NVIDIA N1X 40SM vs NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the primary architectural difference between the NVIDIA N1X 40SM and the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation?

A: The N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses the AD102 chip based on Ada Lovelace architecture. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a much larger die at 609 mm² versus 382 mm² for the N1X 40SM.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation delivers 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth using 32 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The N1X 40SM offers 273.2 GB/s with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, also on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation provides more than double the bandwidth.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw FP32 compute performance?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation reaches 65.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to 24.02 TFLOPS for the N1X 40SM. This represents a 2.7 times advantage in raw compute throughput for the workstation card.

Q: What is the percentile ranking of each GPU in the database?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation sits at the 98th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 184,664. The N1X 40SM has a 50th percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 0, as no benchmark results are currently recorded for it.

Q: Which GPU supports newer PCIe and API standards?

A: The N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan APIs. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: How does the RTX 5000 Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5000 Ada Generation scores 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB, 1.4% higher than the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, and 3.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D. It trails the A100 SXM4 40 GB by 1.3%.

Architecture Differences

The N1X 40SM and RTX 5000 Ada Generation represent two distinct design philosophies from NVIDIA. The N1X 40SM is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB20B chip, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip. Both are manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the physical implementations diverge significantly.

The N1X 40SM has a die size of 382 mm², while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation packs a substantially larger 609 mm² die. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation contains 76,300 million transistors with a transistor density of 125.3M per mm², whereas the transistor count for the N1X 40SM is listed as unknown in the database.

The shading unit count illustrates a major architectural gap. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation features 12,800 shading units, 400 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs. The N1X 40SM, by contrast, has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, and only 40 ROPs. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation also carries 100 RT cores and 400 tensor cores, versus 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores on the N1X 40SM.

Clock behavior differs as well. The N1X 40SM runs at a base clock of 741 MHz with a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation starts higher at 1155 MHz base and boosts to 2550 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the N1X 40SM uses LPDDR5X at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses GDDR6 at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

The N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and a slot width of IGP. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is a dual-slot card requiring a 1x 16-pin power connector, with a 250 W TDP and a suggested 600 W power supply. The N1X 40SM has a single HDMI output, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation offers four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

The N1X 40SM connects via PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 5000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16. API support is another differentiator: the N1X 40SM reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, whereas the RTX 5000 Ada Generation supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

The data shows two GPUs with fundamentally different roles. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation is a fully featured workstation graphics card with extensive API support, a 98th percentile ranking, and a recorded average benchmark score of 184,664. Its nearest rivals include the A100 SXM4 80 GB at 0.5% lower, the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell at 1.4% lower, and the GeForce RTX 4090 D at 3.7% lower.

The N1X 40SM, while active in production, has no recorded benchmarks and a 50th percentile placeholder ranking. Its average benchmark score is 0, meaning the database has no performance data to evaluate it against the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. The N1X 40SM also reports no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support, which limits its applicability for standard workstation graphics workloads.

For users requiring established workstation performance, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the only option with verifiable data. Its 65.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute, 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, and 32 GB of GDDR6 memory place it in the top tier of the database. The N1X 40SM offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory and a PCIe 5.0 interface, but without benchmark results or API support, its real-world capabilities remain unquantified.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a transistor count of 76,300 million and a die size of 609 mm², while the N1X 40SM has an unknown transistor count and a 382 mm² die. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a transistor density of 125.3M per mm², which is not reported for the N1X 40SM.

Memory configuration separates them clearly. The N1X 40SM provides 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation provides 32 GB of GDDR6 with the same 256-bit bus but 576.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Core counts favor the RTX 5000 Ada Generation across the board: 12,800 shading units versus 5,120, 400 TMUs versus 320, 176 ROPs versus 40, 100 RT cores versus 40, and 400 tensor cores versus 160. Pixel rate reaches 448.8 GPixel/s on the RTX 5000 Ada Generation versus 93.84 GPixel/s on the N1X 40SM. Texture rate reaches 1,020.0 GTexel/s versus 750.7 GTexel/s.

FP32 and FP16 performance are both 65.28 TFLOPS on the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, compared to 24.02 TFLOPS on the N1X 40SM. Power requirements differ: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a 250 W TDP, a dual-slot form factor, a 1x 16-pin power connector, and a suggested 600 W PSU. The N1X 40SM has no power connectors and an IGP slot width.

The bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1X 40SM and PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. Display outputs are 1x HDMI for the N1X 40SM and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation measures 267 mm in length and 112 mm in height, while the N1X 40SM has no recorded dimensions.

Release dates differ by nearly three years: the RTX 5000 Ada Generation launched on 2023-08-08, and the N1X 40SM on 2026-05-31. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation lists its predecessor as Workstation Ampere and its successor as Blackwell PRO W, while the N1X 40SM has no predecessor or successor recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the N1X 40SM and the RTX 5000 Ada Generation. The wins counter shows 0 for both GPUs, and the head-to-head benchmarks array is empty.

What the database does provide is benchmark data for the RTX 5000 Ada Generation alone. It scores 175,286 in Geekbench OpenCL and 194,041 in Geekbench Vulkan, giving an average benchmark score of 184,664. The N1X 40SM has no benchmark entries at all, so direct performance comparison is not possible from recorded measurements.

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation's nearest rival comparisons show a tight competitive field. It surpasses the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB by 0.5%, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell by 1.4%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D by 3.7%. It falls short of the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB by 1.3%. These deltas place the RTX 5000 Ada Generation at the top of its immediate competitive set.

Without any recorded benchmarks for the N1X 40SM, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation stands as the only GPU in this comparison with measurable performance data. The N1X 40SM's 50th percentile ranking appears to be a placeholder rather than a result derived from actual benchmark runs, given its average score of 0.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation wins in every category where data exists. Its 65.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute is 2.7 times the N1X 40SM's 24.02 TFLOPS. Its 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is more than double the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s. Its 448.8 GPixel/s pixel rate and 1,020.0 GTexel/s texture rate dwarf the N1X 40SM's 93.84 GPixel/s and 750.7 GTexel/s.

The RTX 5000 Ada Generation also wins on API support, offering DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 40SM reports N/A for all three. For workstation software that relies on these APIs, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is the functional choice.

The N1X 40SM wins on memory capacity with 128 GB versus 32 GB, and on bus interface with PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Its IGP form factor requires no power connectors, which suits integrated system designs. Its 5 nm process node matches the RTX 5000 Ada Generation, but its smaller 382 mm² die suggests a more power-efficient footprint, though no TDP is recorded for the N1X 40SM.

In terms of production status, both GPUs are active. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has a release date of 2023-08-08, while the N1X 40SM is dated 2026-05-31. The RTX 5000 Ada Generation has an established benchmark track record and a 98th percentile ranking. The N1X 40SM has no benchmarks and a 50th percentile ranking, making it impossible to identify specific workloads where it would outperform the RTX 5000 Ada Generation based on the recorded data.