TECH NEWS – On paper, Nvidia’s new technology doesn’t outperform Apple’s older hardware, but a closer look is needed.
The Nvidia N1x processor is likely a modified version of the GB10 system-on-a-chip (SoC) that powers the DGX Spark mini PC. The chip reportedly features a 20-core ARM CPU designed by MediaTek, an RTX 5070-class GPU, and a unified memory architecture based on LPDDR5X that shares the memory pool between the CPU and GPU.
The N1x processor’s pre-release Geekbench 6 scores have generated significant buzz ahead of its unveiling in the coming days. The scores are all the more impressive because they reportedly match those of an Apple chip that debuted about three years ago. The image shows the Geekbench 6 benchmark scores for the November 2023 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Apple M3 Max processor, which achieved 3,124 and 18,920 points in the single- and multi-core tests, respectively. In comparison, the Nvidia N1x scored 3,096 and 18,837 points, respectively.
Jensen said before N1x is GB10, these are in-line with GB10 pic.twitter.com/F8PwK0IgRb
— Max Weinbach (@mweinbach) May 30, 2026
A cursory comparison of the two sets of Geekbench 6 scores shows that, despite being released nearly three years ago, the Apple M3 Max outperforms the Nvidia N1x. However, there are a few important caveats. First, the N1x’s scores were recorded a year ago. Nevertheless, the fact that these results largely match those of the GB10 chipset lends credibility to this comparison, even though the N1x is quite old. Pre-release Geekbench 6 tests are run on unoptimized chipsets and hardware, so we will likely see improvement in these results when the production version of the N1x processor appears in optimized Windows laptops.
We can’t help but notice that the M3 Max has a 14-core CPU compared to the reportedly 20-core CPU of the N1x. The fact that these two chipsets are nearly equivalent speaks volumes about Apple’s superior chip design. As mentioned earlier, the M3 Max likely offers improvements over Apple’s optimized MacBook Pro ecosystem compared to the largely unoptimized N1x chipset.
However, Nvidia’s technology has also improved significantly over the past year, which cannot be overlooked.
