AMD Radeon 740M vs AMD Radeon Pro 555 Comparison

# AMD Radeon Pro 555 vs AMD Radeon 740M

The AMD Radeon 740M is the better all-around pick for modern workloads, winning the Vulkan benchmark by 21% and delivering substantially higher compute throughput per watt, while the AMD Radeon Pro 555 retains a narrow 14.8% lead in OpenCL and remains competitive in legacy API scenarios. The data splits nearly evenly—one benchmark win each—but the 740M’s architectural advantages, higher clock speeds, and active production status make it the forward-looking choice, whereas the Pro 555 is a viable option only for users locked into OpenCL-centric workflows or older macOS environments.

The Verdict

The benchmark results point to a clear split based on API preference. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 wins the OpenCL test with a score of 11,682 against the 740M’s 10,172, a 14.8% advantage. In Vulkan, the 740M reverses the outcome decisively, scoring 15,568 versus 12,303, a 21% margin. For users running Vulkan-based games or modern compute applications, the 740M is the obvious choice. For those reliant on OpenCL—common in older professional suites—the Pro 555 offers a measurable edge, though its 54th percentile ranking versus the 740M’s 53rd suggests the overall performance gap is minimal. The 740M’s average benchmark score of 12,870 trails the Pro 555’s 13,407 by only 4%, but the 740M achieves this with a 45 W TDP against the Pro 555’s 75 W, making it the more efficient option. Verdict: pick the 740M for new builds or Vulkan-heavy tasks; pick the Pro 555 only if OpenCL compatibility is non-negotiable and power efficiency is secondary.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different design eras and philosophies. The Radeon Pro 555 uses the Polaris 21 chip built on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process, employing the GCN 4.0 architecture. It packs 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². In contrast, the Radeon 740M uses the Phoenix2 chip fabricated by TSMC on a 4 nm process, with the RDNA 3.0 architecture. It crams 20,900 million transistors into a 137 mm² die, achieving a density of 152.6M per mm²—over six times higher. This density difference explains the 740M’s superior performance-per-watt and its ability to reach a 2800 MHz boost clock, versus the Pro 555’s unspecified boost clock and memory clock of 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The 740M also introduces 4 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Pro 555. Shader organization differs fundamentally: the Pro 555 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, while the 740M has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs—yet the 740M still produces higher pixel and texture rates (22.40 GPixel/s and 44.80 GTexel/s) than the Pro 555 (13.60 GPixel/s and 40.80 GTexel/s) due to its much higher clocks. The Pro 555 uses dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth, while the 740M relies on system shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." API support also diverges: the Pro 555 reaches DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 740M’s PCIe 4.0 x8 interface doubles the bandwidth potential of the Pro 555’s PCIe 3.0 x8 link.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two GPUs split their two shared benchmark tests, with each winning one by a significant margin. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Radeon Pro 555 scores 11,682 against the Radeon 740M’s 10,172, a 14.8% advantage. This is the Pro 555’s strongest showing, and it aligns with the GCN architecture’s maturity in OpenCL compute workloads. However, in Geekbench Vulkan, the 740M dominates, scoring 15,568 versus 12,303—a 21% delta. This is a massive swing, especially considering the 740M’s lower TDP (45 W versus 75 W). The Vulkan result is particularly notable because the 740M’s nearest rivals in the overall database include the AMD Radeon RX 580, which scores 12,928 (a -0.4% delta), meaning the 740M’s Vulkan performance punches well above its IGP classification. The Pro 555’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-090 at 13,470 (a -0.5% delta), showing it sits in a similar performance tier overall. The Pro 555’s average score of 13,407 places it just 0.2% above the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376) and 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13,356). The 740M’s average of 12,870 sits 0.2% above the AMD FirePro W5100 (12,847) and 0.3% above the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831). These rival deltas confirm that both GPUs occupy nearly identical overall performance tiers, but the 740M achieves parity with far less power and in a much smaller thermal envelope.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The process node is 14 nm for the Pro 555 versus 4 nm for the 740M. Transistor count is 3,000 million versus 20,900 million, and die size is 123 mm² versus 137 mm², leading to transistor densities of 24.4M/mm² and 152.6M/mm² respectively. The Pro 555 has no base or boost clock listed, while the 740M has a base of 800 MHz and a boost of 2800 MHz. Memory configuration differs completely: the Pro 555 has 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth, while the 740M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. Shading units are 768 versus 256, TMUs are 48 versus 16, and ROPs are 16 versus 8. The 740M adds 4 ray tracing cores, which the Pro 555 lacks entirely. Pixel rate is 13.60 GPixel/s versus 22.40 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 40.80 GTexel/s versus 44.80 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 1,305.6 GFLOPS versus 2.867 TFLOPS, with both offering FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. TDP is 75 W versus 45 W. Both are IGP slot width with no power connectors, but bus interfaces differ: PCIe 3.0 x8 versus PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for the Pro 555 and "Motherboard Dependent" for the 740M. DirectX support is 12 (12_0) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2), and Vulkan support is 1.3 versus 1.4. Production status is end-of-life versus active, and release dates are 2017-06-04 versus 2024-01-30. The 740M lists a predecessor (Navi II IGP) and successor (Navi III IGP), while the Pro 555 has neither listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has a higher average benchmark score of 13,407, compared to the AMD Radeon 740M’s 12,870, a difference of 4%.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M scores 15,568 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 21% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 555’s 12,303.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M has a TDP of 45 W, while the AMD Radeon Pro 555 has a TDP of 75 W, making the 740M more efficient despite delivering higher FP32 compute (2.867 TFLOPS versus 1,305.6 GFLOPS).

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 740M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon 740M includes 4 ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What memory type does each GPU use?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD Radeon 740M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is still in production?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M has an active production status, while the AMD Radeon Pro 555 is marked as end-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 555 wins in OpenCL-based workloads. Its 14.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL (11,682 versus 10,172) makes it the better choice for legacy compute applications that rely on OpenCL acceleration. The Pro 555 also holds a 54th percentile ranking versus the 740M’s 53rd, indicating slightly better overall standing against all GPUs in the database. Its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with fixed 81.60 GB/s bandwidth may also be preferable in scenarios where shared memory bandwidth is unpredictable or constrained. For users on older platforms with PCIe 3.0, the Pro 555’s interface matches the available bandwidth without overhead.

The AMD Radeon 740M wins decisively in Vulkan, with a 21% higher score (15,568 versus 12,303). This makes it the superior choice for Vulkan-based games, modern compute APIs, and any workload that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features, given its 12_2 support versus the Pro 555’s 12_0. The 740M’s ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration that the Pro 555 cannot offer at all. Its higher pixel rate (22.40 GPixel/s versus 13.60 GPixel/s) and texture rate (44.80 GTexel/s versus 40.80 GTexel/s) give it an edge in fill-rate-bound scenarios. The 740M’s FP32 compute of 2.867 TFLOPS is more than double the Pro 555’s 1,305.6 GFLOPS, making it the better choice for compute-heavy tasks that can use Vulkan or modern APIs. Its 45 W TDP versus 75 W also makes it the clear pick for power-constrained systems or thin-and-light laptops. Finally, with an active production status and a 2024 release date, the 740M is the future-proof option, while the Pro 555 is end-of-life with no successor listed.