NVIDIA N1 20SM vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data places both the NVIDIA N1 20SM and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with no benchmark scores available for either. The N1 20SM is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture IGP using the GB20B chip, while the RTX 3500 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip. The RTX 3500 Mobile delivers higher raw compute figures: 15.82 TFLOPS FP32 versus 12.01 TFLOPS, 5120 shading units versus 2560, and 40 RT cores versus 20. The N1 20SM counters with a much larger memory pool of 128 GB LPDDR5X, though the RTX 3500 Mobile has higher memory bandwidth at 432.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 3500 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 20SM lists N/A for all three APIs. The N1 20SM has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1545 MHz, but the RTX 3500 Mobile has a higher base clock at 1110 MHz versus 741 MHz. Users requiring modern graphics API support and higher pixel throughput should consider the RTX 3500 Mobile, while those needing massive memory capacity may look to the N1 20SM.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The N1 20SM uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 382 mm². The RTX 3500 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace architecture on 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 121.8M per mm². The N1 20SM lists its transistor count as unknown.

The N1 20SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, while the RTX 3500 Mobile belongs to the Ada-MW generation. The RTX 3500 Mobile has a predecessor listed as Ampere-MW and a successor as Blackwell-MW. The N1 20SM has no predecessor or successor listed.

Core configurations differ substantially. The N1 20SM has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 24 ROPs, 20 RT cores, and 80 tensor cores. The RTX 3500 Mobile has 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. Both have the same TMU count, but the RTX 3500 Mobile doubles the shading units, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores.

The N1 20SM reports FP16 performance at 12.01 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio to FP32, and the RTX 3500 Mobile also reports FP16 at 15.82 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The N1 20SM uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, while the RTX 3500 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark results between these two GPUs, with winsA and winsB both recorded as zero. The average benchmark score for both is zero. Without recorded benchmark data, the comparison relies on the specification fields.

The RTX 3500 Mobile leads in FP32 compute with 15.82 TFLOPS, which is 31.7% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. Pixel rate favors the RTX 3500 Mobile at 98.88 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, a difference of 75.6%. Texture rate favors the N1 20SM at 375.4 GTexel/s versus 247.2 GTexel/s, a difference of 51.9% in favor of the N1 20SM.

Memory bandwidth favors the RTX 3500 Mobile at 432.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s, a 58.1% advantage. However, memory capacity heavily favors the N1 20SM with 128 GB versus 12 GB, a 10.7x difference. The N1 20SM uses LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 Mobile uses GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus.

Clock speeds show a split: the N1 20SM boosts to 2346 MHz, which is 51.8% higher than the RTX 3500 Mobile's 1545 MHz boost. The RTX 3500 Mobile has a base clock of 1110 MHz, which is 49.8% higher than the N1 20SM's 741 MHz base. Memory clocks differ as well: the N1 20SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective, while the RTX 3500 Mobile runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. Process node is identical at 5 nm TSMC, but die size differs: 382 mm² for the N1 20SM, 294 mm² for the RTX 3500 Mobile. Transistor count is unknown for the N1 20SM, while the RTX 3500 Mobile lists 35,800 million transistors.

Memory configuration differs completely. The N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 Mobile has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. Bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s for the N1 20SM and 432.0 GB/s for the RTX 3500 Mobile.

Shading units: 2560 versus 5120. TMUs are equal at 160. ROPs: 24 versus 64. RT cores: 20 versus 40. Tensor cores: 80 versus 160. Pixel rate: 56.30 GPixel/s versus 98.88 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 375.4 GTexel/s versus 247.2 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16: 12.01 TFLOPS versus 15.82 TFLOPS.

The N1 20SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and boost of 2346 MHz, while the RTX 3500 Mobile has 1110 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost. Memory clock: 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Power draw is listed as unknown for the N1 20SM, while the RTX 3500 Mobile has a TDP of 100 W. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors. Bus interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1 20SM, PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 3500 Mobile. Display outputs: 1x HDMI for the N1 20SM, Portable Device Dependent for the RTX 3500 Mobile.

API support differs: the N1 20SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, while the RTX 3500 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Release dates differ: the N1 20SM released on 2026-05-31, while the RTX 3500 Mobile released on 2023-03-20. Both show Active production status. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The RTX 3500 Mobile delivers 15.82 TFLOPS FP32, which is 31.7% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory does each GPU offer?

A: The N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 Mobile has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: The RTX 3500 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists N/A for all three APIs.

Q: How do the clock speeds compare?

A: The N1 20SM has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 1545 MHz for the RTX 3500 Mobile. The RTX 3500 Mobile has a higher base clock at 1110 MHz versus 741 MHz.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3500 Mobile has 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is 58.1% higher than the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s.

Q: What are the respective release dates?

A: The N1 20SM released on 2026-05-31, while the RTX 3500 Mobile released on 2023-03-20.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3500 Mobile wins in raw compute throughput. Its 5120 shading units produce 15.82 TFLOPS FP32, and its 64 ROPs deliver 98.88 GPixel/s. The 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores double the N1 20SM's counts. The 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports data-heavy workloads. The 100 W TDP is explicitly recorded. The DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support makes it the only one of the two with a full graphics API stack. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while older, remains a standard connection.

The N1 20SM wins in memory capacity and texture throughput. The 128 GB LPDDR5X pool is over ten times larger than the RTX 3500 Mobile's 12 GB, which could matter for very large datasets. The 375.4 GTexel/s texture rate is 51.9% higher than the RTX 3500 Mobile's 247.2 GTexel/s. The 2346 MHz boost clock is substantially higher, and the 256-bit memory bus is wider. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides a newer bus standard. The 382 mm² die size indicates a larger physical implementation.

The N1 20SM also has a higher texture-to-shader ratio: 160 TMUs serving 2560 shading units, compared to 160 TMUs serving 5120 shading units on the RTX 3500 Mobile. The N1 20SM's pixel rate of 56.30 GPixel/s is lower, but its texture rate advantage suggests different workload characteristics. The N1 20SM's memory clock of 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective is lower than the RTX 3500 Mobile's 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, yet the wider bus partially compensates.

The RTX 3500 Mobile's predecessor and successor (Ampere-MW and Blackwell-MW) indicate a clear product lineage, while the N1 20SM appears as a standalone entry with no predecessor or successor. Both GPUs sit at the 50th percentile overall, and both have no recorded benchmark scores, so the database currently cannot rank them by measured performance. The specification data shows two different design philosophies: the N1 20SM prioritizes memory size and texture throughput, while the RTX 3500 Mobile prioritizes compute density, pixel throughput, and API compatibility.