AMD Wii U GPU

The AMD Wii U GPU is a console-oriented graphics processor based on the Latte chip, built on the TeraScale 2 architecture. Fabricated on a 40 nm process at Renesas, it integrates 880 million transistors across a 146 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 6.0 million per square millimeter. The GPU is paired with 2 GB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 12.80 GB/s of bandwidth, and its 33 W TDP reflects a low-power design intended for fixed-function console use. Released on November 17, 2012, the part is now end-of-life, with a launch MSRP of 349 USD.

Benchmark Performance

The raw computational metrics for this GPU are modest by contemporary standards, but they define a clear performance envelope. The single-precision floating-point throughput is 176.0 GFLOPS, derived from 160 shading units. This figure, combined with 16 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 8 raster output units (ROPs), yields a pixel fill rate of 4.400 GPixel/s and a texture fill rate of 8.800 GTexel/s. These rates are directly tied to the fixed clock domains of the console hardware, though the exact core clock is not specified in the available data.

The memory subsystem, with its 64-bit bus and 800 MHz memory clock (1600 Mbps effective), provides a theoretical bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s. This bandwidth is a critical constraint for workloads that demand frequent data transfers, such as high-resolution textures or heavy post-processing. The pixel and texture rates, while not exceptional, are sufficient for the intended console resolution targets of the era. However, the 12.80 GB/s bandwidth may become a bottleneck when the GPU is tasked with rendering scenes that exceed the 2 GB framebuffer’s capacity, forcing data to be swapped in and out of memory.

The GPU’s percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database is 50, indicating a median position in the overall performance distribution. This suggests that, based on the hardware specifications, the part sits exactly at the midpoint of the tracked GPU population. Notably, the average benchmark score is reported as 0, which implies that no standardized benchmark results have been recorded for this part. Consequently, the performance assessment relies entirely on the architectural parameters rather than empirical testing. The compute density of 6.0 million transistors per square millimeter reflects the 40 nm process technology, which was typical for its generation but is far behind modern nodes.

How It Compares

Direct rival data is not available in the dataset, so a head-to-head comparison with specific competitor products cannot be provided. Instead, the GPU’s position is defined by its 50th percentile ranking, which places it at the median of all GPUs tracked by the benchmark database. This percentile is a relative measure, but without a corresponding benchmark score, it should be interpreted as an estimate derived from the hardware configuration rather than a measured result.

The GPU’s physical dimensions—269 mm by 172 mm by 46 mm (10.6 × 6.8 × 1.8 inches)—indicate a compact board design, consistent with a console form factor. Its 33 W TDP is notably low, which is a characteristic of integrated console parts that operate under fixed thermal and power budgets. The single HDMI 1.4 display output further underscores its role as a dedicated video output for a gaming system, rather than a multi-display desktop card.

In the absence of rival entries, the analysis focuses on the absolute performance metrics. The 176.0 GFLOPS compute throughput and 12.80 GB/s memory bandwidth are the key figures that define its capabilities. These numbers, when viewed against the 50th percentile ranking, suggest that the GPU is neither a high-end performer nor a particularly weak one—it occupies a middle ground that was typical for console hardware of its release year.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem consists of 2 GB of DDR3 memory operating at a clock speed of 800 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1600 Mbps. The bus width is 64 bits, which yields a theoretical bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s. This configuration is a limiting factor for high-resolution rendering, as the narrow bus restricts the amount of data that can be transferred per clock cycle. The bandwidth is sufficient for the GPU’s intended workload—likely 720p or 1080p gaming at moderate settings—but it would struggle with 4K textures or heavy use of high-resolution shadow maps, which require significantly more memory throughput.

The 2 GB capacity is modest by modern standards, but for a console with a fixed memory pool, it represents a trade-off between cost and performance. The memory type (DDR3) and bus width are typical of the era, and the effective 1600 Mbps rate is consistent with the 800 MHz clock. The 12.80 GB/s bandwidth is a hard ceiling for data movement; any scenario that exceeds this rate will cause the GPU to stall, reducing effective fill rates. In practice, this means that scenes with large amounts of texture data or complex geometry will see performance degradation due to memory bandwidth constraints.

FAQ

Q: What is the manufacturing process and die size of the AMD Wii U GPU?

A: The GPU is fabricated on a 40 nm process and has a die size of 146 mm², containing 880 million transistors.

Q: How much memory does it have and what is the bus width?

A: It includes 2 GB of DDR3 memory with a 64-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s.

Q: What is the peak single-precision compute performance?

A: The FP32 throughput is 176.0 GFLOPS, derived from 160 shading units.

Q: What is the power consumption of this GPU?

A: The TDP is 33 W, which is low for a graphics processor and reflects its console-oriented design.

Q: What display output is available?

A: The GPU features a single HDMI 1.4 output, which is the only display interface listed.

Q: What was the launch MSRP?

A: The launch MSRP was 349 USD.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The GPU does not list any dedicated ray tracing (RT) cores or tensor cores in its specifications. This indicates that the hardware lacks specialized acceleration for ray-traced rendering or AI-based tasks such as deep learning super sampling. Instead, all compute workloads—including any potential ray tracing—would have to be handled by the 160 shading units, which are general-purpose processors. However, the API support fields (DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan) are all null in the dataset, meaning that the software interface for such features is not documented here. Without API specifications, the actual feature set cannot be fully verified, but the absence of RT and tensor cores is a clear indicator that this GPU is focused on traditional rasterization.

The TeraScale 2 architecture is a unified shader design, and the GPU includes 16 texture mapping units and 8 ROPs, which handle texture filtering and pixel output. The pixel fill rate of 4.400 GPixel/s and texture fill rate of 8.800 GTexel/s define the maximum rate at which fragments and texels can be processed. These rates are consistent with a GPU that prioritizes power efficiency over raw performance. The single HDMI 1.4 output supports video output, but no other display interfaces are present. Overall, the feature set is limited to conventional graphics processing, with no support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing or tensor-based features.