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

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation occupy different positions in the database. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a workstation card with recorded benchmark scores, while the N1X 40SM has no benchmark entries and sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation ranks at the 95th percentile, a substantial gap that indicates the workstation card delivers significantly stronger measured performance.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation records a Geekbench OpenCL score of 124,812 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 109,364. Its average benchmark score across these tests is 117,088. The N1X 40SM has an average benchmark score of zero and no recorded tests, meaning the database contains no direct performance measurements for this part. The wins in measured workloads go entirely to the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for a different context entirely. It uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip and integrates 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory. This configuration points toward a unified memory architecture typical of integrated platforms, where the GPU shares memory with the host system. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a discrete dual-slot workstation card with 20 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus.

The use-case split is clear from the data. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation delivers measurable compute performance with a 95th percentile ranking, making it suitable for workstation workloads where verified performance matters. The N1X 40SM, with its 50th percentile placement and no benchmarks, appears oriented toward integrated system designs where the GPU is part of a larger platform rather than a standalone accelerator.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures. The N1X 40SM uses Blackwell 2.0 on the GB20B chip, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace on the AD104 chip. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the similarities end there.

The N1X 40SM has a die size of 382 mm², which is larger than the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 294 mm². The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has a published transistor count of 35,800 million and a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The N1X 40SM's transistor count is listed as unknown, so no density figure is available.

Shading unit counts differ meaningfully. The N1X 40SM carries 5,120 shading units, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has 6,144. The N1X 40SM has 320 texture mapping units versus 192 for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. Raster operation units favor the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation at 64 versus 40 for the N1X 40SM. Ray tracing cores number 40 on the N1X 40SM and 48 on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. Tensor cores are 160 on the N1X 40SM and 192 on the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

Clock behavior diverges sharply. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation runs at a 720 MHz base and a 1560 MHz boost. The N1X 40SM's boost clock is substantially higher, which helps explain its higher texture rate of 750.7 GTexel/s compared to 299.5 GTexel/s for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. The pixel rates are closer: 93.84 GPixel/s for the N1X 40SM and 99.84 GPixel/s for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus with 280.0 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clocks reflect this: 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1X 40SM and 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

Floating-point throughput also differs. The N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 and the same 24.02 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation delivers 19.17 TFLOPS FP32 and 19.17 TFLOPS FP16, also at a 1:1 ratio. The N1X 40SM has a higher raw compute ceiling despite having fewer shading units, which points to the clock speed advantage.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists API support as N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. This indicates the N1X 40SM is not positioned for traditional graphics API workloads in the same way.

FAQ

Q: How does the N1X 40SM compare to the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation in memory capacity?

A: The N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has 20 GB of GDDR6. The N1X 40SM's capacity is six times larger, but the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has a slightly higher memory bandwidth at 280.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has higher raw FP32 compute throughput?

A: The N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS FP32, which is higher than the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 19.17 TFLOPS FP32. The N1X 40SM achieves this despite having fewer shading units (5,120 versus 6,144) because of its higher boost clock of 2346 MHz versus 1560 MHz.

Q: What is the percentile ranking difference between the two GPUs?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation ranks at the 95th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the N1X 40SM ranks at the 50th percentile. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has an average benchmark score of 117,088, whereas the N1X 40SM has no recorded benchmark scores.

Q: Does the N1X 40SM support the same graphics APIs as the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation?

A: No. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists all three APIs as N/A, indicating it is not configured for standard graphics API workloads.

Q: What are the physical form factor differences?

A: The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no slot width and no power connectors. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is a dual-slot card measuring 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length and 69 mm (2.7 inches) in height, also with no power connectors.

Q: How does the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation scores 0.3% below the NVIDIA GB10, 1.6% below the AMD Radeon PRO W7700, 2.4% above the NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, and 2.8% above the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile. Its average score of 117,088 places it between these competing parts.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

| Specification | NVIDIA N1X 40SM | NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Blackwell 2.0 | Ada Lovelace |

| Chip | GB20B | AD104 |

| Generation | Blackwell IGP (N1x) | Workstation Ada |

| Die size | 382 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistors | unknown | 35,800 million |

| Transistor density | null | 121.8M / mm² |

| Base clock | 741 MHz | 720 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2346 MHz | 1560 MHz |

| Memory clock | 1067 MHz 8.5 Gbps effective | 1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective |

| Memory size | 128 GB | 20 GB |

| Memory type | LPDDR5X | GDDR6 |

| Memory bus width | 256 bit | 160 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 273.2 GB/s | 280.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 5120 | 6144 |

| TMUs | 320 | 192 |

| ROPs | 40 | 64 |

| RT cores | 40 | 48 |

| Tensor cores | 160 | 192 |

| Pixel rate | 93.84 GPixel/s | 99.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 750.7 GTexel/s | 299.5 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 24.02 TFLOPS | 19.17 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) | 19.17 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | unknown | 70 W |

| Slot width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Suggested PSU | null | 250 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 1x HDMI | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | N/A | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| OpenGL | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | N/A | 1.4 |

| Dimensions | null | 168 mm, 69 mm |

| Release date | 2026-05-31 | 2023-03-20 |

| Predecessor | null | Workstation Ampere |

| Successor | null | Blackwell PRO W |

| Percentile | 50 | 95 |

| Average benchmark score | 0 | 117088 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the N1X 40SM and the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation. The wins count is zero for both parts in this pairing. However, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation has standalone benchmark results that establish its performance baseline.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation scores 124,812. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 109,364. The average of these two results is 117,088, which places the card at the 95th percentile overall. The N1X 40SM has no recorded benchmark scores, so its average sits at zero and its percentile is 50.

The nearest rival comparisons for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation show how it stacks against other workstation parts. The NVIDIA GB10 averages 117,393, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO W7700 averages 118,976, which is 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB averages 114,395, which is 2.4% lower. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile averages 113,944, which is 2.8% lower. These deltas place the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation in a competitive position among workstation GPUs.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation shows a meaningful gap between its OpenCL and Vulkan scores. The OpenCL result of 124,812 is 14.1% higher than the Vulkan result of 109,364. This indicates the card's compute performance through OpenCL is stronger than its Vulkan graphics workload performance, which is consistent with a workstation-oriented design.

For the N1X 40SM, the only measurable data points are its architectural specifications. The 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 figure is higher than the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 19.17 TFLOPS, and the 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate is more than double the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation's 299.5 GTexel/s. These figures suggest the N1X 40SM has theoretical compute advantages, but without benchmark scores, the actual delivered performance cannot be verified.

The Verdict

The data distinguishes these two GPUs by role and measured performance. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the only one with recorded benchmark results, and those results place it at the 95th percentile. Its average score of 117,088 is competitive with the NVIDIA GB10 at 117,393 and the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 at 118,976, while clearly ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB and the RTX A5500 Mobile. This card is a verified workstation performer with broad API support including DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The N1X 40SM presents a different profile. It is an integrated GPU with no standalone benchmarks, no API support listed, and a 50th percentile ranking. Its architectural specifications are notable: 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, 24.02 TFLOPS FP32, and a 2346 MHz boost clock. These numbers exceed the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation in raw compute terms. The N1X 40SM also uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the appropriate choice for workloads that require verified performance, standard graphics APIs, and a compact dual-slot form factor with four mini-DisplayPort outputs. Its 70 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU make it suitable for systems with modest power budgets. The N1X 40SM targets integrated platforms where the GPU is built into the system, offering a large unified memory pool of 128 GB and higher theoretical compute throughput, but its lack of benchmark data and API support means measured performance cannot be confirmed.

The specification sheet favors the N1X 40SM in FP32 throughput, texture rate, memory capacity, and bus interface generation. The benchmark data favors the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation in every recorded metric. For users requiring proven compute results, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the validated option. For integrated system designs where the GPU is part of a larger platform and raw specifications matter more than measured benchmarks, the N1X 40SM offers higher theoretical capabilities.