NVIDIA L20 vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison: the NVIDIA L20 has two benchmark entries, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has none. This immediately shapes the analysis, as there are no direct head-to-head test results in the database. The L20 delivers a Geekbench OpenCL score of 274,276 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 228,018, producing an average benchmark score of 251,147. The N1X 40SM, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 0, with no individual test results recorded.

The absence of benchmark data for the N1X 40SM is itself informative. Its percentile ranking against all GPUs sits at 50, which places it at the median of the database's tracked devices. Meanwhile, the L20 achieves a 99th percentile ranking, indicating that its measured performance outpaces nearly all other GPUs in the database. This 49-percentile gap is substantial, but without a direct test result for the N1X 40SM, the comparison rests on architectural data rather than measured workloads.

The L20's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its scoring. It sits 11.6% ahead of the NVIDIA PG506-232, which averages 225,124 points, and 14.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7900D, which averages 219,827 points. The L20 trails the NVIDIA L40 by 11.6%, with the L40 averaging 284,111 points, and the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation by 12.6%, with that card averaging 287,237 points. These deltas show the L20 holding a competitive middle position among high-end workstation GPUs, clearly ahead of the older Ampere-based PG506-232 but behind the newer Ada-based L40 and RTX 6000.

The N1X 40SM has no nearest rivals listed, meaning the database contains no comparable devices for it. This is consistent with its lack of benchmark scores. The data suggests this is a newly introduced or highly specialized part, and its performance characteristics cannot yet be validated through recorded tests. The L20, in contrast, has a well-established benchmark footprint with two separate test results that corroborate its average score.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from distinct architectural lineages. The L20 uses the AD102 chip built on Ada Lovelace architecture, while the N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip on Blackwell 2.0 architecture. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but their structural designs diverge significantly.

The L20's die measures 609 mm² and contains 76,300 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 125.3 million per square millimeter. The N1X 40SM's die is considerably smaller at 382 mm², but its transistor count is listed as unknown, so density cannot be calculated. The L20's larger die and higher transistor count point to a more complex compute layout, consistent with its much higher shading unit count.

In terms of compute resources, the L20 houses 11,776 shading units, 368 texture mapping units, and 128 raster operation units. It also includes 92 ray tracing cores and 368 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM contains 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 40 ROPs, with 40 ray tracing cores and 160 tensor cores. The L20 more than doubles the shading unit count and nearly doubles the tensor core count, which explains its substantially higher raw throughput figures.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The L20 runs at a base clock of 1440 MHz and boosts to 2520 MHz. The N1X 40SM operates at a lower base of 741 MHz and boosts to 2346 MHz. The L20's higher base clock and higher boost clock give it a frequency advantage on top of its architectural resource advantage.

Memory configurations are markedly different. The L20 uses 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, producing 864.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1X 40SM offers nearly three times the capacity but less than a third of the bandwidth. The L20's memory clock is listed as 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, while the N1X 40SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective. The L20's wider bus and faster memory deliver a decisive bandwidth advantage.

The form factors reflect their intended placements. The L20 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 16-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 600 W, consuming 275 W. The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors and no listed TDP, indicating it draws power from its host system. The L20 connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the L20 provides 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the N1X 40SM offers a single HDMI output.

API support shows another major divide. The L20 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating it is not designed for traditional graphics API workloads. The L20's physical dimensions are recorded at 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the N1X 40SM has no recorded dimensions, consistent with its IGP form factor.

The Verdict

The data indicates two fundamentally different products. The L20 is a discrete workstation GPU with measured performance in the 99th percentile of all GPUs, a full suite of graphics APIs, and a dual-slot card design. The N1X 40SM is an integrated GPU with no benchmark scores, no graphics API support, and a 50th percentile ranking by default.

For compute-heavy workloads that require validated performance, the L20's benchmark results speak clearly. Its average score of 251,147 places it 11.6% ahead of the PG506-232 and 14.2% ahead of the Radeon PRO W7900D. Its FP32 throughput of 59.35 TFLOPS and FP16 throughput of 59.35 TFLOPS (1:1) more than double the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS in both metrics. The L20 also delivers 864.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth versus the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s, a critical factor for data-intensive workloads.

The N1X 40SM's advantages lie in capacity and integration. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory exceeds the L20's 48 GB by a wide margin, and as an IGP it requires no additional power connectors or dedicated cooling. Its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface is newer than the L20's PCIe 4.0 x16. However, with no recorded benchmarks and no API support, the data cannot substantiate any performance claims for the N1X 40SM.

The L20's release date of 2023-11-15 positions it as an established product with an Active production status. The N1X 40SM's release date of 2026-05-31 places it in the future relative to the L20, and its predecessor and successor fields are both empty. This suggests the N1X 40SM is a first-generation product in its line, while the L20 follows the Server Ampere generation and precedes Server Hopper.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA L20 has an average benchmark score of 251,147, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has an average benchmark score of 0 due to having no recorded benchmark tests.

Q: How does the L20 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The L20 is 11.6% ahead of the NVIDIA PG506-232 and 14.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7900D. It trails the NVIDIA L40 by 11.6% and the NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation by 12.6%.

Q: What are the memory capacities of each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA L20 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The L20 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan.

Q: What process node are both GPUs fabricated on?

A: Both the L20 and the N1X 40SM are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC.

Q: What is the form factor difference between the two?

A: The L20 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 16-pin power connector and a suggested PSU of 600 W. The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors and no listed TDP.

Where Each One Wins

The L20 wins decisively in measured compute performance. Its FP32 throughput of 59.35 TFLOPS and FP16 throughput of 59.35 TFLOPS (1:1) are more than double the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS in both categories. The L20 also achieves a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 927.4 GTexel/s, compared to the N1X 40SM's 93.84 GPixel/s and 750.7 GTexel/s. The L20's memory bandwidth of 864.0 GB/s is over three times the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s, which matters for large data sets and high-resolution rendering.

The L20's shading unit count of 11,776 versus 5,120, its 92 ray tracing cores versus 40, and its 368 tensor cores versus 160 all point to superior parallel processing capability. Its higher base and boost clocks (1440 MHz and 2520 MHz versus 741 MHz and 2346 MHz) reinforce this advantage. The L20 also provides four display outputs versus the N1X 40SM's single HDMI port, making it suitable for multi-display workstation setups.

The N1X 40SM wins on memory capacity with 128 GB versus 48 GB. This larger pool of memory could benefit workloads that require holding very large models or data structures in local memory, though the bandwidth limitation of 273.2 GB/s would constrain how quickly that memory can be accessed. The N1X 40SM also uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface versus the L20's PCIe 4.0 x16, offering a newer host connection standard. As an IGP with no power connectors, the N1X 40SM has a lower installation footprint, requiring no external power cabling.

The L20's production status is Active, and it has been on the market since 2023-11-15. The N1X 40SM is also Active but has a future release date of 2026-05-31, meaning it has not yet shipped as of the recorded data. The L20's benchmark percentile of 99 versus the N1X 40SM's 50 indicates that the L20 ranks among the top performers in the database, while the N1X 40SM's ranking is unverified due to missing test data.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every recorded specification. The L20 uses the AD102 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, while the N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The L20's die size is 609 mm², versus 382 mm² for the N1X 40SM. The L20 has 76,300 million transistors, while the N1X 40SM's transistor count is unknown.

Clock speeds differ substantially: the L20 has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, while the N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. Memory clocks also differ, with the L20 at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) and the N1X 40SM at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration shows the L20 with 48 GB GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus delivering 864.0 GB/s, while the N1X 40SM has 128 GB LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus delivering 273.2 GB/s. The L20 has 11,776 shading units, 368 TMUs, 128 ROPs, 92 RT cores, and 368 tensor cores. The N1X 40SM has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores.

The L20 achieves a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 927.4 GTexel/s, while the N1X 40SM achieves 93.84 GPixel/s and 750.7 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 59.35 TFLOPS for the L20 and 24.02 TFLOPS for the N1X 40SM. The L20 has a TDP of 275 W, while the N1X 40SM's TDP is unknown.

Form factor and power delivery are opposite: the L20 is dual-slot with a 1x 16-pin connector and 600 W suggested PSU, while the N1X 40SM is an IGP with no connectors and no suggested PSU. Bus interfaces differ with PCIe 4.0 x16 on the L20 and PCIe 5.0 x16 on the N1X 40SM. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a on the L20 versus 1x HDMI on the N1X 40SM.

API support is a major distinction: the L20 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three. Physical dimensions are recorded for the L20 at 267 mm length and 111 mm height, while the N1X 40SM has no recorded dimensions. Release dates differ by over two years, with the L20 on 2023-11-15 and the N1X 40SM on 2026-05-31. The L20's generation is listed as Server Ada (Lxx), while the N1X 40SM's is Blackwell IGP (N1x).