NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti vs NVIDIA T550 Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes two shared benchmark tests between the NVIDIA T550 Mobile and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In both, the GTX 980 Ti is the clear winner.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the T550 Mobile scores 35,521, while the GTX 980 Ti scores 43,513. That puts the GTX 980 Ti 18.4% ahead. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the older desktop card delivers significantly higher raw compute throughput in this particular API workload.

The gap widens considerably in Geekbench Vulkan. The T550 Mobile scores 30,801, while the GTX 980 Ti scores 47,724. The GTX 980 Ti leads by 35.5% here. This is a decisive advantage, showing that the GTX 980 Ti’s advantage grows in a lower-level, graphics-oriented API context.

The T550 Mobile does not win either of the two head-to-head tests. Its wins total is 0 against the GTX 980 Ti’s 2. That said, the T550 Mobile is not without merit in the broader database context. Its average benchmark score is 33,161, which places it in the 77th percentile of all GPUs tracked. The GTX 980 Ti has a lower average benchmark score of 28,020, despite winning both head-to-head tests, and sits in the 73rd percentile. This discrepancy stems from the fact that the GTX 980 Ti’s average includes its additional benchmark results, such as 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (1,321) and Geekbench Metal (19,520), which pull its average down relative to its OpenCL and Vulkan scores.

In terms of nearest rivals, the T550 Mobile sits alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile (average score 33,170, delta 0%), the AMD Radeon Pro 570 (33,207, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA P104-100 (32,982, delta 0.5%), and the NVIDIA T600 Mobile (32,849, delta 1%). The GTX 980 Ti, meanwhile, is bracketed by the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (27,973, delta 0.2%), the AMD FirePro S7150 (28,117, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 7800M (27,883, delta 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (27,839, delta 0.7%). These groupings show that the two cards occupy different performance tiers in the aggregate database, even though the head-to-head tests favor the GTX 980 Ti.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and target different market segments. The T550 Mobile uses the TU117 chip, based on the Turing architecture, from the Quadro Turing-M (Tx000) generation. It is fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. The GTX 980 Ti uses the GM200 chip, based on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, from the GeForce 900 generation. It is fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC.

The transistor counts and die sizes differ sharply. The T550 Mobile packs 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². The GTX 980 Ti packs 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die, yielding a density of 13.3 million per mm². The T550 Mobile’s smaller, denser die reflects its newer process node, while the GTX 980 Ti’s larger die reflects its older, less dense manufacturing process.

Memory configurations also diverge. The T550 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 96.00 GB/s and an effective memory clock of 12 Gbps. The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s and an effective memory clock of 7 Gbps. The GTX 980 Ti’s much wider memory bus gives it 3.5 times the bandwidth, a critical factor for high-resolution textures and large frame buffers.

Compute resources favor the GTX 980 Ti heavily. The T550 Mobile has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 980 Ti has 2,816 shading units, 176 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GTX 980 Ti has roughly 2.75 times the shading units, 2.75 times the TMUs, and 3 times the ROPs. Pixel rate is 53.28 GPixel/s for the T550 Mobile versus 103.3 GPixel/s for the GTX 980 Ti. Texture rate is 106.6 GTexel/s versus 189.4 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 3.410 TFLOPS versus 6.060 TFLOPS. The GTX 980 Ti also lists no FP16 rate, while the T550 Mobile offers 6.820 TFLOPS FP16 through a 2:1 ratio.

Power and physical characteristics are polar opposites. The T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W, is an IGP slot width, has no power connectors, and its display outputs are portable device dependent. The GTX 980 Ti has a TDP of 250 W, is a dual-slot card, requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup, and a suggested PSU of 600 W. Its dimensions are 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. Both cards support PCIe 3.0 x16, DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Neither has ray tracing cores or tensor cores.

The production status for both is end-of-life. The T550 Mobile’s predecessor is Quadro Pascal-M and its successor is Ampere-MW. The GTX 980 Ti’s predecessor is GeForce 700 and its successor is GeForce 10. The GTX 980 Ti has a recorded release date of June 1, 2015, and the database lists no release date for the T550 Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The GTX 980 Ti wins decisively in both shared benchmark tests. Its 18.4% OpenCL lead and 35.5% Vulkan lead indicate that it is the stronger GPU for raw compute and graphics workloads where the API can exploit its larger shading unit count, wider memory bus, and higher bandwidth. The 6 GB frame buffer and 336.6 GB/s bandwidth make it suited for high-resolution gaming and heavy texture workloads. Its 6.060 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is nearly double that of the T550 Mobile, so any workload that scales with FP32 compute will favor the GTX 980 Ti.

The T550 Mobile’s strengths are not in raw benchmark scores, but in its architectural efficiency and form factor. Its 12 nm process and 23 W TDP mean it consumes a fraction of the power of the GTX 980 Ti. It requires no external power connectors and is an IGP slot width, making it suitable for compact, portable systems where the GTX 980 Ti’s 250 W TDP, dual-slot size, and 600 W suggested PSU would be impossible. The T550 Mobile also supports FP16 at 6.820 TFLOPS, which the GTX 980 Ti does not list, so applications that can use FP16 arithmetic may see a relative advantage on the T550 Mobile despite its lower FP32 rate.

In the aggregate database, the T550 Mobile’s average benchmark score of 33,161 is higher than the GTX 980 Ti’s 28,020, and its 77th percentile rank beats the GTX 980 Ti’s 73rd. This suggests that across a broader set of workloads and systems, the T550 Mobile performs better than its head-to-head results alone would indicate. The GTX 980 Ti’s average is dragged down by its Metal score of 19,520 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,321, which are not part of the T550 Mobile’s benchmark set.

For users who need maximum compute and graphics performance in a desktop context, the GTX 980 Ti is the clear choice. For users who need a low-power, portable GPU with modern FP16 support and no external power requirements, the T550 Mobile is the only viable option between the two.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 43,513, which is 18.4% higher than the NVIDIA T550 Mobile’s 35,521.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap?

A: The GTX 980 Ti scores 47,724 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the T550 Mobile scores 30,801. The GTX 980 Ti leads by 35.5%.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The T550 Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 980 Ti has 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 336.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the T550 Mobile have a higher average benchmark score than the GTX 980 Ti?

A: Yes. The T550 Mobile’s average benchmark score is 33,161, while the GTX 980 Ti’s is 28,020. The T550 Mobile also ranks in the 77th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 73rd percentile for the GTX 980 Ti.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The T550 Mobile has a TDP of 23 W and requires no power connectors. The GTX 980 Ti has a TDP of 250 W, requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector setup, and lists a suggested PSU of 600 W.

Q: What architectures do these GPUs use?

A: The T550 Mobile uses the Turing architecture with the TU117 chip on a 12 nm process. The GTX 980 Ti uses the Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM200 chip on a 28 nm process.

The Verdict

The data presents a straightforward split. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti wins both head-to-head benchmarks, with an 18.4% lead in OpenCL and a 35.5% lead in Vulkan. Its hardware resources, including 2,816 shading units, 96 ROPs, a 384-bit memory bus, and 336.6 GB/s of bandwidth, give it a commanding edge in raw performance. It is the appropriate choice for desktop systems where power and space are not constraints and where maximum compute throughput is the priority.

The NVIDIA T550 Mobile, despite losing both head-to-head tests, holds a higher average benchmark score across the database (33,161 versus 28,020) and a higher percentile rank (77th versus 73rd). Its 23 W TDP, IGP form factor, and lack of power connectors make it suitable for portable and low-power systems. Its FP16 throughput of 6.820 TFLOPS, which the GTX 980 Ti does not list, gives it a niche advantage in workloads that support FP16 arithmetic.

The GTX 980 Ti is the stronger performer in every shared test, but the T550 Mobile is the more efficient and portable option with a better aggregate standing in the database. The selection depends entirely on the use case: desktop performance favors the GTX 980 Ti, while mobile efficiency and modern process technology favor the T550 Mobile.