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We begin with the standard N1 that reportedly comes in two configs. There's a 12-core (8+4) model with 2,560 CUDA cores and a 10-core (7+3) model with 2,048 CUDA cores. Either variant comes with 8x PCIe 5.0 lanes and 3x PCIe 4.0 lanes; the base N1 supports up to two M.2 SSDs. Memory support tops out at 64GB across 8x LPDDR5X channels. In terms of power budget, we're looking at 18W-45W TDPs.
Then there's the more exciting N1X that, at the top-end, is identical to the GB10 found in Nvidia's DGX Spark mini-PC, which Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang already confirmed . There are two SKUs for this SoC as well: a full-fat 20-core (10+10) monster with 6,144 CUDA Cores — same as the desktop RTX 5070 — and an 18-core (9+9) variant with 5,120 CUDA Cores. Both chips have the same power envelope of 45W-80W.
Nvidia's long-rumored N1 SoC spotted on a laptop motherboard with 128 GB RAM, listed for $1,400
Nvidia and Microsoft tease "a new era of PC" — rumored N1X laptops could be Windows on Arm systems
Intel's Nova Lake lineup to feature a SKU with 12 Xe3P iGPU cores, compete with Ryzen G-series APUs
N1X will reportedly start at 16GB LPPDR5X configs, but the platform can support up to 128GB across 16 channels. We don't know at what speeds exactly yet, but a previous leak suggested these chips are operating at 8,533 MT/s, which would make the RAM config faster than AMD's Strix Halo. The N1X also has 12x PCIe 5.0 lanes and 5x PCIe 4.0 lanes capable of accepting up to three M.2 SSDs.
All signs point toward Nvidia unveiling the N1/N1X family tomorrow, so we should know all about these chips very soon. Based on the history of leaks and rumors, and educated guesses, these specs make sense. Once made official, Nvidia would re-enter the laptop market, directly competing with AMD, Intel, and, of course, Apple. We say re-enter because the company already tried selling ARM-based PC chips back in 2011.
The advent of a new mainstream SoC from Nvidia could open doors to exciting handhelds, OEM PCs, and perhaps even a refreshed Shield TV that fans have been yearning for forever. It's a positive development considering just how abandoned consumers and, in particular, gamers have felt these past few years, but it all comes down to pricing. And during a RAM crisis, that's not going to be ideal.
N1X will likely target the $2,000+ market, competing with the MacBook Pro, but the N1 could be an exciting midrange option under $1,500.
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Key considerations
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/nvidias-long-awaited-n1-n1x-soc-specs-leak-ahead-of-computex-launch-n1-to-feature-up-to-20-arm-based-cores-standard-n1-equipped-with-12-and-10-core-configs#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.