ZOTAC GAMING RTX 3050 Twin Edge OC
Pros
Solid build quality
Options for both overclocked and not
Efficient heatsink design
Cons
Lower specs than other offerings
Nintendo Switch GPU equivalent – our top graphics cards
There are some major differences between console and dedicated but what is the equivalent
Updated: Feb 23, 2024 4:12 pm
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Nintendo is, without a doubt, one of the most well-known consoles manufacturers in the world. One of Nintendo’s most impressive innovations over the last few years is the Nintendo Switch video game console, which was released back in 2017. Given that it’s not the most powerful piece of kit, it’s remarkable what it manages to do. Nintendo opted to make the Switch as sturdy as possible, whereas other handheld systems may have sacrificed performance to keep the handheld device small.
The GM20B chipset has an effective speed of 3.2Gbps and an equivalent clock speed of between 385MHz and 768MHz. The console also offers a memory clock speed of up to 1.6GHz in addition to these specifications. These figures may be underwhelming for current gaming consoles, but for handheld gaming devices, they are still quite high – although pale in comparison with the Steam Deck. So what graphics card is the equivalent to the Nintendo Switch? Well, you can probably aim for affordable, mid-range to lower-end GPUs to achieve similar performance – but then there’s the issue of playing your favourite Nintendo games.
Nintendo Switch GPU equivalent
The NVIDIA GTX 1650 processor is comparable to the GPU in the Nintendo Switch and is considered the closest Nintendo Switch GPU equivalent. As close as you’ll get to the graphical capability of the Switch, it’s a high-quality computer chip that works great for gaming and numerous graphics-intensive tasks.
The GTX 1650 features an average clock speed of 1.4GHz to 1.6GHz and a memory clock speed of 2.1GHz. It has 896 cores, 4GB of VRAM, and 32 ROPS. Its 12nm size, as opposed to the Switch’s 20nm chipset, makes it considerably less powerful.
EVGA GeForce GTX 1650 XC ULTRA OC
Boost Clock Speed
1875 MHz
Outputs
2x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 2.0b
Cooling
Dual fans and heatsink
The GTX 1650 also boasts a significantly greater display performance, measuring 53.28 GPixel/s and 93.24 GTexel/s, as it was created particularly to process graphics data. These figures indicate that the GPU will deliver 93.24 GFLOPS of processing power.
Since console chipsets operate somewhat differently from normal processors, in terms of performance, you shouldn’t expect a PC to exactly match the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. In the end, the Switch’s CPU and the NVIDIA GTX 1650 chipset have nearly identical architectures. Even though the comparison isn’t precise, both processors will provide around the same performance. the main issue with the GTX 1650 is its age, meaning you will likely need to upgrade this component sooner rather than later. While there is a Ti version we would say you are better aiming for a Sony Playstation 5 or Microsoft Xbox Series X equivalent.
Budget may be your main priority, so for maximum performance while not breaking the bank, we can look to the RTX 3050 or AMD Radeon RX 6600. These are both very affordable cards from AMD and Nvidia, with the ability to play a wide range of PC games, holding great benchmarks and Geekbench results for the price. The RTX 3050 has Ray Tracing capabilities, although you should limit your expectations from this entry-level GPU. Regardless, they both offer a good entry into the systems, with both offering upscaling tech to give you better performance with DLSS and RSR.
Conclusion
Ultimately, if you’re reading this, you’re wondering whether to get a PC or a Nintendo Switch. They are two very different beasts. The main draw of the Switch isn’t its raw power (or lack of), but the quality of games on offer. Yes, you can emulate them, but nothing is the same as playing them on the console they were designed for. Plus, the Nintendo Switch can be taken on holiday and long journeys – your GPU can not. Well, not easily anyway. If you’re opting for a GPU, pick one of the best graphics cards in 2024, which we’ve gathered together for you.
