THE CRUNCH
Nvidia has officially unveiled the N1X System on Chip (SoC) for its upcoming RTX Spark platform. The chip arrives in two distinct configurations, targeting both high-end laptops and compact desktops.
The N1X is not a single product but a single chip with two possible setups. The top-tier option features a 20-core 'Grace' CPU paired with a GPU containing 6,144 CUDA cores. This configuration is designed for both laptops and mini PCs and supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X unified memory. The lower-tier version swaps the CPU for an 18-core 'Grace' chip and reduces the GPU to 5,120 CUDA cores. This variant is specifically aimed at laptops and comes with 24 to 32GB of memory.
Both chips are based on Nvidia's 'Blackwell' microarchitecture. The company confirmed that the N1X is the official name, clearing up confusion about a previous 'N1' moniker. Nvidia plans to launch the chips in October, with systems expected from major manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft. The devices will run Windows 11 for Arm and be classified as Copilot+ AI PCs.
Pricing for the N1X systems remains unverified. However, Nvidia suggests that memory capacity will be the primary driver of cost. As memory is currently a scarce resource, higher memory configurations are likely to command a premium. The two SKUs are likely the result of binning efforts during production, separating the chip into a high-performance and a standard-performance tier.