NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark between these two mobile GPUs is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result defies the generational gap. The older NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M scores 6493, while the newer NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M scores 5622. That is a 13.4% deficit for the GTX 880M, a surprising outcome given its more modern architecture and higher-tier positioning. The database records this as a single win for the GT 555M, with zero wins for the GTX 880M in direct head-to-head comparisons.

This OpenCL result is particularly notable because it does not align with the broader performance indicators. The GTX 880M carries a much higher average benchmark score of 8040 across all recorded tests, compared to 6493 for the GT 555M. That difference of roughly 1547 points, about 23.8% higher on average, suggests that the GTX 880M excels in other workloads not captured by the single shared test. The OpenCL number may reflect driver maturity, memory configuration, or the specific workload characteristics of that benchmark, but the data shows the GT 555M holding a clear edge in this one metric.

Context from the nearest rivals reinforces the positioning. The GTX 880M sits at the 42nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 8040. Its closest competitors are the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 at 8039 (a 0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti at 8053 (a 0.2% disadvantage for the 880M), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8067 (a 0.3% disadvantage), and the NVIDIA GRID K2 at 8080 (a 0.5% disadvantage). These are all desktop or workstation parts, and the 880M lands squarely in their midst, within half a percent of each. That is a strong result for a mobile MXM module.

The GT 555M, by contrast, sits at the 37th percentile with an average score of 6493. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M at 6481 (a 0.2% advantage for the GT 555M), the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile at 6476 (a 0.3% advantage), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M at 6513 (a 0.3% disadvantage), and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 at 6554 (a 0.9% disadvantage). The GT 555M is tightly clustered with these parts, all within one point of each other in percentage terms. It is competitive with the GTX 670M, a higher-tier mobile part from its own generation, which speaks to its efficiency in certain tests.

The head-to-head OpenCL result warrants scrutiny because the two GPUs differ so fundamentally in architecture, memory, and compute resources. The GTX 880M has 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. On paper, the GTX 880M should dominate raw compute throughput. Its FP32 performance is 3.050 TFLOPS versus 339.8 GFLOPS, an order of magnitude difference. Yet the OpenCL test favors the smaller chip. This likely reflects the GT 555M's simpler memory subsystem in certain access patterns, or possibly a more favorable driver path for that specific workload.

The Verdict

The data presents a split verdict. For general compute performance, as measured by average benchmark scores, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M is the clear leader. Its average score of 8040 places it at the 42nd percentile, while the GT 555M averages 6493 at the 37th percentile. That is a 23.8% advantage for the 880M, and it sits in company with desktop-class parts like the Quadro P5000 and GTX 650 Ti family. If the workload is broad and varied, the GTX 880M is the stronger choice.

However, for the specific OpenCL workload recorded in the head-to-head benchmark, the GT 555M wins outright. A 13.4% margin is not trivial. Anyone whose primary application relies heavily on OpenCL acceleration may find the older card more responsive. The GT 555M also achieves this with a 35 W TDP, which is dramatically lower than the 122 W TDP of the GTX 880M. Battery life and thermal headroom favor the GT 555M, even though the GTX 880M offers vastly more raw compute.

The percentile rankings reinforce this. The GTX 880M outperforms 42% of all GPUs in the database, while the GT 555M outperforms 37%. That five-percentage-point gap in percentile ranking is modest, given the architectural gulf. The GTX 880M is not a dominant force; it is merely adequate. The GT 555M, despite being older and smaller, remains surprisingly close in overall standing.

For a user choosing between these two, the decision hinges on workload. If the application suite is diverse, or if gaming performance matters, the GTX 880M is the safer pick. If the primary use case is OpenCL compute, the GT 555M may deliver better results at lower power. The data does not support a universal recommendation for either card.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M wins on overall compute capability. Its average benchmark score of 8040 is significantly higher than the GT 555M's 6493. It also holds a better percentile ranking at 42 versus 37. The 880M's FP32 throughput of 3.050 TFLOPS, pixel rate of 31.78 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 127.1 GTexel/s are all far beyond the GT 555M's figures of 339.8 GFLOPS, 3.540 GPixel/s, and 14.16 GTexel/s. For any workload that scales with shading units, texture throughput, or pixel fill, the 880M is the clear winner. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth, versus 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus at 28.80 GB/s. That memory advantage alone is enormous for large datasets or high-resolution textures.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins on the single recorded OpenCL benchmark. Its score of 6493 beats the GTX 880M's 5622 by 13.4%. It also wins on power efficiency by a wide margin, with a 35 W TDP versus 122 W. For a mobile device, that lower power draw translates to less heat and longer battery life. The GT 555M also uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface, which may be more universally compatible with older laptops, whereas the GTX 880M requires an MXM-B (3.0) module slot.

The GT 555M also shows competitive standing against its nearest rivals, including the GTX 670M, which is a higher-tier card from its own generation. The 0.3% delta against the GTX 670M indicates near-parity in average score, which is a strong result for a lower-tier part. The GTX 880M, meanwhile, matches the Quadro P5000 exactly at 0% delta, but trails the GTX 650 Ti and GTX 650 Ti Boost slightly.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M has an average benchmark score of 8040, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M has an average of 6493. The GTX 880M is approximately 23.8% higher.

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 6493, compared to the GTX 880M's 5622. That is a 13.4% advantage for the GT 555M.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 880M offers 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth using 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The GT 555M offers 28.80 GB/s using 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus. The GTX 880M has roughly 5.5 times the bandwidth.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each GPU?

A: The GTX 880M has a TDP of 122 W, while the GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The GT 555M uses significantly less power.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 880M sits at the 42nd percentile, while the GT 555M sits at the 37th percentile. The GTX 880M ranks higher overall.

Q: What is the closest rival to each GPU according to the database?

A: The GTX 880M's closest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 with an average score of 8039, a 0% delta. The GT 555M's closest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M with an average score of 6481, a 0.2% delta in favor of the GT 555M.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures and process nodes. The GTX 880M uses the GK104 chip based on the Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.0M per mm². The GT 555M uses the GF106 chip based on the Fermi architecture, built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, with a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². The Kepler chip is newer, denser, and more efficient per transistor.

The GTX 880M belongs to the GeForce 800M generation, with a release date of March 2014. Its predecessor is the GeForce 700M series and its successor is the GeForce 900M series. The GT 555M belongs to the GeForce 500M generation, with a release date of July 2011. Its predecessor is the GeForce 400M series and its successor is the GeForce 600M series. There is a gap of nearly three years between their release dates.

The GTX 880M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The GT 555M also supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support recorded. This is a notable feature gap, as Vulkan is a modern graphics API that the GT 555M cannot leverage.

The GTX 880M uses an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface and an MXM module slot width. The GT 555M uses a PCIe 2.0 x16 bus interface. Both are portable device dependent for display outputs, meaning the actual connectors depend on the laptop implementation. The GTX 880M has no power connectors, as it draws power through the MXM module, while the GT 555M's power connector information is not recorded.

Specification Differences

The core specifications differ substantially. The GTX 880M has 1536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GTX 880M has 10.7 times the shading units, 5.3 times the TMUs, and twice the ROPs. Its FP32 compute is 3.050 TFLOPS versus 339.8 GFLOPS, a ninefold difference. Pixel rate is 31.78 GPixel/s versus 3.540 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 127.1 GTexel/s versus 14.16 GTexel/s.

Memory configuration is also a major differentiator. The GTX 880M has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.80 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 880M has eight times the memory capacity and over five times the bandwidth.

Clock speeds differ. The GTX 880M has a base clock of 954 MHz and a boost clock of 993 MHz. Its memory runs at 1250 MHz with 5 Gbps effective data rate. The GT 555M has no recorded base or boost clock for the core, but its memory runs at 900 MHz with 1800 Mbps effective data rate.

The GTX 880M has a TDP of 122 W, while the GT 555M has a TDP of 35 W. The GTX 880M has no power connectors, being an MXM module, while the GT 555M's power connector details are absent. Both are end-of-life products, but the GTX 880M has a transistor count of 3,540 million versus 1,170 million for the GT 555M. Die size is 294 mm² versus 238 mm², with transistor densities of 12.0M per mm² versus 4.9M per mm².