NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the core architectural difference between the RTX 5050 and the N1X 40SM?

A: Both GPUs use NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 5050 uses the GB207 chip with a die size of 149 mm², while the N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with a die size of 382 mm². The RTX 5050 is part of the GeForce 50-series, whereas the N1X 40SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 5050 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5050 runs memory at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective), while the N1X 40SM runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and tensor cores?

A: The N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units and 160 tensor cores, compared to the RTX 5050's 2560 shading units and 80 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM also has 320 texture mapping units and 40 render output units, versus 80 TMUs and 32 ROPs on the RTX 5050.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The RTX 5050 has a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. The N1X 40SM has a much lower base clock of 741 MHz but a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The RTX 5050's higher base clock indicates a more sustained performance profile.

Q: What API support does each GPU offer?

A: The RTX 5050 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists "N/A" for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating it is not designed for conventional graphics API workloads in the same manner.

Q: What is the launch status and release timing?

A: The RTX 5050 was released on 2025-06-30 with a launch MSRP of 249 USD and is marked as Active. The N1X 40SM was released on 2026-05-31 and is also Active, but it has no launch MSRP recorded. The RTX 5050's predecessor is GeForce 40 and its successor is GeForce 60.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a clear split between the two GPUs based on their intended roles. The RTX 5050 is a dedicated discrete graphics card with a full suite of recorded benchmark results. Its average benchmark score is 21035, placing it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs. The N1X 40SM, in contrast, has no recorded benchmark scores and sits at the 50th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 0.

The RTX 5050 wins in every measurable category because the N1X 40SM has no benchmark entries in the database. The RTX 5050 delivers 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s. The N1X 40SM theoretically offers higher raw specs, with 24.02 TFLOPS FP32, 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate, but these are not backed by any recorded benchmark results.

For gaming and graphics workloads, the RTX 5050 is the only option with verified performance data. The N1X 40SM, as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no API support listed, appears designed for compute or embedded scenarios rather than traditional rendering tasks.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and the 5 nm TSMC process node, but their physical implementations diverge significantly. The RTX 5050 uses the GB207 chip with 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 113.4M per mm². The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with an unknown transistor count on a 382 mm² die.

The N1X 40SM's die is substantially larger, which accommodates its higher core counts: 5120 shading units versus 2560, 320 TMUs versus 80, 40 ROPs versus 32, 40 RT cores versus 20, and 160 tensor cores versus 80. The RTX 5050 compensates with significantly higher clock speeds. Its base clock of 2317 MHz is over 3 times the N1X 40SM's 741 MHz, and its boost clock of 2572 MHz exceeds the N1X 40SM's 2346 MHz.

Memory architecture also differs. The RTX 5050 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus but lower 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM's memory runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), far below the RTX 5050's 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective).

The RTX 5050 is a dual-slot card requiring a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, with a 130 W TDP. The N1X 40SM is an IGP with no power connectors and an unknown TDP. The RTX 5050 offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs, while the N1X 40SM has a single HDMI output. The RTX 5050 uses a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface, whereas the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The RTX 5050 has a base clock of 2317 MHz and boost clock of 2572 MHz, while the N1X 40SM has 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. Memory size is 8 GB for the RTX 5050 versus 128 GB for the N1X 40SM, with GDDR6 versus LPDDR5X types. Bus width is 128-bit versus 256-bit, and bandwidth is 320.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Shading units are 2560 versus 5120, TMUs are 80 versus 320, and ROPs are 32 versus 40. RT cores are 20 versus 40, and tensor cores are 80 versus 160. Pixel rate is 82.30 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 205.8 GTexel/s versus 750.7 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 13.17 TFLOPS for the RTX 5050 and 24.02 TFLOPS for the N1X 40SM.

TDP is 130 W for the RTX 5050 and unknown for the N1X 40SM. The RTX 5050 is dual-slot with a 1x 8-pin connector and 300 W suggested PSU, while the N1X 40SM is an IGP with no connectors and no suggested PSU. Bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x8 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1b versus a single HDMI.

The RTX 5050 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three APIs. The RTX 5050 has a launch MSRP of 249 USD; the N1X 40SM has none. Die size is 149 mm² versus 382 mm², and transistor density is 113.4M / mm² versus null for the N1X 40SM.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries between these two GPUs, and the N1X 40SM has an empty benchmark array. The RTX 5050's recorded results provide the only measurable performance data. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2502, Geekbench OpenCL score is 90334, and Geekbench Vulkan score is 89381.

PassMark results for the RTX 5050 include DirectX 10 at 103, DirectX 11 at 150, DirectX 12 at 66, and DirectX 9 at 186. The G2D score is 1113, G3D score is 17326, and GPU compute score is 9184. The average benchmark score is 21035, placing it at the 66th percentile among all GPUs.

Nearest rivals to the RTX 5050 include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL with an average score of 21153, a delta of -0.6%; the AMD Radeon HD 8970M with 21237, a delta of -1%; the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT with 20713, a delta of 1.6%; and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile with 21379, a delta of -1.6%. The RTX 5050's score is within 2% of each of these competitors.

The N1X 40SM has no benchmark scores, no nearest rivals, and a percentile of 50 with an average score of 0. Its theoretical specifications suggest higher FP32 throughput (24.02 TFLOPS versus 13.17 TFLOPS) and texture rate (750.7 GTexel/s versus 205.8 GTexel/s), but without recorded data, these cannot be verified against the RTX 5050's measured results.

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates the RTX 5050 is the only one of the two with verified benchmark performance. Its 66th percentile ranking and average score of 21035 place it in the mid-range of all GPUs, competitive with the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT which sits 1.6% higher in average score. The RTX 5050's 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, and full API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4) make it suitable for gaming and general graphics workloads.

The N1X 40SM, with no benchmark results and API support listed as N/A, does not offer any measured performance advantage. Its specifications indicate a large die (382 mm²), high core counts (5120 shading units), and massive memory capacity (128 GB LPDDR5X), but these are not substantiated by any recorded benchmarks. The lower base clock of 741 MHz and reduced bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s suggest a design optimized for different priorities, likely compute or embedded applications rather than interactive graphics.

For users seeking a discrete graphics solution with verified performance, the RTX 5050 is the clear choice based on the database. Its launch MSRP of 249 USD, dual-slot design, and 130 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU position it as a conventional graphics card. The N1X 40SM, as an IGP with no power connectors and a single HDMI output, appears intended for a different form factor and use case entirely.

The data supports selecting the RTX 5050 for any scenario requiring validated graphics performance, benchmark compatibility, or standard display outputs. The N1X 40SM's specifications suggest a specialized compute-oriented part, but the absence of measured results means no performance conclusions can be drawn from the database.