NVIDIA N1X 40SM vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the core specifications of the NVIDIA N1X 40SM and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses a GB20B chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses an AD104 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory configurations of these two GPUs compare?

A: The N1X 40SM features 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 360.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is higher than the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS.

Q: What are the pixel and texture rates for each GPU?

A: The N1X 40SM has a pixel rate of 93.84 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 750.7 GTexel/s. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a pixel rate of 139.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 417.6 GTexel/s.

Q: What benchmark scores are recorded for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation records a Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 123842, with an average benchmark score of 135218.

Q: What are the physical and interface differences between the two?

A: The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, displaying through a single HDMI port. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is a single-slot card with a 1x 16-pin power connector, a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, and four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent different design philosophies and architectural generations. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB20B chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It is classified as an integrated graphics processor within the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. In contrast, the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation utilizes the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, also on a 5 nm TSMC process, but as part of the Workstation Ada generation.

The transistor counts reveal a significant difference in complexity. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation contains 35,800 million transistors on a die size of 294 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The N1X 40SM has a larger die size of 382 mm², but its transistor count is listed as unknown, making direct density comparison impossible from recorded data.

Core configuration differences are notable. The N1X 40SM allocates 5120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 40 ROPs. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation allocates 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. This means the N1X 40SM has more TMUs, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has more shading units and ROPs. Ray tracing and tensor core counts also differ: the N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores.

Clock speeds show a different operating profile. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a much higher base clock of 1500 MHz but a lower boost clock of 2175 MHz. Memory clocks are also distinct, with the N1X 40SM running at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) and the RTX 4000 Ada Generation at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

API support separates the two further. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support in the recorded data, suggesting its role is not oriented toward conventional graphics API workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins in raw compute throughput. Its FP32 performance of 26.73 TFLOPS exceeds the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. The pixel rate also favors the RTX 4000 Ada Generation, delivering 139.2 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s, a substantial margin that indicates stronger rasterization throughput for display-heavy workloads.

The N1X 40SM wins in texture processing. Its texture rate of 750.7 GTexel/s is nearly double the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's 417.6 GTexel/s. This advantage stems from its higher TMU count of 320 versus 192. For workloads that rely heavily on texture fetches and filtering, the N1X 40SM has a clear edge.

Memory capacity strongly favors the N1X 40SM. It carries 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, which dwarfs the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus. However, memory bandwidth favors the RTX 4000 Ada Generation at 360.0 GB/s compared to 273.2 GB/s, meaning the smaller memory pool operates faster.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the only one of the two with recorded benchmark data. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 and Vulkan score of 123842 place it at the 95th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The N1X 40SM sits at the 50th percentile with an average benchmark score of 0, indicating no comparable benchmark results are available for it.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: GB20B for the N1X 40SM, AD104 for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation
• Architecture: Blackwell 2.0 versus Ada Lovelace
• Generation: Blackwell IGP (N1x) versus Workstation Ada
• Transistors: Unknown versus 35,800 million
• Die Size: 382 mm² versus 294 mm²
• Transistor Density: Not listed versus 121.8M / mm²
• Base Clock: 741 MHz versus 1500 MHz
• Boost Clock: 2346 MHz versus 2175 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1067 MHz 8.5 Gbps effective versus 2250 MHz 18 Gbps effective
• Memory Size: 128 GB versus 20 GB
• Memory Type: LPDDR5X versus GDDR6
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit versus 160 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 273.2 GB/s versus 360.0 GB/s
• Shading Units: 5120 versus 6144
• TMUs: 320 versus 192
• ROPs: 40 versus 64
• RT Cores: 40 versus 48
• Tensor Cores: 160 versus 192
• Pixel Rate: 93.84 GPixel/s versus 139.2 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 750.7 GTexel/s versus 417.6 GTexel/s
• FP32: 24.02 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS
• FP16: 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 26.73 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: Unknown versus 130 W
• Slot Width: IGP versus Single-slot
• Power Connectors: None versus 1x 16-pin
• Suggested PSU: Not listed versus 300 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x HDMI versus 4x DisplayPort 1.4a
• API Support: N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan versus 12 Ultimate (12_2), 4.6, 1.4
• Dimensions: Not listed versus 245 mm length, 112 mm height
• Release Date: 2026-05-31 versus 2023-08-08
• Predecessor: Not listed versus Workstation Ampere
• Successor: Not listed versus Blackwell PRO W

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs. However, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has standalone benchmark results that provide context. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 123842 yield an average benchmark score of 135218. This places it in the 95th percentile of all GPUs tracked in the database.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4000 Ada Generation show tight competition. The NVIDIA A10M scores 135230, a delta of 0 percent. The AMD Radeon PRO W6800 scores 135396, which is 0.1 percent ahead. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo scores 135774, 0.4 percent ahead. The AMD Radeon PRO V620 scores 136472, 0.9 percent ahead. These small deltas indicate the RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits squarely in a competitive mid-range workstation segment.

For the N1X 40SM, no benchmark scores or rival comparisons exist in the database. Its percentile ranking of 50 and average benchmark score of 0 reflect the absence of recorded performance data. The FP32 throughput difference between the two GPUs is 2.71 TFLOPS in favor of the RTX 4000 Ada Generation, which represents an 11.3 percent advantage. The pixel rate gap is larger, with the RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivering 48.4 percent more pixels per second. The texture rate gap swings the other way, with the N1X 40SM delivering 79.7 percent more texels per second.

Memory bandwidth favors the RTX 4000 Ada Generation by 31.8 percent, while memory capacity favors the N1X 40SM by a factor of 6.4. These numbers indicate the two GPUs are optimized for different workload profiles rather than direct competition.

The Verdict

The data indicates these GPUs serve fundamentally different purposes. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an integrated processor with a massive 128 GB memory pool and a texture processing advantage. Its 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate and 320 TMUs suggest a design optimized for data-heavy or texture-intensive tasks rather than conventional graphics rendering. The absence of API support for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan reinforces this interpretation.

The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation is a workstation-class discrete card with proven benchmark performance. Its 95th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 135218 demonstrate real-world capability in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. The 26.73 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, 139.2 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 360.0 GB/s memory bandwidth make it a stronger choice for compute and rendering tasks. Its 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores add hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI workloads.

For users prioritizing raw compute, pixel throughput, and established benchmark performance, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the clear choice. Its 6.4 times smaller memory capacity is offset by faster bandwidth and a complete API stack. For workloads requiring enormous memory capacity or extremely high texture throughput, the N1X 40SM has structural advantages that no discrete card in this comparison can match.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the only one with measurable performance data, and that data confirms it as a top-tier workstation GPU. The N1X 40SM remains an unverified entity in the database, with specifications that point toward a specialized integrated role. Without benchmark results, its practical performance cannot be confirmed, and the 50th percentile ranking reflects that uncertainty. The verdict from recorded data is clear: the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the proven performer, while the N1X 40SM is a high-capacity specialist with untested graphics capabilities.