NVIDIA N1X 40SM vs NVIDIA RTX A1000 Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the NVIDIA N1X 40SM?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It uses the GB20B chip and is part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. It has a production status of Active and was released on May 31, 2026.

Q: What is the NVIDIA RTX A1000?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A1000 is a discrete workstation graphics card based on the Ampere architecture, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It uses the GA107 chip and is part of the Workstation Ampere (Ax000) generation. It was released on April 15, 2024, and remains Active in production.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ between the two cards?

A: The N1X 40SM comes with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A1000 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the API support differences between the two?

A: The RTX A1000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating no standard API support is recorded.

Q: What benchmark scores does the RTX A1000 have?

A: The RTX A1000 scores 969 in 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), 52078 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 49574 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 34207, placing it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Which cards are the nearest rivals to the RTX A1000 by average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (average score 34154, delta 0.2%), AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34133, delta 0.2%), NVIDIA TITAN V (34355, delta -0.4%), and AMD Radeon RX 480 (33997, delta 0.6%).

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM and NVIDIA RTX A1000 represent two fundamentally different design approaches from NVIDIA. The N1X 40SM is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and uses the GB20B chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. In contrast, the RTX A1000 uses the older Ampere architecture with the GA107 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The N1X 40SM's die size is 382 mm², while the RTX A1000's die is 200 mm² with 8,700 million transistors and a transistor density of 43.5M per mm². The N1X 40SM's transistor count is listed as unknown.

The core configurations differ substantially. The N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, 40 ROPs, 40 ray tracing cores, and 160 tensor cores. The RTX A1000 has 2304 shading units, 72 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 18 ray tracing cores, and 72 tensor cores. These differences reflect the N1X 40SM's much larger compute footprint, despite being an integrated part.

Clock behavior also diverges. The N1X 40SM runs at a base clock of 741 MHz and boosts to 2346 MHz, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). The RTX A1000 has a base clock of 727 MHz and a lower boost of 1462 MHz, with memory at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The N1X 40SM's higher boost clock contributes to its throughput advantages.

The memory architecture is another major split. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX A1000 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. The N1X 40SM's bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s exceeds the RTX A1000's 192.0 GB/s, but the RTX A1000 uses faster effective memory speed per pin. The N1X 40SM has no power connectors and is an IGP, whereas the RTX A1000 is a single-slot card with no external power connectors and a 50 W TDP, with a suggested PSU of 250 W.

The RTX A1000 provides four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the N1X 40SM offers only one HDMI output. The bus interfaces also differ: the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX A1000 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. API support is recorded for the RTX A1000 (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), but the N1X 40SM lists N/A across all three APIs. The N1X 40SM has no predecessor or successor listed, while the RTX A1000's predecessor is Quadro Turing and its successor is Workstation Ada.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct head-to-head benchmark data between the N1X 40SM and RTX A1000 is not recorded in the database. However, the RTX A1000 has its own benchmark results, while the N1X 40SM has no individual benchmark scores and an average benchmark score of zero. The N1X 40SM sits in the 50th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX A1000 sits in the 79th percentile.

The RTX A1000's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 969 is a representative low-level graphics test result. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX A1000 scores 52078, and in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 49574. These are the only recorded benchmark scores in the database for either product. The N1X 40SM lacks any benchmark entries, so no direct performance delta can be computed between the two.

The RTX A1000's average benchmark score of 34207 places it near several close competitors. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB scores 34154, a delta of 0.2% behind the A1000. The AMD Radeon RX 560 XT scores 34133, also 0.2% behind. The NVIDIA TITAN V scores 34355, which is 0.4% ahead of the A1000. The AMD Radeon RX 480 scores 33997, 0.6% behind. These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating that the RTX A1000 sits in a tightly contested performance tier.

For the N1X 40SM, the absence of benchmark scores means the database records zero wins in head-to-head comparisons. The wins count for both products is zero. Any performance interpretation must rely on architectural specifications rather than measured results.

The pixel rate for the N1X 40SM is 93.84 GPixel/s, while the RTX A1000 achieves 46.78 GPixel/s. The texture rate for the N1X 40SM is 750.7 GTexel/s versus 105.3 GTexel/s for the RTX A1000. FP32 throughput for the N1X 40SM is 24.02 TFLOPS, and FP16 is also 24.02 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The RTX A1000 delivers 6.737 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, also at 1:1.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measured specification. The process node is 5 nm for the N1X 40SM versus 8 nm for the RTX A1000. Foundries differ: TSMC for the N1X 40SM, Samsung for the RTX A1000. The die size is 382 mm² for the N1X 40SM versus 200 mm² for the RTX A1000. The RTX A1000 has 8,700 million transistors and a density of 43.5M per mm², while the N1X 40SM's transistor count is unknown and density is not recorded.

Clock speeds differ in both base and boost. The N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost of 2346 MHz. The RTX A1000 has a base clock of 727 MHz and a boost of 1462 MHz. Memory clock is 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for the N1X 40SM and 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) for the RTX A1000.

Memory capacity is a major differentiator: 128 GB LPDDR5X for the N1X 40SM versus 8 GB GDDR6 for the RTX A1000. The bus width is 256 bit for the N1X 40SM and 128 bit for the RTX A1000. Bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s.

Shader resources are heavily skewed toward the N1X 40SM: 5120 shading units versus 2304. TMUs are 320 versus 72. ROPs are 40 versus 32. Ray tracing cores are 40 versus 18. Tensor cores are 160 versus 72.

Throughput rates show the same pattern. Pixel rate is 93.84 GPixel/s versus 46.78 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 750.7 GTexel/s versus 105.3 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 24.02 TFLOPS for the N1X 40SM, while the RTX A1000 manages 6.737 TFLOPS in each.

Physical and power characteristics diverge. The N1X 40SM is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The RTX A1000 is single-slot, has no power connectors, a 50 W TDP, and a suggested PSU of 250 W. Dimensions for the RTX A1000 are 163 mm by 69 mm; the N1X 40SM has no recorded dimensions.

The bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1X 40SM and PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX A1000. Display outputs are one HDMI for the N1X 40SM and four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX A1000. API support is N/A for the N1X 40SM, while the RTX A1000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Release dates differ by over two years: the N1X 40SM was released May 31, 2026, while the RTX A1000 was released April 15, 2024. The RTX A1000 has a predecessor (Quadro Turing) and successor (Workstation Ada), while the N1X 40SM has neither recorded.

Where Each One Wins

The N1X 40SM wins on raw compute specifications. Its FP32 throughput of 24.02 TFLOPS is more than 3.5 times the RTX A1000's 6.737 TFLOPS. Texture rate is 750.7 GTexel/s versus 105.3 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 93.84 GPixel/s versus 46.78 GPixel/s. The N1X 40SM also has more than double the shading units, TMUs, ROPs, ray tracing cores, and tensor cores. Its memory capacity of 128 GB dwarfs the 8 GB on the RTX A1000, and its bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s exceeds 192.0 GB/s.

The RTX A1000 wins on measured benchmark presence and ecosystem readiness. It has recorded scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad, Geekbench OpenCL, and Geekbench Vulkan, with an average benchmark score of 34207 and a 79th percentile ranking. The N1X 40SM has no benchmark scores and sits at the 50th percentile with an average score of zero. The RTX A1000 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 40SM lists N/A for all APIs.

The RTX A1000 also wins on practical deployment flexibility. It is a single-slot card with four mini-DisplayPort outputs, a 50 W TDP, and a compact 163 mm length. The N1X 40SM is an integrated part with a single HDMI output and no power connectors. The RTX A1000 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, but the N1X 40SM's API limitations could restrict software compatibility.

The N1X 40SM's advantages are purely architectural in the recorded data. Its 5 nm process, larger die, and higher boost clock of 2346 MHz suggest headroom for compute workloads, but the absence of benchmark results means the database cannot confirm real-world performance. The RTX A1000's 8 nm process and lower boost clock of 1462 MHz are offset by its validated benchmark scores and mature driver and API stack.

In a use-case split, the N1X 40SM would appeal to scenarios requiring massive memory capacity and high compute throughput, such as large-scale data processing or AI inference, based on its 128 GB LPDDR5X and 160 tensor cores. The RTX A1000 would suit workstation graphics tasks where software compatibility and validated performance matter, given its DirectX 12 Ultimate support and recorded benchmark scores.

The RTX A1000's nearest rivals show it holds a stable position. It sits within 0.6% of four competing products, with the TITAN V slightly ahead at 0.4% and the RX 480 slightly behind at 0.6%. This clustering indicates the RTX A1000 is competitively positioned within its performance tier. The N1X 40SM has no nearest rivals recorded, so its competitive context cannot be established from the data.

The N1X 40SM's 256-bit memory bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth suggest strong memory-bound performance, but the RTX A1000's higher effective memory speed of 12 Gbps versus 8.5 Gbps indicates a different memory optimization strategy. The RTX A1000's GDDR6 memory on a narrower bus is a conventional workstation design, while the N1X 40SM's LPDDR5X on a wider bus reflects an integrated design with different constraints.

The RTX A1000's 18 ray tracing cores and 72 tensor cores provide dedicated acceleration for graphics and AI workloads, but the N1X 40SM's 40 ray tracing cores and 160 tensor cores outnumber them on paper. The lack of API support data for the N1X 40SM, however, leaves its software readiness unverified. The RTX A1000's 4.6 OpenGL and 1.4 Vulkan support align with modern workstation requirements.

The N1X 40SM's 50th percentile ranking versus the RTX A1000's 79th percentile reflects the RTX A1000's measured performance advantage in the database. The N1X 40SM's zero average benchmark score, despite its superior specifications, means its percentile is based on no recorded data. The RTX A1000's 34207 average score is the only quantified performance indicator between the two.