NVIDIA N1 20SM vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents two fundamentally different NVIDIA products built on the same Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 128 GB LPDDR5X memory pool, 2560 shading units, and a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is a dual-slot discrete workstation card with 16 GB GDDR7 memory, 4352 shading units, and a 70th percentile ranking. Benchmark results indicate the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is the clear performance leader, with an average benchmark score of 25269 compared to the N1 20SM's 0 recorded scores. The data shows the N1 20SM is positioned for integrated, low-power deployments where a 128 GB unified memory pool matters more than raw throughput. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell, by contrast, delivers 17.03 TFLOPS FP32 performance, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, and fits in a dual-slot 70 W package with four mini-DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. Users needing professional rendering, compute, or API support should select the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell. Users prioritizing massive memory capacity in an IGP form factor with no power connectors should consider the N1 20SM.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell delivers 17.03 TFLOPS FP32, which is 41.8% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS FP32.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell uses 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Only the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan APIs.

Q: What are the physical differences between the two cards?

A: The N1 20SM is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and a single HDMI output. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is dual-slot, 167 mm long, 69 mm high, 20 mm wide, with no power connectors and four mini-DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Q: What is the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The database shows the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's average score of 25269 is 1.4% below the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, 1.8% below the AMD Radeon Pro W5700, 1.8% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile, and 2.0% above the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile.

Q: Which GPU has more tensor cores and RT cores?

A: The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell has 136 tensor cores and 34 RT cores. The N1 20SM has 80 tensor cores and 20 RT cores.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip with a die size of 382 mm², while the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell uses the GB206 chip with a die size of 181 mm². The GB206 die packs 21,900 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 121.0M per mm². The N1 20SM's transistor count is listed as unknown, but its larger die suggests a different design priority focused on integrated memory and IGP functionality.

The N1 20SM belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, while the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell belongs to the Blackwell PRO W (x000) generation. This generational split is reflected in API support. The N1 20SM reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, whereas the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell fully supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell also has a predecessor listed as Workstation Ada, while the N1 20SM has no predecessor.

The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell carries 34 RT cores and 136 tensor cores, compared to 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores on the N1 20SM. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's shading unit count of 4352 is substantially higher than the N1 20SM's 2560, and its ROP count of 48 doubles the N1 20SM's 24. TMU counts are closer: 136 on the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell versus 160 on the N1 20SM, indicating the N1 20SM allocates more texture units relative to its shading array.

The N1 20SM's IGP design includes a 256-bit memory bus and 128 GB LPDDR5X, which is an unusual configuration for an integrated part. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell instead uses a 128-bit bus with 16 GB GDDR7. Both GPUs use PCIe 5.0, but the N1 20SM uses x16 while the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell uses x8.

Specification Differences

The clock speeds differ significantly. The N1 20SM runs at a 741 MHz base clock and 2346 MHz boost clock, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell runs at a 982 MHz base clock and 1957 MHz boost clock, with memory at 1125 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Despite the N1 20SM's higher boost clock, the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell achieves higher pixel and texture throughput.

Pixel rate for the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is 93.94 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s for the N1 20SM, a 66.8% advantage. Texture rate favors the N1 20SM at 375.4 GTexel/s versus 266.2 GTexel/s, a 41.0% advantage. FP32 compute is 17.03 TFLOPS on the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell versus 12.01 TFLOPS on the N1 20SM. FP16 performance matches FP32 at a 1:1 ratio on both parts.

The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell has a 70 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the N1 20SM's TDP is unknown. The N1 20SM is an IGP with no slot width; the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is dual-slot with dimensions of 167 mm length, 69 mm height, and 20 mm width. Neither GPU requires external power connectors. Display outputs differ: the N1 20SM has a single HDMI port, while the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell has four mini-DisplayPort 2.1b ports.

Release dates differ by roughly nine months. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell was released on 2025-08-10, while the N1 20SM followed on 2026-05-31. Both are listed as Active in production status, and neither has a successor listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains benchmark scores only for the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell; the N1 20SM has no recorded benchmark entries. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's average benchmark score is 25269, placing it at the 70th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, scores 25633, which is 1.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700 scores 25726, 1.8% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile scores 25740, 1.8% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile scores 24763, which is 2.0% lower than the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell.

Individual benchmark results for the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell show strong compute performance. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 113865, and in Geekbench OpenCL it scores 106087. These are the two highest recorded scores across all tests. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the score is 2374.5. PassMark G3D shows 20049, while PassMark GPU Compute shows 8396. The PassMark DirectX tests are lower: 241 for DirectX 9, 174 for DirectX 11, 122 for DirectX 10, and 80 for DirectX 12. PassMark G2D scores 1303.

The N1 20SM's percentile ranking of 50 places it at the midpoint of all GPUs, but without benchmark scores, the database cannot compute a head-to-head comparison. The wins count is 0 for each side, reflecting the absence of direct comparison data. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's 70th percentile and 25269 average score indicate it sits comfortably above the N1 20SM's 50th percentile, though the N1 20SM's 128 GB memory capacity and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth suggest a different workload profile that benchmarks may not capture.

The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's FP32 throughput of 17.03 TFLOPS is 41.8% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. Pixel throughput is 66.8% higher. The N1 20SM counters with 41.0% higher texture rate and 8x more memory capacity. These figures point to the N1 20SM as a memory-capacity-oriented IGP and the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell as a compute-oriented workstation card. The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's 16 GB GDDR7 with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth slightly exceeds the N1 20SM's 273.2 GB/s bandwidth despite using a narrower 128-bit bus, thanks to the higher 18 Gbps effective memory speed.

The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's 4352 shading units outnumber the N1 20SM's 2560 by 70.0%. Tensor core count is 136 versus 80, a 70.0% advantage. RT core count is 34 versus 20, also a 70.0% advantage. These proportional differences reinforce that the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell is designed for ray tracing and AI workloads, while the N1 20SM's 160 TMUs against 136 on the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell suggest texturing emphasis. The N1 20SM's 24 ROPs versus 48 on the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell further separates their rasterization capabilities.

The RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's 70 W TDP and no power connectors make it deployable in systems with a 250 W suggested PSU. The N1 20SM's TDP is unknown, but as an IGP it requires no slot width and integrates directly into the platform. Both cards are active products, with the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell having shipped earlier per the release dates. The absence of DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support on the N1 20SM is a decisive factor for software compatibility, while the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell's full API support covers modern graphics stacks.