NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data presents an unusual split. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 carries all recorded benchmark scores across nine different tests, from 3DMark Steel Nomad (3628) to Passmark GPU Compute (10899). The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has no benchmark entries in the database, meaning all wins in the recorded head-to-head comparison belong to the RTX 5060.

However, the N1X 40SM is not without merit when examining theoretical capabilities. The data shows the N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is 25% higher than the RTX 5060's 19.18 TFLOPS. This suggests the N1X 40SM would likely outperform the RTX 5060 in compute-heavy workloads such as scientific simulation or AI training, despite having no direct benchmark scores recorded.

The RTX 5060 wins decisively in memory bandwidth. Its 448.0 GB/s of GDDR7 bandwidth exceeds the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s by 64%. This advantage directly impacts gaming performance, texture streaming, and any bandwidth-sensitive application. The RTX 5060 also achieves a higher pixel rate at 119.9 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s for the N1X 40SM, indicating better fill-rate performance for rasterization-heavy scenes.

The N1X 40SM counters with superior texture throughput. Its 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate is more than double the RTX 5060's 299.6 GTexel/s. This positions the N1X 40SM as potentially stronger in texture-bound workloads, though the lack of benchmark data prevents confirmation.

For gaming, the RTX 5060 holds the clear advantage based on recorded results. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3628 places it in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, while the N1X 40SM sits at the 50th percentile with no benchmark scores. The RTX 5060 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three APIs, making it unsuitable for modern gaming titles that rely on these interfaces.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. The similarities end there.

The RTX 5060 uses the GB206 chip with a die size of 181 mm² and 21,900 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 121.0M per mm². The N1X 40SM employs the GB20B chip with a substantially larger 382 mm² die, though its transistor count is listed as unknown. This makes direct density comparisons impossible from recorded data.

Core configurations diverge significantly. The RTX 5060 contains 3840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 render output units. The N1X 40SM packs 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and only 40 ROPs. The N1X 40SM therefore has 33% more shaders and 167% more TMUs, but 17% fewer ROPs. Ray tracing cores follow a similar pattern: the N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, versus 30 RT cores and 120 tensor cores on the RTX 5060.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The RTX 5060 operates at a 2280 MHz base clock and 2497 MHz boost clock. The N1X 40SM starts much lower at 741 MHz base but boosts to 2346 MHz. The RTX 5060's higher sustained clocks contribute to its stronger gaming performance, while the N1X 40SM's raw core count compensates for its lower base frequency.

Memory configurations could hardly be more different. The RTX 5060 uses 8 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM pairs 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM offers 16 times the capacity but 39% less bandwidth. Memory clock rates also differ: 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective for the RTX 5060 versus 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective for the N1X 40SM.

The power delivery and interface specifications reflect their different intended roles. The RTX 5060 is a dual-slot discrete GPU with a 145 W TDP, one 8-pin power connector, and a 300 W suggested PSU. It uses PCIe 5.0 x8 and outputs 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU listed. It uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and outputs a single HDMI port. The TDP for the N1X 40SM is listed as unknown.

The Verdict

The recorded data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 for any gaming or graphics-intensive workload. It holds all nine benchmark scores, supports modern graphics APIs, and achieves the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 5060's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 119.9 GPixel/s pixel rate provide the foundation for strong rasterization performance.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM presents a different value proposition. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory is unprecedented in the database, and its 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 compute exceeds the RTX 5060 by 25%. The 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate suggests exceptional texture processing capability. However, the absence of DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support makes it unsuitable for conventional gaming.

The choice between the two depends on workload type. The RTX 5060 is the appropriate selection for gaming, desktop graphics, and applications requiring modern API support. The N1X 40SM, with its massive memory pool and higher compute throughput, appears oriented toward compute-heavy tasks where API compatibility is secondary. The data shows the N1X 40SM at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, reflecting its specialization rather than general-purpose capability.

The RTX 5060's nearest rivals in the database, despite having comparable average scores, do not change its standing. The AMD Radeon 860M, NVIDIA GeForce MX550, and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary all score within 0.8% of the RTX 5060's average, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT trails by 1.2%. The RTX 5060 therefore sits in a tightly contested performance band, but the N1X 40SM is not part of that competition due to its lack of benchmark entries.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is 25% higher than the RTX 5060's 19.18 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the RTX 5060 support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the RTX 5060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three APIs.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, while the N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 5060 provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 64% higher than the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more texture mapping units?

A: The N1X 40SM has 320 TMUs compared to the RTX 5060's 120 TMUs, a 167% advantage.

Q: What is the release timing for each product?

A: The RTX 5060 was released on May 18, 2025, while the N1X 40SM has a release date of May 31, 2026.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data contains no entries for either GPU, so all comparisons rely on the individual benchmark scores recorded for the RTX 5060 and the theoretical specifications of the N1X 40SM.

The RTX 5060's strongest recorded result is its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628. This places the GPU in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, indicating strong performance relative to the broader database. The N1X 40SM has no comparable score, and its 50th percentile ranking carries no benchmark confirmation.

In compute benchmarks, the RTX 5060 scores 112787 in Geekbench OpenCL and 113321 in Geekbench Vulkan, showing balanced performance across both APIs. The Passmark GPU Compute score of 10899 further reinforces its compute capability. The N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 figure would theoretically place it ahead of the RTX 5060, but without recorded benchmark scores, this remains speculative.

The RTX 5060's Passmark DirectX scores show a clear progression: 225 in DirectX 9, 200 in DirectX 11, 127 in DirectX 10, and 77 in DirectX 12. These results are consistent with a GPU designed for modern workloads, though the DirectX 12 score of 77 appears low relative to the 3DMark result. The Passmark G3D score of 20891 and G2D score of 1154 provide additional context for overall graphics performance.

Memory bandwidth is the most decisive measurable difference. The RTX 5060's 448.0 GB/s versus the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s represents a 64% advantage for the discrete GPU. This translates directly to texture streaming, frame buffer operations, and resolution scaling. The N1X 40SM's 128 GB capacity cannot compensate for this bandwidth deficit in real-time rendering scenarios.

The texture rate comparison favors the N1X 40SM dramatically. Its 750.7 GTexel/s is 2.5 times the RTX 5060's 299.6 GTexel/s. This suggests the N1X 40SM would excel in texture-heavy compute tasks, such as image processing or procedural generation, where raw texture throughput matters more than memory bandwidth.

Pixel fill rates favor the RTX 5060. Its 119.9 GPixel/s exceeds the N1X 40SM's 93.84 GPixel/s by 28%. This advantage matters for anti-aliasing, post-processing effects, and high-resolution rendering, all of which depend on ROP throughput.

The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 places it nearly even with its nearest rivals: the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401 (-0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421 (-0.3%), AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26553 (-0.8%), and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26011 (+1.2%). The N1X 40SM's average score of 0 reflects its absence from the benchmark suite.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

| Specification | RTX 5060 | N1X 40SM |

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

| Chip | GB206 | GB20B |

| Generation | GeForce 50 | Blackwell IGP (N1x) |

| Die Size | 181 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 21,900 million | unknown |

| Base Clock | 2280 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2497 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) | 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB GDDR7 | 128 GB LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 120 | 320 |

| ROPs | 48 | 40 |

| RT Cores | 30 | 40 |

| Tensor Cores | 120 | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 119.9 GPixel/s | 93.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 299.6 GTexel/s | 750.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 19.18 TFLOPS | 24.02 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 19.18 TFLOPS (1:1) | 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 145 W | unknown |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | null |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b | 1x HDMI |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | N/A |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | N/A |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | N/A |

| Release Date | 2025-05-18 | 2026-05-31 |

| Launch MSRP | 299 USD | null |

Both GPUs share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, TSMC 5 nm process, and NVIDIA as manufacturer. Both also use 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratios, though the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS in both metrics exceeds the RTX 5060's 19.18 TFLOPS.

The RTX 5060 has a defined form factor at 241 mm length, 111 mm height, and 40 mm width. The N1X 40SM has no recorded dimensions, consistent with its IGP designation. The RTX 5060's production status is Active, and the N1X 40SM's status is also Active.