Nvidia confirms that the N1 SoC is identical to the GB10 Superchip

In an announcement that has captured the attention of the tech industry, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, stated that the upcoming DGX Spark systems will be powered by N1 silicon. In this statement, it was also confirmed that the N1 SoC and the GB10 Superchip are essentially identical.

Historic Collaboration between Nvidia and Intel

Yesterday, Nvidia and Intel revealed a historic collaboration that will allow both chip manufacturers to jointly develop a range of CPU and GPU products. While much of the attention focused on future solutions like the "Intel x86 RTX SoC," clarifications on existing projects were also addressed. In particular, Huang emphasized that the long-rumored N1 SoC is practically the same as the GB10 Superchip, which is already available on the market.

Context on the N1 and the GB10

It is worth mentioning that Nvidia has never officially introduced the N1/N1X SoCs. However, the announcement of Project DIGITS at CES 2025, in collaboration with MediaTek, sparked speculation about their development. From this collaboration emerged the GB10 "Superchip," part of Nvidia's DGX Spark line, which has already been implemented by several vendors in their own designs. The GB10 is specifically designed for artificial intelligence workloads, delivering performance akin to that of a supercomputer in home environments. This chip includes a 20-core ARM-based CPU developed in collaboration with MediaTek, as well as a powerful GPU chiplet based on Blackwell.

N1 SoC Specifications

According to previous leaks and rumors, the N1 SoC maintains the same specifications as the GB10, featuring 6,144 CUDA cores for its GPU—the same number as the desktop RTX 5070—and a 20-core CPU distributed across two clusters, built using Nvidia's Grace architecture. In July, a Geekbench score for the N1X allegedly confirmed these specifications, suggesting an intrinsic link between the GB10 and the N1. While the closeness between the two products does not imply they are identical, evidence points to the use of virtually the same chips in both.

Jensen Huang's Statements on the N1

During a live stream last night, Jensen Huang stated, "We also have a new ARM product called N1. That processor will be part of the DGX Spark and many other versions of similar products. We're very excited about the ARM roadmap, and this does not affect any of that." According to the Nvidia CEO, the silicon powering the GB10—which in turn powers the DGX Spark—is identical to the N1/N1X SoC. The mention of "many other versions" suggests that the N1 might simply be a slightly limited version of the full GB10. It is noteworthy that the GB10 is aimed at client devices like laptops and desktops, while the GB10 targets professionals. This distinction is significant since the N1 represents Nvidia's first serious attempt to bring its internal CPU cores to the mass market after the Tegra line.

Uncertainty About the Launch of the N1 SoC

Despite the revealing statement, no timeline has been indicated for the launch of the N1. However, it has been made clear that the GB10, which is already in the hands of some customers, is what Nvidia plans to offer in the future, albeit to a different target audience. With the new agreement between Nvidia and Intel, interest in developing ARM-based products could conflict with the x86 solutions in which Intel specializes. However, it seems this won’t be an issue, as both roadmaps will continue to progress without interference.

Testing of the N1 SoC and Its Potential in Windows

The N1 SoC has already been tested on Windows, indicating that the chip is getting closer to its release in a Windows-on-ARM environment. On the other hand, the GB10 is not specifically designed for Microsoft's operating system; it is optimized for its Linux-based operating system, DGX OS, which is intended for local artificial intelligence workloads, data centers, and other professional uses. While speculation suggests that the N1 could eventually be compatible with Windows, there is no confirmation on this, and Huang did not comment on this potential development.

Conclusions

With the revelation of the similarity between the N1 SoC and the GB10 Superchip, Nvidia is not only enhancing its product lines but also solidifying its position in an increasingly competitive market in the realms of artificial intelligence and data processing. The tech industry will be closely watching how these chips develop, especially considering the collaboration between Nvidia and Intel and the evolution of their respective ARM and x86 products.

For more information on these and other related topics, readers are encouraged to continue exploring the content available on this blog.