AMD Radeon 780M vs AMD Steam Machine GPU Comparison

AMD Radeon 780M vs AMD Steam Machine GPU: two RDNA 3.0 designs from the same vendor, but they occupy opposite ends of the hardware spectrum. The 780M is a 4 nm integrated graphics processor built on the Phoenix chip, drawing just 15 W and sharing system memory. The Steam Machine GPU is a discrete 6 nm console part with 1792 shading units, 8 GB of dedicated GDDR6, and a 110 W power envelope. The recorded data shows a clear separation in raw compute, memory bandwidth, and physical design, while the 780M counters with a denser transistor layout and a smaller process node.

The Verdict

The data indicates the AMD Steam Machine GPU is the substantially stronger performer on paper. It delivers 17.56 TFLOPS of FP32 compute versus 8.909 TFLOPS for the 780M, which is a 97% advantage in raw shader throughput. Its memory subsystem is also in a different class: 288.0 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth against the 780M's system-dependent shared memory. The Steam Machine GPU carries 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, compared to 768, 48, and 32 respectively on the 780M. Every major compute resource is at least doubled.

The 780M is not without its own advantages. It is built on a 4 nm process from TSMC, compared to 6 nm for the Steam Machine GPU, and it fits 25,390 million transistors into a 178 mm² die, a density of 142.6M per mm². The Steam Machine GPU uses 13,300 million transistors across a larger 204 mm² die, yielding only 65.2M per mm². For systems where power draw and integration matter, the 780M is the practical choice: it is an IGP with no power connectors and a 15 W TDP, while the Steam Machine GPU consumes 110 W. The 780M also has a recorded average benchmark score of 17588, placing it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs, while the Steam Machine GPU has no recorded benchmarks and sits at the 50th percentile.

The verdict depends on the use case. The Steam Machine GPU is the one for dedicated gaming hardware with its own VRAM and high bandwidth. The 780M is for compact, low-power systems where the CPU's integrated graphics must suffice.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use RDNA 3.0 architecture and support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Beyond that, the designs diverge sharply. The 780M is part of the Navi III IGP (Phoenix) generation, while the Steam Machine GPU is a Console GPU (Valve) part with the codename Hotpink Bonefish.

The 780M uses the Phoenix chip on a 4 nm TSMC process. It packs 25,390 million transistors into a 178 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 142.6M per mm². Its memory is entirely system-shared: size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as system dependent. The GPU has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. Its clock speeds range from an 800 MHz base to a 2900 MHz boost. The FP32 and FP16 outputs are both 8.909 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. Pixel rate is 92.80 GPixel/s and texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s.

The Steam Machine GPU uses the Navi 33 chip on a 6 nm TSMC process. It contains 13,300 million transistors across a 204 mm² die, with a much lower density of 65.2M per mm². It has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 28 ray tracing cores, all more than double the 780M's counts. The base clock is 1720 MHz, the boost is 2450 MHz, and the game clock is 2250 MHz. Memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed. The FP32 and FP16 figures are both 17.56 TFLOPS at 1:1. Pixel rate reaches 156.8 GPixel/s and texture rate 274.4 GTexel/s.

The 780M uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface and relies on motherboard-dependent display outputs. The Steam Machine GPU has no recorded bus interface, but its display outputs are specified as one HDMI 2.1a and one DisplayPort 2.1. The Steam Machine GPU is also a physical card with dimensions of 156 mm by 152 mm by 162 mm, while the 780M is an IGP with no slot width, length, height, or width listed. Power delivery differs as well: the 780M lists no power connectors and a 15 W TDP; the Steam Machine GPU also lists no power connectors but draws 110 W.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database lists no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between these two GPUs, and no wins for either side in a matched test suite. The comparison must therefore rely on the individual recorded scores for the 780M and the architectural specifications for the Steam Machine GPU.

The 780M has three recorded benchmark results. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 480. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 18602. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 33683. Its average benchmark score is 17588, which places it at the 61st percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the database are tightly clustered: the AMD Radeon Pro 560 averages 17551, a 0.2% difference; the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 averages 17639, a 0.3% gap; the AMD Radeon HD 7790 averages 17666, a 0.4% gap; and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 averages 17509, a 0.5% gap. The 780M sits almost exactly in the middle of this group, within half a percent of all four.

The Steam Machine GPU has no recorded benchmarks. Its average benchmark score is listed as 0, and its nearest rivals list is empty. The only quantitative performance data available are its compute, pixel, and texture rates. The FP32 figure of 17.56 TFLOPS is 1.97 times the 780M's 8.909 TFLOPS. The texture rate of 274.4 GTexel/s is 1.97 times the 780M's 139.2 GTexel/s. The pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s is 1.69 times the 780M's 92.80 GPixel/s. These ratios are consistent: the Steam Machine GPU has 2.33 times the shading units, 2.33 times the TMUs, 2.0 times the ROPs, and 2.33 times the ray tracing cores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 compute score?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU. It delivers 17.56 TFLOPS, while the AMD Radeon 780M delivers 8.909 TFLOPS.

Q: Do both GPUs use the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use RDNA 3.0, and both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The Steam Machine GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 780M uses system-shared memory, with size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all system dependent.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The 780M has a 15 W TDP and lists no power connectors. The Steam Machine GPU has a 110 W TDP and also lists no power connectors.

Q: Does the 780M have any recorded benchmark results?

A: Yes, it has three: 480 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 18602 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 33683 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 17588.

Q: Does the Steam Machine GPU have any recorded benchmark results?

A: No. The database lists no benchmarks for it, and its average benchmark score is 0.

Where Each One Wins

The Steam Machine GPU wins in every raw compute category recorded. It doubles the FP32 throughput at 17.56 TFLOPS versus 8.909 TFLOPS. It doubles the shading unit count at 1792 versus 768, the TMU count at 112 versus 48, and the ray tracing core count at 28 versus 12. Its dedicated memory subsystem, with 8 GB of GDDR6 and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, removes reliance on system RAM. Its pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s and texture rate of 274.4 GTexel/s are both far ahead of the 780M's 92.80 GPixel/s and 139.2 GTexel/s. For any workload that stresses the GPU directly, the Steam Machine GPU is the clear choice.

The 780M wins in efficiency and integration metrics. Its 4 nm process node is smaller than the Steam Machine GPU's 6 nm node. Its transistor density of 142.6M per mm² is more than double the Steam Machine GPU's 65.2M per mm², despite packing 25,390 million transistors versus 13,300 million. Its 15 W TDP is a fraction of the 110 W TDP of the Steam Machine GPU. As an IGP with no slot width and no power connectors, it fits into a motherboard without a discrete card. The 780M's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is recorded, while the Steam Machine GPU has no bus interface listed. For compact systems where power budget and physical space are the constraints, the 780M is the appropriate part.

The database also shows the 780M has measured real-world results, with an average benchmark score of 17588 and a 61st percentile ranking. The Steam Machine GPU has no such measurements. The 780M's closest rivals in the database, the Radeon Pro 560, GeForce RTX 4060, Radeon HD 7790, and Radeon Pro 460, all sit within 0.5% of its average score. This places the 780M in a known performance tier. The Steam Machine GPU's actual benchmark position is unmeasured in the recorded data.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every listed specification.

Process node: 4 nm for the 780M, 6 nm for the Steam Machine GPU.

Chip: Phoenix for the 780M, Navi 33 for the Steam Machine GPU. Generation: Navi III IGP (Phoenix) versus Console GPU (Valve). The Steam Machine GPU has the codename Hotpink Bonefish; the 780M has none.

Transistors: 25,390 million for the 780M, 13,300 million for the Steam Machine GPU. Die size: 178 mm² versus 204 mm². Transistor density: 142.6M per mm² versus 65.2M per mm².

Base clock: 800 MHz for the 780M, 1720 MHz for the Steam Machine GPU. Boost clock: 2900 MHz versus 2450 MHz. The Steam Machine GPU also lists a game clock of 2250 MHz; the 780M has none. Memory clock: system shared for the 780M, 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective for the Steam Machine GPU.

Memory size: system shared versus 8 GB. Memory type: system shared versus GDDR6. Bus width: system shared versus 128 bit. Bandwidth: system dependent versus 288.0 GB/s.

Shading units: 768 versus 1792. TMUs: 48 versus 112. ROPs: 32 versus 64. Ray tracing cores: 12 versus 28.

Pixel rate: 92.80 GPixel/s versus 156.8 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 139.2 GTexel/s versus 274.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 8.909 TFLOPS versus 17.56 TFLOPS. FP16: 8.909 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 17.56 TFLOPS (1:1).

TDP: 15 W versus 110 W. Slot width: IGP for the 780M, none listed for the Steam Machine GPU. Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the 780M, none listed for the Steam Machine GPU. Display outputs: motherboard dependent for the 780M, one HDMI 2.1a and one DisplayPort 2.1 for the Steam Machine GPU.

Dimensions: the Steam Machine GPU is 156 mm by 152 mm by 162 mm; the 780M lists no physical dimensions.

Release date: 2024-01-30 for the 780M, 2026-06-28 for the Steam Machine GPU. The 780M lists a predecessor (Navi II IGP) and successor (Navi III IGP); the Steam Machine GPU lists neither.

Benchmark data: the 780M has three recorded scores and an average of 17588 at the 61st percentile. The Steam Machine GPU has no recorded benchmarks, an average score of 0, and sits at the 50th percentile. The 780M has four nearest rivals within 0.5%; the Steam Machine GPU has none.