NVIDIA N1 16SM vs NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no benchmark scores for either the NVIDIA N1 16SM or the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU. The average benchmark score for both entries is 0, and the percentile versus all GPUs is identical at 50 for each. With an empty head-to-head benchmark array, there are no measured performance deltas, no win counts, and no comparative frame rate or compute results to analyze. The database shows zero wins for the N1 16SM and zero wins for the Switch 2 GPU in direct comparison.

Without recorded measurement data, the only quantifiable performance indicators come from the specification-derived rates. The N1 16SM delivers a pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s, while the Switch 2 GPU produces 22.40 GPixel/s. That places the N1 16SM at roughly 2.5 times the pixel throughput of the Switch 2 GPU. In texture rate, the N1 16SM reaches 300.3 GTexel/s versus 67.20 GTexel/s for the Switch 2 GPU, a gap of approximately 4.5 times. For floating point compute, the N1 16SM provides 9.609 TFLOPS in FP32, while the Switch 2 GPU offers 4.301 TFLOPS in FP32, meaning the N1 16SM has about 2.2 times the single-precision throughput. In FP16, the N1 16SM again shows 9.609 TFLOPS, while the Switch 2 GPU reaches 8.602 TFLOPS due to its 2:1 ratio, so the N1 16SM maintains a smaller but still clear lead of roughly 1.1 times.

Memory bandwidth also favors the N1 16SM substantially. The N1 16SM has 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Switch 2 GPU has 102.4 GB/s. That is a 2.7 times advantage for the N1 16SM. The N1 16SM also carries 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory versus 12 GB on the Switch 2 GPU, a 10.7 times capacity difference. These are the only head-to-head numbers available in the database, and they consistently favor the N1 16SM across every measurable specification-derived metric.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and manufacturing processes. The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, produced on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The die size for the N1 16SM is 382 mm². The Switch 2 GPU uses the GA10B chip built on the Ampere architecture, produced on an 8 nm process at Samsung, with a die size of 200 mm². The N1 16SM is part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, while the Switch 2 GPU belongs to the Console GPU (Nintendo) generation.

The N1 16SM is an integrated graphics processor with a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface and a slot width of IGP. The Switch 2 GPU is a console GPU with physical dimensions of 272 mm in length, 116 mm in height, and 14 mm in width, and it has no bus interface listed. The N1 16SM has a single HDMI display output, while the Switch 2 GPU lists no outputs. The Switch 2 GPU has a TDP of 40 W, while the N1 16SM has no TDP listed.

Clock behavior differs between the two. The N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The Switch 2 GPU has a base clock of 561 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the N1 16SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective, while the Switch 2 GPU runs at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective.

Shading resources are higher on the N1 16SM. It contains 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 24 render output units, 16 ray tracing cores, and 64 tensor cores. The Switch 2 GPU contains 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 16 render output units, 12 ray tracing cores, and 48 tensor cores. The N1 16SM therefore has 33% more shading units, 2.7 times the TMUs, 1.5 times the ROPs, 33% more RT cores, and 33% more tensor cores than the Switch 2 GPU.

API support also separates the two. The N1 16SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan all as N/A. The Switch 2 GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Switch 2 GPU also has a release date of 2025-06-04, while the N1 16SM has a release date of 2026-05-31. The Switch 2 GPU has a launch MSRP of 449 USD, while the N1 16SM has no launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS in FP32, while the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU delivers 4.301 TFLOPS. The N1 16SM is roughly 2.2 times higher in single-precision compute.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, while the Switch 2 GPU has 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory. The N1 16SM has approximately 10.7 times the capacity.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The N1 16SM reaches 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Switch 2 GPU reaches 102.4 GB/s. The N1 16SM has about 2.7 times the bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: No. The Switch 2 GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A in the database.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The N1 16SM has 16 ray tracing cores, while the Switch 2 GPU has 12 ray tracing cores. The N1 16SM has 33% more RT cores.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The N1 16SM is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the Switch 2 GPU is built on an 8 nm process at Samsung.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in every major specification field recorded in the database.

Chip and architecture: The N1 16SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The Switch 2 GPU uses the GA10B chip with Ampere architecture.

Process node: The N1 16SM is on 5 nm, the Switch 2 GPU is on 8 nm. The foundry differs as well: TSMC for the N1 16SM, Samsung for the Switch 2 GPU.

Die size: The N1 16SM measures 382 mm², the Switch 2 GPU measures 200 mm².

Clocks: The N1 16SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The Switch 2 GPU has a base clock of 561 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. Memory clock is 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1 16SM and 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) for the Switch 2 GPU.

Memory: The N1 16SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256 bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Switch 2 GPU has 12 GB of LPDDR5X on a 128 bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Core counts: The N1 16SM has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. The Switch 2 GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 12 RT cores, and 48 tensor cores.

Rates: The N1 16SM shows 56.30 GPixel/s pixel rate and 300.3 GTexel/s texture rate. The Switch 2 GPU shows 22.40 GPixel/s pixel rate and 67.20 GTexel/s texture rate.

Compute: The N1 16SM delivers 9.609 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16 (1:1). The Switch 2 GPU delivers 4.301 TFLOPS in FP32 and 8.602 TFLOPS in FP16 (2:1).

Power and physical: The Switch 2 GPU has a TDP of 40 W, dimensions of 272 mm by 116 mm by 14 mm, and no listed display outputs. The N1 16SM is an IGP with a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, one HDMI output, and no listed TDP or dimensions.

API support: The Switch 2 GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 16SM lists all three as N/A.

Release date: The Switch 2 GPU was released on 2025-06-04. The N1 16SM has a release date of 2026-05-31.

Launch MSRP: The Switch 2 GPU has a launch MSRP of 449 USD. The N1 16SM has no launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The N1 16SM wins on every performance-related specification in the database. It has a higher pixel rate (56.30 GPixel/s versus 22.40 GPixel/s), a higher texture rate (300.3 GTexel/s versus 67.20 GTexel/s), higher FP32 throughput (9.609 TFLOPS versus 4.301 TFLOPS), higher FP16 throughput (9.609 TFLOPS versus 8.602 TFLOPS), more memory (128 GB versus 12 GB), more bandwidth (273.2 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s), more shading units (2048 versus 1536), more TMUs (128 versus 48), more ROPs (24 versus 16), more RT cores (16 versus 12), and more tensor cores (64 versus 48). The N1 16SM also has a higher boost clock (2346 MHz versus 1400 MHz) and a larger die (382 mm² versus 200 mm²).

The Switch 2 GPU wins in areas unrelated to raw throughput. It has full API support with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 16SM lists N/A for all three. The Switch 2 GPU has a defined TDP of 40 W, while the N1 16SM has no TDP listed. The Switch 2 GPU has a documented physical footprint of 272 mm by 116 mm by 14 mm, while the N1 16SM has no dimensions listed. The Switch 2 GPU also has an earlier release date of 2025-06-04 compared to 2026-05-31 for the N1 16SM.

The FP16 comparison is the closest margin between the two. The N1 16SM offers 9.609 TFLOPS, while the Switch 2 GPU reaches 8.602 TFLOPS through its 2:1 FP16 ratio. That leaves the N1 16SM only about 1.1 times ahead in half-precision compute, a much narrower gap than the 2.2 times advantage seen in FP32. For workloads that rely on FP16, the Switch 2 GPU is comparatively closer in capability.

The Verdict

The database shows a clear hierarchy between these two NVIDIA GPUs. The N1 16SM dominates the Switch 2 GPU across every recorded performance metric, with roughly 2.2 times the FP32 throughput, 2.7 times the memory bandwidth, 4.5 times the texture rate, and 2.5 times the pixel rate. It also carries more than ten times the memory capacity. Any workload that depends on raw compute, memory bandwidth, or texture processing will favor the N1 16SM by a wide margin.

The Switch 2 GPU counters with software compatibility. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the N1 16SM has no API support listed. For applications that require those graphics APIs, the Switch 2 GPU is the only one of the two with documented functionality. The Switch 2 GPU also has a defined power envelope at 40 W and a physical form factor, making it a known quantity for integration in console hardware.

The N1 16SM is the stronger silicon in every measurable hardware category. Its higher shading unit count, larger memory bus, and faster clocks give it substantial advantages in pixel throughput, texture throughput, and compute. The Switch 2 GPU, however, offers a complete software stack and an earlier release date. The choice between the two depends on whether the priority is raw hardware capability or documented API support. For pure performance, the N1 16SM is ahead. For software compatibility and a defined power specification, the Switch 2 GPU stands alone.