q: What is the release date for each product?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile was released on 2023-01-02. The N1 16SM has a release date of 2026-05-31.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 4090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists no API support, with all three marked as N/A.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The chip and architecture are different, as noted above. The process node is the same at 5 nm, but transistor counts and die sizes diverge: 45,900 million transistors on 379 mm² for the RTX 4090 Mobile, versus an unknown count on 382 mm² for the N1 16SM.

Clocks differ in both base and boost. The RTX 4090 Mobile has a base of 1335 MHz and a boost of 1695 MHz. The N1 16SM has a base of 741 MHz and a boost of 2346 MHz. Memory clocks show the RTX 4090 Mobile at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, versus 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective for the N1 16SM.

Memory capacity and type are major separators. The RTX 4090 Mobile uses 16 GB of GDDR6, while the N1 16SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X. Both use a 256-bit bus, but bandwidth differs: 576.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Raw compute rates differ by a factor of roughly 3.4. The RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 32.98 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1). The N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1). Pixel rate is 189.8 GPixel/s for the RTX 4090 Mobile versus 56.30 GPixel/s for the N1 16SM. Texture rate is 515.3 GTexel/s versus 300.3 GTexel/s.

The power profile shows a known value only for the RTX 4090 Mobile at 120 W TDP. The N1 16SM has an unknown TDP. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors. The bus interface differs: PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 4090 Mobile, PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1 16SM.

Display outputs also differ. The RTX 4090 Mobile is marked as portable device dependent, while the N1 16SM has a single HDMI output. The RTX 4090 Mobile has a predecessor in GeForce 30 Mobile and a successor in GeForce 50 Mobile. The N1 16SM has no recorded predecessor or successor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark table is empty, meaning the database contains no direct comparative scores between the RTX 4090 Mobile and the N1 16SM. The winsA and winsB counters are both 0, reflecting this absence.

However, the RTX 4090 Mobile's individual benchmark results provide a clear picture of its capabilities. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 180831. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 170774. These are the two highest recorded scores for the RTX 4090 Mobile. The Passmark G3D score of 27212 is the next highest, followed by the G2D score of 984.

The Passmark compute score of 12347 shows the RTX 4090 Mobile's strength in general-purpose GPU compute. The older DirectX tests show lower figures: 310 for DirectX 9, 262 for DirectX 11, 173 for DirectX 10, and 107 for DirectX 12. These scores span a wide range, but all are recorded.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4090 Mobile in the database give context. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 has an average score of 43301, a delta of 0.8 percent relative to the RTX 4090 Mobile. The GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, a delta of 0.9 percent. The Quadro M6000 24 GB scores 43262, also a delta of 0.9 percent. The RTX A6000 scores 44075, a delta of -0.9 percent. These deltas place the RTX 4090 Mobile in a tight cluster where the largest gap is less than one percent in either direction.

For the N1 16SM, there are no rivals listed and no scores. Its performance profile cannot be assessed from the database. The recorded data only shows that it has no benchmarks and a zero average score.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear split in roles. The RTX 4090 Mobile is a fully measured, high-performance mobile GPU with nine benchmark scores, an average of 43667, and a 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals all sit within one percent of its average score, confirming it as a competitive product in the upper tier of the database.

The N1 16SM, with no benchmarks and a zero average score, cannot be evaluated for graphics or compute performance from the recorded data. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory and 256-bit bus suggest a different purpose, likely large-capacity compute or AI workloads rather than rasterization, but the database does not provide scores to confirm this. Its lack of API support further points away from a conventional graphics role.

For users selecting a GPU for measured graphics performance, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the only one with data to support a decision. Its FP32 and FP16 throughput of 32.98 TFLOPS, memory bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s, and full API support make it a capable choice for applications that rely on those metrics. The N1 16SM, with its higher boost clock of 2346 MHz and larger memory pool, may serve a niche for memory-heavy tasks, but the absence of any benchmark scores means no performance claims can be made from the database.

In practical terms, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the benchmarkable product. The N1 16SM remains an unmeasured entry with specifications that do not align with traditional graphics workloads. The recorded data supports only one conclusion: for anyone needing verified performance numbers, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the clear pick, while the N1 16SM waits for future measurement.