NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile and the NVIDIA N1X 40SM. The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, and neither part records a win in shared tests. This is an unusual situation for comparative analysis, but the available data still allows a meaningful assessment through the RTX 5090 Mobile's recorded benchmark suite and each unit's overall percentile placement.

The RTX 5090 Mobile has ten recorded benchmark scores. Its strongest result appears in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 201834, closely followed by Geekbench Vulkan at 198405. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it records 5871 points. PassMark results include 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 entries is 45152.

Percentile placement tells a clear story. The RTX 5090 Mobile sits at the 84th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The N1X 40SM sits at the 50th percentile, which indicates a mid-pack position rather than a top-tier one. Even though the N1X 40SM has no recorded benchmark scores of its own, the percentile field suggests it performs around the median of all tracked graphics processors.

The nearest rival data for the RTX 5090 Mobile provides additional context. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT averages 45384, a delta of -0.5 percent relative to the RTX 5090 Mobile. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti averages 44795, a delta of 0.8 percent. The Intel Arc A730M averages 45592, a delta of -1 percent. The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation averages 45972, a delta of -1.8 percent. These deltas are small, meaning the RTX 5090 Mobile sits in a very tight performance cluster. It is essentially at parity with the Radeon Pro 5500 XT, slightly ahead of the RTX 4070 Ti, and slightly behind the Arc A730M and RTX 5880 Ada Generation. The performance spread between the closest rival above and below is only about 2.6 percentage points.

The N1X 40SM has no nearest rivals listed, so the database provides no comparative scores for it. Its 50th percentile placement is the only positional signal available.

Architecture Differences

Both processors use the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are manufactured by NVIDIA on a 5 nm process at TSMC. That is where the architectural similarities end.

The RTX 5090 Mobile uses the GB203 chip with a die size of 378 mm² and 45,600 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 120.6 million per mm². The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with a die size of 382 mm² but its transistor count is listed as unknown, so density cannot be calculated. The die sizes are close, with the N1X 40SM only 4 mm² larger, but the transistor counts diverge dramatically. The RTX 5090 Mobile packs far more transistors into a slightly smaller area.

Core configuration differs substantially. The RTX 5090 Mobile has 10496 shading units, 328 texture mapping units, 112 raster output units, 82 ray tracing cores, and 328 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 ray tracing cores, and 160 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 Mobile has more than double the shading units, more than double the ROPs, more than double the RT cores, and more than double the tensor cores. The TMU count is nearly identical, with the RTX 5090 Mobile at 328 and the N1X 40SM at 320.

Clock behavior also differs. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a base clock of 990 MHz and a boost clock of 1515 MHz. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz but a much higher boost clock of 2346 MHz. The N1X 40SM boosts substantially higher, but its base clock is significantly lower. Memory clocks differ as well: the RTX 5090 Mobile runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective, while the N1X 40SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity and type are major differentiators. The RTX 5090 Mobile has 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256 bit bus with 896.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256 bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. Both use the same bus width, but the memory technology and capacity are entirely different. The N1X 40SM offers over five times the capacity but less than a third of the bandwidth.

Compute throughput reflects the core counts. The RTX 5090 Mobile delivers 31.80 TFLOPS FP32 and 31.80 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1). The N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 and 24.02 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1). The RTX 5090 Mobile leads by roughly 32 percent in raw compute.

Pixel and texture rates also differ. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a pixel rate of 169.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 496.9 GTexel/s. The N1X 40SM has a pixel rate of 93.84 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 750.7 GTexel/s. The RTX 5090 Mobile wins heavily on pixel throughput, while the N1X 40SM wins on texture throughput despite having fewer TMUs, likely due to its higher boost clock.

API support is a stark difference. The RTX 5090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists DirectX as N/A, OpenGL as N/A, and Vulkan as N/A. The N1X 40SM appears to lack standard graphics API support in the database, which is unusual for a GPU and may indicate it is not intended for conventional gaming or graphics workloads.

Display outputs also differ. The RTX 5090 Mobile lists outputs as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning it has no fixed output configuration. The N1X 40SM lists one HDMI output.

Power characteristics differ. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a TDP of 95 W. The N1X 40SM has an unknown TDP. Both are integrated graphics platforms (IGP) with no power connectors.

Release timing differs. The RTX 5090 Mobile has a release date of 2025-03-26 and lists the GeForce 40 Mobile as its predecessor. The N1X 40SM has a release date of 2026-05-31 and no predecessor listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile delivers 31.80 TFLOPS FP32 compared to the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS FP32, a lead of about 32 percent. The same ratio applies to FP16 at 31.80 TFLOPS versus 24.02 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256 bit bus with 896.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256 bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 Mobile has over three times the bandwidth, while the N1X 40SM has over five times the capacity.

Q: What is the difference in core counts?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile has 10496 shading units, 328 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 82 RT cores, and 328 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 Mobile has double or more in every category except TMUs, where it leads by only 8.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 5090 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan all as N/A, indicating no standard graphics API support in the database.

Q: How do clock speeds compare?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile has a base clock of 990 MHz and a boost clock of 1515 MHz. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The N1X 40SM boosts 831 MHz higher, but the RTX 5090 Mobile has a 249 MHz higher base clock.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile ranks at the 84th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The N1X 40SM ranks at the 50th percentile. The RTX 5090 Mobile sits well above the median, while the N1X 40SM sits exactly at it.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile | NVIDIA N1X 40SM |

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

| Chip | GB203 | GB20B |

| 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 Bandwidth | 896.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 10496 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 328 | 320 |

| ROPs | 112 | 40 |

| RT Cores | 82 | 40 |

| Tensor Cores | 328 | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 169.7 GPixel/s | 93.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 496.9 GTexel/s | 750.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 31.80 TFLOPS | 24.02 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 31.80 TFLOPS (1:1) | 24.02 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 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 40 Mobile | null |

| Percentile | 84 | 50 |

Shared specifications include the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, 5 nm TSMC process, 256 bit memory bus, PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, IGP slot width, and no power connectors.

The Verdict

The data indicates two very different processors that happen to share an architecture and process node. The RTX 5090 Mobile is a fully featured graphics processor with a complete API stack, high compute throughput, high memory bandwidth, and a strong 84th percentile ranking. The N1X 40SM has a much larger memory pool, a much higher boost clock, and a texture rate advantage, but it lacks standard graphics API support and has no benchmark scores recorded.

The RTX 5090 Mobile appears designed for conventional graphics workloads. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support, combined with 82 RT cores and 328 tensor cores, indicate a part meant for gaming, ray tracing, and compute applications. Its 24 GB of GDDR7 with 896.0 GB/s bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and fast data movement.

The N1X 40SM appears designed for a different purpose. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory suggests a focus on capacity rather than bandwidth, which is characteristic of workloads that need large working sets rather than rapid streaming. The absence of graphics API support suggests it may not be intended for traditional rendering at all. The 50th percentile placement, combined with no benchmark entries, means the database has no direct evidence of its real-world performance.

The RTX 5090 Mobile's nearest rivals confirm it sits in a competitive mid-high tier. It is essentially tied with the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, and slightly behind the Intel Arc A730M and NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation. The performance differences are all within about two percentage points, meaning the RTX 5090 Mobile is not a class leader but is firmly competitive in its segment.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5090 Mobile wins in raw compute throughput. Its 31.80 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 figures are 32 percent higher than the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. It also wins decisively in memory bandwidth at 896.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s, in pixel rate at 169.7 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s, and in core counts across shading units, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores. It has full graphics API support, while the N1X 40SM has none listed. Its 84th percentile ranking versus the N1X 40SM's 50th percentile reinforces its overall performance advantage.

The N1X 40SM wins in memory capacity with 128 GB versus 24 GB, a fivefold advantage. It also wins in boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1515 MHz, and in texture rate at 750.7 GTexel/s versus 496.9 GTexel/s. Its die is slightly larger at 382 mm² versus 378 mm². The N1X 40SM also has a later release date of 2026-05-31 compared to 2025-03-26.

The use-case split is clear. For gaming, ray tracing, and general graphics compute, the RTX 5090 Mobile is the only viable option between the two because the N1X 40SM lacks DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support. For workloads that require extremely large memory pools, such as large model inference or massive data processing in memory, the N1X 40SM's 128 GB capacity provides an advantage that the RTX 5090 Mobile cannot match. The N1X 40SM's higher boost clock and texture rate suggest it may excel in specific throughput-oriented tasks, but without benchmark scores or API support, the database cannot confirm those strengths in practice. The RTX 5090 Mobile is the more complete, better documented, and higher performing part according to every recorded metric.