AMD FirePro W4170M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD FirePro W4170M scores 5034. The NVIDIA card leads by 13.8%, which is the only head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database.

Q: How do these two cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 550 Ti sits at the 33rd percentile of all GPUs, with its closest rival being the AMD Radeon R7 M465 at 5841 (1.9% higher). The FirePro W4170M sits at the 30th percentile, and its closest rival is the AMD Radeon R7 M340 at 5063 (0.6% higher). Both cards are firmly in the lower half of the performance distribution.

Q: What are the memory configurations of these two GPUs?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth. The FirePro W4170M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 64.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth, while the AMD card has double the capacity.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density despite having more transistors?

A: The AMD FirePro W4170M has a transistor density of 12.3M per mm², which is significantly higher than the GTX 550 Ti's 4.9M per mm². This is because the AMD chip is built on a 28 nm process with 950 million transistors in a 77 mm² die, while the NVIDIA chip uses a 40 nm process with 1,170 million transistors in a 238 mm² die.

Q: What API support does each GPU offer?

A: Both GPUs support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 550 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no Vulkan support listed. The FirePro W4170M supports DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.170, giving it a more modern API feature set.

Q: When were these GPUs released and what is their production status?

A: The GTX 550 Ti was released on March 14, 2011, and the FirePro W4170M was released on April 22, 2015. Both are now listed as end-of-life products in the database.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 550 Ti is based on the GF116 chip using NVIDIA's Fermi 2.0 architecture, part of the GeForce 500 generation. It is built on a 40 nm process at TSMC, with 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die. The FirePro W4170M uses the Opal chip with AMD's GCN 1.0 architecture, from the FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) generation. It is fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC, with 950 million transistors on a much smaller 77 mm² die.

The process node difference is significant: 40 nm versus 28 nm. This explains why the AMD chip achieves a transistor density of 12.3M per mm², nearly triple the 4.9M per mm² of the NVIDIA chip. Despite having fewer total transistors, the AMD chip packs them into a much smaller area.

The shading unit count differs notably. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster output units (ROPs). The FirePro W4170M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. The AMD card has double the shading units but fewer TMUs and far fewer ROPs.

The memory subsystems also differ. The GTX 550 Ti uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 98.50 GB/s bandwidth. The FirePro W4170M uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has a wider bus and higher bandwidth, while the AMD card has twice the capacity.

The FirePro W4170M supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan support listed. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1) versus the NVIDIA card's DirectX 12 (11_0).

The bus interface differs as well: the GTX 550 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the FirePro W4170M uses PCIe 3.0 x8. The FirePro is an MXM module with no power connectors, while the GTX 550 Ti is a dual-slot card requiring a 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti in raw OpenCL compute performance. It scores 5731 versus 5034, a 13.8% advantage. If the primary use case is general-purpose compute workloads measured by OpenCL, the GTX 550 Ti is the stronger choice.

However, the FirePro W4170M is not without merit. It has double the memory capacity (2 GB versus 1024 MB), which matters for workloads that exceed the NVIDIA card's memory limit. It also supports Vulkan, which the GTX 550 Ti lacks entirely. The AMD card's 28 nm process and higher transistor density suggest a more modern design, and its MXM form factor with no external power connectors makes it suitable for portable devices.

For users with applications that fit within 1024 MB of VRAM and rely on OpenCL, the GTX 550 Ti wins outright. For users who need more memory capacity or Vulkan support, the FirePro W4170M is the only option between these two. The GTX 550 Ti also has a higher percentile ranking (33rd versus 30th), indicating it outperforms a slightly larger share of the GPU population.

The GTX 550 Ti also has a launch MSRP of 149 USD, which provides a reference point for its original positioning, though both cards are now end-of-life products.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti | AMD FirePro W4170M |

|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------|

| Chip | GF116 | Opal |

| Architecture | Fermi 2.0 | GCN 1.0 |

| Generation | GeForce 500 | FirePro Mobile (Wx100M) |

| Process Node | 40 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 1,170 million | 950 million |

| Die Size | 238 mm² | 77 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 4.9M / mm² | 12.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not listed | 825 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not listed | 900 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective) | 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 98.50 GB/s | 64.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 192 | 384 |

| TMUs | 32 | 24 |

| ROPs | 24 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 7.200 GPixel/s | 7.200 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 28.80 GTexel/s | 21.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 691.2 GFLOPS | 691.2 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 116 W | Not listed |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | MXM Module |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | Not listed |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 2.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (11_1) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | Not listed | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2011-03-14 | 2015-04-22 |

| Launch MSRP | 149 USD | Not listed |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 550 Ti scores 5731, while the FirePro W4170M scores 5034. The delta is 13.8% in favor of the NVIDIA card. This is the only recorded comparison, so all performance conclusions rest on this single data point.

The GTX 550 Ti's score of 5731 places it just 0.2% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (5721) and 0.3% above the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 (5712). It trails the AMD Radeon R7 M465 (5841) by 1.9%. This suggests the GTX 550 Ti is competitive with a cluster of mid-range mobile and integrated GPUs from the same era.

The FirePro W4170M's score of 5034 puts it 0.3% above the AMD Radeon R5 M430 (5018) and 0.7% above the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (4998). It sits 0.6% below both the AMD Radeon R7 M340 and the AMD Radeon R7 240 (both at 5063). The AMD card's nearest rivals are all AMD products, indicating it fits into a specific performance tier within AMD's lineup.

Looking at the raw specifications, both cards deliver identical FP32 compute at 691.2 GFLOPS and identical pixel rate at 7.200 GPixel/s. The GTX 550 Ti has a higher texture rate at 28.80 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s for the FirePro. The NVIDIA card's higher texture rate and memory bandwidth likely contribute to its OpenCL advantage, despite the AMD card having more shading units.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti wins in:

• OpenCL compute performance: 13.8% higher score (5731 versus 5034)
• Memory bandwidth: 98.50 GB/s versus 64.00 GB/s
• Texture rate: 28.80 GTexel/s versus 21.60 GTexel/s
• ROP count: 24 versus 8, which benefits fill-rate-bound workloads
• TMU count: 32 versus 24
• Bus width: 192-bit versus 128-bit
• Overall benchmark percentile: 33rd versus 30th

AMD FirePro W4170M wins in:

• Memory capacity: 2 GB versus 1024 MB, allowing larger datasets
• Shading units: 384 versus 192, potentially better for shader-heavy workloads
• Process node: 28 nm versus 40 nm, indicating a more modern design
• Transistor density: 12.3M / mm² versus 4.9M / mm²
• Vulkan support: 1.2.170 versus none
• DirectX support: 12 (11_1) versus 12 (11_0), a slightly newer feature level
• PCIe interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 versus PCIe 2.0 x16
• Form factor: MXM module with no power connectors, suitable for portable devices
• Boost clock: 900 MHz, which is not listed for the NVIDIA card

The practical split is clear: the GTX 550 Ti is the stronger compute performer and suits desktop applications where power draw and dual-slot footprint are acceptable. The FirePro W4170M is the better fit for mobile workstations that need more VRAM and modern API support, with the caveat that its raw OpenCL score is lower. Users prioritizing raw compute throughput should choose the GTX 550 Ti; users prioritizing memory capacity, API compatibility, or mobile integration should choose the FirePro W4170M.