AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 vs NVIDIA GeForce MX550 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 are two end-of-life mobile graphics processors that target very different performance profiles, as evidenced by their average benchmark scores. The AMD part, based on the Vega 12 chip, achieves an average score of 27,839, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA part, using the TU117SB chip, scores 26,421 on average, landing in the 72nd percentile. Despite the close average scores, their performance characteristics diverge sharply depending on the API used, making the choice between them heavily dependent on the specific workloads and software environments a user prioritizes.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split decision. For users whose applications are built around OpenCL, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 is the definitive choice. In the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test, the Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 26,679 against the MX550's 20,372, a decisive 31% advantage. This significant lead in compute-oriented tasks suggests that for productivity workloads, scientific computing, or content creation that leverages OpenCL, the AMD solution offers substantially higher throughput.

Conversely, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is the superior option for Vulkan-based gaming or graphics workloads. The Geekbench Vulkan results show the MX550 scoring 32,469, which is 18.7% higher than the Radeon Pro Vega 20's score of 26,410. This indicates that in modern graphics APIs, the NVIDIA chip has a distinct performance edge that would translate to better frame rates in Vulkan titles. The overall average scores are close, with the AMD part only 5.4% ahead, but this masks the fact that they are optimized for different software stacks. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 is for OpenCL compute, while the GeForce MX550 is for Vulkan graphics. The NVIDIA card also achieves its performance at a much lower thermal envelope, with a TDP of just 25 W compared to the AMD card's 100 W, making it a better fit for thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is paramount.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 utilizes the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, featuring the Vega 12 chip. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is based on the Turing architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process by TSMC with the TU117SB chip. These architectural foundations lead to different design priorities. The AMD chip is designed with a wider memory interface and a focus on raw compute throughput, while the NVIDIA chip is built for efficiency and newer graphics features.

A key differentiator is memory technology. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 is equipped with 4 GB of HBM2 memory on a massive 1024-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 189.4 GB/s. This is a substantial advantage for memory-intensive compute tasks. The GeForce MX550, by contrast, has 2 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing only 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. While the MX550's memory is clocked higher, the narrow bus severely limits its bandwidth. The AMD card's memory subsystem is fundamentally more capable for data-heavy workloads.

The compute resources also differ in configuration. The Radeon Pro Vega 20 has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, allowing for a pixel rate of 41.06 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 102.6 GTexel/s. The GeForce MX550 has 1024 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, resulting in lower pixel and texture rates of 21.12 GPixel/s and 42.24 GTexel/s, respectively. The AMD part also offers a significant FP16 advantage, with a peak rate of 6.569 TFLOPS (2:1) compared to the MX550's 2.703 TFLOPS (1:1). This makes the Pro Vega 20 more suitable for workloads that can utilize half-precision arithmetic.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results highlight a clear trade-off between the two GPUs. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 demonstrates a commanding lead. Its score of 26,679 is a full 31% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce MX550's score of 20,372. This is a massive delta that underscores the AMD card's superior compute throughput, likely driven by its wider memory bus and higher shading unit count. For any OpenCL-based application, the Radeon Pro Vega 20 is the clear winner.

However, the tables are turned in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 32,469, outperforming the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20's score of 26,410 by 18.7%. This result is surprising given the MX550's lower raw specifications, but it suggests that the Turing architecture's Vulkan driver implementation and shader efficiency are superior to the older GCN 5.0 architecture. This makes the MX550 the better choice for gaming or graphics workloads that utilize the Vulkan API.

The overall average benchmark scores for the two GPUs are remarkably close. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has an average score of 27,839, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce MX550's 26,421. This data shows that the two GPUs are in the same performance class overall, but their strengths are in opposite domains. The AMD card wins one benchmark decisively, while the NVIDIA card wins the other by a nearly equal margin.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification, reflecting their distinct design goals. The process node is a minor difference, with the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 using a 14 nm process and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 using a 12 nm process. The NVIDIA chip's transistor count is listed at 4,700 million on a 200 mm² die, while the AMD chip's transistor count is not specified. The clock speeds are also different, with the Radeon Pro Vega 20 having a lower base clock of 815 MHz but a higher boost clock of 1283 MHz, while the GeForce MX550 has a base of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1320 MHz. The memory configuration is a stark contrast, as the Radeon Pro Vega 20 features 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, whereas the GeForce MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus.

The power requirements highlight the largest practical difference. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has a TDP of 100 W, which is a significant draw for a laptop component. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550, in contrast, has a TDP of only 25 W, making it far more power-efficient. The bus interface also differs, with the AMD card using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the NVIDIA card using PCIe 4.0 x8. The API support is nearly identical, with both supporting DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan, though the NVIDIA card supports Vulkan 1.4 while the AMD card supports Vulkan 1.3. The release dates are also different, with the AMD card launching in November 2018 and the NVIDIA card in December 2021.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has a higher average benchmark score of 27,839 compared to the NVIDIA GeForce MX550's 26,421, a difference of approximately 5.4%.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 show the biggest advantage?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 shows its biggest advantage in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it scores 26,679, a full 31% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce MX550's score of 20,372.

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 perform in Vulkan workloads?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 performs exceptionally well in Vulkan workloads, scoring 32,469 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, which is 18.7% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20's score of 26,410.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has a memory bandwidth of 189.4 GB/s, which is nearly double the 96.00 GB/s offered by the NVIDIA GeForce MX550.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has a TDP of 100 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 has a TDP of just 25 W, making the NVIDIA card significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has 1280 shading units, which is 25% more than the NVIDIA GeForce MX550's 1024 shading units.