NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M represent two distinct eras of NVIDIA's mobile and entry-level desktop lineup. The GT 1010, based on the Pascal architecture, delivers a Geekbench OpenCL score of 6698, while the GT 555M, a Fermi-era part, scores 6493. The data shows a 3.2% performance advantage for the GT 1010 in the sole head-to-head benchmark, making it the winner in this comparison. Both cards sit in the lower percentile ranges of all GPUs, with the GT 1010 at the 38th percentile and the GT 555M at the 37th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only available benchmark comparison is Geekbench OpenCL, where the GT 1010 scores 6698 against the GT 555M's 6493. This represents a 3.2% delta in favor of the GT 1010. While this margin is modest, it is consistent across the benchmark, and the GT 1010 wins the single head-to-head test. The GT 1010's score places it just 1% behind the AMD Radeon R7 M370 (6764) and 1.9% behind the AMD FirePro M5100 (6830). Conversely, the GT 1010 leads the AMD Radeon R7 M460 (6612) by 1.3% and the AMD Radeon HD 7730M (6581) by 1.8%.

The GT 555M's score of 6493 places it in a tight cluster of rivals. It is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6481) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6476). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513) by 0.3% and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554) by 0.9%. These narrow deltas indicate that the GT 555M is firmly in the middle of a performance band where small margins separate competitors.

The 3.2% gap between the two cards means that in practical terms, the GT 1010 offers a slight but measurable edge in compute workloads. For tasks that rely heavily on OpenCL acceleration, the GT 1010 will complete work marginally faster. The GT 555M, despite being an older architecture, manages to stay within striking distance, which speaks to the efficiency of its design relative to its time. However, the benchmark data is unambiguous: the GT 1010 is the faster card in this pairing.

Where Each One Wins

The GT 1010 wins the only benchmark test available, giving it a clear victory in compute performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 6698 reflects a GPU that can handle OpenCL-based workflows with reasonable competence, especially when compared to the GT 555M's 6493. The GT 1010's advantage is most pronounced in scenarios that leverage its higher shading unit count and memory bandwidth. With 256 shading units and a memory bandwidth of 48.06 GB/s, the GT 1010 is better equipped for parallel compute tasks that scale with these resources.

The GT 555M, while losing the benchmark battle, has its own strengths that make it viable in specific contexts. Its 128-bit memory bus provides a wider path for data movement, and its 16 ROPs are double the GT 1010's 8. This could translate to better performance in fill-rate-limited scenarios, though the benchmark data does not directly test this. The GT 555M also supports a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, which offers more lanes than the GT 1010's PCIe 3.0 x4, although the newer standard's higher per-lane bandwidth partially compensates for the fewer lanes.

In terms of ecosystem compatibility, the GT 555M's display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning it was designed for laptops where the manufacturer controls the output configuration. The GT 1010, with its 1x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 2.0 outputs, offers a more standardized desktop experience. For users with older systems that lack PCIe 3.0 support, the GT 555M's PCIe 2.0 x16 interface may be more universally compatible with legacy motherboards.

Architecture Differences

The GT 1010 is built on the Pascal architecture using a 14 nm process at Samsung, while the GT 555M uses the Fermi architecture on a 40 nm process at TSMC. This process difference is stark: 14 nm versus 40 nm. The GT 1010 packs 1,800 million transistors into a 74 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.3 million per mm². The GT 555M, in contrast, has 1,170 million transistors on a much larger 238 mm² die, with a density of just 4.9 million per mm². The GT 1010's smaller, denser design is a direct result of the more advanced manufacturing process.

The GP108 chip in the GT 1010 operates with a base clock of 1228 MHz and a boost clock of 1468 MHz, whereas the GT 555M's GF106 chip has no listed base or boost clocks. The GT 1010's memory runs at 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective, while the GT 555M's memory runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective. These clock differences contribute to the GT 1010's higher memory bandwidth of 48.06 GB/s versus the GT 555M's 28.80 GB/s, despite the GT 555M having a wider 128-bit bus compared to the GT 1010's 64-bit bus.

The GT 1010 has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This means the GT 1010 has 77.8% more shading units, while the GT 555M has 50% more TMUs and double the ROPs. The GT 1010's pixel rate is 11.74 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 23.49 GTexel/s, while the GT 555M achieves 3.540 GPixel/s and 14.16 GTexel/s. The GT 1010's FP32 performance is 751.6 GFLOPS, more than double the GT 555M's 339.8 GFLOPS. Neither card has RT cores or tensor cores.

Memory capacities differ significantly: the GT 1010 has 2 GB of GDDR5, while the GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3. The GT 1010 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but has no Vulkan support. The GT 1010 has a TDP of 30 W and requires no power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 200 W. The GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The GT 1010 is a single-slot card measuring 147 mm (5.8 inches) in length, while the GT 555M has no listed dimensions.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear, if narrow, victory for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010. It wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark by 3.2%, and its architectural advantages are substantial: more shading units, higher clocks, faster memory, and more than double the FP32 compute. The GT 1010's 751.6 GFLOPS versus the GT 555M's 339.8 GFLOPS means it is fundamentally a more capable compute device. For users running OpenCL-accelerated applications, the GT 1010 is the better choice based on the benchmark evidence.

However, the GT 555M is not without merit. Its wider memory bus and higher ROP count suggest it may handle certain fill-rate-bound tasks differently, though no benchmark data confirms this. The GT 555M's 16 ROPs and 128-bit bus are the only areas where it has a clear hardware advantage over the GT 1010. For legacy system compatibility, the GT 555M's PCIe 2.0 x16 interface could be a deciding factor in older laptops, though this is not reflected in the benchmark scores.

From a percentile standpoint, both cards are near the bottom of the performance spectrum, with the GT 1010 at the 38th percentile and the GT 555M at the 37th percentile. The GT 555M's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M and the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile, where it holds a slim 0.2-0.3% edge. The GT 1010's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R7 M370 and AMD FirePro M5100, where it trails by 1-1.9%. These positions indicate that neither card is competitive with modern mid-range or high-end GPUs, but they serve distinct niches.

The GT 1010 is the better pick for any workload where raw compute throughput matters, given its 3.2% benchmark lead and superior FP32 performance. The GT 555M is a fallback for systems that cannot accommodate the GT 1010's PCIe 3.0 x4 interface or that rely on the older card's wider memory bus. Strictly from the data, the GT 1010 is the recommended choice for new applications, while the GT 555M remains a functional option for legacy configurations.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 1010 scores 6698, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M scores 6493, giving the GT 1010 a 3.2% advantage.

Q: How does the GT 1010 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GT 1010 trails the AMD Radeon R7 M370 by 1% and the AMD FirePro M5100 by 1.9%, but leads the AMD Radeon R7 M460 by 1.3% and the AMD Radeon HD 7730M by 1.8%.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The GT 1010 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 64-bit bus and 48.06 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 memory with a 128-bit bus and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which architecture and process node does each GPU use?

A: The GT 1010 uses the Pascal architecture on a 14 nm Samsung process. The GT 555M uses the Fermi architecture on a 40 nm TSMC process.

Q: Does the GT 555M support Vulkan?

A: No, the GT 555M has no Vulkan support listed, while the GT 1010 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The GT 1010 has a TDP of 30 W, and the GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The GT 1010 is a single-slot card with no power connectors, while the GT 555M has no listed slot width or power connector information.