AMD Radeon 740M vs AMD Radeon RX 550 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a split decision between these two AMD parts, with each taking one of the two shared benchmark tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon RX 550 posts a score of 11063 against the AMD Radeon 740M's 10172, giving the discrete card an 8.1% advantage. That result aligns with the RX 550's broader historical profile: its average benchmark score of 11075 places it at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals cluster tightly around it, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at 11047 (0.3% behind) and the AMD FirePro W4300 at 11225 (1.3% ahead).

The Vulkan test tells a very different story. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 15568, which is 26.9% higher than the RX 550's 12270. That is a substantial margin in a modern graphics API, and it is the 740M's strongest recorded result. The 740M's average benchmark score of 12870 sits at the 53rd percentile, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 at 12928 (0.4% ahead), the AMD FirePro W5100 at 12847 (0.2% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 at 12831 (0.3% behind). In other words, the 740M trades blows with a card like the RX 580 on average, despite being an integrated processor graphics solution.

The OpenCL result for the 740M is actually its weaker benchmark, dragging down its average. The Vulkan result, however, shows a clear generational advantage. The RX 550, by contrast, is more consistent across its benchmarks but never reaches the 740M's Vulkan peak. Across the entire database, the 740M's average score of 12870 is 16.2% higher than the RX 550's 11075, even though the head-to-head wins are split one apiece.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different eras and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon 740M is built on RDNA 3.0 architecture using the Phoenix2 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. It packs 20,900 million transistors into a 137 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 152.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon RX 550, by contrast, uses GCN 4.0 architecture with the Lexa chip, fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process. It contains 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die, for a density of 21.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The 740M's transistor density is more than seven times higher, which is reflected in its much smaller process node and more modern design.

The RX 550 has more raw shader hardware: 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units, versus the 740M's 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. However, the 740M compensates with far higher clock speeds. Its base clock is 800 MHz and its boost clock reaches 2800 MHz, while the RX 550 runs at a 1100 MHz base and 1183 MHz boost. This clock advantage helps the 740M achieve a pixel rate of 22.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 44.80 GTexel/s, both higher than the RX 550's 18.93 GPixel/s and 37.86 GTexel/s. In FP32 compute, the 740M delivers 2.867 TFLOPS versus the RX 550's 1,211.4 GFLOPS, a substantial lead. Both cards offer FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with their FP32 figures.

The 740M also introduces hardware ray tracing with 4 RT cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 550. Memory configurations differ sharply. The 740M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the RX 550 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s. The 740M's memory is shared with the CPU and its bandwidth is listed as system dependent, so in practice it relies on the host platform's memory subsystem.

The 740M is an integrated graphics processor with a 45 W TDP and no power connectors, while the RX 550 is a dual-slot discrete card with a 50 W TDP, also requiring no power connectors but carrying a suggested PSU rating of 250 W. The 740M uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 550 uses PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs on the 740M are motherboard dependent, while the RX 550 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. API support also differs: the 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 550 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M delivers 2.867 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, more than double the RX 550's 1,211.4 GFLOPS. It also has higher pixel and texture rates: 22.40 GPixel/s and 44.80 GTexel/s versus 18.93 GPixel/s and 37.86 GTexel/s.

Q: Is the RX 550 ever faster than the 740M?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 550 scores 11063 versus the 740M's 10172, an 8.1% lead. The RX 550 also has dedicated GDDR5 memory with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth, which the 740M lacks since it uses system shared memory.

Q: Does the 740M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the 740M includes 4 RT cores as part of its RDNA 3.0 architecture. The RX 550, based on GCN 4.0, has no RT cores.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The 740M's average benchmark score is 12870, which is 16.2% higher than the RX 550's 11075. The 740M sits at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 550 sits at the 50th percentile.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The 740M has a 45 W TDP and is an IGP with no power connectors. The RX 550 has a 50 W TDP, is a dual-slot card with no power connectors, and lists a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: Which card is more modern in terms of production status?

A: The 740M is listed as active in production, with a release date in 2024. The RX 550 is end-of-life, having been released in 2017.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different use cases. The AMD Radeon 740M is the stronger overall performer, with a 16.2% higher average benchmark score and a dominant 26.9% lead in Geekbench Vulkan. Its RDNA 3.0 architecture, 4 nm process, ray tracing support, and higher clock speeds make it the more future-proof option. It also achieves this with a lower 45 W TDP and no power connectors, making it suitable for systems where a discrete GPU cannot be installed.

The AMD Radeon RX 550 still has a role. Its 8.1% win in Geekbench OpenCL and its dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth give it an edge in workloads that favor dedicated VRAM and older APIs. It also has more shading units (512 versus 256), which may help in certain compute tasks that scale with shader count rather than clock speed. However, its GCN 4.0 architecture lacks ray tracing, supports only DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, and is built on a much older 14 nm process.

For users choosing between an integrated solution and a low-profile discrete card, the 740M's benchmark results indicate it is the better all-round performer, especially in modern graphics APIs. The RX 550 remains competitive only in specific legacy or OpenCL-oriented workloads. The recorded data does not support a recommendation for the RX 550 as a general-purpose pick over the 740M, but it does retain a niche for scenarios where dedicated memory and shader count matter more than architectural modernity.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 740M | AMD Radeon RX 550 |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Chip | Phoenix2 | Lexa |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 20,900 million | 2,200 million |

| Die Size | 137 mm² | 103 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 152.6M / mm² | 21.4M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 800 MHz | 1100 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2800 MHz | 1183 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 112.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 256 | 512 |

| TMUs | 16 | 32 |

| ROPs | 8 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 4 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 22.40 GPixel/s | 18.93 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 44.80 GTexel/s | 37.86 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Compute | 2.867 TFLOPS | 1,211.4 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 45 W | 50 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | None |

| Suggested PSU | None | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| OpenGL Support | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2024-01-30 | 2017-04-19 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 79 USD |