SMCI vs NVDA Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Super Micro Computer assembles and sells the server systems that house AI chips, operating at lower margins and with a history of governance concerns, while NVIDIA designs the GPUs at the center of those systems and captures far higher margins as the dominant AI compute supplier. NVIDIA offers concentrated exposure to the most profitable layer of the AI hardware stack, while Super Micro offers higher revenue growth rates on a smaller earnings base but with more competitive and governance-related risk. The choice depends on whether an investor prioritizes margin quality and market leadership or faster top-line growth at a lower valuation multiple relative to sales.
Use this comparison to weigh dominant, high-margin GPU exposure (NVIDIA) against faster-growing but lower-margin, higher-risk AI server assembly exposure (Super Micro Computer).
NVDA holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. NVDA has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+26.75% vs -10.26%), though SMCI has the better forward P/E setup (7.00x vs 14.21x for NVDA). NVDA leads on both revenue growth (105.90%) and operating margin (66.24%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for NVDA (+48.66%) than for SMCI (+13.67%).
- Want direct exposure to AI server hardware demand growth at a lower valuation multiple than chip leaders
- Are comfortable with lower margins typical of server assembly businesses
- Have done diligence on the company's past accounting concerns and are comfortable with the resolved governance changes
- Believe liquid cooling technology leadership can be a durable differentiator
- Want concentrated exposure to the dominant supplier of AI training and inference compute
- Value extremely high profitability and cash generation over faster percentage revenue growth
- Prefer a company with a longer track record of stable governance and financial reporting
- Are comfortable holding a mega-cap stock with elevated growth expectations already priced in
| Metric | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 73.2 | 87.6 |
| AI rank | #24 | #4 |
| Latest close | $37.28 | $220.78 |
| 1M return | +31.27% | +9.98% |
| 6M return | +15.10% | +20.99% |
| 1Y return | -10.26% | +26.75% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.14K (-8.6%) started 2025-09-02 | $12.93K (+29.3%) started 2025-09-02 |
| 5Y ago | $102.03K (+920.3%) started 2021-08-31 | $98.75K (+887.5%) started 2021-09-01 |
| 10Y ago | $172.35K (+1623.5%) started 2016-08-31 | $1.45M (+14350.2%) started 2016-09-01 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $24.12B | $5.25T |
| Trailing P/E | 11.44 | 27.47 |
| Forward P/E | 7.00 | 14.21 |
| Price/Sales | 0.62 | 23.66 |
| EV/Revenue | 0.74 | 17.23 |
| Analyst target | $42.38 | $323.42 |
| Target upside | +13.67% | +48.66% |
| Metric | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 93.20% | 105.90% |
| Earnings growth | 409.40% | 127.80% |
| EPS growth | +409.40% | +127.80% |
| FCF margin | -21.07% | +13.80% |
| Operating margin | 13.38% | 66.24% |
| Profit margin | 5.71% | 63.66% |
| ROIC proxy | 21.47% | 117.21% |
| Return on equity | 21.47% | 117.21% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.46% |
| Beta | 1.97 | 2.21 |
| Debt/equity | 64.31 | 16.97 |
| Current ratio | 3.87 | 4.59 |
| Quick ratio | 1.91 | 2.92 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -8.58% | +29.28% |
| CAGR | -8.63% | +29.47% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.32 | 0.75 | |
| Max drawdown | 65.01% | 20.22% | |
| Max daily drop | 33.32% | 6.20% | |
| Max wkly drop | 38.27% | 10.72% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +920.25% | +885.67% |
| CAGR | +59.14% | +58.05% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.92 | 1.06 | |
| Max drawdown | 84.84% | 66.34% | |
| Max daily drop | 33.32% | 16.97% | |
| Max wkly drop | 45.45% | 22.20% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +1623.53% | +14114.93% |
| CAGR | +32.94% | +64.18% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.70 | 1.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 84.84% | 66.34% | |
| Max daily drop | 41.12% | 18.76% | |
| Max wkly drop | 45.45% | 28.36% |
| Category | SMCI | NVDA |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Super Micro Computer, Inc. | NVIDIA Corporation |
| Sector | Technology / IT Hardware and AI Servers | Technology |
| Industry | N/A | Semiconductors |
| Core business | Super Micro Computer designs and manufactures high-performance, liquid-cooled server and storage systems built around leading GPU platforms, serving hyperscale, enterprise, and sovereign AI data center customers. | NVIDIA designs GPUs and the associated software and networking technology that power the majority of AI training and inference workloads globally, alongside gaming and other computing markets. |
| Investor focus | Investors watch AI server revenue growth, gross margin trends amid intense competition, and the resolution of prior accounting and governance concerns that pressured the stock. | Investors focus on data center GPU revenue growth, the pace of new chip architecture launches, supply chain capacity, and customer concentration among major cloud and AI companies. |
- Rapid revenue growth tied to strong demand for liquid-cooled AI server systems
- Large, diversified customer wins including major multi-billion-dollar sovereign AI infrastructure deals
- Early mover advantage in liquid cooling technology increasingly required for high-density AI server racks
- Dominant market position in AI training and inference GPUs with a multi-year technology and software ecosystem lead
- Extremely high profitability and free cash flow generation relative to hardware assemblers and peers
- Broad demand base spanning hyperscalers, enterprises, and sovereign AI infrastructure buildouts
- History of accounting concerns and an auditor change created lasting governance-related valuation discounts
- Server assembly is a lower-margin, highly competitive position in the AI hardware value chain
- Heavily dependent on GPU supply availability and pricing from chip partners
- Customer concentration among a small number of very large hyperscaler buyers creates order lumpiness risk
- Export restrictions and geopolitical dynamics can affect access to certain international markets
- Valuation reflects sustained expectations for continued AI compute demand growth
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