NVIDIA N1X 40SM vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation occupy different positions in the mobile computing landscape, and the recorded data shows a clear split in their intended strengths. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation is built for traditional graphics and compute workloads, while the N1X 40SM appears oriented toward a specific integrated platform role.

The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation delivers higher raw throughput in several key metrics. Its FP32 compute reaches 24.72 TFLOPS, slightly ahead of the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. The same pattern holds for FP16, with the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation posting 24.72 TFLOPS versus 24.02 TFLOPS. This advantage, though narrow, gives the Ada-based part a marginal edge in general-purpose shader workloads.

The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation also wins decisively in memory bandwidth. The database records 432.0 GB/s for the Ada part, compared to 273.2 GB/s for the N1X 40SM. That 158.8 GB/s gap is substantial and directly impacts throughput in bandwidth-sensitive tasks such as texture-heavy rendering, data processing, and certain compute kernels.

Pixel throughput also favors the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation. Its 133.2 GPixel/s exceeds the N1X 40SM's 93.84 GPixel/s by roughly 42%. Rasterization-heavy workloads, where pixel fill rate matters, will show a measurable difference.

The N1X 40SM, however, wins in texture throughput. Its 750.7 GTexel/s is markedly higher than the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's 386.3 GTexel/s, nearly double. This suggests the N1X 40SM is tuned for situations where texture sampling dominates, possibly reflecting a different workload priority in its Blackwell IGP design.

The N1X 40SM also offers a much larger memory pool. It carries 128 GB of LPDDR5X, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 12 GB of GDDR6. For workloads that require holding very large datasets on-device, the N1X 40SM's memory capacity is a clear advantage, though the Ada part's bandwidth is superior.

In terms of shading resources, the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has more shading units at 7424 versus 5120, more RT cores at 58 versus 40, and more tensor cores at 232 versus 160. These counts give the Ada part a structural lead in parallel compute and ray tracing. The N1X 40SM counters with more TMUs at 320 versus 232, reinforcing its texture-focused profile.

The N1X 40SM also runs at a higher boost clock: 2346 MHz versus 1665 MHz. Its base clock is lower at 741 MHz versus 1290 MHz, but the boost behavior indicates a design that can scale up aggressively when needed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute?

A: The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation leads in FP32 with 24.72 TFLOPS, while the N1X 40SM records 24.02 TFLOPS. The difference is 0.70 TFLOPS in favor of the Ada part.

Q: Which GPU provides more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation offers 432.0 GB/s, compared to the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s. This gives the Ada part a 158.8 GB/s advantage.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 12 GB of GDDR6. The N1X 40SM provides more than ten times the capacity.

Q: Which GPU has higher texture fill rate?

A: The N1X 40SM records 750.7 GTexel/s, significantly ahead of the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's 386.3 GTexel/s. The N1X 40SM nearly doubles the Ada part's texture throughput.

Q: What are the pixel rates for both GPUs?

A: The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation reaches 133.2 GPixel/s, while the N1X 40SM achieves 93.84 GPixel/s. The Ada part holds a roughly 42% lead in pixel fill rate.

Q: Which GPU has more tensor cores?

A: The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 232 tensor cores, compared to 160 on the N1X 40SM. The Ada part provides 72 additional tensor cores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct head-to-head benchmark scores for these two parts. Both entries show an average benchmark score of 0 and an empty head-to-head benchmark array. The percentile versus all GPUs is identical at 50 for each. This means the comparison must rely on the specification-derived metrics available in the database.

The most significant win for the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation is memory bandwidth. At 432.0 GB/s, it outperforms the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s by 58.1%. This is the largest relative gap between the two in any measured specification. For workloads that saturate memory, this difference will dominate performance.

Pixel rate is another clear Ada win. The 133.2 GPixel/s figure beats the N1X 40SM's 93.84 GPixel/s by 39.36 GPixel/s, a 42.0% advantage. Rasterization stages that depend on pixel output will favor the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation.

FP32 and FP16 compute both slightly favor the Ada part. The 24.72 TFLOPS figure is 0.70 TFLOPS above the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS, a 2.9% lead. This margin is small enough that real-world differences may be negligible, but the database records it as a consistent edge.

The N1X 40SM's dominant win is texture rate. Its 750.7 GTexel/s is 364.4 GTexel/s higher than the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's 386.3 GTexel/s, a 94.3% advantage. This is the largest relative win for the N1X 40SM in any metric, nearly doubling the Ada part's texture throughput.

The N1X 40SM also leads in boost clock. At 2346 MHz, it runs 681 MHz higher than the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's 1665 MHz boost. This clock advantage helps explain its strong texture rate despite fewer shading units.

Memory type and capacity also differentiate the two. The N1X 40SM uses LPDDR5X with 128 GB capacity, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses GDDR6 with 12 GB. The N1X 40SM's capacity is 116 GB larger, but the Ada part's GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective delivers higher bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification field. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, while the N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture. Both are manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process, but the die sizes differ: the N1X 40SM measures 382 mm², while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation measures 294 mm². The Ada part has a known transistor count of 35,800 million and a density of 121.8M per mm², whereas the N1X 40SM's transistor count is listed as unknown.

Clock behavior diverges significantly. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation runs at a higher base of 1290 MHz but a lower boost of 1665 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the N1X 40SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective.

Memory configuration is a major split. The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 432.0 GB/s. The N1X 40SM offers more capacity and a wider bus, but the Ada part achieves higher bandwidth through faster memory.

Compute resources differ in count and distribution. The N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The Ada part has 2304 more shading units and double the ROPs, while the N1X 40SM has 88 more TMUs. RT core counts are 40 for the N1X 40SM and 58 for the Ada part, and tensor core counts are 160 versus 232.

Power and interface specifications also differ. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has a TDP of 110 W, while the N1X 40SM's TDP is listed as unknown. The N1X 40SM uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Both are integrated graphics (IGP) with no power connectors. Display outputs differ: the N1X 40SM has 1x HDMI, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

API support shows a clear split. The RTX 4000 Mobile 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. This indicates the N1X 40SM may rely on a different software stack, while the Ada part provides full conventional graphics API compatibility.

Release dates differ by more than three years. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation was released on March 20, 2023, while the N1X 40SM appears with a release date of May 31, 2026. The Ada part lists its predecessor as Ampere-MW and successor as Blackwell-MW, while the N1X 40SM lists neither.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The N1X 40SM is built on Blackwell 2.0 and belongs to the Blackwell IGP generation, specifically the N1x family. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation is built on Ada Lovelace and belongs to the Ada-MW generation. These are fundamentally different architecture generations, with Blackwell 2.0 representing a newer design family than Ada Lovelace.

The chip designs reflect this divergence. The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses AD104. Die size favors the N1X 40SM at 382 mm² versus 294 mm², a difference of 88 mm². The Ada part's transistor density is recorded at 121.8M per mm², while the N1X 40SM's transistor count and density are unknown.

Core architecture differs in structure and count. The N1X 40SM deploys 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 40 ROPs. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The Ada part's higher shading unit and ROP counts suggest a more conventional graphics pipeline, while the N1X 40SM's higher TMU count indicates a texture-centric design.

Ray tracing and tensor processing follow the same pattern. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores, while the N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores. The Ada part provides 18 more RT cores and 72 more tensor cores, giving it more parallel capacity for ray-traced scenes and AI-accelerated workloads.

Memory architecture shows different design priorities. The N1X 40SM uses LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, which is a wide, lower-power configuration. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, a narrower but faster configuration. The N1X 40SM's 128 GB capacity is far larger, while the Ada part's 432.0 GB/s bandwidth is far higher.

Clock behavior indicates different operating strategies. The N1X 40SM's boost clock of 2346 MHz is notably higher than the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation's 1665 MHz, suggesting the N1X 40SM relies on burst performance. Its base clock of 741 MHz is lower than the Ada part's 1290 MHz, pointing to a design that idles lower but scales higher.

The process node is the same at 5 nm from TSMC, but the architectural implementations diverge. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it a full-featured graphics API implementation. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for all three APIs, which suggests its role may be tied to a proprietary or limited software environment rather than general-purpose graphics.

The bus interface also differs. The N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The newer PCIe generation on the N1X 40SM provides a faster host interface, though both are x16. Power connective is absent for both, as both are classified as IGP with no power connectors. The RTX 4000 Mobile Ada Generation carries a 110 W TDP, while the N1X 40SM's TDP is unknown.