In real-world gaming, the Steam Deck performs comparably to an NVIDIA GTX 1050 or GTX 1650, making it suitable for 720p to 800p gaming at medium to high settings. Titles like The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, and Cyberpunk 2077 typically run smoothly around 30-60 frames per second, depending on the game’s graphic demands and the chosen settings.
When comparing GPUs, the Steam Deck’s performance lands below the GTX 1650 Super and AMD’s RX 570, but it’s close enough for portable gaming. Although it lacks the power for ultra settings in the latest AAA games, it delivers a balanced experience on moderate settings. It is the best choice for gamers who prioritize portability without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity.
What GPU is in the Steam Deck?
The Steam Deck’s GPU is a custom AMD RDNA 2-based unit with 8 compute units, integrated within an APU called the Aerith SoC. This GPU, clocked between 1.0 and 1.6 GHz, allows the Deck to handle modern games at playable settings, focusing on 720p to 800p.
With this setup, the Steam Deck achieves performance comparable to the Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 550. Although it doesn’t match high-end desktop GPUs, its power efficiency and balanced design allow it to run many AAA titles at medium settings, ideal for portable gaming.
Nvidia RTX 3050
The Steam Deck’s GPU achieves around 1.6 TFLOPS, while the NVIDIA RTX 3050 reaches 4.8 TFLOPS, making it more powerful. The 3050 also has ray-tracing cores, DLSS support, and 8GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, enhancing performance. While the 3050 is more powerful, it’s the best comparison since older GPUs face availability issues.
Specs
- CUDA Cores: 2,560
- Video Memory: 8GB GDDR6
- Memory Clock: 14,000 MHz
- Power Requirements: 130W (8-pin power connector required)
Pros
- Good performance for 1080p gaming with high settings.
- Supports ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced visuals and performance.
Cons
- Still struggles with higher-end AAA titles at ultra settings.
- Higher power consumption compared to budget GPUs.
Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti
The Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti is often considered an approximate GPU equivalent to the Steam Deck. Both offer entry-level gaming performance, with the 1050 Ti being capable of handling 1080p gaming at medium settings, while the Steam Deck targets gaming at lower resolutions with optimization for portability and efficiency, offering similar performance in many titles.
Specs
- CUDA Cores: 768
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 7,008 MHz
- Power Requirements: 75W (no external power connector needed)
Pros
- Affordable and power-efficient, ideal for budget builds.
- Good performance for 1080p gaming at medium settings.
Cons
- Lacks support for modern features like ray tracing.
- Struggles with demanding AAA games at higher settings.
AMD Radeon RX 550
The AMD Radeon RX 550 is another GPU often compared to the Steam Deck in terms of performance. While it is a budget-oriented desktop card, it offers similar gaming capabilities to the Steam Deck, providing smooth gameplay at lower settings. Both can handle casual gaming and indie titles effectively, with the RX 550 being a desktop counterpart and the Steam Deck offering portable gaming.
Specs
- CUDA Cores: N/A (uses Stream Processors)
- Video Memory: 2GB or 4GB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 6,000 MHz
- Power Requirements: 50W (no external power connector needed)
Pros
- Affordable and budget-friendly.
- It has decent performance for light gaming and esports titles.
Cons
- Limited performance for modern AAA games at higher settings.
- Lacks advanced features like ray tracing support.
