AMD Steam Machine GPU vs Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data positions these two GPUs at opposite ends of the hardware spectrum, and their respective strengths align with entirely different workloads. The AMD Steam Machine GPU, built on the Navi 33 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, is a compact console-oriented part designed for gaming environments. Its 17.56 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 28 ray tracing cores deliver solid real-time rendering performance within a 110 W power envelope. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it fully compliant with modern gaming APIs and capable of handling ray-traced effects, mesh shaders, and variable rate shading in game titles.

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550, in contrast, is a massive accelerator built on the Ponte Vecchio chip with Generation 12.5 architecture. It produces 52.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is roughly three times the compute throughput of the AMD part. This GPU targets compute-intensive data center workloads rather than interactive graphics. Its 128 GB of HBM2e memory with a 3.28 TB/s bandwidth far exceeds the AMD part's 8 GB GDDR6 at 288.0 GB/s, making it suitable for large-scale data processing, AI inference, and scientific simulation tasks that require massive memory capacity and bandwidth.

The wins are clear: the AMD Steam Machine GPU wins in gaming compatibility and power efficiency, while the Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 wins in raw compute throughput, memory capacity, and memory bandwidth. The AMD part has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1a and 1x DisplayPort 2.1) and does not require external power connectors, indicating it draws its power from the system slot. The Intel part has no display outputs at all, confirming its role as a compute accelerator rather than a graphics card for end users.

In terms of production status, both GPUs are listed as Active. The AMD part has a release date of 2026-06-28, while the Intel part was released on 2023-01-09. The Intel GPU has a designated successor in the H3C Graphics, while the AMD part has no listed successor or predecessor. The percentile ranking against all GPUs is identical at 50 for both, though the average benchmark score is zero for each, indicating that no recorded benchmark data exists in the database for either part.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divergence between these two GPUs is substantial and reflects their different design goals. The AMD Steam Machine GPU uses the Navi 33 chip, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The chip contains 13,300 million transistors on a die size of 204 mm², yielding a transistor density of 65.2 million per square millimeter. The architecture is RDNA 3.0, with the codename Hotpink Bonefish, and it belongs to the Console GPU (Valve) generation. The GPU has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. It includes 28 ray tracing cores but no tensor cores.

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 uses the Ponte Vecchio chip, fabricated on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry. This chip contains 100,000 million transistors on a die size of 1280 mm², yielding a transistor density of 78.1 million per square millimeter. The architecture is Generation 12.5, and it belongs to the Data Center GPU (Ponte Vecchio) generation. The GPU has 16,384 shading units, which is over nine times the count of the AMD part, and 1,024 texture mapping units. Notably, it has zero render output units, which explains its 0 MPixel/s pixel rate. It includes 128 ray tracing cores, over four times the AMD count, but also lacks tensor cores.

The memory subsystems differ fundamentally. The AMD part uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, achieving 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel part uses 128 GB of HBM2e on an 8192-bit bus, achieving 3.28 TB/s of bandwidth, which is over eleven times the AMD bandwidth. The clock speeds also diverge: the AMD GPU has a base clock of 1720 MHz and a boost clock of 2450 MHz, with a game clock of 2250 MHz and memory clock of 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The Intel GPU has a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 1600 MHz, with a memory clock of 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective).

The power and form factor differences are stark. The AMD part has a TDP of 110 W, no power connectors, and dimensions of 156 mm length, 152 mm height, and 162 mm width. The Intel part has a TDP of 600 W, a suggested PSU of 1000 W, and uses an OAM Module slot width. The bus interface for the Intel part is PCIe 5.0 x16, while the AMD part has no listed bus interface. The AMD part has display outputs, while the Intel part has none.

The API support also differs. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, but has no listed Vulkan support. This makes the AMD part more suitable for gaming, where Vulkan and DirectX 12 Ultimate are commonly required.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 delivers 52.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to 17.56 TFLOPS for the AMD Steam Machine GPU. The Intel part offers roughly three times the single-precision compute throughput.

Q: How do the memory capacities and bandwidths compare?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has 128 GB of HBM2e memory on an 8192-bit bus with 3.28 TB/s bandwidth. The AMD Steam Machine GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part provides sixteen times the memory capacity and over eleven times the bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is designed for gaming use?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU is designed for gaming, as indicated by its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4 support, display outputs, and 28 ray tracing cores. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has no display outputs and only supports DirectX 12 (12_1), targeting data center compute workloads instead.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU has a TDP of 110 W and requires no external power connectors. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has a TDP of 600 W and a suggested PSU of 1000 W, reflecting its much higher power demands.

Q: Which GPU has a larger physical die and transistor count?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has a die size of 1280 mm² and contains 100,000 million transistors. The AMD Steam Machine GPU has a die size of 204 mm² and contains 13,300 million transistors. The Intel die is over six times larger in area.

Q: What is the release timeline for both GPUs?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 was released on 2023-01-09 and has a successor named H3C Graphics. The AMD Steam Machine GPU has a release date of 2026-06-28 and has no listed predecessor or successor.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. The process nodes are different: AMD uses 6 nm at TSMC, while Intel uses 10 nm at its own foundry. The transistor counts are 13,300 million for AMD and 100,000 million for Intel, a difference of roughly 7.5 times. The die sizes are 204 mm² for AMD and 1280 mm² for Intel. The transistor densities are 65.2 million per square millimeter for AMD and 78.1 million per square millimeter for Intel.

The clock speeds show AMD running much faster: base clock of 1720 MHz versus 900 MHz, boost clock of 2450 MHz versus 1600 MHz, and memory clock of 2250 MHz versus 1600 MHz. AMD also lists a game clock of 2250 MHz, which Intel does not have. Memory configurations are 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus for AMD versus 128 GB HBM2e on an 8192-bit bus for Intel. Bandwidth is 288.0 GB/s for AMD versus 3.28 TB/s for Intel.

The compute unit counts differ substantially: 1792 shading units for AMD versus 16,384 for Intel, 112 TMUs for AMD versus 1,024 for Intel, and 64 ROPs for AMD versus 0 for Intel. Ray tracing cores are 28 for AMD versus 128 for Intel. The pixel rate is 156.8 GPixel/s for AMD versus 0 MPixel/s for Intel. The texture rate is 274.4 GTexel/s for AMD versus 1,638.4 GTexel/s for Intel. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 17.56 TFLOPS for AMD and 52.43 TFLOPS for Intel.

Power and physical specifications diverge completely: TDP is 110 W for AMD versus 600 W for Intel, slot width is not listed for AMD versus OAM Module for Intel, power connectors are none for AMD versus not listed for Intel, and suggested PSU is not listed for AMD versus 1000 W for Intel. The bus interface is not listed for AMD versus PCIe 5.0 x16 for Intel. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1a and 1x DisplayPort 2.1 for AMD versus no outputs for Intel. The AMD part has dimensions of 156 mm length, 152 mm height, and 162 mm width, while the Intel part has no listed dimensions.

API support differs in DirectX and Vulkan: AMD supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while Intel supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and has no Vulkan listing. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The release dates are 2026-06-28 for AMD and 2023-01-09 for Intel. The Intel part has a successor in H3C Graphics, while the AMD part has none.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs, and neither part has any individual benchmark scores listed. The wins count is zero for both sides, and the average benchmark score is zero for each. The percentile ranking against all GPUs is 50 for both, indicating that without measured data, both are positioned at the median of the database distribution.

Despite the absence of direct benchmark measurements, the specification data provides clear comparative signals. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 delivers 52.43 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is 2.98 times the 17.56 TFLOPS of the AMD Steam Machine GPU. In texture throughput, the Intel part reaches 1,638.4 GTexel/s, which is 5.97 times the AMD part's 274.4 GTexel/s. The memory bandwidth advantage is even more pronounced: 3.28 TB/s versus 288.0 GB/s, a ratio of 11.39 to 1.

The AMD part counters in pixel throughput, achieving 156.8 GPixel/s while the Intel part manages 0 MPixel/s due to its lack of render output units. This confirms that the Intel accelerator cannot perform traditional rasterization work, while the AMD GPU is fully capable of pixel rendering for display output. The AMD part also leads in clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2450 MHz versus 1600 MHz for Intel, a 53% higher frequency.

The power efficiency comparison is stark. The AMD part delivers 17.56 TFLOPS at 110 W, while the Intel part delivers 52.43 TFLOPS at 600 W. Per watt, the AMD part produces 0.160 TFLOPS per watt, while the Intel part produces 0.087 TFLOPS per watt. The AMD GPU is roughly 1.83 times more efficient in FP32 throughput per watt, though the Intel part still offers greater absolute performance.

The transistor density figures show Intel packing 78.1 million transistors per square millimeter versus AMD's 65.2 million, a 19.8% higher density. However, the AMD chip is fabricated on a 6 nm process while Intel uses 10 nm, meaning AMD achieves its density with a more advanced process node. The overall transistor count difference is enormous: 100,000 million for Intel versus 13,300 million for AMD, a ratio of 7.52 to 1.

The memory type and bus width differences point to entirely different memory hierarchies. The Intel part uses HBM2e across an 8192-bit bus, while the AMD part uses GDDR6 across a 128-bit bus. The Intel memory clock is 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) versus AMD's 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), though the massive bus width advantage of Intel more than compensates for its lower clock speed.

The API support difference is notable for software compatibility. AMD supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which includes features like mesh shaders and sampler feedback, while Intel supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which lacks some of these features. AMD also lists Vulkan 1.4 support, while Intel has no Vulkan listing. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The form factor and power delivery differences reinforce their distinct usage scenarios. The AMD part requires no external power connectors and fits within a 156 mm by 152 mm by 162 mm envelope, making it suitable for compact console-style systems. The Intel part requires a 1000 W suggested PSU, uses an OAM Module slot, and connects via PCIe 5.0 x16, indicating a server-class installation. The Intel part has a successor in H3C Graphics, suggesting ongoing development in the data center segment, while the AMD part has no listed successor.