NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 4090 Mobile has a complete set of recorded benchmark scores, while the N1 20SM has no recorded benchmark data in the database. This makes a direct numerical comparison impossible for most tests. The RTX 4090 Mobile delivers an average benchmark score of 43,667, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs tracked. The N1 20SM sits at the 50th percentile with an average score of zero, indicating that no performance measurements have been logged for it yet.

For the RTX 4090 Mobile, the strongest recorded result is in Passmark G3D, where it scores 27,212. Its Passmark GPU Compute score of 12,347 shows solid general-purpose compute capability. In Geekbench OpenCL, it reaches 180,831, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 170,774. The older DirectX API tests show lower numbers: Passmark DirectX 9 at 310, DirectX 11 at 262, and DirectX 10 at 173, with DirectX 12 at 107. The Passmark G2D score of 984 indicates basic 2D performance.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4090 Mobile provide context for its standing. It sits 0.8% above the NVIDIA Quadro M6000, which averages 43,301, and 0.9% above both the GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43,268) and the Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262). It trails the RTX A6000 by 0.9%, which averages 44,075. These narrow margins show the RTX 4090 Mobile performs in a tight cluster with these workstation and mobile parts.

Since the N1 20SM has no benchmark entries, the head-to-head wins column shows zero for both sides. The database simply has no measured performance data for the N1 20SM to compare. Any performance discussion for that part must rely on its architecture and specifications alone.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 4090 Mobile uses the AD103 chip based on Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.1 million per mm². The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, also on a 5 nm TSMC process, with a slightly larger die at 382 mm². Its transistor count is listed as unknown, and no density figure is recorded.

The RTX 4090 Mobile belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation, while the N1 20SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. The RTX 4090 Mobile has a release date of January 2023, making it a current-generation mobile part. The N1 20SM has a release date of May 2026, positioning it as a future product. The RTX 4090 Mobile lists its predecessor as GeForce 30 Mobile and successor as GeForce 50 Mobile; the N1 20SM has no predecessor or successor recorded.

Clock behavior differs significantly. The RTX 4090 Mobile runs at a base clock of 1335 MHz and boosts to 1695 MHz. The N1 20SM has a much lower base clock of 741 MHz but a far higher boost clock of 2346 MHz. This suggests the N1 20SM relies on aggressive boosting under load.

The memory subsystems diverge sharply. The RTX 4090 Mobile uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with memory running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM has eight times the capacity but less than half the bandwidth.

The execution resources differ by a wide margin. The RTX 4090 Mobile has 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 76 RT cores, and 304 tensor cores. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores. The RTX 4090 Mobile has nearly four times the shading units, roughly double the TMUs, and over four times the ROPs.

Output rates reflect these differences. The RTX 4090 Mobile achieves 189.8 GPixel/s pixel rate and 515.3 GTexel/s texture rate. The N1 20SM reaches 56.30 GPixel/s and 375.4 GTexel/s. Compute throughput shows 32.98 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 for the RTX 4090 Mobile versus 12.01 TFLOPS for both on the N1 20SM.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 Mobile wins on raw compute throughput, texture fill, pixel fill, and memory bandwidth. Its 32.98 TFLOPS FP32 is 2.7 times the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. The 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth more than doubles the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 4090 Mobile also has a larger API feature set, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists all APIs as N/A, meaning no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support is recorded.

The N1 20SM wins on memory capacity with 128 GB versus 16 GB. It also has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1695 MHz, and a newer bus interface at PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. The N1 20SM has a later release date, which may indicate newer architectural features from Blackwell 2.0.

For gaming and traditional GPU workloads, the RTX 4090 Mobile's combination of higher shader count, more RT cores, more tensor cores, and higher bandwidth makes it the clear choice based on the recorded data. For workloads that need massive memory capacity, such as large model inference or data processing, the N1 20SM's 128 GB pool could be decisive, despite lower bandwidth.

Specification Differences

| Field | RTX 4090 Mobile | N1 20SM |

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

| Chip | AD103 | GB20B |

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | Blackwell 2.0 |

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

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | unknown |

| Base Clock | 1335 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps) | 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps) |

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

| Shading Units | 9728 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 304 | 160 |

| ROPs | 112 | 24 |

| RT Cores | 76 | 20 |

| Tensor Cores | 304 | 80 |

| Pixel Rate | 189.8 GPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 515.3 GTexel/s | 375.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 32.98 TFLOPS | 12.01 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 32.98 TFLOPS | 12.01 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 120 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 |

The power connector field is identical (None) for both, and both use an IGP slot width. The N1 20SM has a smaller ROP count relative to its shading units, which contributes to its lower pixel rate.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 32.98 TFLOPS FP32, which is 2.7 times the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6, while the N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 576.0 GB/s, more than double the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists all three APIs as N/A.

Q: What are the release dates?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile was released on 2023-01-02, and the N1 20SM is dated 2026-05-31.

Q: Which GPU has more RT cores?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 76 RT cores, compared to 20 on the N1 20SM.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows the RTX 4090 Mobile as a fully benchmarked, high-performance mobile GPU with an 84th percentile standing and an average score of 43,667. Its nearest rivals are within 1% of its average score, confirming it sits at the top of its performance tier. The N1 20SM has no benchmark scores, no API support recorded, and a 50th percentile standing by default.

For any workload requiring DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the only option between the two, since the N1 20SM records N/A for all three. For compute-heavy tasks where FP32 throughput matters, the RTX 4090 Mobile offers 32.98 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS. For memory bandwidth, the RTX 4090 Mobile's 576.0 GB/s is decisively higher.

The N1 20SM's advantages are memory capacity and a newer bus interface. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X could serve workloads that require holding very large datasets on the GPU, and PCIe 5.0 x16 provides double the link bandwidth of the RTX 4090 Mobile's PCIe 4.0 x16. Its higher boost clock of 2346 MHz may help in short bursts, but the base clock of 741 MHz is far below the RTX 4090 Mobile's 1335 MHz.

Based on the database entries, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the proven performer with extensive benchmark coverage. The N1 20SM remains an unmeasured part with promising memory capacity but no verified performance data. Buyers who need a GPU with confirmed gaming and compute results should select the RTX 4090 Mobile. Those who require 128 GB of memory and can wait for benchmark data should consider the N1 20SM. The data does not support any performance claims for the N1 20SM at this time.