AMD Steam Machine GPU vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Steam Machine GPU and NVIDIA N1X 48SM represent two fundamentally different design philosophies in the GPU space, and the recorded data shows no direct benchmark comparisons between them. The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries, no wins for either side, and no average benchmark scores for either part. Both devices sit at the 50th percentile against all GPUs in the database, which places them at the median of the recorded performance distribution, though this percentile is based on an empty benchmark set.

The most significant measurable difference lies in raw compute throughput. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the AMD Steam Machine GPU produces 17.56 TFLOPS. That represents a 64.2% advantage for the NVIDIA part in peak single-precision floating-point operations. The FP16 figures mirror this exactly, with both parts offering 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratios, so the NVIDIA part again delivers 28.83 TFLOPS versus 17.56 TFLOPS for the AMD GPU. In texture throughput, the NVIDIA N1X 48SM reaches 900.9 GTexel/s compared to 274.4 GTexel/s for the AMD part, a 228.3% difference that reflects the NVIDIA chip's substantially higher texture unit count. The AMD part counters in pixel throughput, producing 156.8 GPixel/s versus 112.6 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA N1X 48SM, a 39.3% advantage for AMD in rasterization output.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The AMD Steam Machine GPU runs at a 1720 MHz base clock and boosts to 2450 MHz, with a game clock of 2250 MHz. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has a much lower 741 MHz base clock but boosts to 2346 MHz, only 104 MHz below the AMD part's peak boost. The NVIDIA chip's higher shader count compensates for its lower base frequency, but the AMD part's higher clocks contribute to its pixel rate advantage. Memory bandwidth is close: the AMD GPU delivers 288.0 GB/s over a 128-bit GDDR6 interface, while the NVIDIA part provides 273.2 GB/s over a 256-bit LPDDR5X bus. The AMD part leads by 5.4% in bandwidth despite using half the bus width, thanks to its 18 Gbps effective memory speed versus 8.5 Gbps for the NVIDIA chip.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM wins decisively in compute-heavy workloads. Its 6144 shading units are 3.4 times the 1792 units in the AMD Steam Machine GPU, and its 384 texture mapping units are 3.4 times the AMD part's 112. The 192 tensor cores on the NVIDIA chip provide dedicated hardware for AI acceleration, a feature the AMD GPU lacks entirely. The NVIDIA part also leads in ray tracing with 48 RT cores versus 28 on the AMD GPU, a 71.4% advantage. For applications that scale with shader count, texture throughput, or tensor operations, the NVIDIA N1X 48SM is the clear choice based on the recorded specifications.

The AMD Steam Machine GPU wins in pixel throughput and memory bandwidth efficiency. Its 64 ROPs exceed the NVIDIA part's 48 ROPs by 33.3%, and its 156.8 GPixel/s fill rate outperforms the NVIDIA chip's 112.6 GPixel/s. The AMD part also achieves higher memory bandwidth with a narrower bus, which suggests better memory subsystem efficiency per pin. The AMD GPU's higher clock speeds, particularly the 2450 MHz boost versus 2346 MHz on the NVIDIA part, contribute to its rasterization lead. For traditional rasterized rendering at lower resolutions where pixel throughput matters, the AMD part holds the advantage.

The memory capacity difference is stark. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM ships with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, sixteen times the 8 GB GDDR6 found on the AMD Steam Machine GPU. This makes the NVIDIA part suitable for large dataset workloads, while the AMD part targets conventional gaming memory footprints. The NVIDIA chip's 256-bit bus width doubles the AMD part's 128-bit interface, though the AMD part's higher memory clock partially offsets this.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The AMD Steam Machine GPU uses the Navi 33 chip based on RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish, and belongs to the Console GPU (Valve) generation. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture and belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. Both are manufactured by TSMC, but on different nodes: the AMD part uses a 6 nm process, while the NVIDIA part uses a 5 nm process.

Die sizes differ substantially. The NVIDIA GB20B measures 382 mm², while the AMD Navi 33 measures 204 mm², making the NVIDIA die 87.3% larger. The AMD part carries 13,300 million transistors on its smaller die, yielding a transistor density of 65.2 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip's transistor count is not recorded in the database. The AMD GPU is a discrete card with dimensions of 156 mm by 152 mm by 162 mm and no power connectors, drawing 110 W. The NVIDIA part is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no dimensions recorded and no power connectors.

Memory technologies differ completely. The AMD part uses 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus, while the NVIDIA part uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus. The AMD memory runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed; the NVIDIA memory runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective speed. The AMD part supports 1x HDMI 2.1a and 1x DisplayPort 2.1 outputs, while the NVIDIA part lists only 1x HDMI. The AMD GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the NVIDIA part records N/A for all three API categories. The NVIDIA part uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, while the AMD part has no bus interface recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS, which is 64.2% higher than the AMD Steam Machine GPU's 17.56 TFLOPS.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The AMD part uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. AMD leads in bandwidth by 5.4%, while NVIDIA leads in capacity by 16 times.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 48 RT cores, compared to 28 on the AMD Steam Machine GPU, a 71.4% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The AMD GPU has a 1720 MHz base clock, 2250 MHz game clock, and 2450 MHz boost clock. The NVIDIA part has a 741 MHz base clock and 2346 MHz boost clock. The AMD part boosts 104 MHz higher.

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1X 48SM support DirectX?

A: The database records N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support on the NVIDIA part. The AMD Steam Machine GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has higher pixel throughput?

A: The AMD Steam Machine GPU produces 156.8 GPixel/s, which is 39.3% higher than the NVIDIA N1X 48SM's 112.6 GPixel/s.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Steam Machine GPU | NVIDIA N1X 48SM |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Chip | Navi 33 | GB20B |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 5 nm |

| Die Size | 204 mm² | 382 mm² |

| Transistors | 13,300 million | unknown |

| Transistor Density | 65.2M / mm² | null |

| Base Clock | 1720 MHz | 741 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2450 MHz | 2346 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2250 MHz | null |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 128 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | LPDDR5X |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s | 273.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 6144 |

| TMUs | 112 | 384 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 28 | 48 |

| Tensor Cores | null | 192 |

| Pixel Rate | 156.8 GPixel/s | 112.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 274.4 GTexel/s | 900.9 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 17.56 TFLOPS | 28.83 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 17.56 TFLOPS (1:1) | 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 110 W | unknown |

| Slot Width | null | IGP |

| Bus Interface | null | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 1x DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x HDMI |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | N/A |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | N/A |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | N/A |

| Release Date | 2026-06-28 | 2026-05-31 |

The Verdict

The recorded data presents two devices with complementary strengths. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is the compute leader by a wide margin: 64.2% higher FP32 throughput, 228.3% higher texture rate, 71.4% more RT cores, and 192 tensor cores that the AMD part does not have. Its 128 GB memory capacity suits workloads that require large in-memory datasets. The AMD Steam Machine GPU leads in pixel throughput with 39.3% more GPixel/s, delivers 5.4% more memory bandwidth, and operates at higher clock speeds with a 110 W power envelope.

For workloads dominated by shader compute, texture filtering, tensor operations, or ray tracing, the NVIDIA N1X 48SM is the stronger part based on its specifications alone. For rasterization-bound tasks at lower resolutions, the AMD Steam Machine GPU's higher ROP count and pixel rate give it an edge. The AMD part also carries full DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support, while the NVIDIA part records no API support in the database. The NVIDIA part is an IGP with a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the AMD part is a discrete card with no bus interface listed. Both devices share a 50th percentile ranking, but that ranking derives from an empty benchmark set. Users should weigh the NVIDIA part's massive compute and memory advantages against the AMD part's rasterization strengths and API compatibility.