NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark database separates these two NVIDIA parts into entirely different categories. The GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile has a full suite of recorded benchmark results. The N1 20SM has no benchmark entries at all, with an average benchmark score of zero and an empty results list. This immediately establishes the RTX 5090 Mobile as the only one of the pair with measurable performance data.

The RTX 5090 Mobile posts a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5871, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 201834, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 198405. Its Passmark suite shows G3D at 30034, GPU compute at 13401, G2D at 1057, DirectX 9 at 324, DirectX 11 at 269, DirectX 10 at 183, and DirectX 12 at 138. The average benchmark score across all tests lands at 45152. The N1 20SM cannot win any head-to-head comparison because no benchmark data exists for it.

The use-case split is therefore stark. For any workload that relies on DirectX, OpenCL, Vulkan, or general GPU compute, the RTX 5090 Mobile is the only option with verified performance. The N1 20SM, with its API list showing DirectX N/A, OpenGL N/A, and Vulkan N/A, does not support those graphics APIs at all. The recorded data indicates the RTX 5090 Mobile belongs in a gaming and workstation context, while the N1 20SM appears in the database as an integrated graphics processor with no benchmark coverage. The wins column shows zero for both parts, reflecting the absence of direct comparison tests, but the presence of scores for only one side makes the practical winner clear.

Architecture Differences

Both chips use a 5 nm process from TSMC and share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The RTX 5090 Mobile uses the GB203 chip with a die size of 378 mm² and 45,600 million transistors. The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip with a die size of 382 mm², slightly larger than the RTX part, though its transistor count is listed as unknown and its transistor density is not recorded. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a transistor density of 120.6 million per mm².

The shading unit counts differ substantially. The RTX 5090 Mobile carries 10,496 shading units, while the N1 20SM has 2,560. Texture mapping units stand at 328 for the RTX part versus 160 for the N1. Raster output units show an even larger gap: 112 for the RTX 5090 Mobile and only 24 for the N1 20SM. Ray tracing cores number 82 on the RTX side versus 20 on the N1. Tensor cores follow the same pattern, with 328 on the RTX 5090 Mobile and 80 on the N1 20SM.

Clock behavior reverses the resource trend. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a base clock of 990 MHz and a boost clock of 1515 MHz. The N1 20SM runs a lower base of 741 MHz but boosts much higher to 2346 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the RTX part runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective, while the N1 operates at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity and type create a notable split. The RTX 5090 Mobile uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256 bit bus, achieving 896.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on the same 256 bit bus but reaches only 273.2 GB/s. The N1 has more than five times the capacity but less than one third of the bandwidth, reflecting its integrated memory design versus the discrete GDDR7 solution.

Both parts share a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface and an IGP slot width with no power connectors. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a TDP of 95 W, while the N1 20SM lists TDP as unknown. Display outputs differ: the RTX part is portable device dependent, while the N1 has a single HDMI output. API support separates them completely, as the RTX 5090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 20SM lists N/A for all three.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for this pair. The wins counter shows zero for both the RTX 5090 Mobile and the N1 20SM. This absence of direct comparison data means any numerical comparison must draw from the individual benchmark lists. The RTX 5090 Mobile has ten recorded tests; the N1 20SM has none.

The RTX 5090 Mobile delivers 31.80 TFLOPS FP32 and the same 31.80 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The N1 20SM provides 12.01 TFLOPS FP32 and 12.01 TFLOPS FP16, also 1:1. The RTX part is roughly 2.6 times higher in raw floating point throughput. Pixel rate on the RTX 5090 Mobile reaches 169.7 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s on the N1, a 3.0 times difference. Texture rate stands at 496.9 GTexel/s for the RTX part and 375.4 GTexel/s for the N1, a smaller 1.3 times gap.

The RTX 5090 Mobile's nearest rivals in the database, based on average benchmark score, include the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT at 45384 with a delta of -0.5 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti at 44795 with a delta of 0.8 percent, the Intel Arc A730M at 45592 with a delta of -1 percent, and the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation at 45972 with a delta of -1.8 percent. The RTX 5090 Mobile, with an average score of 45152, sits within 2 percent of all four rivals. Its percentile among all GPUs is 84, meaning it outperforms 84 percent of the database.

The N1 20SM holds a percentile of 50 among all GPUs, but this value accompanies an average score of zero and no nearest rivals. The percentile appears as a placeholder rather than a measured result. The RTX 5090 Mobile's 84th percentile stands on actual benchmark data from multiple test suites.

The recorded data shows the RTX 5090 Mobile competing closely with desktop-class parts like the RTX 4070 Ti, trailing by only 0.8 percent in average score. Against the RTX 5880 Ada Generation, it leads by 1.8 percent. These deltas fall within normal run-to-run variation, placing the RTX 5090 Mobile in a performance tier that includes upper-midrange desktop cards. The N1 20SM has no comparable positioning because no scores exist.

The Verdict

The data directs different users to different parts. Anyone needing verified graphics performance should select the RTX 5090 Mobile. It has ten benchmark scores across DirectX 9 through 12, OpenCL, Vulkan, and compute workloads. Its average benchmark score of 45152 and 84th percentile ranking confirm it as a capable discrete GPU for gaming and professional tasks. The N1 20SM offers no benchmark results, no API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, and an average score of zero.

Users requiring large memory capacity might consider the N1 20SM solely on its 128 GB of LPDDR5X, which far exceeds the RTX 5090 Mobile's 24 GB. However, the N1's bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s versus 896.0 GB/s limits how quickly that memory can be accessed. The RTX 5090 Mobile also has a 256 bit bus, identical to the N1, but with faster memory technology.

The RTX 5090 Mobile supports modern graphics APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, enabling ray tracing and mesh shading workloads. The N1 20SM lists N/A for all three major APIs, making it unsuitable for conventional gaming or GPU compute applications. Its display output is a single HDMI port, whereas the RTX part adapts to portable device outputs.

The RTX 5090 Mobile's predecessor is the GeForce 40 Mobile series, giving it a clear lineage in NVIDIA's mobile GPU lineup. The N1 20SM has no predecessor, no successor, and belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. The release dates differ by over a year, with the RTX 5090 Mobile launching in March 2025 and the N1 20SM scheduled for May 2026. Both parts remain in active production.

For gaming, rendering, or any DirectX-based workload, the RTX 5090 Mobile is the only defensible choice. For tasks that specifically require 128 GB of unified memory and do not need graphics API support, the N1 20SM has a unique capacity advantage, but its lack of benchmark data prevents any performance claims.

FAQ

Q: Does the N1 20SM have any benchmark scores in the database?

A: No. The N1 20SM has an empty benchmark list, an average benchmark score of 0, and no nearest rivals in the database.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for the RTX 5090 Mobile?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 45152, with a percentile of 84 among all GPUs.

Q: How much memory does each GPU offer?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, while the N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory. Both use a 256 bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile reaches 896.0 GB/s, while the N1 20SM reaches 273.2 GB/s. The RTX part provides more than three times the bandwidth.

Q: What APIs does the RTX 5090 Mobile support?

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

Q: How do the TFLOPS compare between the two?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile delivers 31.80 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16, while the N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16. The RTX part is approximately 2.6 times higher.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile | NVIDIA N1 20SM |

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

| Chip | GB203 | GB20B |

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

| Process node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Die size | 378 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 45,600 million | unknown |

| Transistor density | 120.6M / mm² | null |

| Base clock | 990 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1515 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 | 256 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 896.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading units | 10496 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 328 | 160 |

| ROPs | 112 | 24 |

| RT cores | 82 | 20 |

| Tensor cores | 328 | 80 |

| Pixel rate | 169.7 GPixel/s | 56.30 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 496.9 GTexel/s | 375.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 31.80 TFLOPS | 12.01 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 31.80 TFLOPS (1:1) | 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 95 W | unknown |

| 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 | 2025-03-26 | 2026-05-31 |

| Production status | Active | Active |

| Predecessor | GeForce 40 Mobile | null |

| Average benchmark score | 45152 | 0 |

| Percentile vs all GPUs | 84 | 50 |

The RTX 5090 Mobile leads in every compute and rendering metric recorded in the database. The N1 20SM counters with larger memory capacity and a higher boost clock, but neither translates into measured performance without benchmark data. The RTX 5090 Mobile also carries a defined TDP of 95 W, while the N1's power draw remains unknown. Both parts use the same PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, occupy IGP slot width, and require no power connectors. The die size difference is marginal at 4 mm², but the transistor count gap, with the RTX part at 45,600 million and the N1 unknown, suggests the RTX 5090 Mobile packs considerably more silicon resources into a similar physical footprint.