AMD Radeon 610M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti and AMD Radeon 610M represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by over a decade of architectural evolution. The GTX 550 Ti is a discrete, end-of-life desktop card from the GeForce 500 generation, built on Fermi 2.0 at 40 nm. The Radeon 610M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) from the Navi II generation, built on RDNA 2.0 at 6 nm and designed for portable devices. Despite the age gap, their benchmark scores place them within the same performance tier, making for a surprisingly competitive comparison.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a clear split in workload preferences. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti wins the only shared benchmark test, geekbench_opencl, with a score of 5731 against the AMD Radeon 610M's 4535. That is a 26.4% advantage for the older discrete card in this specific OpenCL compute workload. The GTX 550 Ti also holds a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs at 33, compared to the Radeon 610M's 32.

However, the AMD Radeon 610M has a notable edge in a different API. It posts a geekbench_vulkan score of 6353, a test the GTX 550 Ti does not have a result for. This indicates the Radeon 610M is better suited for modern Vulkan-based applications, while the GTX 550 Ti's strength lies in legacy OpenCL compute tasks. The Radeon 610M also achieves a higher pixel rate of 7.600 GPixel/s versus 7.200 GPixel/s for the GTX 550 Ti, suggesting a slight advantage in fill-rate-bound scenarios despite its lower overall compute scores.

For practical use, the GTX 550 Ti is the pick for older DirectX 11-era workloads and compute tasks that rely on OpenCL. The Radeon 610M is the better option for lightweight modern gaming that leverages Vulkan, particularly in portable systems where its 15 W TDP is a massive advantage over the 116 W TDP of the NVIDIA card.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti uses the GF116 chip, built on the Fermi 2.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 40 nm process. It packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 4.9 million per mm². The AMD Radeon 610M uses the Mendocino chip, built on RDNA 2.0, also by TSMC but on a 6 nm process. Its die size is 100 mm², and no transistor count is listed.

The memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The GTX 550 Ti has 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 610M uses System Shared memory, meaning it draws from the system's RAM, with a bus width and bandwidth that are system dependent. This is a critical distinction: the GTX 550 Ti never competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, while the Radeon 610M does.

Compute resources also differ significantly. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 render output units (ROPs). The Radeon 610M has 128 shading units, 8 TMUs, and only 4 ROPs. However, the Radeon 610M includes 2 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The GTX 550 Ti's FP32 compute is 691.2 GFLOPS, while the Radeon 610M is lower at 486.4 GFLOPS, though the AMD card does offer FP16 at 972.8 GFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a capability the NVIDIA card does not list. The Radeon 610M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 550 Ti is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no listed Vulkan support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is geekbench_opencl. Here, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731, while the AMD Radeon 610M scores 4535. The delta is 26.4% in favor of the GTX 550 Ti. This is a substantial margin, showing that in raw OpenCL compute throughput, the older discrete card is significantly faster than the modern integrated solution.

Looking at their nearest rivals provides context. The GTX 550 Ti's closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX with an average score of 5721, a delta of just 0.2%. This means the GTX 550 Ti performs nearly identically to that mobile GPU. The AMD Radeon 610M's closest rival is the AMD Radeon R7 M365X at 5416, a delta of 0.5% in the Radeon 610M's favor.

The Radeon 610M does have its own benchmark win, however. Its geekbench_vulkan score of 6353 indicates that when using the Vulkan API, it outperforms its own OpenCL result by a wide margin. Since the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan score, we can only compare their OpenCL results. The average benchmark score for the GTX 550 Ti is 5731, while the Radeon 610M's average across its two tests is 5444. This puts the NVIDIA card ahead by roughly 5.3% on average, though the AMD card's Vulkan score shows its potential in modern APIs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better raw compute performance in OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is clearly ahead, scoring 5731 in geekbench_opencl versus 4535 for the AMD Radeon 610M, a 26.4% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 610M support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and has no listed Vulkan support.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, compared to 128 on the AMD Radeon 610M. The NVIDIA card also has more TMUs (32 vs 8) and ROPs (24 vs 4).

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GTX 550 Ti uses 1024 MB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 98.50 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 610M uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth that is system dependent.

Q: Which GPU consumes less power?

A: The AMD Radeon 610M has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W. The Radeon 610M is an IGP, so it requires no power connectors, while the GTX 550 Ti needs a 1x 6-pin connector.

Q: Is the Radeon 610M capable of ray tracing?

A: It includes 2 ray tracing cores, which is part of its RDNA 2.0 architecture. The GTX 550 Ti has no ray tracing cores.

Specification Differences

• Manufacturer: NVIDIA vs AMD
• Chip: GF116 vs Mendocino
• Architecture: Fermi 2.0 vs RDNA 2.0
• Process Node: 40 nm vs 6 nm
• Die Size: 238 mm² vs 100 mm²
• Transistors: 1,170 million vs Not Listed
• Transistor Density: 4.9M / mm² vs Not Listed
• Memory Size: 1024 MB vs System Shared
• Memory Type: GDDR5 vs System Shared
• Memory Bus Width: 192 bit vs System Shared
• Memory Bandwidth: 98.50 GB/s vs System Dependent
• Memory Clock: 1026 MHz / 4.1 Gbps effective vs System Shared
• Base Clock: Not Listed vs 1500 MHz
• Boost Clock: Not Listed vs 1900 MHz
• Shading Units: 192 vs 128
• TMUs: 32 vs 8
• ROPs: 24 vs 4
• RT Cores: Not Listed vs 2
• FP32 Compute: 691.2 GFLOPS vs 486.4 GFLOPS
• FP16 Compute: Not Listed vs 972.8 GFLOPS (2:1)
• Pixel Rate: 7.200 GPixel/s vs 7.600 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 28.80 GTexel/s vs 15.20 GTexel/s
• TDP: 116 W vs 15 W
• Slot Width: Dual-slot vs IGP
• Power Connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None
• Suggested PSU: 300 W vs Not Listed
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x8
• Display Outputs: 2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a vs Portable Device Dependent
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_0) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan Support: Not Listed vs 1.4

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward choice based on use case. For anyone running legacy applications, particularly those that rely on OpenCL compute, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is the superior product. Its 26.4% advantage in geekbench_opencl and higher average benchmark score of 5731 versus 5444 make it the clear winner in that specific arena. It also offers dedicated GDDR5 memory, which eliminates the performance variability of system-shared memory.

The AMD Radeon 610M is the better choice for modern, power-constrained systems. Its 15 W TDP is a fraction of the GTX 550 Ti's 116 W, and being an IGP, it requires no additional power connectors. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, along with its 6353 geekbench_vulkan score, shows it is far more capable in contemporary graphics APIs. The presence of ray tracing cores, even just 2, makes it a more future-proof architecture.

The GTX 550 Ti is a relic that wins on raw compute and dedicated memory. The Radeon 610M is a modern solution that wins on efficiency, API support, and pixel rate. If your workload is stuck in the DirectX 11 era or needs OpenCL throughput, the NVIDIA card is the data-backed pick. If you need something for a portable device with modern API compatibility and minimal power draw, the AMD card is the logical choice. There is no overall winner; there is only the right tool for the job.