Nvidia's new N1 series processing chips for notebook platforms were leaked on the eve of the official lifting of the ban, and the core specifications have fully surfaced for the first time. This series includes the N1x with higher positioning and the N1 with low power consumption and more affordable price range. Both integrate GPUs based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture and adopt Arm architecture CPU design, focusing on AI and high-performance mobile computing scenarios.
The leaked information shows that the flagship-positioned N1x will provide at least two configurations, both using a "large and small core" hybrid CPU architecture, consisting of a Cortex-X925 performance core and a Cortex-A725 efficiency core, with a total of 20 cores (10+10) or 18 cores (9+9). The GPU part provides up to 48 SM units, corresponding to 6144 CUDA cores, and the next-level model has 40 SM units, corresponding to 5120 CUDA cores. The overall computing power is close to the level of high-end independent graphics cards.
In terms of power consumption and platform integration, the N1x series integrates the packaging design of the CPU and GPU. Its overall power consumption design ranges from 45W to 80W. It is regarded as benchmarking the traditional high-end gaming laptop CPU and independent graphics combination, but is presented in a single-chip form, aiming to strike a balance between performance and energy efficiency. In terms of I/O, N1x provides 12 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 5 PCIe 4.0 lanes to meet the needs of high-performance storage and expansion devices, and supports up to three M.2 solid-state drives.
In terms of memory support, N1x can connect to LPDDR5X memory through 16 channels, with capacities starting from 16GB and up to 128GB. It is obviously targeted at creation, AI reasoning and high-end mobile workstation scenarios that require large-capacity memory. Compared with traditional mobile platforms that separate the CPU from the independent graphics card, this high-bandwidth, unified packaging design is expected to reduce latency and improve overall energy efficiency.
In contrast, the standard version of N1 focuses more on power consumption control and cost optimization. It also provides two CPU configurations: one with 12 cores (8+4) and the other with 10 cores (7+3), also a hybrid architecture composed of Cortex‑X925 and Cortex‑A725. The corresponding GPU specifications are 20 SMs (2560 CUDA cores) and 16 SMs (2048 CUDA cores). The overall computing power is lower than that of N1x, but it is still significantly stronger than the current integrated graphics level of mainstream thin and light notebooks.
In terms of platform connection capabilities, N1 provides 8 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 3 PCIe 4.0 lanes, which is smaller than N1x. It supports up to two M.2 solid-state drives and is positioned closer to mainstream thin and light notebooks and long-life devices. The power consumption design range is lowered to 18W to 45W, showing that it is more suitable for energy-efficiency-sensitive application scenarios such as high-performance thin and light notebooks, portable office and long-life equipment.
In terms of memory configuration, N1 supports LPDDR5X through 8 channels. The capacity starts from 8GB and can reach up to 64GB. Although it is not as high as the upper limit of N1x, it is enough for most productivity and moderate creative loads. For OEM manufacturers, this hierarchical design in the number of CPU cores, GPU scale, number of PCIe channels and memory channels reserves a large space for product portfolios covering multiple price segments from high-end to mainstream.
Judging from the timeline, there are demonstration materials marked 2024 in relevant internal documents, indicating that Nvidia has been planning and developing N1 series products for a long time. This leak is described as a "last-minute" early exposure. The report pointed out that the official embargo is expected to be lifted the next day, when Nvidia is expected to announce the complete specifications and product lineup, but it is not yet certain whether all leaked variants will appear in the first batch of notebook products.
Based on current information, N1x and N1 constitute NVIDIA's first complete family in the notebook SoC field, trying to enter the high-performance gaming notebook, mobile workstation and energy-efficient thin and light notebook markets with a unified package of CPU+GPU solutions. The industry predicts that with PC manufacturers confirming that they will display new products equipped with N1x chips at exhibitions such as Computex, the N1 series will become a highlight of the high-end Windows notebook and AI PC ecosystem in the future. However, its actual performance and power consumption have yet to be officially released and further verified by subsequent tests.