Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) vs Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405)

Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) or Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has 10 cores with 10 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.50 GHz. Up to 32 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) was released in Q1/2023.

The Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) has 4 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.50 GHz. The CPU supports up to 16 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) was released in Q4/2021.

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 10 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) is 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) while the Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) has 4 CPU cores and 8 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) is at 2.40 GHz (3.50 GHz).

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) or Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) can use up to 32 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 102.4 GB/s. The Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) supports up to 16 GB of memory in 4 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 88.0 GB/s.

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) is 30 W, while the Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) has a TDP of 15 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

The Apple M2 Pro (10-CPU 16-GPU) is manufactured in 5 nm and has 28.00 MB cache. The Valve Steam Deck (AMD Custom APU 0405) is manufactured in 7 nm and has a 6.00 MB cache.