NVIDIA GeForce MX550 vs NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q Comparison

# NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q vs NVIDIA GeForce MX550: A Benchmark Database Comparison

The database comparison between the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 reveals two very different products with distinct architectural lineages and performance ceilings. The GRID M60-1Q is a datacenter-oriented graphics card built on the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, while the MX550 is a mobile laptop GPU based on the Turing architecture. The recorded benchmark data shows a clear separation in workload capability, with the MX550 taking the lead in the head-to-head Vulkan test, while the GRID M60-1Q remains competitive in its own specialized server environment. This analysis walks through the specifications, benchmark deltas, and use-case scenarios strictly from the database.

FAQ

Q: What is the architecture of the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q and the GeForce MX550?

A: The GRID M60-1Q is built on the GM204 chip using the Maxwell 2.0 architecture, produced on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The GeForce MX550 uses the TU117SB chip with the Turing architecture, fabricated at 12 nm, also by TSMC.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The GRID M60-1Q has 2048 shading units, while the MX550 has 1024 shading units. The GRID M60-1Q doubles the shading hardware of the MX550.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The GRID M60-1Q features 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 160.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing 96.00 GB/s. The GRID M60-1Q offers significantly higher memory bandwidth.

Q: Do these GPUs support modern APIs?

A: The GRID M60-1Q supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MX550 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both cards support the same modern API feature sets.

Q: What is the power profile of each card?

A: The GRID M60-1Q has a TDP of 225 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, one 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 550 W PSU. The MX550 has a 25 W TDP, uses an IGP slot width, requires no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU rating listed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between the two cards begins with the chip and process node. The GRID M60-1Q is built on the GM204 chip at TSMC's 28 nm node, packing 5,200 million transistors onto a 398 mm² die. The transistor density is 13.1 million per mm². The MX550 uses the TU117SB chip fabricated at TSMC's 12 nm node, containing 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, for a density of 23.5 million per mm². The MX550's process is denser, but the GRID chip's larger die area enables its higher raw transistor count.

Clock behavior follows a similar pattern. The GRID M60-1Q runs at a base clock of 557 MHz and boosts to 1178 MHz. The MX550 has a notably higher base clock of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1320 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the GRID card's memory runs at 1253 MHz with 5 Gbps effective, while the MX550's memory runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective. Those figures are consistent with the GRID's wider memory bus and higher bandwidth.

The execution resources are heavily skewed toward the GRID M60-1Q. It contains 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The MX550 includes 1024 shaders, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The GRID M60-1Q doubles the shading units and TMUs and quadruples the ROP count. Neither card carries ray tracing or tensor cores.

Fill rates underline the different roles. The GRID M60-1Q hits 75.39 GPixel/s and 150.8 GTexel/s. The MX550 is rated at 21.12 GPixel/s and 42.24 GTexel/s. The GRID M60-1Q has a 3.6x pixel rate advantage and a 3.6x texture rate advantage.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database has a single head-to-head result: the geekbench Vulkan test. The GRID M60-1Q scored 31,220, while the MX550 scored 32,469. The MX550 is 3.8% ahead of the GRID. This is the only direct comparison win in the MX550's column. The GRID M60-1Q, however, is ahead in the overall score against other near rivals, as expected in its workstation class.

The GRID M60-1Q's average benchmark across all recorded tests is 31,220, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The MX550 averages 26,421 across its tests, which is slightly above the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. The GRID is about 18% above the MX550 in average score, but the MX550 reverses that on the Vulkan test.

Nearest rivals for the GRID M60-1Q include the NVIDIA Quadro M5000, which averages 31,206 (0.0% delta); the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER at 31,087 (0.4% delta); the RTX 4500 PRO at 31,532 (-1% delta); and the TITAN RTX at 31,676 (-1.4% delta). The MX550 is closest to the AMD Radeon 860M, which averages 26,401 (0.1% delta); the GeForce RTX 5060 at 26,331 (0.3% delta); the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26,553 (-0.5% delta); and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 at 26,683 (-1% delta). These rivals mark the point where each card sits in the performance hierarchy.

Specification Differences

The table below summarizes the areas where the two cards differ. For identical fields, see the full specifications above.

| Field | NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q | NVIDIA GeForce MX550 |

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

| Chip | GM204 | TU117SB |

| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | Turing |

| Process | 28 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,200 million | 4,700 million |

| Die Size | 398 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.1M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 557 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1178 MHz | 1320 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 64 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 160.4 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 128 | 32 |

| ROPs | 64 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 75.39 GPixel/s | 21.12 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 150.8 GTexel/s | 42.24 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.825 TFLOPS | 2.703 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 225 W | 25 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

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

| Display Outputs | No outputs | Portable Device Dependent |

| Release Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2015-08-29 | 2021-12-16 |

The Verdict

From the measured data, the choice between these two cards is a question of workload and platform. For the GRID M60-1Q, the database paints a picture of a high-throughput compute card: 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, a 256-bit memory bus, and a 160.4 GB/s bandwidth. It is designed for server environments where rendering throughput is paramount. Its 225 W TDP and dual-slot width with an 8-pin connector, plus 550 W suggested PSU, confirm its datacenter pedigree. It also has no display outputs, which is expected for a server virtualization card.

The MX550 is a mobile part: 1024 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 64-bit memory bus, and 96 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 25 W TDP, IGP form factor, no power connectors, and display output dependent on the host laptop all point to an efficiency-oriented design for portable systems. Its higher base and boost clocks (1065 MHz/1320 MHz) partly offset its lower throughput.

Benchmark data backs that up. The MX550 wins the only Vulkan head-to-head test, beating the GRID M60-1Q by 3.8%. That means the MX550's Turing architecture with its fast clocks can outperform the GRID in a single workload. The GRID M60-1Q, however, is placed for throughput-heavy tasks: its larger shading unit count, wider memory bus, and higher fill rate are for high-resolution multi-display server workloads. The MX550 is for lightweight mobile graphics needs, where the GRID's datacenter features are moot. The data indicates that the GRID M60-1Q is the correct choice for a server render farm or virtualized desktop where raw FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth are the priority. The MX550 is the one for a laptop where power efficiency and portability matter, and where clock-for-clock gains in the Vulkan test can be exploited.

Where Each One Wins

The GRID M60-1Q wins if the workload is server-side, multi-user, or high-resolution rendering. The database shows it with 5,200 million transistors, a 398 mm² die, 2,048 shaders, 128 texture units, 64 ROPs, 256-bit bus, and 160.4 GB/s bandwidth. It is used in a virtual desktop infrastructure or cloud gaming, where raw throughput and memory bandwidth are vital. Its 2048 shading units and 160.4 GB/s bandwidth are designed for many simultaneous streams. Its 225 W TDP and 1x 8-pin power connector also indicate a fixed installation, not a mobile one.

The MX550 wins if the endpoint is a thin-and-light laptop and power efficiency and clock speed matter. It has 1024 shaders, 32 texture units, and 16 ROPs, but its higher clocks (1065 MHz base, 1320 MHz boost) allow it to win the Vulkan head-to-head test by 3.8%. Its 25W TDP and IGP form factor are for tight thermal envelopes. It is also suitable for a laptop where the GPU is in an eGPU enclosure or MXM slot, and the display is controlled by the host device. It is not a compute card.

The database is clear: the GRID M60-1Q is a server render card, the MX550 is a mobile render card. Choosing between them is more about matching the card to its host system than about overall performance. The GRID is the right tool for a virtualized server room; the MX550 is the right tool for a laptop that needs a solid Vulkan boost in a low-power package.