AMD FirePro W600 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains a single head-to-head benchmark between the AMD FirePro W600 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, using the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this measurement, the AMD FirePro W600 scores 6223 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 points. The delta of 8.6 percent places the AMD part clearly ahead, and it wins the only available comparison in this category.

Looking at the wider database context, the FirePro W600 sits at the 36th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 6223. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 6950 at 6210, a 0.2 percent difference, and the NVIDIA Quadro K620 at 6282, a negative 0.9 percent delta. This places the FirePro W600 in a tight cluster where a few points separate adjacent entries. The GTX 550 Ti, by contrast, lands at the 33rd percentile with an average score of 5731. Its closest competitors include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX at 5721, a 0.2 percent delta, and the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 at 5712, a 0.3 percent delta. The GTX 550 Ti also trails the AMD Radeon R7 M465, which scores 5841, a negative 1.9 percent delta from the NVIDIA card's perspective.

The raw score gap between the two cards is 492 points. In percentage terms, the FirePro W600 outperforms the GTX 550 Ti by 8.6 percent in this OpenCL workload. That is a meaningful margin for GPUs of this era, though not a generational leap. The FirePro W600 performs essentially at parity with the Radeon HD 6950 in the database, while the GTX 550 Ti sits slightly above the GTX 670MX and the Iris Pro P6300. The benchmark results indicate that the FirePro W600 occupies a higher performance tier than the GTX 550 Ti, even if both cards are now end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head data gives the AMD FirePro W600 a clear victory in the only recorded test, the Geekbench OpenCL workload. The wins tally shows one win for the FirePro W600 and zero for the GTX 550 Ti. This does not mean the GTX 550 Ti is without merit, but the available measurements do not provide a single scenario where it comes out ahead.

For compute-oriented workloads, the FirePro W600 shows a strong profile. Its 512 shading units and 768.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance give it a theoretical compute ceiling that is roughly 11 percent higher than the GTX 550 Ti's 691.2 GFLOPS. The OpenCL benchmark confirms this advantage in practice. The FirePro W600 also offers 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, double the GTX 550 Ti's 1024 MB, which matters for larger datasets and multi-buffer compute tasks.

The GTX 550 Ti, however, holds advantages in certain memory-related metrics. Its 192-bit memory bus width is wider than the FirePro W600's 128-bit interface, and its 98.50 GB/s of memory bandwidth comfortably exceeds the FirePro W600's 64.00 GB/s. The GTX 550 Ti also has a higher texture rate at 28.80 GTexel/s versus 24.00 GTexel/s, and a higher memory clock at 1026 MHz versus 1000 MHz. These figures suggest the GTX 550 Ti could be competitive in bandwidth-sensitive workloads, but the database does not provide a head-to-head test that isolates this factor. The only recorded benchmark, OpenCL compute, favors the FirePro W600 by a decisive margin.

In practical terms, users seeking 6x mini-DisplayPort outputs for multi-monitor setups would prefer the FirePro W600 for its display flexibility. The GTX 550 Ti offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI outputs, which suits a conventional single-monitor or dual-monitor desktop arrangement. The FirePro W600 is a professional workstation card, while the GTX 550 Ti is a consumer gaming-oriented product, and the data reflects this positioning through the compute benchmark.

Architecture Differences

The AMD FirePro W600 uses the Cape Verde chip built on the GCN 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti uses the GF116 chip based on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, also fabricated at TSMC but on an older 40 nm process. This process difference is substantial: the FirePro W600 packs 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, while the GTX 550 Ti fits 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die. The resulting transistor density tells the story: 12.2 million transistors per square millimeter for the FirePro W600 versus 4.9 million for the GTX 550 Ti. The FirePro W600 achieves nearly two and a half times the density of the GTX 550 Ti.

The shading resources differ sharply. The FirePro W600 has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The FirePro W600 has more than double the shading units, but the GTX 550 Ti has more ROPs. Pixel rate reflects this: the FirePro W600 reaches 12.00 GPixel/s, while the GTX 550 Ti reaches 7.200 GPixel/s. Texture rate goes the other way: 24.00 GTexel/s for the FirePro W600 versus 28.80 GTexel/s for the GTX 550 Ti.

Memory configurations diverge as well. The FirePro W600 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 550 Ti uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, with 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective) on the FirePro W600 and 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective) on the GTX 550 Ti. The GTX 550 Ti's wider bus gives it a clear bandwidth advantage, while the FirePro W600's larger capacity helps with memory-hungry workloads.

Power and physical characteristics also differ. The FirePro W600 has a 75 W TDP, requires no power connectors, and fits in a single slot. The GTX 550 Ti has a 116 W TDP, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and occupies a dual-slot design. The suggested power supply is 250 W for the FirePro W600 and 300 W for the GTX 550 Ti. The FirePro W600 is also shorter at 168 mm (6.6 inches) compared to the GTX 550 Ti's 210 mm (8.3 inches). The FirePro W600 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GTX 550 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

API support shows a few differences. The FirePro W600 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 550 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The FirePro W600's display outputs are 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the GTX 550 Ti offers 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD FirePro W600 scores 6223, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731. The FirePro W600 leads by 8.6 percent.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The FirePro W600 has 2 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 550 Ti has 1024 MB of GDDR5.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has higher memory bandwidth at 98.50 GB/s, compared to 64.00 GB/s for the FirePro W600, thanks to its 192-bit bus versus the FirePro's 128-bit bus.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: The FirePro W600 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The GTX 550 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The FirePro W600 has a 75 W TDP and needs no power connectors. The GTX 550 Ti has a 116 W TDP and requires one 6-pin power connector. The suggested PSU is 250 W for the FirePro W600 and 300 W for the GTX 550 Ti.

Q: How do these cards compare to their closest rivals in the database?

A: The FirePro W600 is within 0.9 percent of the NVIDIA Quadro K620 and 0.2 percent of the AMD Radeon HD 6950. The GTX 550 Ti is within 0.2 percent of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX and 0.7 percent of the AMD Radeon HD 8790M.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD FirePro W600 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti |

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

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Fermi 2.0 |

| Chip | Cape Verde | GF116 |

| Process node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Transistors | 1,500 million | 1,170 million |

| Die size | 123 mm² | 238 mm² |

| Transistor density | 12.2M / mm² | 4.9M / mm² |

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

| Memory size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory bus width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 98.50 GB/s |

| Shading units | 512 | 192 |

| ROPs | 16 | 24 |

| Pixel rate | 12.00 GPixel/s | 7.200 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 24.00 GTexel/s | 28.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 768.0 GFLOPS | 691.2 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 75 W | 116 W |

| Slot width | Single-slot | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | 300 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 | 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a |

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

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | None |

| Length | 168 mm (6.6 inches) | 210 mm (8.3 inches) |

| Launch MSRP | 599 USD | 149 USD |

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD FirePro W600 as the stronger performer in the only recorded head-to-head test. Its 8.6 percent lead in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with its 36th percentile ranking versus the GTX 550 Ti's 33rd percentile, gives it the edge for compute workloads. The FirePro W600 also offers more shading units, higher FP32 throughput, double the memory capacity, and a more modern 28 nm process with PCIe 3.0 support. Its power efficiency is notable: 75 W TDP with no power connectors, compared to 116 W and a single 6-pin connector for the GTX 550 Ti.

Users who prioritize memory bandwidth, however, should note the GTX 550 Ti's advantages. Its 192-bit bus and 98.50 GB/s bandwidth exceed the FirePro W600's 64.00 GB/s, and its higher texture rate and extra ROPs could benefit certain rasterization workloads. The GTX 550 Ti also carries a significantly lower launch MSRP of 149 USD versus 599 USD for the FirePro W600, though price comparisons should not influence a purely performance-based assessment. The GTX 550 Ti's dual-slot footprint and 210 mm length make it a larger physical card.

For professional compute tasks, multi-monitor display setups requiring 6x mini-DisplayPort, or users who need Vulkan support, the FirePro W600 is the data-supported choice. For users who need maximum memory bandwidth in a consumer card, the GTX 550 Ti has features worth considering, but the recorded benchmark does not show a scenario where it beats the FirePro W600. The verdict from the database is clear: the AMD FirePro W600 wins the head-to-head comparison, and the GTX 550 Ti's strengths lie in areas outside the measured compute test.