NVIDIA N1 20SM vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison: the NVIDIA N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no benchmark entries in the database, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is a discrete, single-slot workstation card with a full suite of measured results. Consequently, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins every benchmark category where data exists. The N1 20SM has zero recorded wins, and the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has zero recorded head-to-head wins in the direct comparison field, but the latter's individual benchmark scores define its performance profile.

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's strengths are concentrated in compute and modern graphics workloads. Its PassMark G3D score of 28,427 places it above the NVIDIA RTX A4000 (26,683) by 1.7 percent, and it sits marginally behind the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (27,425) by 1.1 percent. The GeForce RTX 3090 (27,565) leads it by 1.6 percent, and the RTX 4070 Mobile (27,435) edges it by 1.1 percent. These deltas indicate the card operates in a tightly contested performance band, with no rival more than 1.7 percent away in either direction.

For compute-heavy tasks, the PassMark GPU Compute score of 14,805 indicates strong general-purpose throughput. The Geekbench Vulkan result of 194,168 shows the card handles modern API workloads effectively. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,648 confirms DirectX 12 performance is a core strength. Legacy DirectX workloads show a different pattern: PassMark DirectX 9 scores 354, DirectX 11 scores 276, DirectX 10 scores 173, and DirectX 12 scores 97. These results suggest the architecture prioritizes newer APIs, with older fixed-function paths delivering lower relative throughput.

The N1 20SM, by contrast, has no benchmark scores recorded. Its design as an IGP with a 256-bit memory bus and LPDDR5X memory suggests a different use case entirely, but without measured data, no comparative wins can be attributed. The database records zero wins for each side in head-to-head testing, so the analysis rests entirely on the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's standalone results.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and are fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process node, but they diverge sharply in implementation. The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip with a die size of 382 mm², while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses the GB203 chip at 378 mm². The GB203 packs 45,600 million transistors, yielding a density of 120.6 million per mm². The N1 20SM's transistor count is not recorded in the database.

The N1 20SM is an integrated part with no power connectors and an IGP slot width, drawing power through the motherboard. Its base clock is 741 MHz with a boost of 2,346 MHz. Memory runs at 1,067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective speed. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is a discrete single-slot card with a 140 W TDP, one 16-pin power connector, and a suggested 300 W power supply. Its base clock is 1,230 MHz with a boost of 2,055 MHz, and memory runs at 1,750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed.

The N1 20SM integrates 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s. The discrete card's narrower bus is more than compensated by the faster memory type and clock, yielding 2.46 times the bandwidth.

Shader resources differ substantially. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 8,960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Ray tracing cores number 20 versus 70, and tensor cores number 80 versus 280. The discrete card scales to roughly 3.5 times the shading units, 1.75 times the TMUs, and 4 times the ROPs.

Pixel and texture rates reflect these counts. The N1 20SM achieves 56.30 GPixel/s and 375.4 GTexel/s. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell reaches 197.3 GPixel/s and 575.4 GTexel/s. Floating-point throughput shows the largest gap: the N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio), while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell delivers 36.83 TFLOPS for both, a 3.07 times advantage.

API support marks another clear difference. The N1 20SM reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs also differ: the N1 20SM has a single HDMI port, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has four DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the N1 20SM and the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. The wins counters are zero for both sides. All comparative analysis must rely on the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's individual benchmark scores and its nearest rival deltas.

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's PassMark G3D score of 28,427 is its strongest overall result. Against the nearest rivals, it trails the GeForce RTX 3090 by 1.6 percent, the RTX 4070 Mobile by 1.1 percent, and the RX 6700 XT by 1.1 percent. It leads the RTX A4000 by 1.7 percent. These margins are small, indicating the card sits in a competitive mid-to-high range of the database's GPU distribution, reflected in its 72nd percentile versus all GPUs.

The PassMark GPU Compute score of 14,805 provides a separate view of non-graphics throughput. This score, combined with the Geekbench Vulkan result of 194,168, suggests the card's compute capabilities align with its graphics positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,648 reinforces the modern API focus.

Legacy benchmarks show a steep drop-off. PassMark DirectX 9 scores 354, DirectX 11 scores 276, DirectX 10 scores 173, and DirectX 12 scores 97. The DirectX 12 score being lowest is counterintuitive for a modern card, but the 3DMark result confirms strong DX12 performance under a different test methodology. The PassMark G2D score of 1,265 covers 2D graphics, a minor factor for a workstation card.

The N1 20SM has no scores to compare. Its 50th percentile versus all GPUs is based on an average benchmark score of zero, which the database records as its baseline. Without measured results, the only quantitative statements available concern the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's performance envelope and its proximity to specific rivals.

FAQ

Q: How does the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell compare to its nearest rival, the GeForce RTX 3090?

A: The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 28,427 in PassMark G3D, which is 1.6 percent behind the RTX 3090's 27,565. The margin is small enough that the cards perform essentially at parity in this metric.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The N1 20SM provides 273.2 GB/s via LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 128 GB capacity. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell provides 672.0 GB/s via GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus with 24 GB capacity, giving the discrete card roughly 2.46 times the bandwidth.

Q: Which card has higher boost clock speed?

A: The N1 20SM has a boost clock of 2,346 MHz, which is higher than the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 2,055 MHz. However, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a higher base clock at 1,230 MHz versus 741 MHz.

Q: Does the N1 20SM support modern graphics APIs?

A: The database records N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan on the N1 20SM. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the transistor density of each chip?

A: The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's GB203 chip has 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, yielding 120.6 million transistors per mm². The N1 20SM's transistor count is not recorded in the database, so no density can be stated.

Q: How many display outputs does each card have?

A: The N1 20SM has a single HDMI output. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has four DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every recorded specification field. The N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses the GB203. Both are 5 nm TSMC parts with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, but the die sizes are close: 382 mm² for the N1 20SM versus 378 mm² for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell reports 45,600 million transistors and a density of 120.6M per mm²; the N1 20SM reports neither.

Clock speeds differ in direction. The N1 20SM's base clock is 741 MHz with a 2,346 MHz boost. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's base is 1,230 MHz with a 2,055 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1,067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1 20SM and 1,750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell.

Memory capacity and type diverge completely. The N1 20SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus. Bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s versus 672.0 GB/s.

Compute resources scale in the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's favor. Shading units are 2,560 versus 8,960. TMUs are 160 versus 280. ROPs are 24 versus 96. Ray tracing cores are 20 versus 70. Tensor cores are 80 versus 280. Pixel rate is 56.30 GPixel/s versus 197.3 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 375.4 GTexel/s versus 575.4 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 throughput are 12.01 TFLOPS versus 36.83 TFLOPS, both at 1:1 ratios.

Power and physical specifications separate the integrated from the discrete design. The N1 20SM has unknown TDP, no power connectors, and an IGP slot width. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a 140 W TDP, one 16-pin connector, a suggested 300 W power supply, and a single-slot form factor measuring 241 mm by 111 mm by 20 mm. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 interfaces. Display outputs are 1x HDMI for the N1 20SM and 4x DisplayPort 2.1b for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell.

API support is absent for the N1 20SM, with N/A entries for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Release dates differ: the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell launched in March 2025, while the N1 20SM's release is dated May 2026. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's predecessor is listed as Workstation Ada; the N1 20SM has no predecessor recorded. Neither part has a successor, and neither has a launch MSRP in the database.