NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

The Verdict

The data positions the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 and the NVIDIA N1 20SM at opposite ends of the performance spectrum, despite sharing the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and TSMC 5 nm process. The RTX 5090 D V2 is a discrete, high-throughput graphics card designed for maximum rendering workloads, while the N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a fundamentally different memory and compute profile.

Benchmark results show the RTX 5090 D V2 delivers a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 16,504, placing it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA T400 (16,508), AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (16,415), NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16,408), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (16,361), all fall within a 0.9% delta, indicating the RTX 5090 D V2 sits in a tightly contested performance cluster. The N1 20SM has no recorded benchmark scores and no nearest rivals in the database, making direct quantitative comparison impossible.

The RTX 5090 D V2 is the choice for users who need a standalone card with 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, a 384-bit bus, and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The N1 20SM serves a different role, offering 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 12.01 TFLOPS of FP32. The N1 20SM's integrated nature, with no power connectors and an IGP slot width, suggests it targets systems where discrete expansion is not required. The RTX 5090 D V2's dual-slot design and 1x 16-pin connector indicate a high-power add-in card.

Neither part wins a head-to-head benchmark category, as the database records zero wins for each. The decision rests on workload type: rendering and gaming favor the RTX 5090 D V2, while memory capacity and integration favor the N1 20SM.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The RTX 5090 D V2 uses the GB202 chip with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 122.9M per mm². The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip with a 382 mm² die; its transistor count and density are not recorded.

The RTX 5090 D V2 packs 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs. It also includes 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The N1 20SM is far leaner: 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. This represents an 8.5x difference in shading units and a 7.3x difference in ROPs, directly explaining the compute gap.

Clock behavior differs substantially. The RTX 5090 D V2 has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz. The N1 20SM has a much lower base of 741 MHz but a boost of 2346 MHz, nearly matching the RTX 5090 D V2's boost. The N1 20SM's low base clock suggests aggressive power management, typical of integrated parts.

Memory architecture is the other major split. The RTX 5090 D V2 uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 4.9x the bandwidth, while the N1 20SM has 5.3x the capacity.

API support also diverges. The RTX 5090 D V2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM records N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating it may rely on system-level APIs rather than traditional graphics interfaces.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries between these two GPUs, so direct test comparisons are unavailable. However, the recorded standalone benchmarks and architectural data allow for analytical comparison.

The RTX 5090 D V2's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 16,504 places it 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (16,415) and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16,408). It trails the NVIDIA T400 by 0.0% (16,508 vs 16,504) and leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT by 0.9% (16,504 vs 16,361). This tight cluster suggests the RTX 5090 D V2 performs at parity with its nearest rivals in this specific DX12 test.

For the N1 20SM, no benchmark scores exist, so its percentile of 50 is based on the database's overall GPU distribution rather than measured performance. Its FP32 throughput of 12.01 TFLOPS is roughly 11.5% of the RTX 5090 D V2's 104.8 TFLOPS. Pixel rate tells a similar story: the RTX 5090 D V2 achieves 423.6 GPixel/s versus the N1 20SM's 56.30 GPixel/s, a 7.5x difference. Texture rate shows 1,636.8 GTexel/s for the RTX 5090 D V2 versus 375.4 GTexel/s for the N1 20SM, a 4.4x gap.

Memory bandwidth is the most lopsided metric. The RTX 5090 D V2's 1.34 TB/s is 4.9x the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s. This bandwidth advantage directly supports the RTX 5090 D V2's higher pixel and texture rates, which rely on rapid data movement.

The N1 20SM's counterpoint is memory capacity: 128 GB versus 24 GB. For workloads that require large in-memory datasets, such as certain AI inference or data processing tasks, the N1 20SM's capacity could be an advantage, though its bandwidth and compute are far lower.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 | NVIDIA N1 20SM |

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

| Chip | GB202 | GB20B |

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

| Transistors | 92,200 million | unknown |

| Die Size | 750 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 122.9M / mm² | null |

| Base Clock | 2017 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2407 MHz | 2346 MHz |

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

| Memory Size | 24 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR7 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 1.34 TB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 21760 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 680 | 160 |

| ROPs | 176 | 24 |

| RT Cores | 170 | 20 |

| Tensor Cores | 680 | 80 |

| Pixel Rate | 423.6 GPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,636.8 GTexel/s | 375.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 104.8 TFLOPS | 12.01 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1) | 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 575 W | unknown |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 16-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 950 W | null |

| 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 |

| Dimensions (LxHxW) | 304 mm x 137 mm x 48 mm | null |

| Release Date | 2025-08-14 | 2026-05-31 |

| Launch MSRP | 2,299 USD | null |

The RTX 5090 D V2 is a dual-slot card measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 48 mm in width, requiring a 950 W suggested PSU. The N1 20SM is an IGP with no dimensions recorded, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU requirement. The RTX 5090 D V2 uses PCIe 5.0 x16, as does the N1 20SM.

The release dates differ by nearly two years, with the RTX 5090 D V2 launching on 2025-08-14 and the N1 20SM on 2026-05-31. The RTX 5090 D V2 has a recorded launch MSRP of 2,299 USD; the N1 20SM has none. The RTX 5090 D V2's predecessor is the GeForce 40 series and its successor is the GeForce 60 series, while the N1 20SM has no predecessor or successor recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32, which is 8.7x the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS.

Q: How does memory capacity compare between the two?

A: The N1 20SM offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, while the RTX 5090 D V2 has 24 GB of GDDR7. The N1 20SM has 5.3x the capacity.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 provides 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth on a 384-bit bus, versus the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 5090 D V2 has 4.9x the bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 5090 D V2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM records N/A for all three APIs.

Q: What are the core counts for each GPU?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores.

Q: How do the physical designs differ?

A: The RTX 5090 D V2 is a dual-slot card with dimensions of 304 mm by 137 mm by 48 mm, using a 1x 16-pin power connector and a 950 W suggested PSU. The N1 20SM is an IGP with no power connectors, no dimensions recorded, and no suggested PSU.