What is the Xbox One S GPU Equivalent to?
The Xbox One S, a mid-generation revision of the original Xbox One, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim and commercial success. Despite its impressive hardware specs, the debate still lingers – what is the equivalent GPU to the Xbox One S?
In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of GPU architecture and technology to provide a detailed answer to this pressing question. We’ll compare the Xbox One S GPU with various PC and console GPUs, and explore what makes them tick.
Under the Hood: A Closer Look at the Xbox One S GPU
Before we can identify the equivalent GPU to the Xbox One S, let’s briefly explore its specs:
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): Custom AMD Jaguar GCN GPU with 1,280 Stream processors
• Memory: 12 gigabytes of GDDR5 memory at 2,048 MT/s
• Memory Interface: 384 bits
• Texture Fill Rate: 29.3 gigapixels
• Pixel Fill Rate: 44 gigapixels
Based on these specs, it’s essential to understand that the Xbox One S GPU is a custom-made AMD Jaguar processor with a GPU core frequency of 914 MHz. It features 12 compute units, with each compute unit containing 108 processing units.
Identifying Equivalents
To identify equivalent GPUs to the Xbox One S, let’s compare its architecture and performance parameters to other GPUs.
Option 1: The Radeon R9 390 and AMD R7 370 GPUs
The Radeon R9 390 and AMD R7 370 GPUs offer similar clock speeds and memory bandwidth to the Xbox One S GPU. These GPUs share similar architecture and manufacturing processes.
• Radeon R9 390:
- Frequency: 1,000 MHz (clock speed)
- Memory Bandwidth: 3,456 bits/s
• AMD R7 370: - Frequency: 1,015 MHz (clock speed)
- Memory Bandwidth: 3,556 bits/s
Both the R9 390 and R7 370 GPUs deliver strong performance in mid-range titles and provide a reasonable level of horsepower for 1080p and 1440p gaming.
Option 2: The Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and GTX 660 GPUs
While the GTX 970 and GTX 660 might seem like outdated options, their architectures and performances share similarities with the Xbox One S GPU.
• GeForce GTX 970:
- Frequency: 1,224 MHz (clock speed)
- Memory Bandwidth: 196 GB/s (3,136 bits)
• GeForce GTX 660: - Frequency: 928 MHz (clock speed)
- Memory Bandwidth: 128.32 GB/s (2,136 bits)
Like the Radeon options, these Nvidia GPUs would provide a significant performance boost in lower-demanding games, especially at 1080p resolution.
Table: Direct GPU Comparisons to Xbox One S
| GPU Model | Stream Processors | Clock Speed (MHz) | Memory Bandwidth (GB/s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox One S | 1,280 | 914 | 368 |
| AMD Radeon R9 390 | 1,872 | 1,000 | 288 |
| AMD Radeon R7 370 | 2,272 | 1,015 | 256 |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 | 1,664 | 1,224 | 196 |
| Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 | 2,496 | 928 | 128 |
As the table above indicates, the GTX 970 and GTX 660 CPUs fall short of the Xbox One S GPU’s Stream Processors. The Radeon GPUs, though, demonstrate closer similarities. The GPU core frequency (clock speed) for the Radeon options is only 1/3 or more below the Xbox One S frequency. Memory bandwidth is also generally within a narrower range.
In summary, the closest GPU equivalents to the Xbox One S are the Radeon R9 390 and R7 370, thanks to similar architectures and memory bandwidth performance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we’ve explored the hardware specifications and capabilities of the Xbox One S GPU, focusing on its closest equivalent graphics processing units. Although the debate over a direct PC GPU equivalent for the Xbox One S GPU rages on, the custom AMD Jaguar GCN GPU of the Xbox One S can be viewed as analogous to the AMD Radeon R9 390 and R7 370 GPUs, considering their comparable architecture and memory bandwidth performance.