AMD Radeon Pro 555 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN vs AMD Radeon Pro 555

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and AMD Radeon Pro 555 represent two very different design philosophies from the same era of GPU development. The GTX TITAN is a desktop flagship from 2013, built on a massive 561 mm² die with 7,080 million transistors, while the Radeon Pro 555 is a 2017 mobile-class part for Mac systems, using a 123 mm² die with 3,000 million transistors. Their average benchmark scores—14,373 for the GTX TITAN and 13,407 for the Radeon Pro 555—place them within 7% of each other overall, but the distribution of wins tells a more complex story. The AMD card wins 2 of the 3 head-to-head benchmark tests, yet the NVIDIA card achieves a far larger single-test margin, highlighting how workload characteristics can completely invert performance expectations.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data reveals a clear split based on API and workload type. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 dominates in the Geekbench Metal test, scoring 16,236 compared to the GTX TITAN’s 8,218—a 97.5% advantage in the AMD card’s favor. This is the single largest gap in the head-to-head comparison, and it reflects the AMD card’s native Metal optimization, which is expected given its target market in Apple’s Mac lineup. The Radeon Pro 555 also wins the Vulkan test, posting 12,303 against the GTX TITAN’s 10,027, a more modest 18.5% lead. For users running modern graphics APIs on macOS or Linux, the Radeon Pro 555 is the clear choice.

Conversely, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN is the undisputed king of OpenCL workloads. Its score of 24,873 more than doubles the Radeon Pro 555’s 11,682—a staggering 112.9% delta. This result aligns with the GTX TITAN’s compute-oriented design, which prioritizes raw FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth over API-specific optimizations. The GTX TITAN’s OpenCL dominance is so pronounced that it single-handedly lifts its average benchmark score to 14,373, despite losing the other two tests. For compute-heavy tasks like scientific simulation, data processing, or any OpenCL-accelerated workload, the GTX TITAN is overwhelmingly superior.

The percentile rankings reinforce this split: the GTX TITAN sits at the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon Pro 555 is at the 54th percentile. Despite the Radeon Pro 555 winning more head-to-head tests, the GTX TITAN’s massive OpenCL margin gives it a slightly higher overall standing. This suggests that the average benchmark score rewards peak performance in a single workload more than consistent performance across multiple APIs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures, nodes, and manufacturing processes. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN uses the GK110 chip, based on the Kepler architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. This is a massive chip: 7,080 million transistors packed into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm². The AMD Radeon Pro 555, by contrast, uses the Polaris 21 chip from the GCN 4.0 architecture, built by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. Its 3,000 million transistors occupy just 123 mm², giving a much higher density of 24.4 million per mm².

Core configurations differ dramatically. The GTX TITAN features 2,688 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, while the Radeon Pro 555 has only 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This 3.5x advantage in shading units explains the GTX TITAN’s raw compute superiority, but it comes at a cost. The GTX TITAN’s pixel rate is 49.06 GPixel/s and texture rate is 196.2 GTexel/s, versus 13.60 GPixel/s and 40.80 GTexel/s for the Radeon Pro 555. In FP32 throughput, the GTX TITAN delivers 4.709 TFLOPS, while the Radeon Pro 555 offers 1,305.6 GFLOPS—a 3.6x difference. Interestingly, the Radeon Pro 555 has 1:1 FP16 capability at 1,305.6 GFLOPS, a feature the GTX TITAN lacks entirely.

Memory systems are equally divergent. The GTX TITAN carries 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 555 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 81.60 GB/s. The GTX TITAN’s memory clock is 1,502 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the Radeon Pro 555 runs at 1,275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). Power consumption reflects the performance gap: the GTX TITAN draws 250 W and requires dual-slot cooling with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, while the Radeon Pro 555 draws just 75 W and is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no power connectors. The GTX TITAN also demands a 600 W suggested PSU, whereas the Radeon Pro 555 has no such requirement.

API support shows the generational difference. The Radeon Pro 555 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX TITAN is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The newer Vulkan version on the AMD card may contribute to its Vulkan benchmark win. The GTX TITAN uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Radeon Pro 555 uses PCIe 3.0 x8, reflecting its mobile/integrated design. Display outputs also differ: the GTX TITAN has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the Radeon Pro 555 is marked as "Portable Device Dependent."

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for different user profiles. For OpenCL-heavy compute workloads, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN is the only rational choice. Its 112.9% lead in the OpenCL benchmark is not a marginal advantage—it is a decisive, workload-defining margin. Users running simulations, data processing, or any OpenCL-accelerated application will see more than double the performance on the GTX TITAN compared to the Radeon Pro 555. The GTX TITAN’s higher FP32 throughput (4.709 TFLOPS vs 1,305.6 GFLOPS), larger memory pool (6 GB vs 2 GB), and wider memory bus (384-bit vs 128-bit) all support this conclusion.

However, for modern graphics APIs on Apple platforms, the AMD Radeon Pro 555 is the better performer. Its 97.5% lead in Metal and 18.5% lead in Vulkan are significant, and its newer API support (Vulkan 1.3 vs 1.2.175) suggests better forward compatibility. The Radeon Pro 555’s dramatically lower power draw (75 W vs 250 W) and integrated form factor make it suitable for laptops where the GTX TITAN’s dual-slot, 267 mm length design is physically impossible. The GTX TITAN measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 38 mm in width—a desktop-only component.

The average benchmark scores and nearest rival data provide additional context. The GTX TITAN’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M at 14,404 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Radeon Pro 555’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA P106-090 at 13,470 (0.5% higher). Both cards are effectively at parity with their closest competitors, but the GTX TITAN’s 56th percentile ranking slightly outperforms the Radeon Pro 555’s 54th percentile. This overall parity masks the extreme workload-specific divergences documented above.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN has an average benchmark score of 14,373, compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 555’s 13,407—a 966-point difference (approximately 7.2%).

Q: How much faster is the GTX TITAN in OpenCL?

A: The GTX TITAN scores 24,873 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 112.9% higher than the Radeon Pro 555’s 11,682, meaning it is more than twice as fast in this workload.

Q: Does the Radeon Pro 555 beat the GTX TITAN in any benchmark?

A: Yes, the Radeon Pro 555 wins two of the three head-to-head tests: Geekbench Metal (16,236 vs 8,218, a 49.4% delta in AMD’s favor) and Geekbench Vulkan (12,303 vs 10,027, an 18.5% delta).

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The GTX TITAN has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the Radeon Pro 555 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has a transistor density of 24.4 million per mm², nearly double the GTX TITAN’s 12.6 million per mm², despite the GTX TITAN having more total transistors (7,080 million vs 3,000 million).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GTX TITAN has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU, while the Radeon Pro 555 has a TDP of 75 W and no suggested PSU requirement.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench Metal test delivers the most lopsided result in this comparison. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 16,236, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN manages only 8,218. This 8,018-point gap represents a 49.4% delta in the AMD card’s favor. For Metal-specific applications—primarily on macOS—the Radeon Pro 555 is nearly twice as fast. This is the defining benchmark for the AMD card and explains its target market in Apple’s ecosystem. The GTX TITAN’s Kepler architecture, released in 2013, predates Metal’s widespread adoption and lacks the API-level optimizations that GCN 4.0 brings to the table.

The Geekbench OpenCL test flips the script entirely. The GTX TITAN scores 24,873, while the Radeon Pro 555 scores 11,682. The 13,191-point difference translates to a 112.9% delta, meaning the GTX TITAN is more than twice as fast. This is the largest margin in any test and reflects the GTX TITAN’s compute-first design. With 2,688 shading units and 288.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, the GTX TITAN is built to crush parallel compute workloads. The Radeon Pro 555’s 768 shading units and 81.60 GB/s bandwidth are simply insufficient for OpenCL-heavy tasks. This single test contributes more than half of the GTX TITAN’s average score advantage.

The Geekbench Vulkan test sits between the two extremes. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 wins with 12,303 against the GTX TITAN’s 10,027, a 2,276-point or 18.5% delta. This is a more competitive result than Metal but still a clear victory for AMD. The Radeon Pro 555’s newer Vulkan 1.3 support, compared to the GTX TITAN’s Vulkan 1.2.175, likely contributes to this result. However, the margin is modest enough that driver optimizations or system configuration could potentially close the gap. Still, the data shows a consistent pattern: the AMD card wins modern API tests, while the NVIDIA card dominates legacy compute APIs.

In summary, the head-to-head results show a 2-1 win split in favor of the AMD Radeon Pro 555, but the magnitude of the GTX TITAN’s OpenCL victory is so large that it swings the average score and percentile ranking in NVIDIA’s favor. This makes the choice between these cards entirely dependent on the user’s workload. Compute users should choose the GTX TITAN without hesitation. Graphics API users on modern platforms should pick the Radeon Pro 555. There is no universal winner—only workload-appropriate choices.