NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server represent two vastly different eras of GPU design, separated by nearly fourteen years of architectural evolution. The data shows a classic confrontation between a legacy mobile part from the Fermi generation and a modern server-class compute powerhouse built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. While the benchmark scores are not directly comparable due to different test suites, the specification differences are stark and reveal a generational chasm in capability, memory bandwidth, and raw compute throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons are not available in the dataset, as the two GPUs were evaluated using entirely different testing methodologies. The GeForce GT 555M was tested with Geekbench OpenCL, achieving a score of 6493, while the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server was assessed using 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, scoring 5996. Because these tests measure different workloads and performance characteristics, a direct numerical comparison between the two scores would be misleading. The data instead positions each GPU within its own competitive landscape.

The GeForce GT 555M's Geekbench OpenCL score of 6493 places it in a tight cluster of contemporaries. It sits 0.2% above the NVIDIA Quadro M5000M (6481) and 0.3% above the AMD Radeon Vega 10 Mobile (6476). The data shows it trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (6513) by 0.3% and the Intel UHD Graphics P750 (6554) by 0.9%. This indicates the GT 555M is a mid-pack performer in its generation, with performance deltas of less than one percent against its nearest rivals. The narrow margins suggest that in this benchmark, the GT 555M is effectively performance-equivalent to its peers, with no significant victory or defeat.

The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5996 tells a similar story of tight competition within its own reference group. It is 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (6000) and the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6001), and 0.2% ahead of the AMD FirePro W4100 (5987) and the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M (5986). Like the GT 555M, the RTX PRO 6000's nearest rivals are within a fraction of a percent, indicating that this particular benchmark score does not reveal a dominant performance advantage. The percentile rankings reinforce this, with the GT 555M at the 37th percentile and the RTX PRO 6000 at the 34th percentile among all GPUs. These figures suggest that while both are capable parts, neither achieves a top-tier position within their respective benchmark pools.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is immense, defined primarily by process node, core configuration, and memory subsystem. The GeForce GT 555M is built on TSMC's 40 nm process with the GF106 chip, part of the Fermi architecture. It packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 4.9 million per square millimeter. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server, by contrast, uses the GB202 chip on a 5 nm process, housing 92,200 million transistors within a 750 mm² die, achieving a density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. This represents a massive leap in integration, with the modern chip containing nearly 79 times more transistors in just over three times the die area.

Core configuration differences are equally dramatic. The GT 555M features 144 shading units, 24 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 16 raster output units (ROPs). The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server scales this up to 24,064 shading units, 752 TMUs, and 192 ROPs. The newer GPU also introduces dedicated hardware absent from the older part: 188 ray tracing cores and 752 tensor cores. These additions enable workloads that the Fermi architecture cannot handle at all. The pixel rate jumps from 3.540 GPixel/s on the GT 555M to 502.5 GPixel/s on the RTX PRO 6000, while texture rate climbs from 14.16 GTexel/s to 1,968.0 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture represents another fundamental divergence. The GT 555M uses 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server uses 96 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, achieving 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is listed at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) for the GT 555M versus 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) for the RTX PRO 6000. The modern GPU offers roughly 62 times the memory bandwidth and 96 times the capacity. Floating-point performance follows a similar trajectory: the GT 555M delivers 339.8 GFLOPS of FP32 throughput, while the RTX PRO 6000 produces 126.0 TFLOPS, a factor of approximately 370. The newer part also supports FP16 at 126.0 TFLOPS (1:1), a capability entirely absent from the GT 555M's specifications.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear verdict for different use cases. The GeForce GT 555M is an end-of-life mobile processor from 2011, part of the GeForce 500M generation, with a predecessor in the GeForce 400M and a successor in the GeForce 600M. Its 35 W TDP and portable-device-dependent display outputs make it suitable exclusively for legacy laptops. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is an active, dual-slot server card released in March 2025, with a 600 W TDP, a 16-pin power connector, and a suggested 1000 W power supply. It supports PCIe 5.0 x16, four DisplayPort 2.1b outputs, and is part of the Server Blackwell (Bxx) generation, succeeding Server Hopper and preceding Server Rubin.

For anyone building or upgrading a modern server or workstation, the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is the only viable choice. Its 96 GB of GDDR7 memory, 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, and 126.0 TFLOPS of compute throughput are essential for contemporary AI, rendering, and scientific workloads. The inclusion of ray tracing and tensor cores further extends its capability into realms the GT 555M cannot enter. Conversely, the GT 555M is a historical artifact, relevant only for maintaining or repairing vintage systems from the early 2010s. Its 37th percentile standing among all GPUs and its sub-one-percent margins against rivals like the GTX 670M suggest it was a competent but not exceptional part in its era.

The verdict is unambiguous: the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is a generation-defining compute solution, while the GeForce GT 555M belongs in a museum or a legacy system. There is no scenario in the data where the older GPU offers any advantage over the newer one, except perhaps in power consumption, where its 35 W TDP is far lower than 600 W. However, that lower power draw comes with a correspondingly minuscule performance envelope, making it irrelevant for any modern task.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

• Process Node: 40 nm (GT 555M) vs 5 nm (RTX PRO 6000)
• Transistors: 1,170 million vs 92,200 million
• Die Size: 238 mm² vs 750 mm²
• Transistor Density: 4.9M / mm² vs 122.9M / mm²
• Memory Size: 1024 MB vs 96 GB
• Memory Type: DDR3 vs GDDR7
• Memory Bus Width: 128 bit vs 512 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 28.80 GB/s vs 1.79 TB/s
• Memory Clock: 900 MHz / 1800 Mbps effective vs 1750 MHz / 28 Gbps effective
• Shading Units: 144 vs 24,064
• TMUs: 24 vs 752
• ROPs: 16 vs 192
• RT Cores: Not present vs 188
• Tensor Cores: Not present vs 752
• Pixel Rate: 3.540 GPixel/s vs 502.5 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 14.16 GTexel/s vs 1,968.0 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: 339.8 GFLOPS vs 126.0 TFLOPS
• FP16 Performance: Not specified vs 126.0 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 35 W vs 600 W
• Slot Width: Not specified vs Dual-slot
• Power Connectors: Not specified vs 1x 16-pin
• Suggested PSU: Not specified vs 1000 W
• Bus Interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 vs PCIe 5.0 x16
• Display Outputs: Portable Device Dependent vs 4x DisplayPort 2.1b
• DirectX Support: 12 (11_0) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan Support: Not specified vs 1.4
• Dimensions: Not specified vs 267 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm
• Production Status: End-of-life vs Active
• Release Date: 2011-07-01 vs 2025-03-17
• Predecessor: GeForce 400M vs Server Hopper
• Successor: GeForce 600M vs Server Rubin

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, compared to the GeForce GT 555M's 28.80 GB/s.

Q: Does the GeForce GT 555M support ray tracing?

A: No, the GT 555M has no ray tracing cores, while the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server includes 188 RT cores.

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

A: The GT 555M uses a 40 nm process, while the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server uses a 5 nm process.

Q: How do their benchmark scores compare directly?

A: They cannot be directly compared, as the GT 555M scored 6493 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the RTX PRO 6000 scored 5996 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which are different test suites.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The GT 555M has 1024 MB of DDR3, while the RTX PRO 6000 has 96 GB of GDDR7 memory.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server achieves 502.5 GPixel/s, compared to the GT 555M's 3.540 GPixel/s.