AMD Steam Machine GPU vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no head-to-head benchmark scores for these two GPUs, so a direct frame-rate comparison is not possible from the database. However, the hardware specifications and derived throughput figures provide a clear picture of the performance envelope each part occupies.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 delivers substantially higher raw compute throughput. Its FP32 rating of 29.15 TFLOPS is 66% above the AMD Steam Machine GPU's 17.56 TFLOPS. That is a decisive margin in shader-bound workloads. The NVIDIA part also reaches 455.4 GTexel/s in texture fill rate versus 274.4 GTexel/s for the AMD part, a 66% advantage that will show up in texture-heavy scenes. Pixel throughput is nearly identical: 158.4 GPixel/s for the RTX 4070 AD103 against 156.8 GPixel/s for the Steam Machine GPU, a difference of only about 1%.

Memory bandwidth is another major separation point. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth from its 192-bit GDDR6X interface, while the Steam Machine GPU manages 288.0 GB/s over a 128-bit GDDR6 bus. That is a 75% bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA. In resolution-bound scenarios or games that stream large textures, this gap will be the limiting factor for the AMD part.

Clock speeds are closer than the throughput numbers suggest. The AMD boost clock is 2450 MHz, slightly under NVIDIA's 2475 MHz. NVIDIA's base clock of 1920 MHz is 200 MHz higher than AMD's 1720 MHz base. But the AMD part compensates with a higher memory clock of 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) compared to NVIDIA's 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The effective data rate is higher on NVIDIA, which is why bandwidth is so lopsided despite the clock figures.

The RTX 4070 AD103 also holds a large lead in ray tracing hardware. It has 46 RT cores against 28 for the AMD part, a 64% advantage. Tensor cores are present only on the NVIDIA part, with 184 of them. The AMD Steam Machine GPU has no tensor core count listed, meaning any AI-accelerated features rely on the shader array instead of dedicated hardware.

The Verdict

The database shows one GPU with a clear overall performance advantage and one GPU optimized for a different physical and power envelope. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 is the stronger performer on paper across every compute metric except pixel rate, where it is essentially tied. It has 66% more FP32 throughput, 66% more texture fill, 75% more memory bandwidth, 64% more RT cores, and 184 dedicated tensor cores. It also has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory versus 8 GB of GDDR6, which matters for modern game memory footprints.

The AMD Steam Machine GPU is not competing on raw speed. It draws 110 W against NVIDIA's 200 W, a 45% lower power target, and it has no external power connectors, meaning it runs entirely off slot power. Its dimensions are compact at 156 mm length, 152 mm height, and 162 mm width, versus the NVIDIA card's 240 mm length, 110 mm height, and 40 mm width. The AMD part is a console-derived chip designed for a fixed enclosure with tight thermal and power constraints. The RTX 4070 AD103 is a dual-slot add-in card requiring a 16-pin connector and a 550 W suggested PSU.

Anyone selecting between these two should base the choice on the host system. The RTX 4070 AD103 is the only option if the workload demands high FP32 throughput, ray tracing, or tensor-accelerated features. The Steam Machine GPU is the only option if the system cannot supply a 16-pin power connector or fit a 240 mm dual-slot card. The data does not support calling the AMD part a competitor to the RTX 4070 AD103 in performance terms; it is a different class of device.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and design philosophies. The AMD Steam Machine GPU uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 6 nm TSMC process, with the chip codenamed Hotpink Bonefish. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm TSMC process. The process node difference is modest, but the transistor budgets are not. NVIDIA packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.1M transistors per mm². AMD places 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die, for a density of 65.2M per mm². NVIDIA's die is 86% larger and holds over three times as many transistors.

The memory subsystems diverge sharply. AMD uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, while NVIDIA uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus. The bandwidth difference, 504.2 GB/s versus 288.0 GB/s, stems from both the wider bus and the faster memory type. The RTX 4070 AD103 also has a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the Steam Machine GPU lists no bus interface in the database, consistent with its role as a fixed console component.

Compute resources are heavily skewed toward NVIDIA. The RTX 4070 AD103 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 46 RT cores, and 184 tensor cores. The Steam Machine GPU has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 28 RT cores. The ROP count is identical at 64, which explains the near-identical pixel rates. Shader count favors NVIDIA by a factor of 3.3, and TMU count favors NVIDIA by a factor of 1.6.

Ray tracing and AI acceleration are areas where NVIDIA has dedicated hardware and AMD relies on general-purpose units. Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API feature sets are equivalent. Display outputs differ: the AMD part has one HDMI 2.1a and one DisplayPort 2.1, while the NVIDIA card has one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a. The power delivery is the largest physical difference: the AMD chip draws 110 W with no power connector, while NVIDIA draws 200 W through a single 16-pin connector with a 550 W suggested PSU.

The production status also differs. The AMD Steam Machine GPU is listed as Active, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 is End-of-life. The RTX 4070 AD103 was released on 2024-02-29, and its predecessor is the GeForce 30 series with the GeForce 50 series as successor. The Steam Machine GPU has a later release date of 2026-06-28, and no predecessor or successor is recorded. The launch MSRP of the RTX 4070 AD103 was 599 USD.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is 66% higher than the AMD Steam Machine GPU's 17.56 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have, and what type?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has 46 RT cores, while the AMD Steam Machine GPU has 28 RT cores, a 64% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU has a 110 W TDP and requires no external power connector. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has a 200 W TDP, uses a single 16-pin connector, and has a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Q: Are both GPUs using the same manufacturing process?

A: No. AMD uses a 6 nm TSMC process, while NVIDIA uses a 5 nm TSMC process. NVIDIA's die is 379 mm² with 45,900 million transistors; AMD's is 204 mm² with 13,300 million transistors.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 has 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 75% higher than the AMD Steam Machine GPU's 288.0 GB/s.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 AD103 wins in every compute-heavy category. Its 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 rating and 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate make it the clear choice for shader-intensive rendering, high-detail texturing, and any workload that scales with raw math throughput. The 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and large scene data without stalling. The 46 RT cores give it a significant edge in ray-traced effects, and the 184 tensor cores enable AI-accelerated features that the AMD part cannot match with dedicated hardware. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is also better suited to modern game asset sizes.

The AMD Steam Machine GPU wins in power efficiency and physical integration. Its 110 W TDP is 45% lower than NVIDIA's 200 W, and it requires no external power connector, making it suitable for systems without auxiliary power headers. Its compact dimensions, 156 mm by 152 mm by 162 mm, fit enclosures that cannot accommodate a 240 mm dual-slot card. The single HDMI 2.1a and single DisplayPort 2.1 outputs cover basic display setups, while the NVIDIA card offers three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs plus HDMI 2.1 for multi-monitor configurations.

Pixel throughput is effectively a tie. The RTX 4070 AD103 records 158.4 GPixel/s versus 156.8 GPixel/s for the Steam Machine GPU, a 1% difference that will not decide any workload. Both GPUs support the same API levels, so software compatibility is not a differentiator.

For a user building a desktop PC with standard power delivery, the RTX 4070 AD103 is the superior part in almost every measurable way. For a fixed console-like system with slot-power limits and tight space, the Steam Machine GPU is the only viable option in this comparison. The data does not show a scenario where the AMD part outperforms NVIDIA; it shows two products designed for different physical environments, with all performance advantages belonging to the NVIDIA card.