The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released in early June. A YouTuber has now got his hands on one of the console’s motherboards.
Just under a month before the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, a YouTuber has published an exciting video about the new console. Apparently, he managed to get hold of a motherboard from the new Switch and take a closer look at the Nvidia chip inside.
What’s inside the Nintendo Switch 2
When it comes to the performance and hardware of the Switch 2, Nintendo has been pretty tight-lipped so far. Sure, as soon as the console is available, there will be teardowns and extensive performance tests, but until then, there’s hardly any information.
Nevertheless, YouTuber Geekerwan has now managed to uncover a whole host of details. In a new video, he explains how he happened to come across a motherboard allegedly from the Switch 2 on the Chinese platform Xianyu for the equivalent of around $150.
Here’s the full video:
Although the motherboard cannot be started because it is either defective or incomplete, the built-in Nvidia chip can still be examined in detail. This also reveals the name of the chip: T239.
The following technical details were determined:
- SoC: NVIDIA T239, code name confirmed, taped out in 2021
- Manufacturing: Samsung 10nm/8nm hybrid process, no “true” 8nm
- Die size: 207 mm², larger than M2, 7840H or RTX 3050 Ti
- CPU: 8x Cortex-A78C, 4 MB L3 cache, 256 KB L2 per core
- RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5X, 128-bit, 8533 MT/s
- Storage: 256 GB UFS 3.1 from SK Hynix
- Other chips: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (MediaTek), audio (Realtek), PMIC with max. 34.4 W
What does this say about performance? Since the motherboard itself cannot be started, no direct performance tests can be carried out. Instead, the YouTuber tried to build a system that was as similar as possible.
He opted for a massively downclocked RTX 2050. This was not easy, as the clock speed had to be reduced even further for handheld mode than most of the available tools allow.
This is the performance achieved:
- TV mode: Performance comparable to GTX 1050 Ti and DLSS, surpasses M1, but falls behind Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Handheld mode: Comparable to GTX 750 Ti, similar or slightly better than the Steam Deck
- CPU performance: About six times faster than the Nintendo Switch’s Tegra X1
DLSS seems to play an important role in the performance of the Switch 2. Last but not least, the YouTuber also tried out various games with this system.
Cyberpunk 2077 will be available on the new Switch at launch and should run at a stable 30 fps in both TV and handheld mode. The resolution is of course comparatively low, especially in handheld mode.
The performance is just enough for Black Myth: Wukong, but 30 fps is probably not possible in handheld mode. Monster Hunter: Wilds would not run at all on the console in its current state.
Geekerwan is nevertheless confident that many ports, such as Call of Duty Warzone, will also run stably on the Switch 2.
