Sram NX vs GX – What’s the Difference?

For competitive racing or mountain biking, groupsets are everything, and among them, the 1x setup groupsets have taken over.

And from the setups, the Sram NX and GX are undoubtedly the most popular.

Even though both have 1x drivetrain and provide the same gearing, there are quite a few differences. This, as a result, started the sramnx vs gx discussion.

While all 1x setups have similar benefits and have fewer shifters, derailleur, and cable, we will be focusing on the NX and GX setups.

Our deep dive into them both will let you know all that is different between them.

Sram NX vs Sram GX?

It’s a known fact that the GX is more expensive than the NX and is more for high-end customers.

Besides the apparent and obvious $100 price difference between them, we’ve also come to find some major and minor differences in the overall groupsets.

Cranksets

The NX groupset’s crankset, made of 6000-series alloy or aluminum, is strong but a bit heavier and less durable.

Similarly, the crank’s steel chainring also adds to the weight of this entire 1x drivetrain system. The rear derailleur’s material is a mixture of steel and aluminum.

On the other hand, the GX groupset’s crankset, made of 7000-series alloy or aluminum, is more solid, durable, and lightweight.

Besides, the crank’s alloy chainring further adds to the drivetrain’s lightweight nature. In this case, the rear derailleur’s material is entirely aluminum.

Shifters and Chains

The NX groupset being cheaper, the shifters have an entirely plastic body. Unless you crash often, this doesn’t affect much on the durability or lifespan of them.

Besides that, the chain, made from unalloyed steel plates, adds more weight to it.

When it comes to the GX, the shifters’ metal lower part adds to its durable frame.

The chains come with a chrome finish, which ups the price further and also makes it durable.

Cassettes

Usually, the cassettes of the NX come with loose gears. The gears have plastic spacers between them, making it ideal and fitting to use on any standard splined free-hub, most commonly a Shimano HG splined hub. It has an 11-50 cassette 455% range.

However, the GX groupset cassette has pinned cogs, which makes them a one-piece gear.

It thus lives up to its full metal geared set quality. Besides that, it has a 10-50 cassette 500% range for a smoother ride.

Sram NX

Hiking or riding up a mountain with a bike, without a tough gear or groupset, is nearly impossible.

It also puts an incredible amount of pressure on the rider, all of which you can solve with a good 1x drivetrain.

Luckily, this drivetrain system offers a wide range of gear choices to help you ride up that mountain with as little effort as possible.

It is German engineered and is quite well known for its durability and simplicity.

Moreover, it’s developed by engineers to provide you maximum performance, durability, and safety on and off roads.

The lightweight nature of a standard 1x drivetrain technology further adds to the rider’s performance and speed.

Also, the groupset comes with an SRAM NX Eagle rear derailleur, trigger shifter with clamp, SRAM Eagle XG-1230 11-50T cassette, 126 links Powerlock Flowlink 12 speed chain, SRAM NX Eagle DUB crankset with a 32T X-SYNC direct mount chainring, and a chain gap gauge.

Going into the details, the material of the cranks is a 6000-series alloy, providing adequate strength.

The shifters and the cassette have plastic, with the shifters having an entirely plastic body and the cassette with plastic spacers between the gears.

It brings down the cost of the groupset and makes it so affordable.
Besides, it’s a unisex design.

So, it’s suitable for most bikes out there. But it works best on a bike with a standard Shimano HG splined hub.

Thanks to the functional gears boosting your bike’s performance to a whole new level, you can ride on any and every terrain with no difficulty.

This 1x drivetrain, adding to the compatibility, has two different sizes: 170 mm and 175 mm.

Besides that, it measures 13 inches in length, 11 inches in width, and 10 inches in height.

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Sram GX

On the pricier side, this groupset gives you everything you need to get the optimal performance of your dreams.

It’s perfect for the adventurers, advanced riders, and pro racers out there from quality to the performance.

This 1x drivetrain offers the highest performance on any kind of terrain or trail.

Along with being very lightweight, the gears are made of sturdy materials, making them also durable.

Drivetrain gears included in the groupset are an SRAM GX Eagle rear derailleur, trigger shifter with discrete clamp, GX Eagle DUB crankset with 32T X-SYNC direct mount chainring, XG-1275 Eagle 10-50 cassette, 126 links Powerlock Flowlink 12 speed, and a chain gap gauge.

It also comes with a choice of 170 mm and 175 mm sizes. Justifying the pricing and adding to the durability, every gear part of this groupset is made of metal, including the lower part of the shifter, which has a complete metal body.

Besides that, the cassette is a one-piece pinned cog, and the chain has a chrome finish.

The crankset’s material is a 7000-series alloy, including the alloy chainring, making it very lightweight and sturdy.

Measuring 14.15 inches in length, 11.39 inches in width, and 11.39 inches in height, it’s perfect for racer bicycles and other heavy-duty bikes.

It’s also compatible with most cycles and all levels of SRAM Eagle drivetrain systems.

You can see the actual performance and value of this 1x drivetrain groupset on high-speed racing.

It’s also a safe and reliable companion on adventures into the mountains and other challenging routes and places.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

While sramnx vs gx shows many differences in quality and weight, it also justifies the significant price difference.

Depending on your requirements, these groupsets can significantly enhance your riding experience, without a doubt.