Radeon Steam Deck 8CU vs GeForce GTX 860M

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

2023Boost: 1900 MHz

GeForce GTX 860M

2014Core: 797 MHzBoost: 1085 MHz

Performance Spectrum - GPU

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

3,000

0.0%

3,095

+3.2%

GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU

RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 860M

#167

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

351%

#169

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

318%

#170

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

317%

#174

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

288%

#175

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

286%

#177

GeForce GTX 860M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

100%

#179

Radeon R9 360

MSRP: $99|Avg: $55

99%

#180

GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (móvel)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $65

99%

#181

GeForce GTX 460M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

98%

#182

Radeon 6750M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $25

98%

#183

GeForce GT 525M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $30

97%

#185

Radeon R5 (Bristol Ridge)

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

97%

#187

GeForce MX550

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is significantly newer (2023 vs 2014). The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 860M lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 860M is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.2% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU.

Insight	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3.2%)
Longevity	RDNA 2 (2022−2023) (6nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2014 / Maxwell (2014−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the GeForce GTX 860M remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 860M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon Steam Deck 8CU and GeForce GTX 860M

Radeon Steam Deck 8CU

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 9 2023. It features the RDNA 2 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1900 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 6 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,000 points.

GeForce GTX 860M

The GeForce GTX 860M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 13 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 797 MHz to 1085 MHz. It has 1152 or 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,095 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU scores 3,000 and the GeForce GTX 860M reaches 3,095 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is built on RDNA 2 while the GeForce GTX 860M uses Maxwell, both on 6 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 1,152 (GeForce GTX 860M). Boost clocks: 1900 MHz vs 1085 MHz.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
G3D Mark Score	3,000	3,095+3%
Architecture	RDNA 2	Maxwell
Process Node	6 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	512	1152 or 640+125%
Boost Clock	1900 MHz+75%	1085 MHz
L1 Cache	512 KB+60%	320 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 2 GB of GDDR5. Bus width: 64-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 2 MB (GeForce GTX 860M) — the GeForce GTX 860M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	128-bit+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 11.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 1.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
DirectX	12_0+9%	11.0
Max Displays	0	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs NVENC 2.0 (GeForce GTX 860M). Decoder: VCN 3.0 vs PureVideo HD VP6.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
Encoder	VCN 3.0	NVENC 2.0
Decoder	VCN 3.0	PureVideo HD VP6
Codecs	—	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP,H.265

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU draws 30W versus the GeForce GTX 860M's 75W — a 85.7% difference. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 350W (GeForce GTX 860M). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 1mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	GeForce GTX 860M
TDP	30W-60%	75W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	PCIe-powered
Length	1mm	0mm
Height	—	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	—	80°C
Perf/Watt	100.0+142%	41.3

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU costs 100+% less ($50 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 61.9 (GeForce GTX 860M) — the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers Infinity% better value. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2014).