AMD FirePro M4000 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti and AMD FirePro M4000 are both end-of-life mobile and desktop graphics solutions, but they represent two very different design philosophies from their respective eras. The GTX 550 Ti, built on NVIDIA’s Fermi 2.0 architecture, is a dual-slot desktop card from the GeForce 500 generation, while the FirePro M4000 is an AMD professional mobile workstation part based on GCN 1.0. The benchmark data shows a single head-to-head comparison, with the GTX 550 Ti edging out the FirePro M4000 by a narrow margin. However, the underlying specifications tell a story of divergent priorities: raw memory throughput and pixel fill rate versus power efficiency and transistor density.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a clear, albeit narrow, victory for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti in the only benchmark recorded. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 against the FirePro M4000’s 5537, a 3.5% advantage. This single win gives the GTX 550 Ti a 1-0 record in head-to-head comparisons. The GTX 550 Ti also holds a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs, sitting at the 33rd percentile compared to the FirePro M4000’s 32nd. While both cards are firmly in the lower half of performance rankings, the GTX 550 Ti’s edge in compute workloads is measurable.

The AMD FirePro M4000, despite losing the benchmark, wins decisively in several other categories that matter for specific use cases. Its power envelope is dramatically lower, with a TDP of 33 W compared to the GTX 550 Ti’s 116 W. This makes the FirePro M4000 the clear choice for thin-and-light mobile workstations where thermal management and battery life are paramount. The FirePro M4000 also consumes less space, utilizing an MXM Module form factor with no external power connectors, whereas the GTX 550 Ti requires a dual-slot footprint and a 6-pin power connector. For professional mobile workstations, the FirePro M4000’s efficiency and compact design are significant advantages that no benchmark score can fully capture.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial. The GTX 550 Ti uses NVIDIA’s Fermi 2.0 architecture on a 40 nm process node from TSMC, while the FirePro M4000 employs AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture on a more advanced 28 nm node, also from TSMC. This process difference is reflected in the transistor counts: the FirePro M4000 packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 12.2M / mm². The GTX 550 Ti, by contrast, has 1,170 million transistors spread across a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in a density of only 4.9M / mm². This means the AMD chip is over twice as dense per square millimeter.

The shading unit configuration also diverges sharply. The FirePro M4000 has 512 shading units, a massive count for its power class, while the GTX 550 Ti has only 192. Both cards have 32 texture mapping units, but the ROP count differs: the GTX 550 Ti has 24 ROPs versus the FirePro M4000’s 16. Despite these differences, both GPUs deliver identical FP32 compute performance at 691.2 GFLOPS. The pixel rate favors the FirePro M4000 at 10.80 GPixel/s versus 7.200 GPixel/s for the GTX 550 Ti, but the texture rate reverses the trend, with the GTX 550 Ti hitting 28.80 GTexel/s against the FirePro M4000’s 21.60 GTexel/s.

The memory subsystems are another point of divergence. The GTX 550 Ti uses a 192-bit memory bus with a bandwidth of 98.50 GB/s, while the FirePro M4000 has a narrower 128-bit bus yielding only 64.00 GB/s. Both have 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory, but the GTX 550 Ti’s memory clock runs at 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective) versus the FirePro M4000’s 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 550 Ti supports PCIe 2.0 x16, while the FirePro M4000 uses an MXM-A (3.0) interface, reflecting its mobile-only design.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score in the recorded head-to-head test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 3.5% higher than the AMD FirePro M4000’s score of 5537. This gives the GTX 550 Ti a 1-0 win record in direct comparisons.

Q: What is the power consumption difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, which is dramatically lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti’s TDP of 116 W. This makes the FirePro M4000 significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same compute performance?

A: Yes, both the GTX 550 Ti and the FirePro M4000 deliver exactly 691.2 GFLOPS of FP32 compute performance, despite having different shading unit counts (192 vs 512) and architectures.

Q: How do their memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 98.50 GB/s, which is substantially higher than the FirePro M4000’s 64.00 GB/s. This is due to the GTX 550 Ti’s wider 192-bit bus versus the FirePro M4000’s 128-bit bus.

Q: Which card supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The AMD FirePro M4000 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan support listed. The FirePro M4000 also supports DirectX 12 (11_1), while the GTX 550 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0).

Q: What are the physical form factor differences?

A: The GTX 550 Ti is a dual-slot desktop card measuring 210 mm in length, requiring a 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. The FirePro M4000 is an MXM Module with no power connectors, designed for portable devices.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The process node is a key differentiator: the GTX 550 Ti uses 40 nm technology, while the FirePro M4000 uses 28 nm. Transistor counts are 1,170 million for NVIDIA and 1,500 million for AMD, with die sizes of 238 mm² and 123 mm² respectively. The transistor density is 4.9M / mm² for the GTX 550 Ti and 12.2M / mm² for the FirePro M4000.

Memory configurations differ in bus width (192-bit vs 128-bit) and bandwidth (98.50 GB/s vs 64.00 GB/s), though both have 1024 MB of GDDR5. The memory clock is slightly higher on the GTX 550 Ti at 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective) versus 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective). Shading units are 192 on the GTX 550 Ti and 512 on the FirePro M4000, while ROPs are 24 and 16 respectively. Both have 32 TMUs. Pixel rate is 7.200 GPixel/s for NVIDIA and 10.80 GPixel/s for AMD, while texture rate is 28.80 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s.

The power and physical specifications are drastically different. The GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W, is dual-slot, requires a 1x 6-pin power connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. The FirePro M4000 has a TDP of 33 W, is an MXM Module, has no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU. The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16 for NVIDIA and MXM-A (3.0) for AMD. Display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a for the GTX 550 Ti, while the FirePro M4000 is portable device dependent. API support differs in DirectX version (12 (11_0) vs 12 (11_1)) and Vulkan (none vs 1.2.170). The release dates are 2011-03-14 for the GTX 550 Ti and 2012-06-26 for the FirePro M4000.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only recorded head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are close. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scored 5731, while the AMD FirePro M4000 scored 5537. This represents a 3.5% delta in favor of the GTX 550 Ti. While this is a clear win, the margin is modest and falls within the range of run-to-run variance seen in many benchmark suites. For context, the GTX 550 Ti’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX at 5721 (0.2% behind) and the AMD Radeon R7 M465 at 5841 (1.9% ahead). The FirePro M4000’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M500M at 5604 (1.2% ahead) and the AMD Radeon R7 M440 at 5483 (1% behind).

The GTX 550 Ti’s advantage in this benchmark likely stems from its higher memory bandwidth and texture rate. The 98.50 GB/s bandwidth is 54% higher than the FirePro M4000’s 64.00 GB/s, and the texture rate of 28.80 GTexel/s is 33% higher. These factors can significantly impact OpenCL workloads that are memory-bound or texture-heavy. However, the FirePro M4000’s superior pixel rate (10.80 GPixel/s vs 7.200 GPixel/s) and much higher shading unit count (512 vs 192) mean that certain compute tasks may favor the AMD card, even if the single benchmark does not reflect it.

The Verdict

The data paints a nuanced picture. For raw compute performance in the recorded Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is the winner, taking the only head-to-head benchmark by 3.5%. Its higher memory bandwidth and texture throughput give it an edge in specific workloads. However, the GTX 550 Ti’s percentile rank of 33 is only one point above the FirePro M4000’s 32, indicating that both GPUs are similarly positioned in the broader performance landscape.

For mobile professional workstations, the AMD FirePro M4000 is the more rational choice. Its 33 W TDP is less than one-third of the GTX 550 Ti’s 116 W, making it suitable for compact, battery-powered devices. The MXM Module form factor with no external power connectors is designed for portability, whereas the GTX 550 Ti’s dual-slot design and 6-pin connector require a desktop chassis. Additionally, the FirePro M4000 offers Vulkan 1.2.170 support and a slightly newer DirectX feature level, which may matter for compatibility with modern software.

Users who prioritize compute performance in a desktop context should look at the GTX 550 Ti, but the margin is slim. Users who need a professional mobile solution with low power draw and modern API support should choose the FirePro M4000. The data does not support a universal recommendation; the choice hinges entirely on form factor and power requirements.