AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 vs AMD Radeon RX 6550M Comparison

The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 and the AMD Radeon RX 6550M occupy different corners of the GPU landscape. The former is a 2017 data-center accelerator built on the Vega 10 chip, while the latter is a 2023 mobile part from the Radeon RX 6000 series using the Navi 24 die. Despite their shared manufacturer, they differ fundamentally in architecture, memory, and intended use. The recorded data provides a clear picture of how they compare in raw compute performance, and what that means for any workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct comparison test between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark. In this test, the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 scores 68,562 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 6550M scores 42,536 points. The Instinct MI25 wins this head-to-head by a margin of 61.2%. That is a substantial lead, and it reflects the fundamental compute-oriented design of the older card.

To put this score into perspective, the Instinct MI25 sits at the 90th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Arc A770 with an average score of 68,809 (a delta of -0.4%), the NVIDIA CMP 90HX at 69,000 (delta -0.6%), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 at 69,870 (delta -1.9%), and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 at 69,986 (delta -2%). This means the Instinct MI25 is essentially on par with these high-end desktop and workstation cards, trailing the Quadro P6000 by just 2% and the Arc A770 by a negligible 0.4%. Its performance is competitive with those parts, despite being several years older.

The RX 6550M, in contrast, sits at the 85th percentile overall. Its average benchmark score across two tests (OpenCL and Vulkan) is 46,702. In the OpenCL test alone, it scores 42,536, which is 61.2% lower than the Instinct MI25. However, the RX 6550M also has a Vulkan score of 50,867, which is not directly comparable to the OpenCL numbers but indicates its graphics-oriented performance. The nearest rivals for the RX 6550M are the Intel Arc A530M at 46,614 (delta 0.2%), the AMD Radeon RX 5600M at 46,601 (delta 0.2%), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 at 46,043 (delta 1.4%), and the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation at 45,972 (delta 1.6%). So, the RX 6550M is effectively tied with those four parts, with all deltas under 2%.

The data shows that the Instinct MI25 is the clear winner in raw compute throughput. The 61.2% gap is not a small difference; it is a decisive margin that puts the older card in a different performance class. The RX 6550M's Vulkan result does not close that gap, as it is a different API and not part of the head-to-head comparison. For any workload that relies on OpenCL compute, the Instinct MI25 is the faster GPU by a wide margin.

The Verdict

The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward: the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 wins the only head-to-head benchmark, and it wins by a large margin. The Instinct MI25 has a 61.2% higher OpenCL score than the RX 6550M. It also ranks higher in the overall percentile, at 90th versus 85th. Its average benchmark score is 68,562, compared to the RX 6550M's average of 46,702. That is a difference of roughly 46.8% in favor of the Instinct MI25.

However, this does not mean the Instinct MI25 is universally the better product. The data shows two very different GPUs with different purposes. The Instinct MI25 is a data-center accelerator with no display outputs, a 300 W TDP, and a dual-slot form factor requiring two 8-pin power connectors. It is end-of-life, released in June 2017. The RX 6550M is an active, mobile GPU with an 80 W TDP, an IGP form factor, no power connectors, and portable-device-dependent display outputs. It was released in January 2023.

The verdict for a buyer depends entirely on use case. If the task is compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, the Instinct MI25 is the superior choice. If the task is a portable device that needs graphics output and low power, the RX 6550M is the only viable option. The data does not show any scenario where the RX 6550M outperforms the Instinct MI25 in compute; it simply offers features the Instinct MI25 lacks. Therefore, the verdict is: the Instinct MI25 wins on raw performance, but the RX 6550M wins on adaptability and efficiency.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 wins in every benchmark that the database records for both GPUs. The sole head-to-head test, Geekbench OpenCL, goes to the Instinct MI25 with a 61.2% lead. Its FP32 compute is listed at 12.29 TFLOPS, while the RX 6550M is at 5.816 TFLOPS. That is a 111% advantage in raw FP32 throughput. The Instinct MI25 also has higher pixel rate (96.00 GPixel/s versus 90.88 GPixel/s) and a much higher texture rate (384.0 GTexel/s versus 181.8 GTexel/s). Its memory bandwidth is 436.2 GB/s versus 144.0 GB/s, a 203% difference. In all these compute-oriented metrics, the Instinct MI25 is the clear winner.

The RX 6550M wins in areas that are not directly benchmarked but are present in the specification data. Its base clock is 2000 MHz and boost clock is 2840 MHz, compared to the Instinct MI25's base of 1400 MHz and boost of 1500 MHz. The RX 6550M also has a game clock of 2560 MHz, which the Instinct MI25 lacks entirely. This higher clock speed does not translate into higher compute scores, as the Instinct MI25 compensates with 4096 shading units versus 1024, and 256 TMUs versus 64. The RX 6550M does have ray tracing cores (16 of them), while the Instinct MI25 has none. Its DirectX version is 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1) for the Instinct MI25, and its Vulkan version is 1.4 versus 1.3. These features make the RX 6550M more suited for modern graphics workloads, even if its raw compute is lower.

So, the split is: the Instinct MI25 wins on compute power, memory bandwidth, and throughput. The RX 6550M wins on modern API support, ray tracing capability, clock speeds, and efficiency (80 W TDP versus 300 W). For a user who needs maximum OpenCL throughput, the Instinct MI25 is the choice. For a user who needs a portable, low-power GPU with modern graphics features, the RX 6550M is the choice.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 scores 68,562, while the AMD Radeon RX 6550M scores 42,536. The Instinct MI25 leads by 61.2%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The Instinct MI25 has an average benchmark score of 68,562 (from one OpenCL test). The RX 6550M has an average score of 46,702, derived from its OpenCL score of 42,536 and its Vulkan score of 50,867.

Q: How does the Instinct MI25 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Instinct MI25 is 0.4% behind the Intel Arc A770, 0.6% behind the NVIDIA CMP 90HX, 1.9% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200, and 2% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P6000. It sits at the 90th percentile.

Q: How does the RX 6550M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6550M is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Arc A530M, 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A2000, and 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation. It sits at the 85th percentile.

Q: Does the RX 6550M have any advantage in API support?

A: Yes. The RX 6550M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Instinct MI25 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. The RX 6550M also has 16 ray tracing cores, which the Instinct MI25 lacks.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The Instinct MI25 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus, with 436.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6550M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap between these two GPUs is significant. The Instinct MI25 uses the Vega 10 chip, based on the GCN 5.0 architecture. It is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.3M per mm². In contrast, the RX 6550M uses the Navi 24 chip, based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture. It is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with 5,400 million transistors on a 107 mm² die, giving a density of 50.5M per mm². The RX 6550M's process node is much smaller, and its die is less than a quarter of the size of the Instinct MI25's, yet it has over twice the transistor density.

The Instinct MI25 has 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 6550M has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, plus 16 ray tracing cores. The Instinct MI25 has no ray tracing cores. The Instinct MI25's FP32 compute is 12.29 TFLOPS, and its FP16 is 24.58 TFLOPS (2:1). The RX 6550M's FP32 is 5.816 TFLOPS, and its FP16 is 11.63 TFLOPS (2:1). The Instinct MI25 has higher pixel rate (96.00 GPixel/s vs 90.88) and much higher texture rate (384.0 GTexel/s vs 181.8).

The memory architectures are also different. The Instinct MI25 uses HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, which provides 436.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6550M uses GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, providing 144.0 GB/s. The Instinct MI25 has 16 GB of memory, while the RX 6550M has 4 GB. The memory clock for the Instinct MI25 is 852 MHz with 1704 Mbps effective, while the RX 6550M runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective. The much larger bus width on the Instinct MI25 gives it a bandwidth advantage that the RX 6550M's higher clock speed cannot overcome.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in almost every specification field. The process node is 14 nm for the Instinct MI25 versus 6 nm for the RX 6550M. The foundry is GlobalFoundries versus TSMC. Transistor count is 12,500 million versus 5,400 million; die size is 495 mm² versus 107 mm²; density is 25.3M versus 50.5M per mm². The base clock is 1400 MHz versus 2000 MHz, boost clock is 1500 MHz versus 2840 MHz, and the RX 6550M has a game clock of 2560 MHz that the Instinct MI25 does not.

Memory size is 16 GB versus 4 GB; type is HBM2 versus GDDR6; bus width is 2048 bit versus 64 bit; bandwidth is 436.2 GB/s versus 144.0 GB/s. Shading units are 4096 versus 1024; TMUs are 256 versus 64; ROPs are 64 versus 32; ray tracing cores are none versus 16. Pixel rate is 96.00 GPixel/s versus 90.88 GPixel/s; texture rate is 384.0 GTexel/s versus 181.8 GTexel/s; FP32 is 12.29 TFLOPS versus 5.816 TFLOPS; FP16 is 24.58 TFLOPS versus 11.63 TFLOPS.

The TDP is 300 W versus 80 W. The slot width is dual-slot versus IGP. Power connectors are 2x 8-pin versus none. The suggested PSU is 700 W for the Instinct MI25, while the RX 6550M has no suggested PSU. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x4. Display outputs are none versus portable device dependent. DirectX version is 12 (12_1) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2); Vulkan is 1.3 versus 1.4. The Instinct MI25's dimensions are 267 mm length and 111 mm height, while the RX 6550M has no recorded dimensions. Production status is end-of-life versus active. Release dates are June 2017 versus January 2023. The Instinct MI25's predecessor is FirePro Data Center, while the RX 6550M's predecessor is Polaris Mobile. Neither has a successor listed.