NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M Comparison

The GeForce GT 555M and GeForce GTX 765M come from different eras of NVIDIA’s mobile lineup. The recorded data shows the GTX 765M holding a clear lead in the primary OpenCL benchmark, but the GT 555M still has a few points in its favor, particularly in terms of power draw and platform compatibility. This comparison uses benchmark results from the database, along with architectural specifications, to determine which GPU is better suited for specific use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct head-to-head benchmark result between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the GTX 765M scores 7176, while the GT 555M scores 6493. That is a delta of -9.5% from the perspective of the GT 555M, meaning the GTX 765M is roughly 10% faster in this compute workload. This is a significant margin for a single-generation comparison, and it reflects the architectural advantages that the Kepler design brings to the table.

In terms of percentile ranking, the GT 555M sits at the 37th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GTX 765M sits at the 32nd percentile. This may seem counterintuitive given the GTX 765M’s higher raw score, but the percentile is calculated based on the average benchmark score across all recorded tests. The GTX 765M has a lower average score (5501) because it also runs Metal and Vulkan tests, which are not available on the GT 555M. The GT 555M only has one recorded benchmark (OpenCL), so its average equals its OpenCL score.

When looking at nearest rivals, the GT 555M is closely matched with the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (avg score 6481, delta 0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (avg score 6476, delta 0.3%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (avg score 6513, delta -0.3%). This places the GT 555M in a tight cluster of mobile GPUs from the early 2010s. The GTX 765M, on the other hand, finds itself near the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (avg score 5508, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (avg score 5483, delta 0.3%), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (avg score 5467, delta 0.6%). The GTX 765M’s average is dragged down by its Metal score of 2612, which is much lower than its OpenCL and Vulkan scores.

The OpenCL result is the only direct head-to-head measurement, and it clearly favors the GTX 765M. However, the GT 555M’s single-score profile makes it look more consistent, while the GTX 765M shows variability across different API tests. In OpenCL, the GTX 765M wins by a solid margin, and that is the headline result here.

Architecture Differences

The GT 555M is built on NVIDIA’s Fermi architecture, using the GF106 chip manufactured on TSMC’s 40 nm process. The chip contains 1,170 million transistors on a die size of 238 mm², giving a transistor density of 4.9 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX 765M uses the Kepler architecture with the GK106 chip, also from TSMC but on a 28 nm process. This newer node allows for 2,540 million transistors on a smaller die of 221 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 11.5 million per square millimeter. The jump from 40 nm to 28 nm is substantial, and it explains how Kepler can pack more than twice the transistors into a slightly smaller die.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The GT 555M has no recorded base or boost clock in the database, only a memory clock of 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective data rate. The GTX 765M has a base clock of 797 MHz and a boost clock of 863 MHz, with memory running at 1002 MHz and 4 Gbps effective. The GTX 765M’s memory clock is higher, and its memory type is GDDR5 versus the GT 555M’s DDR3.

Memory capacity and bandwidth also favor the GTX 765M. The GT 555M comes with 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 765M doubles capacity to 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus, but bandwidth jumps to 64.13 GB/s. That is more than double the bandwidth, which matters for texture-heavy workloads and higher resolutions.

Shader resources show a massive difference. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster operations units (ROPs). The GTX 765M has 768 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The shading unit count is over five times higher, and TMUs are nearly three times higher. Pixel rate for the GT 555M is 3.540 GPixel/s, while the GTX 765M reaches 13.81 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 14.16 GTexel/s for the GT 555M and 55.23 GTexel/s for the GTX 765M. FP32 compute is 339.8 GFLOPS versus 1,325.6 GFLOPS, a nearly fourfold advantage for Kepler.

The GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but no Vulkan. The GTX 765M supports the same DirectX and OpenGL versions, plus Vulkan 1.2.175. Both are marked as end-of-life production status, and both use portable device dependent display outputs. The GT 555M uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface, while the GTX 765M uses MXM-B (3.0) and is a slot-width MXM module with no power connectors required. The GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W, while the GTX 765M has a TDP of 75 W.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The GT 555M has an average benchmark score of 6493, while the GTX 765M has an average of 5501. However, the GT 555M only has one recorded benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL), while the GTX 765M has three (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan). The GTX 765M’s Metal score of 2612 pulls its average down.

Q: How do the two compare in OpenCL performance?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 765M scores 7176 versus 6493 for the GT 555M, a delta of -9.5% from the GT 555M’s perspective. The GTX 765M is the winner in this benchmark.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 765M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus but with 64.13 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The GTX 765M has 2,540 million transistors, while the GT 555M has 1,170 million. The GTX 765M also uses a smaller 28 nm process node versus the GT 555M’s 40 nm node.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 765M additionally supports Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GT 555M has no Vulkan support recorded.

Q: What is the difference in power draw?

A: The GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W, while the GTX 765M has a TDP of 75 W. The GTX 765M requires more power but delivers higher performance.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The GTX 765M wins the only direct benchmark comparison, and its architectural specifications are overwhelmingly superior in terms of shading units, TMUs, memory bandwidth, and compute throughput. The GT 555M’s only advantages are a lower TDP (35 W versus 75 W) and a more flexible PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, which may be easier to integrate into older laptops.

For gaming and general compute tasks, the GTX 765M is the better choice. Its OpenCL score is higher, and its Vulkan support opens up modern API workloads that the GT 555M cannot handle. The GTX 765M also has twice the memory capacity and more than double the bandwidth, which helps with higher-resolution textures and larger datasets.

The GT 555M is not without merit, but its role is limited to low-power scenarios where 35 W is a hard constraint. In thin-and-light laptops or systems with weak cooling, the GT 555M’s lower power draw makes it feasible, whereas the GTX 765M’s 75 W TDP requires a more robust thermal solution. For anyone building or upgrading a mobile workstation or gaming laptop, the GTX 765M is the logical pick based on benchmark results alone.

Specification Differences

• Process node: 40 nm (GT 555M) versus 28 nm (GTX 765M)
• Transistor count: 1,170 million (GT 555M) versus 2,540 million (GTX 765M)
• Die size: 238 mm² (GT 555M) versus 221 mm² (GTX 765M)
• Transistor density: 4.9M / mm² (GT 555M) versus 11.5M / mm² (GTX 765M)
• Memory clock: 900 MHz, 1800 Mbps effective (GT 555M) versus 1002 MHz, 4 Gbps effective (GTX 765M)
• Memory size: 1024 MB (GT 555M) versus 2 GB (GTX 765M)
• Memory type: DDR3 (GT 555M) versus GDDR5 (GTX 765M)
• Memory bandwidth: 28.80 GB/s (GT 555M) versus 64.13 GB/s (GTX 765M)
• Shading units: 144 (GT 555M) versus 768 (GTX 765M)
• TMUs: 24 (GT 555M) versus 64 (GTX 765M)
• ROPs: 16 (both)
• Pixel rate: 3.540 GPixel/s (GT 555M) versus 13.81 GPixel/s (GTX 765M)
• Texture rate: 14.16 GTexel/s (GT 555M) versus 55.23 GTexel/s (GTX 765M)
• FP32: 339.8 GFLOPS (GT 555M) versus 1,325.6 GFLOPS (GTX 765M)
• TDP: 35 W (GT 555M) versus 75 W (GTX 765M)
• Bus interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 (GT 555M) versus MXM-B (3.0) (GTX 765M)
• Vulkan support: None (GT 555M) versus 1.2.175 (GTX 765M)
• Slot width: Not recorded (GT 555M) versus MXM Module (GTX 765M)
• Release date: 2011-07-01 (GT 555M) versus 2013-05-29 (GTX 765M)
• Generation: GeForce 500M (GT 555M) versus GeForce 700M (GTX 765M)

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 765M wins in every compute-heavy scenario that the database records. Its OpenCL benchmark is higher, and it posts additional scores in Metal and Vulkan, which the GT 555M cannot run at all. For gaming at 1080p with moderate settings, the GTX 765M’s 2 GB of GDDR5 and 64.13 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation, while the GT 555M’s 1 GB DDR3 would quickly become a bottleneck. The GTX 765M also wins on texture fill rate, with 55.23 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s, making it better for games that rely on detailed surfaces.

The GT 555M wins only in power efficiency. Its 35 W TDP is less than half of the GTX 765M’s 75 W, and it uses the older PCIe 2.0 x16 interface, which is still found in many legacy laptops. If the goal is to upgrade a machine with a weak power delivery system or a small battery, the GT 555M is the safer choice. It also has a smaller die size advantage in terms of raw area, but that is offset by the GTX 765M’s higher transistor density.

In terms of the OpenCL head-to-head, the GTX 765M wins by 9.5%. In terms of overall compute capability, the GTX 765M’s FP32 rate of 1,325.6 GFLOPS is nearly four times the GT 555M’s 339.8 GFLOPS. The GTX 765M is the clear pick for anyone who prioritizes performance, while the GT 555M serves a niche role for low-power systems where its modest capabilities are acceptable.