AMD Radeon RX 550X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a straightforward choice for most builders: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A edges out the AMD Radeon RX 550X in the single benchmark where both were tested. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 950A scores 10273 against the RX 550X's 9662, a 5.9% advantage. This means the GTX 950A is the stronger performer in raw compute workloads, making it the default pick if you have a system that can accept an MXM module and you prioritize that extra performance.

However, the RX 550X is not without its own case. Its 49th percentile ranking versus the GTX 950A's 48th percentile shows they occupy nearly the same performance tier overall. The RX 550X also has a significantly higher average benchmark score of 10481, which is skewed by its additional Vulkan score. If you are targeting a dual-slot PCIe card with modern display outputs and a lower power draw, the RX 550X is the more practical choice, provided you are willing to trade that 5.9% OpenCL deficit. The GTX 950A is for those who need the maximum compute performance in a portable or proprietary form factor; the RX 550X is for the broader PC ecosystem.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A wins the only direct head-to-head comparison available. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 10273 beats the RX 550X's 9662, giving it the sole victory. This indicates a clear advantage in general-purpose GPU compute tasks that use OpenCL, likely due to its higher shading unit count and texture fill rate. If your workload is specifically OpenCL-based, the GTX 950A is the data-backed winner.

AMD Radeon RX 550X wins on feature set and efficiency. It has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 11299, which the GTX 950A does not have any data for, demonstrating a capability the NVIDIA card lacks in this comparison. Furthermore, its thermal design power of 50 W is lower than the GTX 950A's 75 W, meaning it draws less power. It also supports a wider range of display outputs (DVI, HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.4a) compared to the GTX 950A's "Portable Device Dependent" outputs, making it far more flexible for standard desktop use.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon RX 550X uses the GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A uses the Maxwell architecture on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The RX 550X's chip, codenamed Lexa, has 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 21.4M / mm². The GTX 950A's GM107 chip packs 1,870 million transistors onto a larger 148 mm² die, giving it a lower density of 12.6M / mm².

This leads to different resource allocations. The GTX 950A has more execution resources with 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The RX 550X counters with 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and the same 16 ROPs. Despite fewer cores, the RX 550X achieves a higher pixel rate (18.93 GPixel/s vs 17.98 GPixel/s) due to higher clocks, but the GTX 950A wins texture rate (44.96 GTexel/s vs 37.86 GTexel/s). The RX 550X has a newer feature set, supporting DirectX 12 (12_0) compared to the GTX 950A's DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 950A supports Vulkan 1.4 while the RX 550X supports Vulkan 1.3.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X has a higher average benchmark score of 10481, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A's 10273. However, this average includes the RX 550X's Vulkan score, which the GTX 950A does not have.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A faster than the AMD Radeon RX 550X?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, yes. The GTX 950A scores 10273 against the RX 550X's 9662, a 5.9% lead. This is the only direct comparison available.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X has a lower thermal design power of 50 W, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A's 75 W. This suggests the RX 550X will generate less heat and require less power.

Q: Do these GPUs support the same modern APIs?

A: No. The RX 550X supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 950A supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.4. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: Can the AMD Radeon RX 550X be used in a standard desktop PC?

A: Yes, it is a dual-slot PCIe 3.0 x8 card with DVI, HDMI 2.0b, and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A is an MXM module with "Portable Device Dependent" outputs, meaning it is designed for laptops or proprietary systems.

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A has 2 GB of DDR3 memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark between these two is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it is a decisive win for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A. The GTX 950A posted a score of 10273, while the AMD Radeon RX 550X managed 9662. That is a 5.9% difference in favor of NVIDIA. This result is consistent with the GTX 950A's superior shading unit count (640 vs 512), texture units (40 vs 32), and FP32 throughput (1,438.7 GFLOPS vs 1,211.4 GFLOPS). The RX 550X's higher clocks and memory bandwidth were not enough to close the gap.

However, the RX 550X has a response in the form of its Geekbench Vulkan score of 11299. There is no comparable Vulkan result for the GTX 950A in the data, meaning the RX 550X shows a capability that the GTX 950A cannot match in this comparison. When you look at the broader picture, the RX 550X's average score of 10481 is higher than the GTX 950A's 10273, largely because of this additional Vulkan data point. In the specific OpenCL test where they compete, NVIDIA wins; in the overall feature set, AMD's card shows a more complete profile.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The most obvious difference is memory: the AMD Radeon RX 550X features 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950A offers only 2 GB of DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus, with a much lower 32.03 GB/s bandwidth. This is a major gap that affects texture loading and high-resolution performance.

Clock speeds also differ. The RX 550X has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost clock of 1183 MHz, with memory running at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The GTX 950A has a lower base clock of 993 MHz and a boost clock of 1124 MHz, with memory at 1001 MHz (2 Gbps effective). The RX 550X's process node advantage (14 nm vs 28 nm) is clear in its lower power draw of 50 W versus 75 W.

The physical form factor is another key separator. The RX 550X is a standard 145 mm dual-slot card using a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, with a suggested PSU of 250 W. The GTX 950A is an MXM-B (3.0) module, which is not compatible with standard desktop motherboards. It has no suggested PSU rating and its display outputs are dependent on the host device. Finally, the RX 550X was released later (2018-12-15) and has a successor (Vega), while the GTX 950A was released earlier (2015-03-12) and has no successor listed. The RX 550X also has a higher transistor density (21.4M / mm² vs 12.6M / mm²) and a different foundry (GlobalFoundries vs TSMC).