AMD Radeon Pro 580 vs NVIDIA T550 Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 580 is the clear winner in the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, taking both available tests. The most decisive advantage appears in Vulkan workloads, where the Radeon Pro 580 scores 43,285 against the NVIDIA T550 Mobile’s 30,801, a 40.5% lead. That is not a small margin; it represents a substantial gap in graphics API performance that would translate to noticeable differences in Vulkan-based applications and games.

In OpenCL, the Radeon Pro 580 also wins, but by a much narrower margin. Its score of 38,457 beats the T550 Mobile’s 35,521 by 8.3%. This suggests that in compute-oriented OpenCL tasks, the two GPUs are closer in capability, though the AMD part still comes out ahead. The data does not show any benchmark where the NVIDIA T550 Mobile wins. With 2 wins for the AMD part and 0 for the NVIDIA part, the head-to-head record is unambiguous.

However, context matters. The Radeon Pro 580 sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the T550 Mobile sits at the 77th percentile. That five-point percentile gap reflects the average benchmark score difference: 40,318 for the AMD part versus 33,161 for the NVIDIA part. The AMD GPU is roughly 21.6% higher in average score, which aligns with its dominant head-to-head result.

For use-case segmentation, the Radeon Pro 580 is the stronger choice for Vulkan-heavy workloads, where its 40.5% advantage is decisive. It also holds an edge in OpenCL compute, though smaller. The T550 Mobile, by contrast, has no benchmark win to point to in this comparison. Its lower power envelope (23 W versus 185 W) suggests it fits different physical constraints, but in pure performance terms, the data favors AMD across every measured test.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 uses the Ellesmere chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The NVIDIA T550 Mobile uses the TU117 chip on Turing architecture, built by TSMC on a 12 nm process. It contains 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, for a density of 23.5 million per mm².

The compute resources differ substantially. The Radeon Pro 580 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The T550 Mobile has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That is a 2.25x advantage in shading units and a 2.25x advantage in TMUs for the AMD part, while ROPs are equal. The raw throughput numbers reflect this: the Radeon Pro 580 delivers 5.530 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the T550 Mobile delivers 3.410 TFLOPS. However, in FP16, the NVIDIA part flips ahead: the T550 Mobile achieves 6.820 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the Radeon Pro 580 stays at 5.530 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio.

Clock behavior also differs. The Radeon Pro 580 has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost clock of 1200 MHz, a relatively narrow boost range. The T550 Mobile starts at 1065 MHz base but boosts to 1665 MHz, a much larger boost headroom. Despite its lower base clock, the NVIDIA part reaches a significantly higher boost frequency, which helps it close some of the gap in pixel and texture rates. Indeed, the T550 Mobile achieves a pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s, higher than the Radeon Pro 580’s 38.40 GPixel/s, despite having the same number of ROPs. Its texture rate of 106.6 GTexel/s, however, is well below the AMD part’s 172.8 GTexel/s.

Memory configurations are also very different. The Radeon Pro 580 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 217.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The T550 Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s. The AMD part has double the memory capacity and more than double the bandwidth. Effective memory speed is 6.8 Gbps for the AMD part versus 12 Gbps for the NVIDIA part, but the narrower bus on the NVIDIA GPU limits the practical impact of its faster memory.

API support shows some divergence. The Radeon Pro 580 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The T550 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA part has a slightly newer DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version, which may matter for specific applications that use those features.

Power consumption is a major differentiator. The Radeon Pro 580 has a TDP of 185 W, while the T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W. That is an enormous difference, roughly 8x. Both are listed as integrated graphics (IGP) with no power connectors, but the AMD part clearly requires far more thermal and power headroom. The NVIDIA part’s low power draw makes it suitable for thinner, lighter portable devices, while the AMD part demands a more robust cooling solution.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is the faster GPU in every benchmark where both were tested. Its Vulkan lead of 40.5% is the single largest margin in this comparison, and its OpenCL lead of 8.3% reinforces the pattern. The average benchmark score of 40,318 versus 33,161 places the AMD part in a higher performance tier, reflected in its 82nd percentile versus the NVIDIA part’s 77th percentile.

However, the choice is not purely about performance. The T550 Mobile’s 23 W TDP versus the Radeon Pro 580’s 185 W TDP represents a fundamental design trade-off. If the target platform is a slim laptop with limited cooling and battery capacity, the NVIDIA part is the only realistic option from this pairing. Its boost clock of 1665 MHz and FP16 throughput of 6.820 TFLOPS also indicate it can deliver respectable performance within its power envelope.

For systems that can accommodate a 185 W GPU, the Radeon Pro 580 is the clear performance pick. It offers more shading units, more texture units, double the memory capacity, and more than double the memory bandwidth. Its 8 GB frame buffer is particularly relevant for larger workloads, while the 4 GB on the T550 Mobile may become a constraint in memory-intensive applications.

The data does not support any scenario where the NVIDIA T550 Mobile outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 580 in raw compute or graphics benchmarks. The NVIDIA part’s advantages are limited to power efficiency, FP16 throughput, pixel rate, and newer API versions. Buyers who prioritize those traits over raw performance may prefer the T550 Mobile, but the benchmark record shows the Radeon Pro 580 winning every measured test.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580 has an average score of 40,318, while the NVIDIA T550 Mobile averages 33,161. The AMD part sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, compared to the 77th percentile for the NVIDIA part.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The Radeon Pro 580 scores 43,285 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the T550 Mobile scores 30,801. That gives the AMD part a 40.5% advantage, the largest margin in the head-to-head tests.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The Radeon Pro 580 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 217.0 GB/s bandwidth. The T550 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is more power efficient?

A: The NVIDIA T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W, compared to the Radeon Pro 580’s 185 W. That makes the NVIDIA part substantially more suited to low-power, portable devices.

Q: Does the NVIDIA T550 Mobile win any benchmark in this comparison?

A: No. The head-to-head record shows 2 wins for the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0 wins for the NVIDIA T550 Mobile across the tested OpenCL and Vulkan workloads.

Q: Are there any API version differences?

A: Yes. The T550 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Pro 580 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data covers two tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In both, the AMD Radeon Pro 580 emerges victorious.

Starting with OpenCL, the Radeon Pro 580 scores 38,457 against the T550 Mobile’s 35,521. The margin is 8.3%, which is meaningful but not overwhelming. This result aligns with the raw compute specifications: the AMD part has 2,304 shading units versus 1,024, and 144 TMUs versus 64. Its FP32 throughput of 5.530 TFLOPS also exceeds the NVIDIA part’s 3.410 TFLOPS. The smaller margin here suggests that the T550 Mobile’s higher boost clock of 1665 MHz and its FP16 advantage (6.820 TFLOPS versus 5.530 TFLOPS) help it stay closer in this workload.

The Vulkan test tells a very different story. The Radeon Pro 580 scores 43,285, while the T550 Mobile manages only 30,801. That is a 40.5% gap, a massive difference that dwarfs the OpenCL margin. The AMD part’s Vulkan score is also notably higher than its own OpenCL score, suggesting particularly strong Vulkan driver or hardware performance. The T550 Mobile, by contrast, scores lower in Vulkan than in OpenCL, indicating a relative weakness in this API.

Looking at the broader database context, the Radeon Pro 580’s average score of 40,318 places it just 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (40,377) and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063). Its nearest rivals also include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40,870, 1.4% ahead) and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39,568, 1.9% behind). The T550 Mobile’s average of 33,161, meanwhile, sits essentially level with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile (33,170, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 (33,207, 0.1% behind). It is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA P104-100 (32,982) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA T600 Mobile (32,849). These comparisons show that the Radeon Pro 580 competes in a higher performance tier, while the T550 Mobile sits in a lower one, despite its respectable standing among its own closest rivals.

The takeaway from the head-to-head numbers is that the Radeon Pro 580’s advantage is consistent but not uniform. Its Vulkan lead is overwhelming, while its OpenCL lead is moderate. For applications that rely on Vulkan, the choice is clear. For OpenCL-heavy workflows, the AMD part still wins, but the NVIDIA part is competitive enough to consider if power constraints are paramount.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The process node shows AMD on 14 nm from GlobalFoundries and NVIDIA on 12 nm from TSMC. Transistor counts are 5,700 million for the AMD part and 4,700 million for the NVIDIA part, with die sizes of 232 mm² and 200 mm² respectively.

Clock speeds present a mixed picture. The Radeon Pro 580 runs at 1100 MHz base and 1200 MHz boost, while the T550 Mobile runs at 1065 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost. The NVIDIA part’s boost clock is 465 MHz higher, a significant advantage in frequency. Memory clocks also differ: the AMD part uses 1695 MHz with 6.8 Gbps effective, while the NVIDIA part uses 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective.

Memory capacity and bandwidth strongly favor AMD. The Radeon Pro 580 has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 217.0 GB/s. The T550 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s. The AMD part has double the capacity and 2.26x the bandwidth.

Compute unit counts follow the same pattern. The Radeon Pro 580 has 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The T550 Mobile has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The AMD part leads in shading units and TMUs but ties in ROPs.

Throughput rates show a split. The Radeon Pro 580 achieves 38.40 GPixel/s and 172.8 GTexel/s. The T550 Mobile achieves 53.28 GPixel/s and 106.6 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA part wins in pixel rate due to its higher boost clock, while the AMD part wins decisively in texture rate due to its higher TMU count.

FP32 and FP16 performance also differ. The Radeon Pro 580 delivers 5.530 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio). The T550 Mobile delivers 3.410 TFLOPS in FP32 and 6.820 TFLOPS in FP16 (2:1 ratio). The AMD part wins FP32, while the NVIDIA part wins FP16.

Power consumption is the largest divergence. The Radeon Pro 580 has a TDP of 185 W, while the T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W. Both are integrated graphics with no power connectors and PCIe 3.0 x16 interfaces. Display outputs are listed as portable device dependent for both.

API support shows minor differences. The Radeon Pro 580 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The T550 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4. Both support OpenGL 4.6. Production status is end-of-life for both, and neither has a recorded launch MSRP. The AMD part has a release date of 2017-06-04, while the NVIDIA part has no recorded release date.