AMD Radeon HD 8850M vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447 in the Geekbench OpenCL test, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M scores 6493. The AMD part leads by 14.7% in this single recorded benchmark.

Q: Which GPU sits higher in the overall performance percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is at the 40th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M is at the 37th percentile. This places the AMD part slightly higher in the global distribution.

Q: What are the closest performance rivals for each card according to the database?

A: For the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, the nearest rivals are the Intel UHD Graphics 750 (0.1% behind), AMD Radeon R7 350 (0.3% behind), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (0.3% ahead), and Intel Arc A310 (1.4% ahead). For the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M, the closest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (0.2% ahead), AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (0.3% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (0.3% behind), and Intel UHD Graphics P750 (0.9% behind).

Q: What process nodes do these chips use?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M uses a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. The AMD chip is built on a smaller node.

Q: How do the memory subsystems differ?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has the higher pixel and texture throughput?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 8850M achieves 10.00 GPixel/s and 25.00 GTexel/s, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M reaches 3.540 GPixel/s and 14.16 GTexel/s. The AMD part is substantially faster in both rasterization and texture work.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is built on the GCN 1.0 architecture with the Venus chip, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M uses the Fermi architecture with the GF106 chip. These are fundamentally different GPU designs from different eras. The AMD chip belongs to the Solar System generation (HD 8800M), while the NVIDIA chip is part of the GeForce 500M generation.

The process technology differs significantly. AMD uses a 28 nm node at TSMC, while NVIDIA uses a 40 nm node at the same foundry. This smaller process allows the AMD chip to pack 1,500 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.2 million per mm². The NVIDIA chip has 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, resulting in a density of just 4.9 million per mm². The AMD die is nearly half the physical size yet contains more transistors.

The compute resources are starkly different. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The AMD card has more than four times the shader count and nearly double the texture units, while ROP counts are equal.

Memory architecture also diverges. The AMD card uses 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 64.00 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card uses 1024 MB of DDR3 with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD memory runs at 1000 MHz (4 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The bus width is identical, but the memory type and effective speed give AMD a large bandwidth advantage.

API support differs. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support listed. The AMD card has a more modern feature set.

The bus interface also differs. The AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The NVIDIA card has a listed TDP of 35 W, while the AMD card has no TDP field in the data. The NVIDIA card's display outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs, the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M scores 6493. This gives the AMD card a 14.7% advantage, a decisive margin in a compute-oriented workload.

This result aligns with the theoretical specifications. The AMD card has 800.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA card has 339.8 GFLOPS. The AMD card is 2.35 times faster in raw floating-point throughput. The pixel rate is 10.00 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, a 2.8 times advantage for AMD. The texture rate is 25.00 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s, a 1.8 times advantage.

Memory bandwidth amplifies the gap. The AMD card moves 64.00 GB/s, while the NVIDIA card moves 28.80 GB/s, a 2.2 times difference. In memory-bound workloads, this is a significant factor. The GDDR5 memory on the AMD card operates at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective speed, compared to the DDR3 memory at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective speed on the NVIDIA card.

The benchmark data shows the AMD card winning the only recorded test. The wins tally is 1 for AMD and 0 for NVIDIA. There are no benchmark results where the NVIDIA card comes out ahead in this comparison.

The Verdict

The data points clearly to the AMD Radeon HD 8850M as the stronger performer in this pairing. It wins the sole head-to-head benchmark by 14.7% and holds a higher global percentile at 40 versus 37. Every measured specification favors the AMD card: shader units, texture units, memory capacity, memory type, memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, and FP32 throughput.

The AMD card also has a more modern feature set with Vulkan support and DirectX 12 (11_1), while the NVIDIA card lacks Vulkan and only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0). The smaller 28 nm process node gives AMD better transistor density and a smaller die, which can matter for thermal and power characteristics, though the NVIDIA card has a listed 35 W TDP and the AMD card has no TDP figure in the data.

For users prioritizing compute performance, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M is the clear choice based on the recorded data. For users who need a card with a documented power draw, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has that specification listed, but this is the only area where the NVIDIA card has more complete information.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M sits in a lower performance tier. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.9% of its score, meaning it is tightly grouped with other mid-range mobile GPUs. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M similarly has close rivals, but its overall score is higher, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, a desktop-class card that sits only 0.3% ahead.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 8850M | NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M |

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

| Chip | Venus | GF106 |

| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | Fermi |

| Generation | Solar System (HD 8800M) | GeForce 500M |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | TSMC |

| 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 | 900 MHz, 1800 Mbps effective |

| Memory Size | 2 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | DDR3 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 64.00 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 640 | 144 |

| TMUs | 40 | 24 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 10.00 GPixel/s | 3.540 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 25.00 GTexel/s | 14.16 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 800.0 GFLOPS | 339.8 GFLOPS |

| TDP | Not listed | 35 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 2.0 x16 |

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

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | Not listed |

| Release Date | 2013-03-31 | 2011-07-01 |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins in compute-heavy workloads. Its 800.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput is more than double the NVIDIA card's 339.8 GFLOPS. The Geekbench OpenCL result confirms this with a 14.7% score advantage. This makes the AMD card better suited for GPGPU tasks, OpenCL compute, and any workload that leverages shader throughput.

The AMD card also wins in memory-intensive scenarios. Its 64.00 GB/s bandwidth is 2.2 times the NVIDIA card's 28.80 GB/s. The larger 2 GB frame buffer versus 1024 MB also helps with higher-resolution textures and larger datasets. The GDDR5 memory type is faster than the DDR3 on the NVIDIA card, and the higher effective clock of 4 Gbps versus 1800 Mbps reinforces this gap.

For texture-heavy rendering, the AMD card leads with 25.00 GTexel/s against 14.16 GTexel/s. The 40 TMUs versus 24 TMUs provide more texture filtering throughput. Pixel fill rate also favors AMD at 10.00 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, though both cards have 16 ROPs.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has one listed advantage: a documented 35 W TDP. This gives it a known power envelope, which is useful for system integration. The AMD card has no TDP figure in the data, so its power draw is not characterized in the database.

The NVIDIA card also has an earlier release date of 2011-07-01 versus 2013-03-31 for the AMD card. This makes the NVIDIA part older, which may matter for driver support and compatibility in legacy systems.

For users running Vulkan applications, the AMD card is the only option, as it supports Vulkan 1.2.170 while the NVIDIA card has no Vulkan support listed. For DirectX 12 titles, the AMD card supports the 11_1 feature level, while the NVIDIA card supports 11_0, a minor but measurable difference.

In summary, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M wins in all performance categories recorded in the database. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins only in having a documented power specification and an older release date. The choice is clear for performance, while the NVIDIA card may appeal only to those with strict power or legacy compatibility requirements.