AMD Instinct MI355X vs NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the architectural generations of the AMD Instinct MI355X and the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X uses the CDNA 4.0 architecture with the MI350 256CU chip, while the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU uses the Ampere architecture with the GA10B chip.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X features 288 GB of HBM3e memory on a 8192-bit bus with 8.19 TB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU has 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the process node and foundry for each GPU?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X is built on a 3 nm process at TSMC with 185,000 million transistors on a 2380 mm² die. The NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU uses an 8 nm process at Samsung with an unknown transistor count and a 200 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X delivers 78.64 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU delivers 4.301 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X has a TDP of 1400 W and a suggested PSU of 1800 W, whereas the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU has a TDP of 40 W.

Q: What is the release date and form factor for each product?

A: The AMD Instinct MI355X was released on 2025-06-11 as an OAM Module with dimensions of 102 mm length and 165 mm width. The NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU was released on 2025-06-04 with dimensions of 272 mm length, 116 mm height, and 14 mm width.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Instinct MI355X and NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The MI355X is a data-center accelerator built on CDNA 4.0, featuring 16,384 shading units, 1,024 TMUs, and zero ROPs. The Switch 2 GPU is a console-oriented part built on Ampere, with 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 12 RT cores, and 48 tensor cores. The MI355X has no RT cores or tensor cores listed, while the Switch 2 GPU includes both, reflecting its gaming-focused feature set.

The manufacturing process differs significantly. The MI355X uses a 3 nm process at TSMC, achieving a transistor density of 77.7 million transistors per mm². The Switch 2 GPU uses an 8 nm process at Samsung, with an unknown transistor density. The MI355X packs 185,000 million transistors onto a 2380 mm² die, while the Switch 2 GPU fits onto a 200 mm² die with an unknown transistor count.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The MI355X uses HBM3e with 288 GB capacity, an 8192-bit bus, and 8.19 TB/s bandwidth. The Switch 2 GPU uses LPDDR5X with 12 GB capacity, a 128-bit bus, and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The MI355X's memory clock is 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective, while the Switch 2 GPU runs at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective.

The MI355X has no display outputs and no API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, indicating it is not designed for graphics rendering. The Switch 2 GPU also has no display outputs, but it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI355X uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, while the Switch 2 GPU's bus interface is not listed. The MI355X is an OAM Module with no power connectors, whereas the Switch 2 GPU's slot width, power connectors, and suggested PSU are not listed.

Clock speeds also differ widely. The MI355X has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The Switch 2 GPU has a base clock of 561 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The MI355X's texture rate is 2,457.6 GTexel/s, while the Switch 2 GPU achieves 67.20 GTexel/s. The MI355X has a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s due to its zero ROPs, while the Switch 2 GPU delivers 22.40 GPixel/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no head-to-head benchmark results between the AMD Instinct MI355X and the NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU. Both products have an average benchmark score of 0 and a percentile ranking of 50 among all GPUs. The wins count is 0 for each side, indicating no direct comparison tests have been logged in the database.

Without direct benchmark scores, the compute specifications provide the only measurable comparison. The MI355X delivers 78.64 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is 18.3 times higher than the Switch 2 GPU's 4.301 TFLOPS. In FP16 compute, the MI355X also produces 78.64 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the Switch 2 GPU produces 8.602 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The MI355X's FP16 output is 9.1 times higher than the Switch 2 GPU's.

Memory bandwidth shows an even larger gap. The MI355X's 8.19 TB/s bandwidth is 80 times greater than the Switch 2 GPU's 102.4 GB/s. Texture rate differences are also substantial: the MI355X processes 2,457.6 GTexel/s, which is 36.6 times the Switch 2 GPU's 67.20 GTexel/s. The Switch 2 GPU has a pixel rate of 22.40 GPixel/s, while the MI355X has 0 MPixel/s, reflecting its lack of ROPs.

The MI355X has 10.7 times more shading units (16,384 vs. 1,536) and 21.3 times more TMUs (1,024 vs. 48). The Switch 2 GPU has 16 ROPs, 12 RT cores, and 48 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the MI355X's specification list. The MI355X supports no graphics APIs, while the Switch 2 GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Power consumption is the only metric where the Switch 2 GPU leads. The MI355X has a TDP of 1400 W, which is 35 times higher than the Switch 2 GPU's 40 W. The MI355X requires a suggested PSU of 1800 W, while the Switch 2 GPU has no listed suggested PSU.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification field. The MI355X uses the CDNA 4.0 architecture with the MI350 256CU chip, while the Switch 2 GPU uses Ampere with the GA10B chip. The MI355X belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation, while the Switch 2 GPU belongs to the Console GPU (Nintendo) generation.

Process node and foundry differ: the MI355X uses 3 nm TSMC, the Switch 2 GPU uses 8 nm Samsung. Transistor count is 185,000 million for the MI355X and unknown for the Switch 2 GPU. Die size is 2380 mm² for the MI355X and 200 mm² for the Switch 2 GPU. Transistor density is 77.7 million per mm² for the MI355X and not listed for the Switch 2 GPU.

Base clocks are 1000 MHz for the MI355X and 561 MHz for the Switch 2 GPU. Boost clocks are 2400 MHz and 1400 MHz, respectively. Memory clocks are 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective for the MI355X and 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective for the Switch 2 GPU.

Memory size is 288 GB for the MI355X and 12 GB for the Switch 2 GPU. Memory type is HBM3e for the MI355X and LPDDR5X for the Switch 2 GPU. Bus width is 8192 bit for the MI355X and 128 bit for the Switch 2 GPU. Bandwidth is 8.19 TB/s for the MI355X and 102.4 GB/s for the Switch 2 GPU.

The MI355X has 16,384 shading units, 1,024 TMUs, and 0 ROPs. The Switch 2 GPU has 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Switch 2 GPU has 12 RT cores and 48 tensor cores; the MI355X lists neither. Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s for the MI355X and 22.40 GPixel/s for the Switch 2 GPU. Texture rate is 2,457.6 GTexel/s for the MI355X and 67.20 GTexel/s for the Switch 2 GPU.

FP32 performance is 78.64 TFLOPS for the MI355X and 4.301 TFLOPS for the Switch 2 GPU. FP16 performance is 78.64 TFLOPS (1:1) for the MI355X and 8.602 TFLOPS (2:1) for the Switch 2 GPU. TDP is 1400 W for the MI355X and 40 W for the Switch 2 GPU.

Slot width is OAM Module for the MI355X and not listed for the Switch 2 GPU. Power connectors are listed as None for the MI355X and not listed for the Switch 2 GPU. The suggested PSU is 1800 W for the MI355X and not listed for the Switch 2 GPU. Bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 for the MI355X and not listed for the Switch 2 GPU.

Display outputs are listed as No outputs for both. API support differs: the MI355X lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, while the Switch 2 GPU lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Dimensions: the MI355X is 102 mm by 165 mm, while the Switch 2 GPU is 272 mm by 116 mm by 14 mm.

Production status is not listed for the MI355X and is Active for the Switch 2 GPU. Release dates are 2025-06-11 for the MI355X and 2025-06-04 for the Switch 2 GPU. The MI355X's predecessor is Radeon Instinct, while the Switch 2 GPU has no predecessor listed. The MI355X has no launch MSRP, while the Switch 2 GPU has a launch MSRP of 449 USD.

The Verdict

The data indicates these two GPUs are not competitors. The AMD Instinct MI355X is a data-center accelerator with massive compute throughput, memory capacity, and bandwidth. The NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU is a console GPU with a small footprint, low power draw, and graphics API support. The MI355X dominates in every compute-related metric: FP32 is 18.3 times higher, FP16 is 9.1 times higher, texture rate is 36.6 times higher, and bandwidth is 80 times higher. The Switch 2 GPU leads only in power efficiency, with a TDP of 40 W versus 1400 W, and in graphics-specific features such as ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores.

The percentile rankings are identical at 50, and both average benchmark scores are 0, meaning the database contains no performance comparisons to situate these products against other GPUs. The recorded specifications, however, show that the MI355X is engineered for throughput-intensive workloads like AI training or scientific computing, while the Switch 2 GPU is engineered for constrained environments where power consumption and physical size matter. The Switch 2 GPU's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 confirms its role in rendering workloads, whereas the MI355X has no graphics API support.

The MI355X's 288 GB memory capacity and 8.19 TB/s bandwidth are orders of magnitude beyond the Switch 2 GPU's 12 GB and 102.4 GB/s. The MI355X's 8192-bit bus versus the Switch 2 GPU's 128-bit bus reflects the difference between a memory-bandwidth-bound accelerator and a general-purpose console part. The MI355X's 1400 W TDP and 1800 W suggested PSU indicate infrastructure requirements that are irrelevant to the Switch 2 GPU's 40 W TDP.

The MI355X has no launch MSRP, while the Switch 2 GPU has a launch MSRP of 449 USD. The release dates are one week apart, with the Switch 2 GPU on 2025-06-04 and the MI355X on 2025-06-11. The production status is Active for the Switch 2 GPU and not listed for the MI355X.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI355X wins in raw compute performance. Its 78.64 TFLOPS FP32 and 78.64 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1) outputs exceed the Switch 2 GPU's 4.301 TFLOPS FP32 and 8.602 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) by wide margins. The MI355X also wins in memory capacity (288 GB vs. 12 GB), bus width (8192 bit vs. 128 bit), bandwidth (8.19 TB/s vs. 102.4 GB/s), shading units (16,384 vs. 1,536), TMUs (1,024 vs. 48), and texture rate (2,457.6 GTexel/s vs. 67.20 GTexel/s). The MI355X's 3 nm process at TSMC gives it a transistor density of 77.7 million per mm², compared to the Switch 2 GPU's 8 nm process at Samsung with unknown density.

The NVIDIA Switch 2 GPU wins in power efficiency and graphics-specific features. Its 40 W TDP is 35 times lower than the MI355X's 1400 W TDP. The Switch 2 GPU has 16 ROPs, 12 RT cores, and 48 tensor cores, none of which appear in the MI355X's specifications. The Switch 2 GPU delivers a pixel rate of 22.40 GPixel/s, while the MI355X has 0 MPixel/s. The Switch 2 GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI355X lists N/A for all three APIs.

The Switch 2 GPU also wins on physical footprint. Its dimensions are 272 mm by 116 mm by 14 mm, while the MI355X is 102 mm by 165 mm. The Switch 2 GPU's production status is Active, while the MI355X's is not listed. The Switch 2 GPU has a launch MSRP of 449 USD; the MI355X has none. The Switch 2 GPU's smaller die size of 200 mm² versus 2380 mm² further indicates its design for compact, low-power systems. The MI355X's 1400 W TDP and 1800 W suggested PSU require data-center-level power delivery, whereas the Switch 2 GPU's 40 W TDP suits handheld or console applications.