NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a remarkably close contest between two legacy NVIDIA mobile and desktop parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, with a score of 5731 against the GTX 760M's 5604, a 2.3% advantage. However, the GTX 760M counters with a Vulkan score of 4868, a test the GTX 550 Ti does not have recorded. The GTX 550 Ti also holds a higher average benchmark score of 5731 versus 5236 for the GTX 760M, and a higher percentile rank at 33rd versus 31st.

The GTX 550 Ti is the pick for users running OpenCL workloads, where it edges out the mobile Kepler part. The GTX 760M, despite losing the OpenCL contest, offers Vulkan API support, which the GTX 550 Ti lacks entirely, making it the only choice for Vulkan-based applications. The GTX 760M is also substantially more power-efficient, with a 55 W TDP against 116 W for the GTX 550 Ti, and it uses a modern MXM form factor with no external power connectors, whereas the GTX 550 Ti requires a dual-slot cooler and a 6-pin power connector. For a laptop or compact system, the GTX 760M is the sensible pick; for raw OpenCL compute in a desktop with available power headroom, the GTX 550 Ti wins.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 550 Ti wins in pure compute throughput as measured by Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 5731 places it slightly ahead of its nearest rivals: it is 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (5721), 0.3% ahead of the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 (5712), and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8790M (5691). It trails the AMD Radeon R7 M465 (5841) by 1.9%, but the overall pattern shows the GTX 550 Ti operating in the upper tier of its immediate competitive set.

The GTX 760M wins in API coverage and power efficiency. It records a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4868, a capability entirely absent from the GTX 550 Ti's feature set. The GTX 760M's average score of 5236 places it near the NVIDIA Quadro 4000M (5211, 0.5% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce 940M (5284, 0.9% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (5308, 1.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon R7 M260X (5161, 1.5% ahead). The 760M's 55 W TDP is less than half the 116 W of the GTX 550 Ti, making it the clear winner for thermally constrained environments.

The split is simple: compute-bound OpenCL tasks favor the GTX 550 Ti, while modern API support and mobile integration favor the GTX 760M.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different NVIDIA architectures and process nodes. The GTX 550 Ti uses the GF116 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 4.9 million per mm². The GTX 760M uses the GK106S chip based on Kepler architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 28 nm process. It contains 2,540 million transistors in a slightly smaller 221 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 11.5 million per mm². The GTX 760M's die is 7% smaller in area while holding more than double the transistors, a direct result of the denser 28 nm node.

The compute resources differ sharply. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 24 ROPs. The GTX 760M has 768 shading units, 64 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. The Kepler part has 4x the shader count and 2x the TMU count, but 33% fewer ROPs. This explains the performance characteristics: the GTX 760M's pixel rate is 11.50 GPixel/s versus 7.200 GPixel/s for the GTX 550 Ti, despite fewer ROPs, because of the higher clock and architecture efficiency. The GTX 760M's texture rate is 46.02 GTexel/s versus 28.80 GTexel/s for the GTX 550 Ti, and its FP32 throughput is 1,104.4 GFLOPS versus 691.2 GFLOPS.

Memory configurations differ as well. The GTX 550 Ti offers 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 760M offers 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering only 64.13 GB/s. The GTX 550 Ti has 53.6% more memory bandwidth, which contributes to its OpenCL advantage. The GTX 760M compensates with double the capacity.

Clock behavior also diverges. The GTX 550 Ti lists only a memory clock of 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective) with no base or boost clock recorded. The GTX 760M has a base clock of 628 MHz and a boost clock of 719 MHz, with memory at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 760M's boost capability is a feature absent from the GTX 550 Ti's specifications.

Interface and power delivery further separate them. The GTX 550 Ti uses PCIe 2.0 x16, while the GTX 760M uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The GTX 550 Ti is a dual-slot card requiring a 300 W suggested power supply and a single 6-pin connector. The GTX 760M is an MXM module with no power connectors and no suggested PSU rating, designed for laptop integration. Display outputs also differ: the GTX 550 Ti provides 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a, while the GTX 760M's outputs are portable device dependent.

In API support, both offer DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 760M adds Vulkan 1.2.175, while the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan support listed. The GTX 550 Ti's release date is March 14, 2011, with the GeForce 400 as predecessor and GeForce 600 as successor. The GTX 760M released May 29, 2013, with GeForce 600M as predecessor and GeForce 800M as successor. Both are end-of-life products.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 on Geekbench OpenCL, while the GTX 760M scores 5604. The GTX 550 Ti leads by 2.3%.

Q: Does the GTX 760M support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the GTX 760M has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 4868 and supports Vulkan 1.2.175. The GTX 550 Ti has no recorded Vulkan support or score.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W and requires a dual-slot cooler with a 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested power supply. The GTX 760M has a TDP of 55 W, uses an MXM module form factor, and requires no power connectors.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has 98.50 GB/s of bandwidth from 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus. The GTX 760M has 64.13 GB/s from 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus. The GTX 550 Ti provides 53.6% more bandwidth.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The GTX 760M's GK106S chip contains 2,540 million transistors, more than double the GTX 550 Ti's GF116 chip at 1,170 million transistors.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The GTX 760M achieves 11.50 GPixel/s, while the GTX 550 Ti achieves 7.200 GPixel/s. The GTX 760M leads by 59.7%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 5731 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M's 5604. This 2.3% delta places the GTX 550 Ti ahead despite the GTX 760M's higher shader count and FP32 throughput. The explanation lies in memory bandwidth: the GTX 550 Ti's 98.50 GB/s versus 64.13 GB/s gives it a decisive edge in memory-bound OpenCL workloads. OpenCL compute often saturates memory subsystems, and the GTX 550 Ti's wider 192-bit bus compensates for its older architecture.

The GTX 760M's counterpoint is the Vulkan benchmark, where it scores 4868. This is not a direct comparison since the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan score, but it demonstrates the Kepler part's modern API readiness. Vulkan's lower overhead and explicit control can favor architectures with high shader counts, and the GTX 760M's 768 shading units are four times the GTX 550 Ti's 192. In Vulkan workloads, the GTX 760M's compute advantage can manifest, even if OpenCL does not show it.

Looking at aggregate performance, the GTX 550 Ti's average benchmark score is 5731, while the GTX 760M's is 5236, a gap of 9.5%. However, this average includes the GTX 760M's Vulkan score, which drags its mean down. In the OpenCL metric alone, the GTX 550 Ti leads by 2.3%. The percentile ranks reflect this: the GTX 550 Ti sits at the 33rd percentile of all GPUs, the GTX 760M at the 31st.

Nearest rival data contextualizes both parts. The GTX 550 Ti's closest competitors in average score are the GTX 670MX (5721, 0.2% behind), the Iris Pro Graphics P6300 (5712, 0.3% behind), the Radeon HD 8790M (5691, 0.7% behind), and the Radeon R7 M465 (5841, 1.9% ahead). The GTX 760M's nearest rivals are the Quadro 4000M (5211, 0.5% behind), the GeForce 940M (5284, 0.9% ahead), the GTX 980M (5308, 1.3% ahead), and the Radeon R7 M260X (5161, 1.5% behind). Both parts sit in a tightly packed mid-range cluster where 2% swings separate competitors.

The win count in head-to-head benchmarks is 1 for the GTX 550 Ti and 0 for the GTX 760M, reflecting the single OpenCL result. The GTX 760M's Vulkan score, while not a direct head-to-head win, provides a functional advantage in modern applications. For users prioritizing raw OpenCL throughput, the GTX 550 Ti is the measured winner. For users needing Vulkan support or low power draw, the GTX 760M is the only option with those features. The data shows a split decision: compute performance favors the older Fermi part, while architectural modernity and efficiency favor the newer Kepler part.