AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data for the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU and the NVIDIA N1X 40SM contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results, no average benchmark scores, and no percentile deltas from nearest rivals. Both entries show a percentileVsAllGpus of 50, placing each at the midpoint of the database’s performance distribution, though this metric alone does not indicate parity in raw workload capability.

The clearest measurable difference lies in raw compute throughput. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is roughly 14.7 times the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS. In FP16 workloads, the NVIDIA part again leads with 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the AMD GPU reaches 3.277 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). This means the NVIDIA IGP processes half-precision math at the same rate as single-precision, whereas the AMD GPU halves its FP16 throughput relative to FP32.

Texture and pixel throughput follow the same pattern. The N1X 40SM achieves 750.7 GTexel/s and 93.84 GPixel/s, against the Steam Deck OLED GPU’s 51.20 GTexel/s and 25.60 GPixel/s. The NVIDIA part’s advantage in texture rate is particularly pronounced, driven by its 320 TMUs versus 32 TMUs and a boost clock of 2346 MHz versus 1600 MHz.

Memory bandwidth also favors the NVIDIA IGP. The N1X 40SM uses a 256-bit LPDDR5X bus with 273.2 GB/s, while the AMD GPU uses a 128-bit LPDDR5 bus with 176.0 GB/s. That is a 1.55x bandwidth advantage for the NVIDIA part, which matters for memory-bound shader workloads.

Clock behavior differs substantially. The AMD GPU’s base clock is 1000 MHz and boost is 1600 MHz. The NVIDIA IGP’s base clock is 741 MHz, but its boost reaches 2346 MHz, a much larger lift. The AMD GPU’s memory runs at 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA part’s memory runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). Despite the lower memory clock, the NVIDIA part’s wider bus yields higher total bandwidth.

Pixel rate tells a similar story: 93.84 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 25.60 GPixel/s for AMD, a 3.67x gap. Rasterization-bound scenes with high fill-rate demands will favor the N1X 40SM by a wide margin.

The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU has a transistor density of 18.3 million per square millimeter on a 131 mm² die, totaling 2,400 million transistors. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses a 382 mm² die, but its transistor count is listed as unknown, so no density calculation is possible. The NVIDIA die is 2.92 times larger by area.

Power data is asymmetric. The AMD GPU has a TDP of 15 W. The NVIDIA part’s TDP is unknown. The NVIDIA IGP is listed as an integrated graphics processor with no power connectors, whereas the AMD GPU is a discrete-style mobile part inside a handheld console. This limits direct efficiency comparisons in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS, which is 14.7 times the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the memory buses and bandwidth compare?

A: The AMD GPU uses a 128-bit LPDDR5 bus with 176.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA IGP uses a 256-bit LPDDR5X bus with 273.2 GB/s, a 1.55x bandwidth advantage.

Q: What are the boost clocks of each GPU?

A: The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU boosts to 1600 MHz. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM boosts to 2346 MHz.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and TMUs?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units and 320 TMUs. The AMD GPU has 512 shading units and 32 TMUs.

Q: Does the NVIDIA part support DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan according to the database?

A: No. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A. The AMD GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: Which chip has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 40 RT cores, while the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU has 8 RT cores.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM wins across every measured compute and throughput category in the database. Its 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 makes it suitable for high-resolution rendering and complex shader workloads, while the AMD GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS targets lighter graphics loads. The NVIDIA part’s 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate and 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate indicate strong performance in texture-heavy scenes and fill-rate-bound scenarios. Its 273.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128 GB LPDDR5X capacity provide ample headroom for large datasets.

The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU wins in the efficiency and portability context. Its 15 W TDP, paired with a 16 GB LPDDR5 pool, suits low-power mobile use. The AMD GPU’s 6 nm process node and 131 mm² die size keep the physical footprint small. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3 ensures broad API compatibility, whereas the NVIDIA part lists no API support in the database. The AMD GPU also includes a USB Type-C display output, while the NVIDIA IGP lists a single HDMI output.

For gaming on a handheld device with limited thermal budget, the AMD GPU’s lower power draw is a practical advantage. For raw performance in an integrated or low-profile system with no power connector constraints, the NVIDIA IGP dominates every numerical benchmark field.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every recorded specification. The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU uses a 6 nm TSMC process, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses a 5 nm TSMC process. Die size: 131 mm² for AMD, 382 mm² for NVIDIA. Transistor count: 2,400 million for AMD, unknown for NVIDIA. Transistor density: 18.3M per mm² for AMD, not listed for NVIDIA.

Memory configuration: AMD has 16 GB LPDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 176.0 GB/s. NVIDIA has 128 GB LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s. Memory clock: AMD runs at 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective), NVIDIA at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Compute units: AMD has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 RT cores. NVIDIA has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, and 40 RT cores. NVIDIA also has 160 tensor cores; AMD lists none.

Clocks: AMD base 1000 MHz, boost 1600 MHz. NVIDIA base 741 MHz, boost 2346 MHz.

Video outputs: AMD has 1x USB Type-C, NVIDIA has 1x HDMI.

Bus interface: NVIDIA uses PCIe 5.0 x16; AMD lists no bus interface.

Power: AMD TDP is 15 W. NVIDIA TDP is unknown, but the part is classified as IGP with no power connectors.

APIs: AMD supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. NVIDIA lists N/A for all three.

Dimensions: AMD measures 298 mm by 117 mm by 49 mm (11.7 by 4.6 by 1.9 inches). NVIDIA lists no dimensions.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture on the Sephiroth chip, belonging to the Console GPU (Valve) generation. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the GB20B chip, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. These are fundamentally different design families: RDNA 2.0 is a graphics-first architecture with scalar and vector units tuned for gaming, while Blackwell 2.0 is NVIDIA’s newer compute-oriented design with dedicated tensor cores.

The AMD GPU’s 512 shading units and 32 TMUs reflect a small, power-efficient design. The NVIDIA part’s 5120 shading units and 320 TMUs indicate a much larger execution engine. The NVIDIA IGP also includes 160 tensor cores, which the AMD GPU lacks entirely. This suggests the NVIDIA part targets AI inference and machine learning workloads, while the AMD GPU focuses on conventional rasterization.

Ray tracing hardware differs: 8 RT cores on AMD versus 40 RT cores on NVIDIA. The NVIDIA part has a 5x advantage in RT core count, which likely translates to stronger ray-traced geometry processing, though no benchmark data confirms this.

The FP16 ratio highlights an architectural choice. AMD’s FP16 throughput is 3.277 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, meaning it processes half-precision at half the FP32 rate. NVIDIA’s FP16 is 24.02 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, matching its FP32 rate. This indicates the NVIDIA architecture dedicates equal hardware to both precisions, while AMD’s design allocates fewer resources to FP16.

The process node difference (6 nm for AMD, 5 nm for NVIDIA) suggests the NVIDIA part uses a more advanced fabrication process, though both come from TSMC. The NVIDIA die is 382 mm², nearly three times the AMD die’s 131 mm², consistent with its larger shader count and memory interface.

Memory type and bus width further separate the architectures. AMD uses LPDDR5 with 128-bit bus; NVIDIA uses LPDDR5X with 256-bit bus. The newer LPDDR5X standard and wider bus enable the NVIDIA part’s higher bandwidth despite a lower effective memory clock (8.5 Gbps versus 11 Gbps).

API support is a major divergence. The AMD GPU lists DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, indicating full support for modern graphics APIs. The NVIDIA IGP lists N/A for all three, which may reflect its role as a specialized IGP rather than a general-purpose consumer GPU, or incomplete database entries.

The NVIDIA part’s PCIe 5.0 x16 interface contrasts with the AMD GPU’s lack of a listed bus interface. The NVIDIA IGP also has a slot width of IGP and no power connectors, confirming its integrated nature. The AMD GPU, despite its low TDP, is a standalone component with physical dimensions and a display output.

Release dates differ by roughly two and a half years: the AMD GPU launched on 2023-11-08, the NVIDIA IGP on 2026-05-31. Both are listed as Active in production status. No launch MSRP is recorded for either part.

The database shows no benchmark scores, no nearest rivals, and no head-to-head results for this pair. The analysis above relies solely on the recorded specifications. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM leads in all raw compute and memory metrics, while the AMD Steam Deck OLED GPU offers a lower power draw, a smaller die, and broader API compatibility.