NVIDIA N1 16SM vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation Comparison

The Verdict

The NVIDIA N1 16SM and NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation occupy entirely different positions in the benchmark database. The N1 16SM is an integrated graphics processor based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built for the N1x generation of IGP parts. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a dual-slot workstation card based on Ada Lovelace, designed for compact workstation builds. The recorded data shows the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation delivers substantially higher compute throughput, while the N1 16SM offers a much larger memory pool.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 117,088. The N1 16SM has a percentile rank of 50 and a benchmark score of zero, meaning no recorded benchmark results exist for it in the database. Any comparison of raw compute performance therefore rests entirely on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's measured results and the architectural specifications of both parts.

For users requiring a proven workstation GPU with extensive API support, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the clear choice from the data. It delivers 19.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and has measured scores of 124,812 in OpenCL and 109,364 in Vulkan benchmarks. The N1 16SM, by contrast, has no recorded benchmarks and lists its DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support as not applicable. For any application requiring those APIs, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the only viable option between the two.

The N1 16SM, however, offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation provides 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, with 280.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The bandwidth figures are close, but the memory capacity difference is enormous. The N1 16SM's memory configuration suggests it targets workloads that need very large in-memory datasets, though the lack of benchmark data and API support limits its applicability in standard graphics workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architecture families. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 382 mm². The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip, also fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 121.8 million per square millimeter. The N1 16SM's transistor count is listed as unknown, so direct transistor comparisons are not possible.

The compute configurations differ substantially. The N1 16SM has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 24 raster operations units, 16 ray tracing cores, and 64 tensor cores. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 64 raster operations units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. In every compute resource category, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has three times the shading units, 1.5 times the texture units, 2.67 times the raster operations units, three times the ray tracing cores, and three times the tensor cores.

Clock speeds follow a different pattern. The N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2,346 MHz. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has a base clock of 720 MHz and a boost clock of 1,560 MHz. The N1 16SM boosts to a significantly higher frequency, but its much smaller compute configuration means the higher clock cannot compensate for the raw resource disadvantage. The pixel rate for the N1 16SM is 56.30 GPixel/s, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation achieves 99.84 GPixel/s. Texture rates are nearly identical: 300.3 GTexel/s for the N1 16SM versus 299.5 GTexel/s for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

Memory architecture also diverges. The N1 16SM uses LPDDR5X at 1,067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective transfer, whereas the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses GDDR6 at 1,750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective transfer. The bus widths differ as well: 256 bits for the N1 16SM versus 160 bits for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. The resulting bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s for the N1 16SM and 280.0 GB/s for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, a difference of only 2.5 percent in favor of the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

The power and physical characteristics show clear differences. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has a thermal design power of 70 W, a dual-slot form factor, no power connectors, a suggested power supply of 250 W, and dimensions of 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height. The N1 16SM is an integrated graphics processor with no slot width, no power connectors, and a single HDMI display output. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation provides four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The N1 16SM's thermal design power is listed as unknown, and its power connectors are listed as none.

The bus interfaces also differ: the N1 16SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The N1 16SM has a release date of May 31, 2026, and its production status is active. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation was released on March 20, 2023, is also active in production, and lists its predecessor as Workstation Ampere and its successor as Blackwell PRO W.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results between these two GPUs. The N1 16SM has no recorded benchmark scores at all, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has two recorded results. The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, and the win counts are zero for both parts.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's measured results provide the only quantitative performance data available. Its OpenCL score is 124,812 and its Vulkan score is 109,364, producing an average benchmark score of 117,088. This places it at the 95th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GB10 with an average score of 117,393 and a performance difference of negative 0.3 percent, the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 with an average score of 118,976 and a difference of negative 1.6 percent, the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB with an average score of 114,395 and a difference of positive 2.4 percent, and the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile with an average score of 113,944 and a difference of positive 2.8 percent. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation essentially matches the GB10, trails the Radeon PRO W7700 by a small margin, and leads the Tesla V100 and RTX A5500 Mobile by modest margins.

The FP32 compute figures offer a clear comparison. The N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation delivers 19.17 TFLOPS. That is exactly double the FP32 throughput. The FP16 figures follow the same pattern: both GPUs list FP16 at a one-to-one ratio with FP32, so the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation again doubles the N1 16SM's 9.609 TFLOPS with its 19.17 TFLOPS.

The shading unit count difference of three to one in favor of the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation does not translate into a three-to-one FP32 advantage because the N1 16SM boosts to 2,346 MHz versus 1,560 MHz for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. The higher boost clock narrows the gap from three times to exactly two times in FP32 throughput. The pixel rate advantage for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is 99.84 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, a 77 percent advantage. The texture rates are nearly equal, with 300.3 GTexel/s for the N1 16SM and 299.5 GTexel/s for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, a difference of less than one percent.

Memory bandwidth favors the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation by 2.5 percent, with 280.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. The memory capacity advantage belongs entirely to the N1 16SM, which offers 128 GB versus 20 GB, a six-fold difference. The memory type also differs, with LPDDR5X on the N1 16SM and GDDR6 on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation delivers 19.17 TFLOPS FP32, exactly double the 9.609 TFLOPS of the N1 16SM. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation also doubles the FP16 performance with the same 19.17 TFLOPS versus 9.609 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The N1 16SM offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation offers 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus. The N1 16SM has six times the memory capacity, but the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has slightly higher bandwidth at 280.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Q: What API support does each GPU provide?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support as not applicable.

Q: What benchmark scores are recorded for these GPUs?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has an OpenCL score of 124,812 and a Vulkan score of 109,364, with an average of 117,088. The N1 16SM has no recorded benchmark scores in the database.

Q: How does the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's average score of 117,088 is 0.3 percent below the NVIDIA GB10, 1.6 percent below the AMD Radeon PRO W7700, 2.4 percent above the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, and 2.8 percent above the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile.

Q: What are the physical form factor differences?

A: The N1 16SM is an integrated graphics processor with no slot width and no power connectors. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a dual-slot card measuring 168 mm by 69 mm, with no power connectors, a 70 W thermal design power, and a suggested power supply of 250 W.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation wins decisively in compute throughput. Its shading unit count of 6,144 triples the N1 16SM's 2,048. Its ray tracing core count of 48 triples the N1 16SM's 16. Its tensor core count of 192 triples the N1 16SM's 64. Its raster operations units number 64 versus 24, a 2.67 times advantage. Its texture mapping units number 192 versus 128, a 1.5 times advantage. The FP32 and FP16 throughput of 19.17 TFLOPS doubles the N1 16SM's 9.609 TFLOPS. The pixel rate of 99.84 GPixel/s exceeds 56.30 GPixel/s by 77 percent.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation also wins in API compatibility. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support makes it usable in standard graphics and compute environments. The N1 16SM's API support is listed as not applicable, meaning no standard graphics API workloads can be run on it. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation also provides four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs versus a single HDMI output on the N1 16SM. Its dual-slot physical design with a 70 W thermal design power and no power connectors suits compact workstation builds with a 250 W suggested power supply.

The N1 16SM wins in memory capacity. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory dwarfs the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 20 GB of GDDR6. For workloads that require holding very large datasets in memory, the N1 16SM's capacity advantage is substantial. The N1 16SM also uses a newer PCIe interface, PCIe 5.0 x16, versus PCIe 4.0 x16 on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. Its boost clock of 2,346 MHz exceeds the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 1,560 MHz, and its texture rate of 300.3 GTexel/s is marginally higher than 299.5 GTexel/s.

The N1 16SM's larger die size of 382 mm² versus 294 mm² suggests a more complex silicon layout, though its transistor count is unknown. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's transistor count of 35,800 million and transistor density of 121.8 million per square millimeter are recorded, but no equivalent figures exist for the N1 16SM.

The database contains no benchmark results for the N1 16SM, so its actual performance in real workloads remains unmeasured. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's average benchmark score of 117,088 places it at the 95th percentile, indicating strong performance relative to all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rival comparison shows it within 1.6 percent of the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 and within 0.3 percent of the NVIDIA GB10, while leading the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB by 2.4 percent and the RTX A5500 Mobile by 2.8 percent.

For users with established graphics or compute pipelines that require DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the only functional option between these two parts. For applications that can operate without those APIs and need extremely large memory capacity, the N1 16SM presents its 128 GB pool as its defining feature. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's release date of March 20, 2023 gives it a longer production history, while the N1 16SM's release date of May 31, 2026 marks it as a newer part. Both are listed as active in production.