Radeon Steam Deck 8CU vs Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU

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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.2% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.2%)	✅Leading raw performance (+1.2%)
Longevity	RDNA 2 (2022−2023) (6nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2018 / Legacy)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100+%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU 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

Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon Steam Deck 8CU and Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU

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.

Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU

The Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU is manufactured by Qualcomm. It was released in December 6 2018. The thermal design power (TDP) is 7W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 3,035 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU scores 3,000 and the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU reaches 3,035 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
G3D Mark Score	3,000	3,035+1%
Process Node	6 nm	7 nm

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU has 0 MB. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU offers 100+% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 64-bit vs System.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
VRAM Capacity	2 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	GDDR5	Shared
Bus Width	64-bit	System

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12_0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 12.1 (Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU). Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
DirectX	12_0	12.1
Max Displays	0	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 3.0 (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs VPU (Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU). Decoder: VCN 3.0 vs VPU.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
Encoder	VCN 3.0	VPU
Decoder	VCN 3.0	VPU
Codecs	—	AV1,HEVC,H.264,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU draws 30W versus the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU's 7W — a 124.3% difference. The Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs 1W (Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Integrated.

Feature	Radeon Steam Deck 8CU	Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU
TDP	30W	7W-77%
Recommended PSU	350W	1W-100%
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	Integrated
Length	1mm	—
Slots	0	—
Perf/Watt	100.0	433.6+334%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU launched at $0 and now averages $0. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (Radeon Steam Deck 8CU) vs Infinity (Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU) — the Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU offers NaN% better value. The Radeon Steam Deck 8CU is the newer GPU (2023 vs 2018).