NVIDIA GeForce MX550 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two GPUs into entirely different performance classes, and the benchmark results reflect that gap without exception. Across the two shared head-to-head measurements, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti takes both wins, leaving the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 without a single victory in any recorded comparison.

For compute-oriented workloads, the RTX 3070 Ti dominates. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 119718 against the MX550's 20372, a delta of 487.7%. That is not a marginal advantage; it is a categorical leap. The MX550's score places it in a completely different tier, one where the RTX 3070 Ti's raw shading power simply overwhelms the smaller chip.

Vulkan performance tells a similar story. The RTX 3070 Ti records 139541 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the MX550 manages 32469, a delta of 329.8%. Again, the RTX 3070 Ti wins outright, and the margin is so large that the MX550 cannot be considered a competitor in any modern graphics API workload.

The MX550's only recorded wins are absent: it has zero wins in the database. Its average benchmark score of 26421 places it near the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, delta 0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (26331, delta 0.3%), meaning it trades blows with those parts. The RTX 3070 Ti, by contrast, sits at an average of 29945, which is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29928) and 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2080 Ti (29783). These rival comparisons show the RTX 3070 Ti belongs to a much higher performance band, one where the MX550's numbers are simply not relevant.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and use different manufacturing processes. The RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm node. The MX550 uses the Turing architecture with the TU117SB chip, built on TSMC's 12 nm process. This is a two-generation gap in NVIDIA's lineup, and it shows in nearly every specification.

The RTX 3070 Ti packs 17,400 million transistors into a 392 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². The MX550 has 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, for a density of 23.5M per mm². The RTX 3070 Ti has nearly four times the transistor count and a die that is roughly twice the size, but the density advantage means it crams far more logic into each square millimeter.

Memory configuration differs completely. The RTX 3070 Ti uses 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256 bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64 bit bus, with 96.00 GB/s. That is a massive bandwidth gap, which directly feeds the performance differences seen in benchmarks. The RTX 3070 Ti also has more of every execution unit: 6144 shading units versus 1024, 192 texture mapping units versus 32, and 96 raster output units versus 16.

Feature support diverges as well. The RTX 3070 Ti includes 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, while the MX550 has no recorded RT or tensor core counts. The RTX 3070 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the MX550 only reaches DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the RTX 3070 Ti's API tier is one level higher, which matters for newer titles and advanced rendering features.

Power and physical design differ enormously. The RTX 3070 Ti is a dual-slot card with a 290 W TDP, a 1x 12-pin power connector, and a suggested 600 W PSU. It measures 267 mm in length and 112 mm in height. The MX550 is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 25 W TDP, no power connector, and no recorded dimensions. It is designed for laptops and compact systems, while the RTX 3070 Ti is a full-size desktop card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these GPUs, and both are won by the RTX 3070 Ti by margins that are almost absurd in context. Starting with Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 119718. The MX550 scores 20372. The delta is 487.7%, meaning the RTX 3070 Ti is nearly six times faster in this compute test. This is not a close race; it is a measurement that confirms the MX550 is built for light workloads, while the RTX 3070 Ti is a high-end desktop part.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 139541, and the MX550 scores 32469. The delta is 329.8%. The RTX 3070 Ti is more than four times faster here. Vulkan is a lower-level API that scales well with raw hardware resources, so the RTX 3070 Ti's larger shader count, higher bandwidth, and newer architecture all contribute to this outcome.

These two results are the only head-to-head data points, but they are decisive. The RTX 3070 Ti wins both, and the margins are so large that there is no scenario in the recorded data where the MX550 closes the gap. For the MX550, its average benchmark score of 26421 places it within 0.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (26331) and 0.1% of the AMD Radeon 860M (26401), which gives context to its actual performance tier. The RTX 3070 Ti, with an average of 29945, is in the same neighborhood as the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30095, delta -0.5%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (29783, delta 0.5%), a far higher class.

The Verdict

The data draws a clear line: the RTX 3070 Ti is a high-performance desktop GPU, and the MX550 is a low-power mobile part. Anyone building a desktop system with room for a dual-slot card and a 600 W PSU should pick the RTX 3070 Ti. Its 8 GB of GDDR6X memory, 608.3 GB/s bandwidth, and 6144 shading units make it suitable for demanding gaming and compute workloads. It outperforms the MX550 by 487.7% in OpenCL and 329.8% in Vulkan, which is not a contest.

The MX550 is for ultra-portable laptops where power draw is the primary constraint. Its 25 W TDP and IGP form factor mean it can fit into thin devices, but its 2 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64 bit bus limits it to light tasks. Its average score of 26421 puts it in line with integrated graphics like the AMD Radeon 860M (26401), so it is not a discrete gaming powerhouse. It wins nothing in the head-to-head data, and its performance is roughly a quarter to a fifth of the RTX 3070 Ti's in the two measured tests.

For gamers or creators who need raw performance, the RTX 3070 Ti is the only choice. For users who need a basic GPU in a small, low-power laptop, the MX550 exists, but the recorded benchmarks show it cannot handle workloads that the RTX 3070 Ti processes with ease. The percentile data reinforces this: the RTX 3070 Ti sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs, while the MX550 sits at the 72nd percentile. That gap may seem small, but the absolute scores tell the real story: the RTX 3070 Ti averages 29945, while the MX550 averages 26421, a difference of roughly 13% in average score, despite the MX550's rivals being entirely different parts.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3070 Ti in OpenCL compute?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti scores 119718 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the MX550 scores 20372. That is a delta of 487.7%, meaning the RTX 3070 Ti is nearly six times faster.

Q: Does the MX550 win any benchmark against the RTX 3070 Ti?

A: No. In the two recorded head-to-head tests, Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 3070 Ti wins both. The MX550 has zero wins in the database.

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256 bit bus with 608.3 GB/s bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64 bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The MX550 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which is one tier lower.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has a 290 W TDP, a dual-slot design, and a suggested 600 W PSU. The MX550 has a 25 W TDP, an IGP form factor, and no power connector.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each GPU?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, while the MX550 has an average of 26421. The RTX 3070 Ti sits at the 75th percentile, and the MX550 sits at the 72nd percentile.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce MX550 |

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

| Architecture | Ampere | Turing |

| Process Node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 12 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 17,400 million | 4,700 million |

| Die Size | 392 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 44.4M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1575 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1770 MHz | 1320 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 608.3 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 6144 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 192 | 32 |

| ROPs | 96 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 48 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 192 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 169.9 GPixel/s | 21.12 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 339.8 GTexel/s | 42.24 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 21.75 TFLOPS | 2.703 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 290 W | 25 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 12-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | None |

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

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

| Release Date | 2021-05-30 | 2021-12-16 |