Nvidia vs AMD: performance comparison
Over the 12 months to Oct 2, 2026, Nvidia returned +26.1% and AMD +211.2%. This page puts the two side by side on the same dates — current prices, performance charts rebased to 100, returns from one month to five years, volatility, the deepest falls and how closely the two move together — recalculated daily from closing prices.
Performance, rebased to 100
Both lines start at 100 on the first shared date: a value of 150 means +50% since then.
- Nvidia+26.1%
- AMD+211.2%
- Nvidia+1,046.8%
- AMD+501.3%
Returns
| Period | Nvidia | AMD | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +4.3% | +38.7% | AMD |
| 3 months | +20.1% | +22.4% | AMD |
| 6 months | +31.9% | +191.5% | AMD |
| Year to date | +25.4% | +196.0% | AMD |
| 1 year | +26.1% | +211.2% | AMD |
| 3 years | +422.0% | +489.1% | AMD |
| 5 years | +1,046.8% | +501.3% | Nvidia |
Price returns between closing prices on the same dates for both assets; dividends and interest are not included. All prices are in US dollars. Data to Oct 2, 2026.
Risk
| Measure | Nvidia | AMD |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility, 1 year (annualized) | 37.6% | 68.8% |
| Volatility, 5 years (annualized, weekly) | 47.3% | 54.1% |
| Deepest fall, 5 years | -66.0%Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 | -64.0%Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 |
| Correlation, 1 year (daily returns) | 0.50 | |
| Correlation, 5 years (weekly returns) | 0.61 | |
Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of returns — higher means bigger swings. The deepest fall is the largest drop from a previous high. Correlation runs from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (in lockstep).
What the numbers say
Over five years (Oct 2021 to Oct 2026), Nvidia returned +1,046.8% and AMD +501.3%. AMD led over the past year, while Nvidia led over five years.
Annualized volatility over the past year: Nvidia 37.6%, AMD 68.8% — AMD was about 1.8× as volatile. Deepest fall over the period: Nvidia -66.0% (Nov 2021 – Oct 2022), AMD -64.0% (Nov 2021 – Oct 2022).
The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.50. That is a moderate positive link: they have often moved in the same direction. Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.61.
Past performance does not predict future returns.
Key differences
- Both design chips but outsource manufacturing, largely to TSMC in Taiwan.
- Focus: Nvidia leads the market for AI accelerators, helped by its GPUs and its CUDA software ecosystem; AMD competes there while also selling PC and server CPUs (Ryzen, EPYC) and chips for game consoles.
- Risk: both are cyclical, and their shares react strongly to AI spending plans, export restrictions on chips to China and swings in the semiconductor cycle.
The two assets
Nvidia
Nvidia designs graphics processors (GPUs) and the data-center accelerators used to train and run AI models, which now generate most of its revenue. Spending by cloud providers and other large companies on AI infrastructure is the key driver of its stock.
Nvidia chart and analysis →AMD
AMD designs CPUs (Ryzen, EPYC) and GPUs (Radeon, Instinct) for PCs, servers, game consoles and AI data centers. Server-chip market share and sales of AI accelerators are the main swing factors for its stock.
AMD chart and analysis →Frequently asked questions
Which performed better over the past year, Nvidia or AMD?
AMD. In the 12 months to Oct 2, 2026, Nvidia returned +26.1% and AMD +211.2%, a difference of 185.1 percentage points. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which performed better over the past five years, Nvidia or AMD?
Nvidia. From Oct 2021 to Oct 2026, Nvidia returned +1,046.8% and AMD +501.3%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is more volatile, Nvidia or AMD?
AMD — about 1.8 times as volatile as Nvidia. Annualized volatility over the past year: Nvidia 37.6%, AMD 68.8%. Deepest fall over five years: Nvidia -66.0%, AMD -64.0%.
Do Nvidia and AMD move together?
A moderate positive link: they have often moved in the same direction. The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.50, on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) to +1 (moving in lockstep). Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.61.
How we calculate
Both series are aligned on the trading days (or weeks) they share, so every return covers the same dates for both assets. Periods up to one year use daily closes; three and five years use weekly closes. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of log returns, the deepest fall is measured on weekly closes, and correlation is the Pearson coefficient of returns over identical intervals. Data: Yahoo Finance and OKX, refreshed daily. All prices are in US dollars.