AMD Radeon Pro 555X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data leaves no ambiguity about the performance hierarchy between these two GPUs. Across the three overlapping benchmark tests, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 wins every single matchup. The AMD Radeon Pro 555X does not secure a single victory in any recorded test.

The most lopsided result appears in Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 1080 scores 51,204 against the Radeon Pro 555X’s 12,628. That translates to a delta of -75.3% for the AMD part, meaning the GTX 1080 delivers roughly four times the compute throughput in this particular workload. This is a generational and architectural gap made visible in raw numbers.

Geekbench Vulkan tells a similar story, though with a slightly narrower margin. The GTX 1080 posts 30,398 while the Radeon Pro 555X manages 12,855. The delta here is -57.7%, still a decisive victory for NVIDIA. Vulkan tends to favor well-optimized drivers, and the data reflects that the Pascal architecture handles this API significantly better than GCN 4.0 in this comparison.

The closest contest is in Geekbench Metal, where the GTX 1080 scores 23,824 versus the Radeon Pro 555X’s 14,479. Even here, the delta is -39.2%, a substantial margin. Metal is Apple’s API, and one might expect the AMD part, which is designed for Mac systems, to put up a stronger fight. The numbers say otherwise: even in a nominally friendly environment, the GTX 1080 leads by nearly 40%.

Looking at the broader database averages, the gap narrows but does not disappear. The GTX 1080’s average benchmark score sits at 11,960, while the Radeon Pro 555X averages 13,321. That is an unusual inversion: the AMD part has a higher average score yet loses every head-to-head test. The explanation lies in the benchmark mix. The GTX 1080’s average is dragged down by older DirectX 9 and 10 tests where it scores 211 and 93 respectively, while the Radeon Pro 555X’s average is built entirely from modern API tests. The database percentile rankings reflect this: the Radeon Pro 555X sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 1080 sits at the 51st percentile. That 3-point difference in percentile is a consequence of different test suites, not a sign that the AMD part is faster in real-world modern workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different foundries and use different transistor budgets. The Radeon Pro 555X is built on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process with 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. The GTX 1080 uses TSMC’s 16 nm process with 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die. That is a 2.4x transistor advantage for NVIDIA, and the die size more than doubles. Interestingly, the transistor density is nearly identical: 24.4 million per mm² for AMD versus 22.9 million per mm² for NVIDIA. The process nodes are close enough that the density difference is minimal.

The core architectures are fundamentally different generations. AMD uses GCN 4.0 with the Polaris 21 chip, while NVIDIA uses Pascal with the GP104 chip. GCN 4.0 is an older design philosophy focused on balanced compute and graphics, while Pascal was engineered for higher clock speeds and efficiency. The Radeon Pro 555X has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 raster operation units. The GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. That is a 3.3x difference in shader count, a 3.3x difference in TMUs, and a 4x difference in ROPs. These are not minor spec sheet variations; they are structural advantages that explain the benchmark deltas.

Memory architecture also diverges sharply. The Radeon Pro 555X uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 94.08 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 1080 uses 8 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 320.3 GB/s. That is 3.4x more bandwidth for NVIDIA. The memory clock is listed as 1470 MHz for AMD and 1251 MHz for NVIDIA, but the effective data rates tell the real story: 5.9 Gbps for AMD versus 10 Gbps for NVIDIA. The GDDR5X standard on the GTX 1080 delivers nearly double the per-pin throughput.

Compute precision handling is another clear differentiator. The Radeon Pro 555X delivers 1,393.2 GFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16, a 1:1 ratio that indicates the hardware treats both formats with equal throughput. The GTX 1080 delivers 8.873 TFLOPS for FP32 but only 138.6 GFLOPS for FP16, a 1:64 ratio. This means the AMD part is far more capable in half-precision workloads, while the NVIDIA part is overwhelmingly stronger in standard single-precision compute. For graphics workloads, FP32 dominates, so the GTX 1080’s 8.873 TFLOPS versus the Radeon Pro 555X’s 1,393.2 GFLOPS is the relevant metric.

Power delivery and physical design differ as much as the silicon. The Radeon Pro 555X has a 75 W TDP, is an integrated graphics package (IGP), requires no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface. The GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP, is a dual-slot card, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The GTX 1080 also has a suggested PSU of 450 W, while the Radeon Pro 555X lists none because it draws power from the motherboard slot.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon Pro 555X wins in exactly one measurable category: half-precision compute. Its FP16 throughput of 1,393.2 GFLOPS matches its FP32 output, which is a rarity in consumer GPUs. This makes it suitable for workloads that leverage FP16 arithmetic, such as certain machine learning inference tasks or image processing pipelines that use half-precision buffers. The GTX 1080’s FP16 output is a paltry 138.6 GFLOPS, a 1:64 ratio that makes it effectively useless for half-precision compute.

The Radeon Pro 555X also wins on power efficiency in absolute terms. Its 75 W TDP is less than half of the GTX 1080’s 180 W. For a laptop or compact system where power draw is a hard constraint, the AMD part is the only viable option. The GTX 1080 requires a power connector, a dual-slot cooler, and a 450 W PSU, which rules it out for any integrated or low-profile chassis.

The GTX 1080 wins everywhere else. In Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, it leads by margins ranging from 39.2% to 75.3%. Its shading unit count, TMU count, ROP count, memory bandwidth, and FP32 throughput are all multiples of the AMD part. For any modern game, 3D rendering workload, or compute task that relies on FP32, the GTX 1080 is the clear choice.

The GTX 1080 also wins on API feature level. It supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the Radeon Pro 555X supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The difference is the 12_1 feature set, which includes conservative rasterization and other optional features that some games and applications can leverage. Vulkan support also differs: the GTX 1080 lists Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Pro 555X lists Vulkan 1.3.

Specification Differences

• Process node: 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) for AMD, 16 nm (TSMC) for NVIDIA
• Transistors: 3,000 million for AMD, 7,200 million for NVIDIA
• Die size: 123 mm² for AMD, 314 mm² for NVIDIA
• Memory size: 4 GB for AMD, 8 GB for NVIDIA
• Memory type: GDDR5 for AMD, GDDR5X for NVIDIA
• Memory bus width: 128 bit for AMD, 256 bit for NVIDIA
• Memory bandwidth: 94.08 GB/s for AMD, 320.3 GB/s for NVIDIA
• Shading units: 768 for AMD, 2,560 for NVIDIA
• Texture mapping units: 48 for AMD, 160 for NVIDIA
• Raster operation units: 16 for AMD, 64 for NVIDIA
• Pixel rate: 14.51 GPixel/s for AMD, 110.9 GPixel/s for NVIDIA
• Texture rate: 43.54 GTexel/s for AMD, 277.3 GTexel/s for NVIDIA
• FP32 throughput: 1,393.2 GFLOPS for AMD, 8.873 TFLOPS for NVIDIA
• FP16 throughput: 1,393.2 GFLOPS (1:1) for AMD, 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64) for NVIDIA
• TDP: 75 W for AMD, 180 W for NVIDIA
• Slot width: IGP for AMD, Dual-slot for NVIDIA
• Power connectors: None for AMD, 1x 8-pin for NVIDIA
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 for AMD, PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA
• DirectX support: 12 (12_0) for AMD, 12 (12_1) for NVIDIA
• Vulkan support: 1.3 for AMD, 1.4 for NVIDIA
• Release date: 2018-07-15 for AMD, 2016-05-26 for NVIDIA

FAQ

Q: Is the Radeon Pro 555X competitive with the GTX 1080 in any modern benchmark?

A: No. In Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, the GTX 1080 wins all three tests with deltas of -39.2%, -75.3%, and -57.7% respectively. The Radeon Pro 555X does not win a single benchmark in the head-to-head data.

Q: Why does the Radeon Pro 555X have a higher average benchmark score than the GTX 1080?

A: The Radeon Pro 555X averages 13,321 across its recorded tests, while the GTX 1080 averages 11,960. This is because the GTX 1080’s average includes several older DirectX tests (9, 10, 11, 12) where it scores much lower, while the Radeon Pro 555X only has modern API tests in its record. The GTX 1080’s Passmark DirectX 9 score of 211 and DirectX 10 score of 93 pull its average down despite its dominant modern API results.

Q: Can the Radeon Pro 555X handle half-precision compute tasks?

A: Yes, and significantly better than the GTX 1080. The Radeon Pro 555X delivers 1,393.2 GFLOPS for both FP16 and FP32, a 1:1 ratio. The GTX 1080 delivers only 138.6 GFLOPS for FP16, a 1:64 ratio relative to its FP32 output. For workloads that need FP16, the AMD part is the clear winner.

Q: What power supply requirements does each card have?

A: The Radeon Pro 555X has a 75 W TDP, uses no power connectors, and is an integrated package (IGP). The GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 450 W. The GTX 1080 also occupies a dual-slot form factor, while the Radeon Pro 555X is portable-device dependent.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1080 has 320.3 GB/s bandwidth from 8 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. The Radeon Pro 555X has 94.08 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. That is a 3.4x advantage for the GTX 1080.

Q: What is the release date difference between the two?

A: The GTX 1080 was released on 2016-05-26, while the Radeon Pro 555X was released on 2018-07-15. The GTX 1080 is the older product, yet it outperforms the newer AMD part in every recorded benchmark.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split based on use case. If you need raw graphics performance, modern API support, or FP32 compute, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 is the only choice. It wins all three head-to-head benchmarks, offers 3.3x more shading units, 4x more ROPs, and 3.4x more memory bandwidth. Its DirectX 12 (12_1) feature level and Vulkan 1.4 support are ahead of the Radeon Pro 555X’s DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 1080’s launch MSRP was 599 USD, which reflects its positioning as a high-end desktop card.

The AMD Radeon Pro 555X is not a competitor in this matchup. It is an integrated, low-power part designed for portability, not performance. Its 75 W TDP, lack of power connectors, and IGP form factor make it suitable for systems where the GTX 1080 physically cannot fit. If you are building a desktop workstation or gaming rig, the GTX 1080 is the obvious pick. If you are constrained to a laptop or compact integrated system, the Radeon Pro 555X is what the data allows, but you should expect roughly 40% to 75% lower performance in modern API benchmarks.

The only scenario where the Radeon Pro 555X has a measurable advantage is FP16 compute, where its 1:1 ratio delivers 1,393.2 GFLOPS versus the GTX 1080’s 138.6 GFLOPS. That is a niche use case, but if half-precision throughput is your primary workload, the AMD part is the better silicon. For everything else, the GTX 1080 dominates the recorded data without exception.