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Nintendo Switch
Benchmarks & Specs
Last updated:
Nintendo Switch
Summary
The Nintendo Switch's processor, manufactured by NVIDIA, was a clever design. It utilizes a Cortex-A57/-A53 architecture. This combination enabled balanced performance. We found it to be very well-suited for a mobile console. Particularly noteworthy is the integrated NVIDIA Tegra X1 (Maxwell) graphics unit.
It laid the foundation for the console's well-known gaming experience. Manufactured using a 20-nanometer process, this chip offered good energy efficiency. This was crucial for long battery life in handheld mode. We also owe the versatility of the Nintendo Switch to this processor. It allows for easy switching between handheld and TV modes.
With a maximum memory bandwidth of 26 GB/s, data could be processed quickly. The 3 MB Level 2 cache also contributed to overall performance. It's a good example of how a specialized chip enables a unique platform. It proved that much can be achieved with a specific focus. Many players still appreciate it for its capabilities to this day.
It laid the foundation for the console's well-known gaming experience. Manufactured using a 20-nanometer process, this chip offered good energy efficiency. This was crucial for long battery life in handheld mode. We also owe the versatility of the Nintendo Switch to this processor. It allows for easy switching between handheld and TV modes.
With a maximum memory bandwidth of 26 GB/s, data could be processed quickly. The 3 MB Level 2 cache also contributed to overall performance. It's a good example of how a specialized chip enables a unique platform. It proved that much can be achieved with a specific focus. Many players still appreciate it for its capabilities to this day.
- Integrated NVIDIA Tegra X1 (Maxwell) graphics unit
- High energy efficiency through 20-nm manufacturing
- Enabled the versatility of the console
- Balanced performance for mobile gaming
Benchmarks
Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks
Single-core performance
Multi-core performance
Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance
Intel Atom x6416RE
105 %
4C / 4T · 1.70 GHz
Intel Core i3-3217UE
102 %
2C / 4T · 1.60 GHz
Nintendo Switch
100 %
8C / 8T · 1.75 GHz
AMD GX-424CC
99 %
4C / 4T · 2.40 GHz
Intel Celeron N3450
98 %
4C / 4T · 2.20 GHz
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance
Intel Pentium B970
101 %
2C / 2T · 2.30 GHz
Intel Celeron N4020C
100 %
2C / 2T · 2.80 GHz
Nintendo Switch
100 %
8C / 8T · 1.00 GHz
Intel Core i3-3227U
99 %
2C / 4T · 1.90 GHz
Intel Celeron J4005
98 %
2C / 2T · 2.70 GHz
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)
Intel Core i5-4300M
102 %
Intel HD Graphics 4600
Intel Core i7-13650HX
101 %
Intel UHD Graphics 13th Gen (16 EU)
Nintendo Switch
100 %
NVIDIA Tegra X1 (Maxwell)
Intel Core i3-8100H
98 %
Intel UHD Graphics 630
Intel Core i3-8145U
98 %
Intel UHD Graphics 620
More benchmarks
Specifications
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Family | NVIDIA Tegra (2) |
| CPU group | NVIDIA Tegra X1 (2) |
| Architecture | Cortex-A57/-A53 |
| Technology | 20 nm |
| Segment | Notebook |
| Socket | |
| Generation | 2 |
| Predecessor | |
| Successor |
CPU Cores and Base Frequency
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| CPU Cores / Threads | 8 / 8 |
| Hyperthreading / SMT | ✗ |
| Core architecture | hybrid (big.LITTLE) |
| Core Cluster 1: | 4x Cortex-A57 1.00 - 1.75 GHz |
| Core Cluster 2: | 4x Cortex-A53 1.00 - 1.75 GHz |
| L2-Cache | 2.50 MB |
| L3-Cache | |
| Overclocking | No |
Integrated graphics (iGPU)
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| GPU name | NVIDIA Tegra X1 (Maxwell) |
| GPU frequency | 0.30 - 0.77 GHz |
| CUs / Shader | 2 / 256 |
| Raytracing | ✗ |
| Max. displays | 1 |
| Max. GPU Memory | 2 GB |
| Technology | 20 nm |
| Release date | Q1/2017 |
Memory & PCIe
| Memory type | Memory bandwidth |
|---|---|
| LPDDR4-3200 | 25.6 GB/s |
| Property | Value |
| Max. Memory | 4 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 |
| ECC | ✗ |
| PCIe | |
| PCIe Bandwidth |
Thermal Management
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| TDP | 5 W |
| TDP (PL2) | |
| TDP up | |
| TDP down | 5 W |
| T. junction max. |
Technical details
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Chip design | Chiplet |
| AES-NI | ✗ |
| Operating systems | |
| Instruction set | Armv8-A (64 bit) |
| ISA extensions | |
| Release date | Q1/2017 |
| Release price | |
| Documents | Technical data sheet |
User Reviews
Most popular CPUs in the category Notebook
1
Apple M5 Max (18-CPU 32-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
2
Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU)
24C / 24T · 3.50 GHz
3
Apple M5 Max (18-CPU 40-GPU)
18C / 18T · 4.61 GHz
4
Apple M5 Pro (15-CPU 16-GPU)
15C / 15T · 4.61 GHz
5
Apple M1 Ultra (48-GPU)
20C / 20T · 3.20 GHz
6
Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU)
24C / 24T · 3.50 GHz
7
Apple M1 Pro (8-CPU)
8C / 8T · 3.20 GHz
8
Apple M3 Max (16-CPU 40-GPU)
16C / 16T · 4.06 GHz
9
Nintendo Switch
8C / 8T · 1.75 GHz
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