NVIDIA GeForce MX550 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data splits cleanly between these two Turing-based NVIDIA parts, with the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti taking the win in every head-to-head test. The database lists 2 wins for the RTX 2080 Ti and 0 wins for the MX550, meaning the desktop-class card dominates both compute and graphics API workloads that were measured.

Looking at compute performance, the RTX 2080 Ti leads decisively in both OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. The Geekbench OpenCL result shows the 2080 Ti scoring 128,171 against the MX550's 20,372, a delta of 529.2% in favor of the larger card. The Vulkan test tells a similar story: 132,930 versus 32,469, with the 2080 Ti ahead by 309.4%. These are not close contests; they are category-level separations.

The MX550 does not have any test where it outperforms the 2080 Ti in the database. Its role is different: it is a low-power mobile part designed for portability and basic acceleration, not for competing with a flagship desktop GPU. The data reflects that positioning, as the MX550's scores place it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, while the 2080 Ti sits at the 75th percentile. Despite the massive raw score gap, the percentile difference is modest because the MX550's scores are still respectable for its class, though the absolute performance gap is enormous.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use NVIDIA's Turing architecture and are built on TSMC's 12 nm process, but the similarity ends there. The RTX 2080 Ti uses the TU102 chip, a 754 mm² die containing 18,600 million transistors. The MX550 uses the TU117SB chip, a 200 mm² die with 4,700 million transistors. The transistor density is nearly identical, 24.7M per mm² versus 23.5M per mm², but the total transistor count is roughly four times higher on the 2080 Ti.

Memory configuration separates these two substantially. The RTX 2080 Ti carries 11 GB of GDDR6 on a 352-bit bus, delivering 616.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, capping bandwidth at 96.00 GB/s. The memory clock also differs: 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective on the 2080 Ti, versus 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective on the MX550. That bandwidth gap, 616.0 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s, is one of the largest single differences between the two.

The compute resources are similarly lopsided. The RTX 2080 Ti has 4352 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 88 raster operation units. It also includes 68 ray tracing cores and 544 tensor cores. The MX550 has 1024 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed. The FP32 throughput is 13.45 TFLOPS on the 2080 Ti versus 2.703 TFLOPS on the MX550. The FP16 rates differ in ratio as well: the 2080 Ti runs FP16 at 26.90 TFLOPS (2:1 rate), while the MX550 runs FP16 at 2.703 TFLOPS (1:1 rate), meaning the 2080 Ti's FP16 advantage is even larger than its FP32 edge.

Power and physical characteristics reinforce the class difference. The RTX 2080 Ti has a 250 W TDP, requires dual-slot cooling, and uses 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested 600 W PSU. The MX550 is an integrated graphics product (IGP) with a 25 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU figure. The 2080 Ti measures 267 mm in length, 116 mm in height, and 35 mm in width; the MX550 has no listed dimensions since it is designed for portable devices with dependent display outputs. The 2080 Ti also has a richer display output set: 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, whereas the MX550's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head tests, and both go to the RTX 2080 Ti by wide margins.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2080 Ti scores 128,171 against the MX550's 20,372. That is a 529.2% advantage, meaning the 2080 Ti delivers more than six times the OpenCL compute throughput. This test stresses general-purpose GPU compute, and the results reflect the massive difference in shading units, memory bandwidth, and FP32 throughput. The MX550's 2.703 TFLOPS FP32 rate simply cannot match the 2080 Ti's 13.45 TFLOPS in a sustained compute workload.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap narrows slightly but remains overwhelming. The RTX 2080 Ti posts 132,930, while the MX550 scores 32,469. The delta is 309.4%, meaning the 2080 Ti is roughly four times faster in this graphics API workload. Vulkan is a lower-overhead API, so the MX550's relative performance improves somewhat, but the absolute gap is still enormous. The 2080 Ti's 136.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 420.2 GTexel/s texture rate dwarf the MX550's 21.12 GPixel/s and 42.24 GTexel/s, so it is no surprise that the rendering workloads favor the larger card.

Looking at the full benchmark suite for the 2080 Ti, its average benchmark score is 29,783, with a PassMark G3D score of 21,548 and a PassMark GPU Compute score of 10,056. The MX550's average benchmark score is 26,421, but this figure is computed from only two Geekbench tests. The percentile rankings are close, 75 for the 2080 Ti and 72 for the MX550, but this reflects the distribution of all GPUs in the database, not the direct comparison between these two parts. The nearest rivals for the 2080 Ti include the RTX 5070 Mobile (29,928, delta -0.5%), RTX 3070 Ti (29,945, delta -0.5%), and RX 6800 (30,095, delta -1%), placing it in a tight cluster of high-end cards. The MX550 sits near the Radeon 860M (26,401, delta 0.1%), RTX 5060 (26,331, delta 0.3%), and RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26,553, delta -0.5%), a very different competitive neighborhood.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the RTX 2080 Ti is the superior GPU by every measured metric. It wins both head-to-head tests, has more than five times the shading units, nearly six and a half times the memory bandwidth, and roughly five times the FP32 throughput. For any workload that appears in the database, the RTX 2080 Ti is the correct choice if raw performance is the sole criterion.

However, the MX550 is not a failed product; it is a different product class. Its 25 W TDP and IGP form factor make it suitable for thin-and-light portable devices where power draw and physical space are constrained. The RTX 2080 Ti's 250 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and 267 mm length make it physically incompatible with such systems. The MX550's 2 GB memory and 96.00 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for basic display output and light acceleration, whereas the 2080 Ti's 11 GB and 616.0 GB/s are designed for high-resolution gaming and professional rendering.

Pick the RTX 2080 Ti if the workload demands maximum compute or graphics throughput and the system can accommodate a 250 W dual-slot card with 2x 8-pin power connectors. Pick the MX550 if the platform is a portable device that needs a low-power integrated GPU with no external power and no dedicated cooling slot. The RTX 2080 Ti is end-of-life with a release date of 2018-09-19 and a launch MSRP of 999 USD; the MX550 is also end-of-life, released on 2021-12-16. Neither is a current-generation product, but the performance hierarchy is clear from the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 throughput?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti delivers 13.45 TFLOPS, while the MX550 delivers 2.703 TFLOPS. The 2080 Ti is roughly five times faster in this metric.

Q: Does the MX550 support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The database lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores for the MX550. The RTX 2080 Ti has 68 ray tracing cores and 544 tensor cores.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does each GPU have?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti has 616.0 GB/s of bandwidth on an 11 GB GDDR6 configuration with a 352-bit bus. The MX550 has 96.00 GB/s on a 2 GB GDDR6 configuration with a 64-bit bus.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti has a 250 W TDP and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested 600 W PSU. The MX550 has a 25 W TDP and uses no power connectors.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti ranks in the 75th percentile, while the MX550 ranks in the 72nd percentile. Despite the large score gap, the percentile difference is small because the MX550's scores are still competitive within its own segment.

Q: What is the memory clock difference?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti runs memory at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the MX550 runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective).

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 2080 Ti | MX550 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | TU102 | TU117SB |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 18,600 million | 4,700 million |

| Die Size | 754 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1350 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1545 MHz | 1320 MHz |

| Memory Size | 11 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 352 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 616.0 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 4352 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 272 | 32 |

| ROPs | 88 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 68 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 544 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 136.0 GPixel/s | 21.12 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 420.2 GTexel/s | 42.24 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 13.45 TFLOPS | 2.703 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 26.90 TFLOPS (2:1) | 2.703 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 25 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.4 |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Release Date | 2018-09-19 | 2021-12-16 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |

| Launch MSRP | 999 USD | None |