AMD Radeon 820M vs AMD Radeon RX 6550M Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the AMD Radeon 820M and AMD Radeon RX 6550M compare in raw benchmark scores?

A: The RX 6550M has recorded benchmark scores of 42,536 in Geekbench OpenCL and 50,867 in Geekbench Vulkan. The 820M has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, making a direct numerical comparison impossible.

Q: What is the architectural generation difference between the two GPUs?

A: The 820M uses RDNA 3.5 architecture, while the RX 6550M uses RDNA 2.0. The 820M is part of the Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) generation, while the RX 6550M belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation.

Q: How do their memory configurations differ?

A: The 820M uses System Shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the RX 6550M has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the core counts for each GPU?

A: The 820M has 128 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, 4 ROPs, and 2 ray tracing cores. The RX 6550M has 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, 32 ROPs, and 16 ray tracing cores.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The 820M has a TDP of 15 W, while the RX 6550M has a TDP of 80 W. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors.

Q: What is the production status and release timing for each?

A: Both GPUs are listed as Active production status. The 820M was released on 2025-02-28, while the RX 6550M was released on 2023-01-03.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 820M and AMD Radeon RX 6550M represent two distinct architectural eras within AMD's mobile GPU lineup. The 820M is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, while the RX 6550M uses RDNA 2.0 on a 6 nm process. This process node difference directly impacts transistor density and power efficiency characteristics, though the 820M's transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database.

The 820M belongs to the Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) generation, representing AMD's integrated graphics approach, while the RX 6550M is part of the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation with the discrete Navi 24 chip. The RX 6550M carries 5,400 million transistors on a 107 mm² die with a transistor density of 50.5M per mm², data that is not available for the 820M.

Shader processor configurations differ substantially. The 820M features 128 shading units, 8 TMUs, 4 ROPs, and 2 ray tracing cores. The RX 6550M scales this up to 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 16 ray tracing cores. This eightfold increase in shading units and TMUs, along with an eightfold increase in ROPs, positions the RX 6550M as a significantly more capable compute and rasterization engine.

Clock behavior also differs. The 820M operates at a 400 MHz base clock with a 2800 MHz boost, while the RX 6550M has a 2000 MHz base clock, 2560 MHz game clock, and 2840 MHz boost clock. The RX 6550M's higher base clock and sustained game clock indicate a design intended for continuous high-performance operation, whereas the 820M's low base clock reflects its integrated nature with power-saving idle states.

Memory architecture is fundamentally different. The 820M relies on System Shared memory, meaning bandwidth and capacity depend entirely on the host system's RAM configuration. The RX 6550M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth and an effective 18 Gbps memory speed. This dedicated memory subsystem gives the RX 6550M predictable memory performance, while the 820M's performance would vary with system memory specifications.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. They also share the same PCIe 4.0 interface, though the 820M uses x8 lanes while the RX 6550M uses x4 lanes. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors, and both have display outputs described as Portable Device Dependent.

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6550M is the substantially more powerful GPU. Its benchmark scores place it at the 85th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46,702. The 820M sits at the 50th percentile with an average benchmark score of 0, reflecting its lack of recorded benchmark data.

The RX 6550M's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc A530M with an average score of 46,614 (0.2% difference), the AMD Radeon RX 5600M with 46,601 (0.2% difference), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 with 46,043 (1.4% difference), and the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation with 45,972 (1.6% difference). This clustering indicates the RX 6550M performs competitively within a tight band of mid-range mobile GPUs.

For users seeking discrete-class graphics performance in a mobile form factor, the RX 6550M's dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 memory, 1024 shading units, and 5.816 TFLOPS FP32 throughput make it the clear choice. The 820M, with its 128 shading units and 716.8 GFLOPS FP32 performance, serves as an integrated graphics solution for basic display and light compute tasks.

The 820M's 15 W TDP versus the RX 6550M's 80 W TDP reflects their intended usage scenarios. The 820M suits systems where power efficiency is paramount and graphics demands remain modest. The RX 6550M targets laptops requiring meaningful gaming and compute performance, accepting higher power consumption for significantly greater throughput.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 820M | AMD Radeon RX 6550M |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 3.5 | RDNA 2.0 |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 6 nm |

| Transistors | Unknown | 5,400 million |

| Die Size | Unknown | 107 mm² |

| Base Clock | 400 MHz | 2000 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2800 MHz | 2840 MHz |

| Game Clock | None | 2560 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | System Shared | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 144.0 GB/s |

| Memory Speed | None | 2250 MHz, 18 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 128 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 8 | 64 |

| ROPs | 4 | 32 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 2 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 11.20 GPixel/s | 90.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 22.40 GTexel/s | 181.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 716.8 GFLOPS | 5.816 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 716.8 GFLOPS (1:1) | 11.63 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 15 W | 80 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |

| Release Date | 2025-02-28 | 2023-01-03 |

| Predecessor | Navi II IGP | Polaris Mobile |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the 820M and RX 6550M, and the 820M has no individual benchmark scores recorded. The RX 6550M's recorded performance comes from two Geekbench tests: 42,536 in OpenCL and 50,867 in Vulkan. These scores establish the RX 6550M's performance baseline.

In the absence of direct comparison data, the specification differences provide the basis for performance projection. The RX 6550M's FP32 throughput of 5.816 TFLOPS is roughly eight times higher than the 820M's 716.8 GFLOPS. The texture rate difference is similarly pronounced: 181.8 GTexel/s versus 22.40 GTexel/s, an approximate eightfold advantage. Pixel rate shows a comparable gap at 90.88 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s.

The RX 6550M's nearest rival comparisons show it performing within 0.2% of the Intel Arc A530M and AMD Radeon RX 5600M, 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A2000, and 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation. This tight clustering suggests the RX 6550M delivers competitive performance within its segment, neither dominating nor trailing its direct competitors significantly.

The 820M's 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the median performance tier, consistent with its integrated graphics positioning. The RX 6550M's 85th percentile ranking places it well above the median, indicating strong performance relative to the broader GPU landscape.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6550M wins decisively in compute-intensive workloads. Its 1024 shading units and 5.816 TFLOPS FP32 throughput provide substantial processing capability for gaming, 3D rendering, and general-purpose GPU compute. The 16 ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing, while the 820M's 2 ray tracing cores offer only minimal ray tracing capability.

Memory-intensive applications favor the RX 6550M due to its dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth. This eliminates contention with the CPU for system memory and provides predictable, high-bandwidth access for textures and frame buffers. The 820M's System Shared memory configuration means bandwidth varies with the host system's memory speed and configuration, potentially bottlenecking performance in memory-heavy workloads.

The 820M wins in power-constrained scenarios. Its 15 W TDP is one-fifth of the RX 6550M's 80 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops, fanless designs, or systems where battery life takes priority over graphics performance. The 820M's low base clock of 400 MHz allows aggressive power saving when idle, while still reaching 2800 MHz boost for burst workloads.

The RX 6550M also wins in sustained performance scenarios. Its 2560 MHz game clock indicates the ability to maintain high clock speeds during extended gaming sessions, whereas the 820M's boost behavior depends on thermal and power headroom within the host system. The RX 6550M's higher pixel rate (90.88 GPixel/s) and texture rate (181.8 GTexel/s) directly benefit high-resolution display output and texture-heavy scenes.

For users running Vulkan or OpenCL applications, the RX 6550M's recorded scores demonstrate real-world capability. The 820M has no recorded benchmarks, so its actual performance in these APIs remains unverified in the database. The RX 6550M's 85th percentile ranking further confirms its standing as a capable performer, while the 820M's 50th percentile ranking reflects its position as a median-tier integrated solution.