NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050?

A: The RTX 5050 is a discrete desktop GPU from the GeForce 50-series, built on the GB207 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It uses a 5 nm process at TSMC, contains 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die, and was released on 2025-06-30 with a launch MSRP of 249 USD.

Q: What is the NVIDIA N1X 48SM?

A: The N1X 48SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) from the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, built on the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It uses a 5 nm process at TSMC, has a 382 mm² die size, and was released on 2026-05-31.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The N1X 48SM has 6144 shading units, while the RTX 5050 has 2560. The N1X 48SM also has higher texture rate (900.9 GTexel/s vs 205.8 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (112.6 GPixel/s vs 82.30 GPixel/s).

Q: How does memory capacity compare?

A: The N1X 48SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5050 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5050 has higher memory bandwidth despite the smaller capacity.

Q: What are the API support differences?

A: The RTX 5050 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 48SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating no published API support in the database.

Q: What is the FP32 compute performance?

A: The N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS FP32, more than double the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS. Both have a 1:1 FP16 ratio, meaning FP16 performance matches FP32.

Architecture Differences

The RTX 5050 and N1X 48SM share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but their implementation differs substantially. The RTX 5050 uses the GB207 chip with 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 113.4M per mm². The N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip with an unknown transistor count on a larger 382 mm² die.

The N1X 48SM is an integrated part with a slot width of IGP and no power connectors, whereas the RTX 5050 is a dual-slot discrete card requiring a single 8-pin connector and a suggested 300 W PSU. The N1X 48SM connects via PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 5050 uses PCIe 5.0 x8.

Compute resource allocation diverges sharply. The N1X 48SM packs 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. The RTX 5050 has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores. The N1X 48SM's shading unit count is roughly 2.4 times higher, and its tensor core count is also 2.4 times higher.

Memory architecture also differs. The RTX 5050 uses 8 GB GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth, with memory clocked at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The N1X 48SM uses 128 GB LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). The N1X 48SM's memory capacity is 16 times larger, but its bandwidth is about 15% lower.

Clock behavior is distinct. The RTX 5050 has a base clock of 2317 MHz and boost of 2572 MHz. The N1X 48SM has a base clock of 741 MHz but a boost of 2346 MHz, a very wide boost range characteristic of integrated parts.

Display outputs differ: the RTX 5050 provides 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the N1X 48SM offers only 1x HDMI. The RTX 5050 also carries full API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), whereas the N1X 48SM shows N/A for all three.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark table in the database contains no entries, and the win counts for both parts are zero. Direct comparative scores are therefore unavailable. However, the recorded data for each part separately allows a meaningful comparison of their relative strengths.

The N1X 48SM dominates in raw compute throughput. Its FP32 rating of 28.83 TFLOPS is 118.8% higher than the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS. Texture rate follows the same pattern: the N1X 48SM processes 900.9 GTexel/s versus 205.8 GTexel/s for the RTX 5050, a 4.4 times advantage. Pixel rate is also higher for the N1X 48SM at 112.6 GPixel/s versus 82.30 GPixel/s, a 36.8% lead.

The RTX 5050 counters with memory bandwidth. At 320.0 GB/s, it is 17.1% ahead of the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 5050 also has substantially higher effective memory clock, 2500 MHz versus 1067 MHz, and a faster base clock (2317 MHz vs 741 MHz). The boost clocks are closer, with the RTX 5050 at 2572 MHz and the N1X 48SM at 2346 MHz, a 9.6% difference.

The RTX 5050 has recorded benchmark scores across multiple tests. Its average benchmark score is 21035, with a percentile rank of 66 among all GPUs. Specific scores include 2502 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 90334 in Geekbench OpenCL, 89381 in Geekbench Vulkan, 17326 in Passmark G3D, and 9184 in Passmark GPU Compute. The N1X 48SM has no recorded benchmarks, an average score of 0, and a percentile rank of 50.

The RTX 5050's nearest rivals in the database show its competitive position. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL averages 21153, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 5050's average. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M averages 21237, 1% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile averages 21379, 1.6% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT averages 20713, which is 1.6% lower than the RTX 5050. These deltas are all within roughly 1.6%, placing the RTX 5050 in a tightly contested performance band.

Specification Differences

The two parts differ in nearly every measured field. The RTX 5050 uses the GB207 chip; the N1X 48SM uses GB20B. The RTX 5050 has 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die; the N1X 48SM has unknown transistors on a 382 mm² die. Transistor density is 113.4M per mm² for the RTX 5050, while the N1X 48SM has no recorded density.

Shading units: 2560 vs 6144. TMUs: 80 vs 384. ROPs: 32 vs 48. RT cores: 20 vs 48. Tensor cores: 80 vs 192. The N1X 48SM leads in all of these counts.

Memory size: 8 GB GDDR6 vs 128 GB LPDDR5X. Bus width: 128 bit vs 256 bit. Bandwidth: 320.0 GB/s vs 273.2 GB/s. Memory clock: 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) vs 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Base clock: 2317 MHz vs 741 MHz. Boost clock: 2572 MHz vs 2346 MHz. FP32: 13.17 TFLOPS vs 28.83 TFLOPS. FP16: 13.17 TFLOPS (1:1) vs 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1). Pixel rate: 82.30 GPixel/s vs 112.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 205.8 GTexel/s vs 900.9 GTexel/s.

TDP: the RTX 5050 is rated at 130 W; the N1X 48SM has unknown TDP. Slot width: dual-slot vs IGP. Power connectors: 1x 8-pin vs none. Suggested PSU: 300 W vs no value. Bus interface: PCIe 5.0 x8 vs PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b vs 1x HDMI.

API support: the RTX 5050 lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the N1X 48SM lists N/A for all three. Release date: 2025-06-30 vs 2026-05-31. Launch MSRP: the RTX 5050 has a launch MSRP of 249 USD; the N1X 48SM has no recorded MSRP. Production status is Active for both.

The Verdict

The data points to two fundamentally different products. The RTX 5050 is a discrete, consumer-oriented graphics card with full API support, a 130 W TDP, dual-slot cooling, and a 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 21035 places it within 1.6% of several established discrete GPUs, including the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile. It has verified performance across DirectX, OpenCL, and Vulkan workloads.

The N1X 48SM is an integrated processor with no recorded benchmarks, no API support data, and a 50th percentile ranking. Its raw compute specifications are significantly higher, particularly in FP32 throughput (28.83 TFLOPS) and texture rate (900.9 GTexel/s), but the absence of any measured benchmark scores means the database contains no evidence of real-world performance. The N1X 48SM also lacks a launch MSRP and has a later release date.

For users seeking a verified, supported discrete GPU with measured results, the RTX 5050 is the only part with recorded data. The N1X 48SM's specifications suggest higher theoretical compute, but its integrated nature, unknown power requirements, and lack of API listings make it unsuitable for tasks requiring established DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support. The RTX 5050's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a concrete memory advantage for bandwidth-sensitive workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5050 wins in areas backed by measured data. It has recorded benchmark scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (2502), Geekbench OpenCL (90334), Geekbench Vulkan (89381), and Passmark tests (G3D 17326, GPU Compute 9184). Its average benchmark score of 21035 with a 66th percentile rank confirms it competes directly with discrete GPUs like the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which trails by 1.6%. The RTX 5050 also wins on memory bandwidth (320.0 GB/s vs 273.2 GB/s), base clock (2317 MHz vs 741 MHz), and boost clock (2572 MHz vs 2346 MHz). It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it usable across modern gaming and compute APIs.

The N1X 48SM wins on raw specification counts. Its 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores far exceed the RTX 5050's respective counts. Its FP32 throughput of 28.83 TFLOPS is more than double the RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS. Texture rate is 900.9 GTexel/s versus 205.8 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 112.6 GPixel/s versus 82.30 GPixel/s. The N1X 48SM also has a 256-bit memory bus and 128 GB capacity, 16 times the RTX 5050's 8 GB, though its bandwidth is lower.

For integrated graphics scenarios where power connectors are unavailable and a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface is present, the N1X 48SM's specifications indicate higher compute headroom. For any workload requiring established graphics APIs, verified performance numbers, or discrete card features like DisplayPort 2.1b outputs, the RTX 5050 is the only part with evidence in the database.