NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M represent two distinct eras of mobile and desktop graphics. The GTX 970 is a desktop-oriented part built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the GT 555M is a mobile chip based on the older Fermi architecture. Benchmark data shows a stark performance divide, with the GTX 970 leading in every measurable category.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct head-to-head benchmark available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, which measures general-purpose compute performance. Here, the GTX 970 scores 29,982 points, while the GT 555M scores 6,493 points. This translates to a delta of 361.8% in favor of the GTX 970 — meaning the GTX 970 delivers more than four and a half times the raw compute throughput of the GT 555M. This is not a marginal difference; it represents a generational leap in shading capacity, memory bandwidth, and parallel processing capability.

Beyond the shared test, the broader benchmark suite reinforces the gap. The GTX 970’s average benchmark score across all tests is 7,157, placing it in the 39th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (average score 7,170, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7,171, -0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7,203, -0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7,222, -0.9%). These deltas are all within 1% of the GTX 970’s average, indicating that its performance class is tightly clustered — any of these chips would produce broadly similar average results.

The GT 555M, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 6,493, placing it in the 37th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6,481, delta 0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6,476, 0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6,513, -0.3%), and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6,554, -0.9%). Although the percentile ranks differ by only 2 points, the absolute scores reveal a substantial performance chasm: the GTX 970’s average is 664 points higher, which is roughly 10% above the GT 555M’s entire average output.

Looking at the GTX 970’s individual test results, the Passmark G3D score of 9,638 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 20,005 show strong directX 11 and modern API performance. The GT 555M has no equivalent scores in these tests, so comparisons are limited to OpenCL, where the GTX 970’s 361.8% lead is the single most definitive number in the dataset.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, with an average benchmark score of 7,157, compared to the GT 555M’s 6,493. The GTX 970 also sits in the 39th percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 555M sits in the 37th.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 970 in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The GTX 970 scores 29,982 versus the GT 555M’s 6,493, a delta of 361.8%. This means the GTX 970 delivers roughly 4.6 times the OpenCL compute performance.

Q: What are the closest competitors to the GTX 970 based on average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7,170, -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7,171, -0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile (7,203, -0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7,222, -0.9%). All are within 1% of the GTX 970’s average.

Q: What are the closest competitors to the GT 555M based on average score?

A: The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6,481, 0.2%), the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6,476, 0.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6,513, -0.3%), and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6,554, -0.9%).

Q: Does the GT 555M win in any benchmark category?

A: No. In the head-to-head comparison, the GTX 970 wins the only shared test (Geekbench OpenCL), and the GT 555M has zero recorded wins in the head-to-head data.

Q: What is the production status of both GPUs?

A: Both the GTX 970 and the GT 555M are listed as end-of-life products.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures, which explains the performance gap. The GTX 970 uses the GM204 chip based on Maxwell 2.0, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 5,200 million transistors on a 398 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 13.1 million per square millimeter. The GT 555M uses the GF106 chip based on the older Fermi architecture, also made by TSMC, but on a larger 40 nm process. It contains 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, with a transistor density of just 4.9 million per square millimeter.

The compute core counts differ massively. The GTX 970 has 1,664 shading units, 104 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 56 render output units (ROPs). The GT 555M, by contrast, has only 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 65.97 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 122.5 GTexel/s for the GTX 970, versus 3.540 GPixel/s and 14.16 GTexel/s for the GT 555M. The GTX 970’s FP32 throughput is 3.920 TFLOPS, while the GT 555M manages just 339.8 GFLOPS.

Memory architecture also diverges sharply. The GTX 970 uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GT 555M uses 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus, yielding only 28.80 GB/s. The GTX 970’s memory clock is 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the GT 555M’s memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The GTX 970 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but has no Vulkan support.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The GTX 970 is a dual-slot desktop card with a 148 W TDP, requiring two 6-pin power connectors and a 300 W suggested PSU. It measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The GT 555M has a 35 W TDP, no listed slot width, power connectors, or suggested PSU, and no physical dimensions — it is a mobile part designed for portable devices, with display outputs listed as “Portable Device Dependent.”

The GTX 970 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, while the GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GTX 970 has a base clock of 1050 MHz and a boost clock of 1178 MHz; the GT 555M has no base or boost clock listed. The GTX 970’s memory size is 4 GB, versus 1 GB for the GT 555M. The GTX 970 has 1,664 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 56 ROPs, compared to 144, 24, and 16 for the GT 555M. The GTX 970’s launch MSRP is 329 USD; the GT 555M has no launch MSRP listed. The GTX 970 was released on 2014-09-18, while the GT 555M was released on 2011-07-01.

The Verdict

The data points to a decisive conclusion: the GTX 970 is the superior GPU by every metric in the FACT PACK. Its average benchmark score is 664 points higher than the GT 555M’s, and its OpenCL score is 361.8% higher. The GTX 970 has more than 11 times the shading units, 4 times the TMUs, and 3.5 times the ROPs of the GT 555M. Its memory bandwidth is nearly 8 times higher, and its FP32 throughput is over 11 times higher. The GTX 970 also supports Vulkan, which the GT 555M does not, and has a higher DirectX version (12_1 vs. 11_0).

The GT 555M’s only advantage is its lower TDP of 35 W versus 148 W, which reflects its mobile design. However, this does not translate into any benchmark win. The GTX 970’s percentile rank is higher (39th vs. 37th), and its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average score, while the GT 555M’s rivals are similarly clustered but at a lower absolute level. For any user choosing between these two, the GTX 970 is the only rational choice for performance.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970: The GTX 970 wins in all compute and graphics workloads. It is the clear choice for desktop gaming, 3D rendering, and GPGPU tasks. Its 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 224.4 GB/s bandwidth handle high-resolution textures and large datasets, while its 3.920 TFLOPS FP32 throughput accelerates parallel processing. The dual-slot design and 148 W TDP require a desktop chassis and a 300 W PSU, but the performance payoff is substantial. Its support for DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan makes it suitable for modern API-based applications.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M: The GT 555M’s only domain is low-power mobile computing. Its 35 W TDP makes it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal management are priorities. It has no physical dimensions listed, indicating integration into a portable form factor, and its display outputs are device-dependent. The 1 GB DDR3 memory and 28.80 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for basic 2D workloads and light 3D acceleration, but the benchmark results show it trails the GTX 970 by 361.8% in OpenCL. There is no scenario in the data where the GT 555M outperforms the GTX 970.