NVIDIA N1X 48SM vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the core counts of the NVIDIA N1X 48SM and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM contains 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, 48 render output units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation contains 5120 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, 40 ray tracing cores, and 160 tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory subsystems differ between the two GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation uses 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the clock speed ranges for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has a base clock of 1110 MHz and a boost clock of 1545 MHz.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation delivers 15.82 TFLOPS. Both GPUs achieve their FP16 throughput at a 1:1 ratio with FP32.

Q: What process nodes do the two chips use?

A: Both the NVIDIA N1X 48SM (chip GB20B) and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation (chip AD104) are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process node.

Q: What is the production status and release timing for each product?

A: Both GPUs are marked as Active in production. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has a release date of 2026-05-31, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has a release date of 2023-03-20.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM holds a decisive advantage in raw computational throughput across multiple metrics. Its FP32 figure of 28.83 TFLOPS is nearly double the 15.82 TFLOPS posted by the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation. This advantage extends to texture processing, where the N1X 48SM reaches 900.9 GTexel/s versus 247.2 GTexel/s for the RTX 3500. The N1X 48SM also leads in pixel throughput with 112.6 GPixel/s compared to 98.88 GPixel/s. For workloads that stress shader compute, texture fill, or ray tracing core counts, the N1X 48SM is the stronger candidate, with 48 RT cores against 40.

The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation wins decisively in memory bandwidth. Its 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth exceeds the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s by a substantial margin. This makes the RTX 3500 better suited for memory-bound tasks, such as large data set traversals or bandwidth-intensive rendering operations. The RTX 3500 also has more render output units, 64 versus 48, which can improve fill-rate efficiency in certain scenarios. Its higher base clock of 1110 MHz versus 741 MHz suggests better sustained performance under consistent load, although the N1X 48SM compensates with a much higher boost clock. The RTX 3500 also carries full API support, including DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the N1X 48SM lists these APIs as N/A.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB20B chip, and belongs to the Blackwell IGP generation. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, part of the Ada-MW generation. Both share the same 5 nm TSMC process node, but the underlying designs diverge significantly.

The N1X 48SM has a larger die size at 382 mm², while the RTX 3500's die measures 294 mm². The RTX 3500's transistor count is documented at 35,800 million, with a transistor density of 121.8M per mm²; the N1X 48SM's transistor count is listed as unknown. The N1X 48SM integrates 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, a configuration that points toward unified memory architectures typical of integrated GPU platforms. The RTX 3500 uses 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, a dedicated discrete memory pool.

The bus interfaces also differ: the N1X 48SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 3500 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display output capability varies as well, with the N1X 48SM listing one HDMI output and the RTX 3500 listing "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile design. The RTX 3500 has a predecessor (Ampere-MW) and a successor (Blackwell-MW), while the N1X 48SM has no listed predecessor or successor in the database.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. In terms of memory, the N1X 48SM offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 offers 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. Memory bandwidth favors the RTX 3500 at 432.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s for the N1X 48SM.

Clock speeds show a split: the N1X 48SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost, while the RTX 3500 runs at 1110 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost. The memory clock also differs, with the N1X 48SM at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) and the RTX 3500 at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

Compute resources are heavily in favor of the N1X 48SM. It has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. The RTX 3500 has 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The pixel rate is 112.6 GPixel/s for the N1X 48SM versus 98.88 GPixel/s for the RTX 3500. Texture rate is 900.9 GTexel/s versus 247.2 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 throughput are both 28.83 TFLOPS for the N1X 48SM and 15.82 TFLOPS for the RTX 3500.

The RTX 3500 has a stated power consumption of 100 W, while the N1X 48SM's TDP is unknown. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors. The RTX 3500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 48SM reports N/A for all three APIs. The RTX 3500 has a documented transistor count and density, while the N1X 48SM does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the NVIDIA N1X 48SM and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation. The database lists zero wins for each GPU in direct comparison, and the average benchmark score for both is 0. Both GPUs sit at the 50th percentile relative to all GPUs in the database, indicating a median position in the overall performance distribution.

Without direct benchmark scores, the specification-level comparison provides the clearest performance indicators. The N1X 48SM's FP32 throughput of 28.83 TFLOPS represents an 82% advantage over the RTX 3500's 15.82 TFLOPS. This margin is substantial for compute-heavy workloads. In texture rate, the N1X 48SM's 900.9 GTexel/s is more than three times the RTX 3500's 247.2 GTexel/s, a 264% lead. Pixel rate favors the N1X 48SM by 14%, with 112.6 GPixel/s versus 98.88 GPixel/s.

The RTX 3500 counters in memory bandwidth, where its 432.0 GB/s is 58% higher than the N1X 48SM's 273.2 GB/s. This bandwidth advantage could prove decisive in scenarios where data movement limits performance, such as high-resolution texture streaming or large frame buffer operations. The RTX 3500 also holds a 33% higher base clock, which may translate to more consistent performance in power-constrained environments.

The N1X 48SM's higher boost clock, 2346 MHz against 1545 MHz, indicates a wider dynamic range for burst performance. The RTX 3500's 100 W power envelope provides a reference point for efficiency analysis, though the N1X 48SM's power draw is not documented. Both GPUs remain in active production, with the N1X 48SM releasing later in 2026-05-31 and the RTX 3500 releasing earlier in 2023-03-20. The architectural gap between Blackwell 2.0 and Ada Lovelace, combined with the different memory configurations, positions the N1X 48SM as the higher-throughput part and the RTX 3500 as the higher-bandwidth part in the absence of direct benchmark data.