AMD Radeon RX 550X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X has an average benchmark score of 10481, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M scores 9959. The RX 550X sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the GTX 870M is at the 48th percentile.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M wins decisively in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 12630 versus 9662 for the AMD Radeon RX 550X. This represents a 23.5% advantage for the NVIDIA card in this specific workload.

Q: What are the memory configurations of each card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a wider 192-bit bus, providing 120.0 GB/s of bandwidth despite having less capacity.

Q: Which GPU draws more power and what are the implications?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M has a 100 W TDP, double the 50 W TDP of the AMD Radeon RX 550X. The RX 550X requires no power connectors and a suggested 250 W PSU, while the GTX 870M is an MXM module with no PSU recommendation listed.

Q: What API support differences exist between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD card has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version.

Q: How do the nearest rivals compare for each card?

A: The RX 550X's closest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 M275X with an average score of 10582 (1% higher), and it is also near the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (10629, 1.4% higher). The GTX 870M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M at 10013 (0.5% higher) and the NVIDIA Quadro K5100M at 10043 (0.8% higher).

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a split picture across different workload types. In the single head-to-head benchmark available, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M dominates the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 12630 against the AMD Radeon RX 550X's 9662. That is a substantial 23.5% margin, showing NVIDIA's older Kepler architecture still holds a significant edge in compute-oriented OpenCL tasks.

However, the AMD Radeon RX 550X wins in the overall average benchmark score category, posting 10481 versus 9959 for the GTX 870M. This is a modest 5.2% advantage, but it indicates better consistency across a broader range of tests. The RX 550X also holds a higher percentile ranking at 49 compared to 48 for the GTX 870M.

The AMD card also wins on efficiency-related metrics. Its 50 W TDP is exactly half of the GTX 870M's 100 W TDP, meaning it delivers competitive average performance at significantly lower power draw. Furthermore, the RX 550X supports newer API versions, including Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.2.175 and DirectX 12_0 versus 11_0, which can matter for modern game compatibility.

For memory capacity, the RX 550X offers 4 GB versus 3 GB on the GTX 870M. This extra gigabyte can be beneficial for texture-heavy workloads at higher resolutions, even though the NVIDIA card has superior memory bandwidth at 120.0 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s.

The GTX 870M counters with higher raw throughput in several specific metrics. Its pixel rate of 27.08 GPixel/s is 43% higher than the RX 550X's 18.93 GPixel/s. Its texture rate of 108.3 GTexel/s is nearly three times the RX 550X's 37.86 GTexel/s. These figures suggest the NVIDIA card excels in fill-rate-bound scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and foundries. The AMD Radeon RX 550X uses the Lexa chip built on GCN 4.0 architecture, part of the Polaris (RX 500X) generation. It is manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M uses the GK104 chip based on the older Kepler architecture from the GeForce 800M generation, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The transistor counts reveal a stark contrast in design philosophy. The GTX 870M packs 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the RX 550X contains 2,200 million transistors on a much smaller 103 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 21.4M per mm² for the AMD chip versus 12.0M per mm² for the NVIDIA chip, reflecting the newer 14 nm process advantage.

Shader configuration differs markedly between the two. The RX 550X has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 870M features 1,344 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The NVIDIA card has 2.6 times more shaders and 3.5 times more TMUs, explaining its significantly higher texture and pixel rates.

The memory architecture also diverges. The RX 550X uses a 128-bit bus while the GTX 870M uses a 192-bit bus. Despite the RX 550X having higher effective memory speed at 6 Gbps versus 5 Gbps, the wider bus on the NVIDIA card gives it the bandwidth advantage at 120.0 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s.

FP32 compute performance shows the GTX 870M at 2.599 TFLOPS, more than double the RX 550X's 1,211.4 GFLOPS. Interestingly, the RX 550X supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32 (1,211.4 GFLOPS), while the GTX 870M has no listed FP16 capability. Neither card features ray tracing or tensor cores.

Specification Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 550X operates at a base clock of 1100 MHz with a boost of 1183 MHz, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M runs at 941 MHz base and 967 MHz boost. The AMD card's clocks are 17% higher at base and 22% higher at boost, though the NVIDIA card compensates with far more execution units.

Memory configurations differ in capacity, bus width, and bandwidth. The RX 550X has 4 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus at 96.00 GB/s. The GTX 870M has 3 GB GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus at 120.0 GB/s. The RX 550X's memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective), while the GTX 870M's runs at 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective).

Form factors are entirely different. The RX 550X is a dual-slot PCIe 3.0 x8 card measuring 145 mm (5.7 inches) in length with display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The GTX 870M is an MXM Module using the MXM-B (3.0) interface with "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs, reflecting its laptop-oriented design.

Power requirements differ substantially. The RX 550X has a 50 W TDP with no power connectors and a suggested 250 W PSU. The GTX 870M has a 100 W TDP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed. The RX 550X is more power-efficient per unit of average performance.

Neither card has a launch MSRP listed in the data. Both are end-of-life products. The RX 550X was released on 2018-12-15, while the GTX 870M came out on 2014-03-11, making the AMD card nearly five years newer in release timing.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are lopsided. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M scores 12630, while the AMD Radeon RX 550X scores 9662. The delta is -23.5% for the AMD card, meaning the NVIDIA GPU outperforms it by nearly a quarter in this compute workload.

This OpenCL result aligns with the raw specification differences. The GTX 870M's 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 1,211.4 GFLOPS for the RX 550X suggests the NVIDIA card should excel in compute-heavy tasks. The 1344 shading units versus 512 also point in the same direction.

However, the average benchmark score tells a different story. The RX 550X averages 10481 across all tests, while the GTX 870M averages 9959. This means the AMD card performs better in other benchmarks not directly compared here, likely including Vulkan where it scores 11299 in the Geekbench Vulkan test. The GTX 870M has a Geekbench Metal score of 7288, but no Vulkan score is listed.

The nearest rival data provides context for these averages. The RX 550X at 10481 sits between the NVIDIA Tesla C2075 (10400, 0.8% lower) and the AMD Radeon R9 M275X (10582, 1% higher). The GTX 870M at 9959 sits between the NVIDIA Quadro 6000 (9846, 1.1% lower) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M (10013, 0.5% higher). Both cards are closely clustered with their peers.

In terms of wins, the head-to-head results show 0 wins for the AMD card and 1 win for the NVIDIA card. This is solely based on the OpenCL benchmark. If other benchmarks were included, the average score data suggests the RX 550X would claim victories in overall performance and potentially Vulkan workloads.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon RX 550X is the better choice for users prioritizing overall benchmark consistency and power efficiency. Its average score of 10481 exceeds the GTX 870M's 9959, and its 50 W TDP is half the NVIDIA card's 100 W. The RX 550X also offers 4 GB of memory, newer API support including Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12_0, and a more modern 14 nm process.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M wins decisively in raw compute performance. Its OpenCL score of 12630 is 23.5% higher than the RX 550X's 9662. With 1344 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 2.599 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, the GTX 870M is the stronger choice for OpenCL-based workloads, fill-rate-bound rendering, and tasks that leverage its superior texture and pixel rates.

For gaming, the RX 550X's higher DirectX feature level (12_0 vs 11_0) and newer Vulkan support (1.3 vs 1.2.175) make it more future-proof for modern titles. Its 4 GB memory capacity also exceeds the GTX 870M's 3 GB, which helps with larger textures. The GTX 870M's higher bandwidth (120.0 GB/s) and pixel rate (27.08 GPixel/s) may benefit certain legacy or optimized workloads.

For laptop integration, the GTX 870M's MXM form factor is designed for portable systems, while the RX 550X is a dual-slot PCIe card. Users with desktop systems should favor the RX 550X for its lower power requirements and no need for auxiliary power connectors. The RX 550X's 250 W suggested PSU is modest, whereas the GTX 870M has no PSU guidance provided.

Benchmark data indicates the RX 550X is positioned at the 49th percentile versus the GTX 870M's 48th, a narrow but consistent edge. The AMD card's nearest rivals include the Radeon RX 6500M (10362, 1.2% lower) and the Tesla C2075 (10400, 0.8% lower), while the GTX 870M's rivals include the Quadro K5100M (10043, 0.8% higher) and the Radeon R9 M375 (10070, 1.1% higher). Both cards are competitive within their respective peer groups.

The choice ultimately depends on workload priority. For mixed-use scenarios, general computing, and efficiency, the AMD Radeon RX 550X is the data-supported recommendation. For compute-intensive OpenCL applications where raw shader throughput matters most, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M is the clear winner despite its older architecture and higher power draw.