NVIDIA H20 NVL16 vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 and the NVIDIA N1X 48SM occupy separate positions in the server and integrated GPU landscape. The H20 NVL16 is a Hopper-generation SXM module built on the GH100 chip, while the N1X 48SM is a Blackwell 2.0 IGP based on the GB20B die. Both are active production parts, and the database records each at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. Neither part has an average benchmark score or nearest rival entries, so the analysis below relies entirely on the architectural and specification data in the database.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the NVIDIA H20 NVL16 is engineered for compute-heavy, memory-bandwidth-bound workloads in a server chassis. Its 96 GB of HBM3 memory delivers 4.03 TB/s of bandwidth, which is roughly 14.7 times the bandwidth of the N1X 48SM's LPDDR5X pool. The H20 NVL16 also offers higher FP32 throughput at 39.54 TFLOPS versus 28.83 TFLOPS, and its FP16 compute reaches 79.07 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, compared to the N1X 48SM's 28.83 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. Any application that scales with raw memory bandwidth or mixed-precision tensor math will favor the H20 NVL16.

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM, in contrast, is an integrated graphics processor with no standalone power connector and a 128 GB LPDDR5X frame buffer. Its memory capacity is 32 GB larger than the H20 NVL16, and its pixel rate of 112.6 GPixel/s is 2.37 times higher than the H20 NVL16's 47.52 GPixel/s. The N1X 48SM also has 48 ray tracing cores and a higher texture rate of 900.9 GTexel/s versus 617.8 GTexel/s. The recorded data suggests the N1X 48SM is better suited to graphics-oriented tasks that benefit from rasterization throughput and ray tracing, while the H20 NVL16 is the choice for large-scale numerical processing.

Who should pick which: the H20 NVL16 for server deployments where memory bandwidth and FP32/FP16 compute dominate, and the N1X 48SM for integrated systems that require substantial memory capacity, high pixel fill, and ray tracing capability without external power delivery. The H20 NVL16's SXM slot width and 400 W TDP require a dedicated server environment, whereas the N1X 48SM's IGP form factor and lack of power connectors indicate a more integrated, lower-power deployment.

Architecture Differences

The H20 NVL16 uses the GH100 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 98.3M per mm². The N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip, also on a 5 nm TSMC process, but its die size is 382 mm² and its transistor count is listed as unknown. The die area difference is substantial: the H20 NVL16's die is more than twice the size of the N1X 48SM's.

The shading unit counts differ accordingly. The H20 NVL16 carries 9984 shading units, 312 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The N1X 48SM has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the N1X 48SM has more TMUs and double the ROPs, which explains its higher texture and pixel rates.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The H20 NVL16 uses HBM3 with a 6144-bit bus and a memory clock of 1313 MHz (5.3 Gbps effective), achieving 4.03 TB/s. The N1X 48SM uses LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), for 273.2 GB/s. The H20 NVL16's bus width is 24 times wider, and its bandwidth advantage is roughly 14.7 times. However, the N1X 48SM has a larger capacity at 128 GB versus 96 GB.

Clock behavior also differs. The H20 NVL16 has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost of 1980 MHz. The N1X 48SM has a much lower base of 741 MHz but a higher boost of 2346 MHz. The N1X 48SM's boost clock is 18.5% higher than the H20 NVL16's, which contributes to its pixel and texture throughput despite fewer shading units.

Tensor core counts: the H20 NVL16 has 312 tensor cores, while the N1X 48SM has 192. The H20 NVL16's FP16 output of 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) is 2.74 times the N1X 48SM's 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1). The N1X 48SM's FP16 rate matches its FP32 rate, indicating no dedicated FP16 acceleration path beyond the standard shader pipeline.

Power and form factor: the H20 NVL16 is an SXM module with a 400 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 800 W. The N1X 48SM is an IGP with no power connectors and an unknown TDP. The H20 NVL16 has no display outputs; the N1X 48SM has one HDMI output. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interfaces, and both have N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan APIs.

Where Each One Wins

The H20 NVL16 wins in compute throughput. Its FP32 rate of 39.54 TFLOPS exceeds the N1X 48SM's 28.83 TFLOPS by 37.1%. Its FP16 rate of 79.07 TFLOPS is 2.74 times higher. Memory bandwidth is the largest separation: 4.03 TB/s versus 273.2 GB/s, a 14.7-fold advantage. For dense linear algebra, neural network training, or any workload that streams large matrices through HBM3, the H20 NVL16 is the clear leader.

The N1X 48SM wins in rasterization-oriented metrics. Its pixel rate of 112.6 GPixel/s is 2.37 times the H20 NVL16's 47.52 GPixel/s. Its texture rate of 900.9 GTexel/s is 45.8% higher than the H20 NVL16's 617.8 GTexel/s. The N1X 48SM also has 48 ray tracing cores, while the H20 NVL16 has none listed. For graphics workloads that involve triangle setup, pixel shading, and ray intersection tests, the N1X 48SM delivers more output per cycle.

Memory capacity favors the N1X 48SM. At 128 GB, it holds 32 GB more than the H20 NVL16's 96 GB. For in-memory datasets that exceed 96 GB but fit within 128 GB, the N1X 48SM can keep the entire working set resident. However, the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s bandwidth is a constraint for those datasets; the H20 NVL16 can move data 14.7 times faster but has less capacity.

The integrated nature of the N1X 48SM gives it a deployment advantage. With no power connectors and an IGP slot width, it can be placed in systems that do not support discrete server modules. The H20 NVL16 requires a 400 W TDP budget and an 800 W suggested PSU, plus an SXM socket. The N1X 48SM also provides a display output, which the H20 NVL16 lacks entirely.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute?

A: The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has a higher FP32 throughput at 39.54 TFLOPS, compared to the NVIDIA N1X 48SM's 28.83 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each GPU provide?

A: The H20 NVL16 provides 4.03 TB/s from HBM3 on a 6144-bit bus. The N1X 48SM provides 273.2 GB/s from LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has more memory capacity?

A: The N1X 48SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X, while the H20 NVL16 has 96 GB of HBM3.

Q: Does the N1X 48SM support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the N1X 48SM has 48 ray tracing cores. The H20 NVL16 has no ray tracing core count listed.

Q: What are the boost clocks for these GPUs?

A: The H20 NVL16 boosts to 1980 MHz, and the N1X 48SM boosts to 2346 MHz.

Q: Can the H20 NVL16 output video?

A: No, the H20 NVL16 has no display outputs. The N1X 48SM has one HDMI output.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for this pair, so the comparison rests on the specification-derived metrics. The largest single advantage in the recorded data is memory bandwidth. The H20 NVL16's 4.03 TB/s is 14.7 times the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s. That gap translates directly to any workload bounded by memory reads or writes, such as large sparse matrix operations or multi-stream data processing.

The next biggest win for the H20 NVL16 is FP16 throughput. At 79.07 TFLOPS, it delivers 2.74 times the N1X 48SM's 28.83 TFLOPS. Because the H20 NVL16's FP16 is a 2:1 ratio over FP32, it can double its FP32 rate when using half-precision, while the N1X 48SM remains at a 1:1 ratio. Tensor-heavy workloads that accept FP16 inputs will see a substantial speedup on the H20 NVL16.

In FP32, the H20 NVL16 leads by 10.71 TFLOPS (39.54 minus 28.83), which is a 37.1% advantage. This is a moderate gap compared to the bandwidth and FP16 differences, but it still favors the H20 NVL16 for single-precision scientific simulation.

The N1X 48SM counters with pixel rate. Its 112.6 GPixel/s is 65.08 GPixel/s higher than the H20 NVL16's 47.52 GPixel/s, a 2.37 times margin. The N1X 48SM also has a texture rate of 900.9 GTexel/s, which is 283.1 GTexel/s higher than the H20 NVL16's 617.8 GTexel/s, a 45.8% lead. Those metrics point to faster fill-rate-bound rendering.

Clock speed is another area where the N1X 48SM leads. Its boost clock of 2346 MHz is 366 MHz higher than the H20 NVL16's 1980 MHz, an 18.5% difference. The N1X 48SM's base clock of 741 MHz is much lower than the H20 NVL16's 1830 MHz, but the boost behavior shows the N1X 48SM can reach a higher peak frequency.

Memory capacity favors the N1X 48SM by 32 GB, from 96 GB to 128 GB. That is a 33.3% larger frame buffer, which matters for models or datasets that exceed the H20 NVL16's capacity. However, the H20 NVL16's bandwidth advantage means it can process the same data volume in far less time, assuming the data fits in its 96 GB.

Pixel and texture rates favor the N1X 48SM by margins of 2.37 times and 1.46 times, respectively. The H20 NVL16 has more shading units (9984 versus 6144) and more tensor cores (312 versus 192), but the N1X 48SM's higher ROP count (48 versus 24) and TMU count (384 versus 312) drive its rasterization wins.

The H20 NVL16 has a smaller die at 814 mm² compared to the N1X 48SM's 382 mm², and the H20 NVL16's transistor count is 80,000 million. The N1X 48SM's transistor count is unknown. The H20 NVL16's density is 98.3M per mm². No comparable density figure exists for the N1X 48SM.

The power envelope is not comparable: the H20 NVL16 is rated at 400 W TDP, while the N1X 48SM has an unknown TDP and no power connectors. The H20 NVL16's suggested PSU is 800 W, which is a system-level constraint. The N1X 48SM draws from the platform without external power.

Both GPUs share a 5 nm TSMC process and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. Neither exposes DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan APIs in the database. The H20 NVL16 is an SXM module; the N1X 48SM is an IGP. The H20 NVL16 was released in September 2025, and the N1X 48SM in May 2026. The H20 NVL16 has a predecessor in Server Ada and a successor in Server Blackwell; the N1X 48SM has no listed predecessor or successor.

The data shows a clear split: the H20 NVL16 dominates in raw compute and memory bandwidth, while the N1X 48SM leads in pixel fill, texture throughput, ray tracing, and memory capacity. Each part serves a distinct workload profile, and the recorded specifications confirm those roles without requiring any extrapolation beyond the database.