NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA Quadro P5000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single direct comparison between these two GPUs, and the result is decisive in one direction. In the Geekbench OpenCL compute test, the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 scores 52,509 points against the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M's 6,493 points. That is a delta of 708.7% in favor of the Quadro P5000, meaning the P5000 delivers roughly eight times the raw compute throughput in this workload. The GT 555M recorded no wins in any head-to-head test; the P5000 holds a 1-0 record in the available benchmark data.

To contextualize the P5000's OpenCL result, its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 8,039, placing it in the 41st percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals by average score are the GeForce GTX 880M (8,040, 0% difference), the GeForce GTX 650 Ti (8,053, -0.2%), the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost (8,067, -0.3%), and the GRID K2 (8,080, -0.5%). The P5000 effectively sits in a tight cluster where a few points separate competitors, though its OpenCL result stands far above that average, showing that the compute workload disproportionately favors this card.

The GT 555M, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 6,493, which places it in the 37th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Quadro M5000M (6,481, 0.2% ahead of the GT 555M), the Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6,476, 0.3% ahead), the GeForce GTX 670M (6,513, 0.3% behind), and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6,554, 0.9% behind). The GT 555M's single recorded benchmark score is exactly its average, since only one test result exists for this part, and it sits near the middle of a group of mobile and integrated parts with similar average scores.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations and process nodes. The Quadro P5000 uses the GP104 chip built on TSMC's 16 nm process, while the GT 555M uses the GF106 chip on TSMC's 40 nm node. The P5000 packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. The GT 555M has 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, for a density of 4.9 million per square millimeter. The P5000 is built on the Pascal architecture, whereas the GT 555M is a Fermi part, so the fundamental compute and memory architecture differ substantially.

Memory configurations could hardly be more different. The P5000 offers 16 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a recorded bandwidth of 288.5 GB/s and a memory clock running at 1127 MHz (9 Gbps effective). The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth, with a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The P5000's memory bandwidth is an order of magnitude higher, which directly impacts throughput in memory-intensive workloads such as large compute kernels or high-resolution rendering.

The compute resources scale similarly. The P5000 has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The GT 555M has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rate for the P5000 is 110.9 GPixel/s, versus 3.540 GPixel/s for the GT 555M. Texture rate for the P5000 is 277.3 GTexel/s, versus 14.16 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance (FP32) is 8.873 TFLOPS for the P5000, while the GT 555M manages 339.8 GFLOPS. The P5000 also has a recorded FP16 rate of 138.6 GFLOPS, with a 1:64 ratio to FP32, while the GT 555M has no listed FP16 capability.

Clock behavior differs as well. The P5000 has a base clock of 1607 MHz and a boost clock of 1733 MHz. The GT 555M has no listed base or boost clocks in the database, so its operating frequency is not recorded. The P5000's power draw is 180 W TDP with a dual-slot cooler and a single 8-pin power connector, plus a suggested 450 W power supply. The GT 555M has a 35 W TDP, but no slot width, power connector, or suggested PSU data is recorded. The P5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the GT 555M uses PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the P5000 has 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the GT 555M's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile laptop design.

API support shows a few differences. Both support DirectX 12, but the P5000 supports the 12_1 feature level while the GT 555M is limited to 11_0. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The P5000 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the GT 555M has no Vulkan listing at all. The P5000 includes no ray tracing or tensor cores, and neither does the GT 555M, so the architectural gap is purely in traditional rasterization and compute resources.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the only head-to-head benchmark available?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro P5000 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with 52,509 points versus 6,493 points for the GT 555M, a 708.7% advantage.

Q: How do the two compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The P5000 has 288.5 GB/s of bandwidth from 16 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the GT 555M has 28.80 GB/s from 1024 MB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two?

A: The P5000 is built on TSMC's 16 nm process, while the GT 555M uses TSMC's 40 nm process.

Q: Do both support the same DirectX feature level?

A: No. The P5000 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GT 555M supports DirectX 12 (11_0).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The P5000 has 2,560 shading units, compared to 144 for the GT 555M.

Q: What are the power draw figures?

A: The P5000 is rated at 180 W TDP, while the GT 555M is rated at 35 W TDP.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two parts, based only on recorded data:

• Chip: GP104 (P5000) vs GF106 (GT 555M)
• Architecture: Pascal vs Fermi
• Generation: Quadro Pascal (Px000) vs GeForce 500M
• Process Node: 16 nm vs 40 nm
• Transistors: 7,200 million vs 1,170 million
• Die Size: 314 mm² vs 238 mm²
• Transistor Density: 22.9M / mm² vs 4.9M / mm²
• Memory Clock: 1127 MHz (9 Gbps effective) vs 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective)
• Memory Size: 16 GB vs 1024 MB
• Memory Type: GDDR5X vs DDR3
• Memory Bus Width: 256 bit vs 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 288.5 GB/s vs 28.80 GB/s
• Shading Units: 2560 vs 144
• TMUs: 160 vs 24
• ROPs: 64 vs 16
• Pixel Rate: 110.9 GPixel/s vs 3.540 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 277.3 GTexel/s vs 14.16 GTexel/s
• FP32: 8.873 TFLOPS vs 339.8 GFLOPS
• FP16: 138.6 GFLOPS (1:64) vs not listed
• TDP: 180 W vs 35 W
• Slot Width: Dual-slot vs not listed
• Power Connectors: 1x 8-pin vs not listed
• Suggested PSU: 450 W vs not listed
• Bus Interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs PCIe 2.0 x16
• Display Outputs: 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a vs Portable Device Dependent
• DirectX: 12 (12_1) vs 12 (11_0)
• Vulkan: 1.4 vs not listed
• Release Date: 2016-09-30 vs 2011-07-01
• Predecessor: Quadro Maxwell vs GeForce 400M
• Successor: Quadro Volta vs GeForce 600M
• Launch MSRP: 2,499 USD (P5000 only; GT 555M has no recorded MSRP)

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates a complete performance separation between these two products. The Quadro P5000 wins the only shared benchmark by 708.7%, and its specification sheet shows advantages in every measurable compute category: shading units, texture units, ROPs, memory capacity, bandwidth, and FP32 throughput. The GT 555M's 35 W TDP and portable-device-dependent outputs mark it as a laptop-class part from 2011, while the P5000 is a 180 W dual-slot desktop card from 2016. The GT 555M's nearest rivals are all integrated or mobile GPUs with average scores around 6,500, and it sits at the 37th percentile of all GPUs. The P5000, despite a higher 41st percentile ranking, has an average score of 8,039, which places it among desktop parts like the GTX 880M and GTX 650 Ti. However, its OpenCL score of 52,509 is far above that average, showing that for compute workloads, the P5000 is in a different class entirely. For any user choosing between these two, the P5000 is the clear pick for compute-heavy tasks, while the GT 555M remains only relevant for legacy mobile use, where its low power draw and small footprint are its only advantages.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA Quadro P5000: This card wins in every recorded benchmark and in every comparable specification category. The data shows a 708.7% advantage in OpenCL compute, which translates to workloads like rendering, simulation, and GPU-accelerated analytics. The 16 GB memory capacity and 288.5 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for large datasets that would exceed the GT 555M's 1 GB frame buffer. Its 8.873 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 110.9 GPixel/s pixel rate indicate strong potential for high-resolution graphics and compute tasks. The P5000 also supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12_1, which the GT 555M lacks or only partially supports.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M: The only recorded advantage is power consumption, with the GT 555M drawing 35 W versus 180 W for the P5000. The GT 555M also has no listed slot width or power connector requirements, consistent with its mobile design, making it the only choice for portable systems where the P5000's dual-slot, 267 mm length and 8-pin connector cannot fit. Its 6493 OpenCL score places it in a cluster with other mobile and integrated parts like the Quadro M5000M and Radeon Vega 10 Mobile, so within that class it is competitive. The GT 555M's 1 GB memory is sufficient for legacy 32-bit applications or low-resolution workloads, and its PCIe 2.0 interface is adequate for such tasks. For any scenario requiring battery-powered operation or a compact form factor, the GT 555M is the only viable option in this comparison.