AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU vs NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Comparison

AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU and NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super occupy different segments of the embedded and mobile graphics landscape. The database records no direct head-to-head benchmark scores for these two parts, so the comparison rests entirely on their recorded specifications, architectural details, and relative positioning within the broader GPU database. Both devices sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs tracked, indicating that neither is positioned as a high-end part; they are mid-pack performers by design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

With no shared benchmark results in the database, the head-to-head comparison must be constructed from the theoretical peak throughput figures that are recorded. The raw compute numbers show a clear split between the two devices. NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super delivers a higher FP32 throughput at 2.089 TFLOPS, which is 27.5% above the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS. This advantage extends to FP16 work, where the NVIDIA part reaches 4.178 TFLOPS (2:1) compared to the AMD part’s 3.277 TFLOPS (2:1), a 27.5% lead in the same proportion. These figures indicate that the Jetson Orin Nano Super is the stronger general-purpose compute device in raw shader throughput.

The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU counters with advantages in pixel and texture processing rates. Its pixel rate is recorded at 25.60 GPixel/s versus 16.32 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA part, a 56.9% advantage. The texture rate tells a similar story: 51.20 GTexel/s versus 32.64 GTexel/s, again a 56.9% gap. These figures suggest that the AMD architecture is better equipped to handle fill-rate-bound workloads, where the amount of pixels and textures processed per second is the limiting factor rather than raw shader math.

Memory bandwidth is another area where AMD holds a decisive lead. The Steam Deck OLED GPU accesses 176.0 GB/s of bandwidth through its 128-bit LPDDR5 interface, while the Jetson Orin Nano Super manages 102.4 GB/s over the same 128-bit bus width. That is a 71.9% advantage for the AMD part. The NVIDIA device does have a higher memory clock at 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) versus 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective) for AMD, but the AMD memory operates at a higher effective data rate and delivers more bandwidth overall.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits the workload profile into two distinct categories. NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super wins in compute-heavy applications that rely on FP32 and FP16 shader throughput. Its 2.089 TFLOPS FP32 and 4.178 TFLOPS FP16 figures position it ahead in tasks such as general-purpose GPU computing, AI inference, and scientific or simulation workloads where the extra shader cores can be utilized. The NVIDIA part also carries 32 tensor cores, which are absent from the AMD specification, indicating a dedicated acceleration path for tensor-based operations.

AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU wins in graphics-rendering scenarios where fill rate and memory bandwidth dominate. The 56.9% lead in pixel rate and texture rate means the AMD part can push more pixels and textures through the pipeline per second, which matters for traditional rasterization, higher resolution rendering, and texture-heavy scenes. The 71.9% bandwidth advantage further supports this, as more bandwidth reduces bottlenecks when fetching textures and writing frame buffers. The AMD part also includes 8 ray tracing cores, a feature the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super does not list, which gives it a hardware path for ray-traced effects.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 performance?

A: NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super delivers 2.089 TFLOPS FP32, which is 27.5% higher than the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS.

Q: Which GPU offers more memory bandwidth?

A: AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU provides 176.0 GB/s, which is 71.9% higher than the 102.4 GB/s available on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super.

Q: Does the NVIDIA part have tensor cores?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super includes 32 tensor cores. The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU does not list tensor cores in its specifications.

Q: Which GPU has ray tracing hardware?

A: AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU includes 8 ray tracing cores. NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super does not list any ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU is built on TSMC’s 6 nm process, while NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super uses Samsung’s 8 nm process.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU records 25.60 GPixel/s, which is 56.9% higher than the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super’s 16.32 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on several key specification fields. Shading unit count favors NVIDIA: 1024 shading units versus 512 for AMD. Both parts have 32 TMUs and 16 ROPs, so those are identical. The AMD part includes 8 ray tracing cores, while the NVIDIA part includes 32 tensor cores; neither field overlaps on the other device. Memory capacity differs substantially: AMD provides 16 GB of LPDDR5 while NVIDIA provides 8 GB of LPDDR5. Both use a 128-bit bus, but bandwidth is 176.0 GB/s for AMD versus 102.4 GB/s for NVIDIA.

Power draw differs as well. The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super has a TDP of 25 W, a 66.7% higher power envelope for the NVIDIA part. The NVIDIA device also uses a PCIe 4.0 x4 bus interface, while the AMD part does not list a bus interface. Display outputs differ: AMD lists 1x USB Type-C, while NVIDIA lists Portable Device Dependent. The NVIDIA part has a launch MSRP of 249 USD.

Physical dimensions are recorded for both. AMD measures 298 mm in length, 117 mm in height, and 49 mm in width. NVIDIA measures 70 mm in length and 45 mm in height with no width recorded. The AMD die size is 131 mm² with 2,400 million transistors on a 6 nm TSMC process, giving a transistor density of 18.3M per mm². The NVIDIA die is 200 mm² on an 8 nm Samsung process, with transistor count listed as unknown.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split is clear from the database records. AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture under the chip name Sephiroth, produced on TSMC’s 6 nm node. It is classified as a Console GPU for Valve. NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super uses the Ampere architecture under the chip name GA10B, produced on Samsung’s 8 nm node, and is classified as a Tegra (Ampere) part.

The AMD architecture allocates 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA architecture allocates 1024 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 32 tensor cores. The doubling of shading units on the NVIDIA side is the largest architectural divergence. The AMD part relies on RDNA 2.0’s ray accelerator hardware for ray tracing; the NVIDIA part relies on tensor cores for AI and matrix workloads. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan support differs: AMD lists Vulkan 1.3 while NVIDIA lists Vulkan 1.4.

The clock behavior also differs. AMD records a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1600 MHz. NVIDIA does not list base or boost clocks. Memory clocks differ: AMD runs at 1375 MHz with 11 Gbps effective, NVIDIA runs at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective. The process nodes reflect different foundries and manufacturing generations, with TSMC’s 6 nm being a smaller node than Samsung’s 8 nm.

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates that the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super is the stronger compute device. It offers 27.5% higher FP32 throughput, 27.5% higher FP16 throughput, double the shading units, and dedicated tensor cores. These figures make it the appropriate choice for workloads that depend on shader math, AI inference, or tensor operations. Its 25 W TDP is higher than the AMD part, but that extra power buys additional compute capability.

The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU is the stronger graphics rendering device. It holds 56.9% advantages in both pixel rate and texture rate, delivers 71.9% more memory bandwidth, and includes ray tracing cores. It also has double the memory capacity at 16 GB versus 8 GB. These characteristics suit it to rasterization, texture-heavy rendering, and ray-traced graphics. Its 15 W TDP makes it the lower-power option.

The choice depends on the workload. For compute and AI acceleration, NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super leads. For graphics rendering and memory-intensive tasks, AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU leads. The database shows no direct benchmark overlap, so these conclusions derive from the recorded theoretical peak rates and architectural feature sets. Both devices sit at the same 50th percentile among all GPUs, meaning neither is positioned as a performance leader in the broader market; they are specialized mid-range parts with distinct strengths.