NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M Comparison

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M are both end-of-life mobile and desktop graphics solutions from different architectural generations, yet their benchmark data reveals a distinct performance hierarchy. The GTX 765M, a Kepler-based mobile part, holds a decisive edge in the only shared compute benchmark, while the GTX 550 Ti, a Fermi-based desktop card, offers a specific set of hardware characteristics that differentiate it from its newer counterpart. This analysis breaks down their respective strengths, architectural differences, and the practical implications of their benchmark scores.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head data is unambiguous: the GTX 765M wins the only benchmark both cards share, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 7176 compared to the GTX 550 Ti's 5731. That is a 20.1% margin in favor of the mobile Kepler part. This single result defines the performance split — the GTX 765M is the clear computational winner in raw GPGPU throughput, which translates directly to better performance in OpenCL-accelerated applications, compute workloads, and modern game engines that leverage general-purpose GPU calculations.

The GTX 550 Ti, however, does not win any benchmark in this comparison — its wins column is zero. Its only recorded benchmark score is that same Geekbench OpenCL result, and it trails the GTX 765M by a significant margin. Where the GTX 550 Ti could be said to "win" is not in performance but in its feature set and physical design. It is a dual-slot desktop card with a 1x 6-pin power connector, a 300 W suggested PSU, and a 210 mm length — characteristics that suit a stationary desktop build. The GTX 765M, in contrast, is an MXM module with no power connectors, designed for portable devices where power delivery and space are constrained.

The GTX 550 Ti also holds a memory bandwidth advantage: it has a 192-bit bus and 98.50 GB/s bandwidth versus the GTX 765M's 128-bit bus and 64.13 GB/s. In memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads — typically older games, certain compute kernels, and high-resolution texture streaming — this could narrow the gap, but the benchmark data does not include a test that isolates this factor. The GTX 765M compensates with double the memory capacity (2 GB vs 1 GB) and a higher pixel rate (13.81 GPixel/s vs 7.20 GPixel/s), which are more relevant to modern gaming and display resolutions.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural lineages. The GTX 550 Ti is built on the GF116 chip using Fermi 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 40 nm process at TSMC. It packs 1,170 million transistors into a 238 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 4.9M per mm². The GTX 765M uses the GK106 chip with Kepler architecture, on a newer 28 nm process also from TSMC, with 2,540 million transistors in a slightly smaller 221 mm² die — a transistor density of 11.5M per mm², more than double that of the older part.

The core configurations differ dramatically. The GTX 550 Ti has 192 shading units, 32 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster output units (ROPs). The GTX 765M nearly quadruples the shading units to 768, doubles the TMUs to 64, but reduces ROPs to 16. This configuration suggests the Kepler part is designed for higher arithmetic throughput (1,325.6 GFLOPS FP32 vs 691.2 GFLOPS) and texture fill (55.23 GTexel/s vs 28.80 GTexel/s), while the Fermi card has more ROPs relative to its shader count, favoring fill-rate-bound scenarios.

Clock behavior also differs. The GTX 765M has a base clock of 797 MHz and a boost clock of 863 MHz, allowing dynamic frequency scaling under load. The GTX 550 Ti has no listed base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 1026 MHz (4.1 Gbps effective), which is slightly higher than the GTX 765M's memory clock of 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The GTX 765M's memory bus is narrower, but its higher shader count and clock boost more than compensate in the OpenCL benchmark.

Feature support is another differentiator. Both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but the GTX 765M adds Vulkan 1.2.175 support, which the GTX 550 Ti lacks entirely (its Vulkan field is null). For modern titles using Vulkan, the GTX 765M is the only viable option of the two. The GTX 765M also has a higher TDP of 75 W versus the GTX 550 Ti's 116 W, despite being the faster card — a signal of the 28 nm process efficiency gains.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct comparison is Geekbench OpenCL, and it is not close. The GTX 765M scores 7176, while the GTX 550 Ti scores 5731, a delta of 20.1% in favor of the mobile part. This is a substantial margin that places the GTX 765M well ahead in any OpenCL compute task, including physics simulations, video encoding filters, and machine learning inference at low precision. The GTX 550 Ti's score of 5731 places it in the 33rd percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 765M's average benchmark score (across all its recorded tests) is 5501, which is in the 32nd percentile — but its OpenCL score alone is 7176, indicating that its OpenCL performance is far above its multi-test average.

Look at the rival comparisons for context. The GTX 550 Ti's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX, with an average score of 5721, just 0.2% lower — effectively a tie. Its other rivals include the Intel Iris Pro Graphics P6300 (5712, 0.3% lower) and AMD Radeon HD 8790M (5691, 0.7% lower). The GTX 765M's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 (5508, 0.1% lower), with AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483, 0.3% lower) and NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467, 0.6% lower) close behind. This shows that both cards sit in the same performance tier relative to their peers, but the GTX 765M's OpenCL score of 7176 would place it well above any of these rivals if that single test were used for ranking.

The GTX 765M also has additional benchmark results beyond OpenCL: a Geekbench Metal score of 2612 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 6714. These provide a fuller picture of its capabilities on different APIs. The Metal score is notably lower, suggesting that Apple's Metal API is not a strength for this GPU, while the Vulkan score is close to its OpenCL score, indicating consistent performance across modern low-level APIs. The GTX 550 Ti has no such additional tests, so its performance on Metal or Vulkan cannot be assessed — and given its lack of Vulkan support, it would likely fail such tests outright.

The Verdict

From the data, the choice is clear for anyone prioritizing raw compute performance: the GTX 765M is the superior GPU. It delivers a 20.1% higher OpenCL score, has more than double the FP32 throughput (1,325.6 GFLOPS vs 691.2 GFLOPS), double the texture rate, and a higher pixel rate. It also supports Vulkan, has 2 GB of memory versus 1 GB, and does all this at a lower TDP of 75 W compared to 116 W. For gaming, content creation, or any OpenCL-based workload, the GTX 765M is the definitive choice.

The GTX 550 Ti, however, retains a niche. Its 192-bit memory bus and 98.50 GB/s bandwidth exceed the GTX 765M's 128-bit and 64.13 GB/s, which can be advantageous in bandwidth-limited scenarios. It also has more ROPs (24 vs 16), which may help in certain rasterization-heavy tasks. And as a desktop card with a dual-slot design and standard display outputs (2x DVI, 1x mini-HDMI), it is easier to integrate into a traditional desktop system. The GTX 765M's display outputs are "portable device dependent," meaning its connectivity is entirely determined by the laptop or mobile chassis it is installed in.

For a desktop builder with an older PCIe 2.0 system, the GTX 550 Ti was launched at a 149 USD MSRP and fits a conventional power envelope with a 1x 6-pin connector. For a laptop user, the GTX 765M is the only option of the two, as it is an MXM module. Benchmark results indicate that the GTX 765M is the faster card in compute, but the GTX 550 Ti's higher bandwidth and ROP count make it a defensible choice for older, bandwidth-sensitive applications — provided one accepts its lower overall compute score and lack of Vulkan support.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M, with a Geekbench OpenCL score of 7176 versus the GTX 550 Ti's 5731, a 20.1% advantage.

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6. However, only the GTX 765M supports Vulkan 1.2.175; the GTX 550 Ti has no Vulkan support listed.

Q: How do their memory subsystems compare?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus with 98.50 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 765M has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 64.13 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 550 Ti has higher bandwidth; the GTX 765M has more capacity.

Q: What is the performance gap between the two in their closest rival comparisons?

A: The GTX 550 Ti's closest rival is the GTX 670MX with an average score of 5721, just 0.2% lower. The GTX 765M's closest rival is the MX130 with an average score of 5508, 0.1% lower. Both cards are statistically tied with their nearest competitors.

Q: Which GPU has higher power consumption?

A: The GTX 550 Ti has a TDP of 116 W, while the GTX 765M has a TDP of 75 W, making the mobile Kepler part significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Are there any benchmarks beyond OpenCL for these cards?

A: The GTX 765M has additional Geekbench Metal (2612) and Vulkan (6714) scores. The GTX 550 Ti has only the single OpenCL score of 5731; no other benchmark results are recorded for it.