AMD Radeon Pro 580X vs NVIDIA T550 Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall victory for the AMD Radeon Pro 580X, with two benchmark wins against zero for the NVIDIA T550 Mobile. The most decisive result comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the AMD part scores 40,115 versus 30,801 for the NVIDIA part. That is a 30.2% advantage, a substantial gap that indicates the AMD architecture handles Vulkan workloads with significantly more headroom. In practical terms, any application that leans on Vulkan for rendering or compute will feel noticeably faster on the AMD Radeon Pro 580X.

The second comparison, Geekbench OpenCL, is much closer. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 36,426, while the NVIDIA T550 Mobile scores 35,521. The delta here is only 2.5%, which is within the range of run-to-run variation for many systems. Still, the AMD card takes the win. The data does not show a single benchmark where the NVIDIA T550 Mobile comes out ahead, so the overall head-to-head record stands at two wins for AMD and zero for NVIDIA.

Looking at the broader database context, the AMD Radeon Pro 580X sits in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA T550 Mobile sits in the 77th percentile. That five-point percentile gap aligns with the head-to-head results. The AMD card's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 38,706, which places it among rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A at 38,691 (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 575X at 39,116 (-1% delta). The NVIDIA T550 Mobile averages 33,161, putting it close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile at 33,170 (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 at 33,207 (-0.1% delta). These rival comparisons confirm that the two cards are not competing in the same performance tier despite their similar product positioning.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 580X wins in both recorded benchmark categories, so the use-case split is straightforward. For Vulkan-based workloads, the 30.2% lead makes it the clear choice. This includes modern game engines that use Vulkan, as well as compute applications that leverage Vulkan's compute shaders. The AMD card also wins OpenCL, though by a slim margin of 2.5%, so for OpenCL-heavy tasks the difference is less dramatic but still favors AMD.

The NVIDIA T550 Mobile has no benchmark wins in the database, but its profile suggests where it could still be relevant. Its low power draw, 23 W versus 185 W for the AMD card, makes it suitable for thin and light portable devices. The display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," which indicates it is designed for integrated use in laptops where the manufacturer controls the display connections. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X, by contrast, uses an Apple MPX bus interface and outputs 2x HDMI 2.0b, which points to desktop-class Apple Mac Pro systems.

For users who prioritize raw compute performance in cross-platform APIs, the AMD card wins outright. For users who need a low-power solution in a portable chassis, the NVIDIA card has an advantage that the benchmark scores do not capture. The data shows no scenario where the NVIDIA T550 Mobile outperforms the AMD Radeon Pro 580X in actual compute tests, but the power envelope difference is a real factor in system design.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and foundries. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X uses the Ellesmere chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA T550 Mobile uses the TU117 chip based on Turing architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 12 nm process. It contains 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, with a density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The AMD chip is larger in both transistor count and die size, but the NVIDIA chip uses a slightly more advanced process node.

Core configuration differs substantially. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The NVIDIA T550 Mobile has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The AMD card has more than double the shading units and more than double the TMUs, while ROP counts match. This explains the AMD card's higher texture rate of 172.8 GTexel/s versus 106.6 GTexel/s for the NVIDIA part. However, the NVIDIA card achieves a higher pixel rate at 53.28 GPixel/s versus 38.40 GPixel/s for AMD, which is unusual given equal ROP counts and likely reflects the higher boost clock on the NVIDIA part.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X runs at 1100 MHz base and 1200 MHz boost. The NVIDIA T550 Mobile runs at 1065 MHz base but boosts to 1665 MHz, a much higher ceiling. That 465 MHz boost advantage helps NVIDIA close the gap in certain workloads despite having fewer cores. Floating-point performance shows the AMD card at 5.530 TFLOPS FP32, while the NVIDIA card delivers 3.410 TFLOPS FP32. For FP16, the AMD card matches its FP32 at 5.530 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the NVIDIA card doubles to 6.820 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). This means the NVIDIA part is actually faster in FP16 workloads if the software can use the 2:1 path.

Memory subsystems are also very different. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 218.9 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA T550 Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s. The AMD card has double the memory capacity and more than double the bandwidth. API support shows the NVIDIA card with a slight edge in DirectX, supporting 12_1 versus 12_0 for AMD, and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3 for AMD. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher overall benchmark performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X wins both head-to-head tests. It scores 36,426 versus 35,521 in OpenCL (2.5% lead) and 40,115 versus 30,801 in Vulkan (30.2% lead). Its average benchmark score is 38,706 versus 33,161 for the NVIDIA T550 Mobile.

Q: Is the NVIDIA T550 Mobile better in any compute workload?

A: In the recorded data, no. The AMD card wins both OpenCL and Vulkan tests. However, the NVIDIA card has higher FP16 throughput at 6.820 TFLOPS versus 5.530 TFLOPS for AMD, so software that specifically uses FP16 with the 2:1 ratio could favor NVIDIA.

Q: How do these cards compare in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 218.9 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA T550 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. AMD has double the capacity and more than double the bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X has a TDP of 185 W, while the NVIDIA T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W. The NVIDIA card uses no power connectors, while the AMD card's power connector setup is not specified in the database.

Q: Which GPU supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The NVIDIA T550 Mobile supports DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580X supports DirectX 12_0 and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. NVIDIA has the edge in API version support.

Q: How do these cards rank against all other GPUs in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is in the 82nd percentile, while the NVIDIA T550 Mobile is in the 77th percentile. The AMD card's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A at 38,691 average score, and the NVIDIA card's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile at 33,170 average score.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon Pro 580X as the stronger performer in every recorded benchmark. Its 30.2% Vulkan lead is decisive, and even the narrow 2.5% OpenCL win favors AMD. The average benchmark score difference of 5,545 points (38,706 versus 33,161) corresponds to a five-percentile gap in the overall GPU ranking. For anyone running compute-heavy workloads in OpenCL or Vulkan, the AMD card is the clear choice.

The NVIDIA T550 Mobile is not without merit, but its strengths lie outside the benchmark data. The 23 W TDP versus 185 W means it can fit into portable devices where the AMD card would be impractical. The higher boost clock of 1665 MHz and the FP16 2:1 ratio show architectural efficiency, but these do not translate into wins in the recorded tests. The NVIDIA card also has newer API support with DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.4.

For a desktop Mac Pro system with an Apple MPX bus interface and HDMI 2.0b outputs, the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is the appropriate pick. For a low-power mobile workstation where battery life and thermals matter more than raw compute, the NVIDIA T550 Mobile is the sensible option. The benchmark results favor AMD, but the system context matters. If the workload is Vulkan or OpenCL compute, do not hesitate: the AMD card wins by a wide margin. If the system must be thin and light, the NVIDIA card's power efficiency is a legitimate reason to choose it despite lower scores.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 580X | NVIDIA T550 Mobile |

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

| Chip | Ellesmere | TU117 |

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Turing |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 4,700 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1100 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1200 MHz | 1665 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1710 MHz, 6.8 Gbps effective | 1500 MHz, 12 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 218.9 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 144 | 64 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 38.40 GPixel/s | 53.28 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 172.8 GTexel/s | 106.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.530 TFLOPS | 3.410 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 5.530 TFLOPS (1:1) | 6.820 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 185 W | 23 W |

| Power Connectors | Not specified | None |

| Bus Interface | Apple MPX | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 2x HDMI 2.0b | Portable Device Dependent |

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

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |

| Predecessor | Not specified | Quadro Pascal-M |

| Successor | Not specified | Ampere-MW |