NVIDIA GeForce MX550 vs NVIDIA TITAN RTX Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN RTX has an average benchmark score of 31,676, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26,421. The TITAN RTX sits at the 76th percentile among all GPUs, and the MX550 sits at the 72nd percentile.

Q: How does the TITAN RTX compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The TITAN RTX is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (avg score 31,532), 0.7% behind the Intel Arc Pro A30M (avg score 31,894), and 1.5% ahead of both the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (avg score 31,220) and NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (avg score 31,206).

Q: What is the GeForce MX550's position relative to its closest competitors?

A: The MX550 is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 860M (avg score 26,401), 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (avg score 26,331), 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (avg score 26,553), and 1% behind the NVIDIA RTX A4000 (avg score 26,683).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN RTX has 4,608 shading units, compared to 1,024 on the NVIDIA GeForce MX550.

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

A: No. The MX550 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed in the database. The TITAN RTX, by contrast, has 72 ray tracing cores and 576 tensor cores.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The TITAN RTX has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on NVIDIA's Turing architecture and manufactured by TSMC on a 12 nm process, but they diverge sharply in scale and capability. The TITAN RTX uses the TU102 chip, a large design with 18,600 million transistors on a 754 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.7M per mm². The MX550 uses the TU117SB chip, with 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die and a density of 23.5M per mm². The TITAN RTX is nearly four times larger in transistor count and significantly larger in physical area.

The TITAN RTX belongs to the GeForce 20 generation, while the MX550 belongs to the GeForce MX (5xx) generation. The TITAN RTX features dedicated ray tracing cores (72) and tensor cores (576), enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads. The MX550 has neither, meaning it lacks these specialized units entirely. This architectural gap affects not only raw performance but also feature support: the TITAN RTX supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the MX550 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The TITAN RTX also differs in memory architecture. It uses 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, while the MX550 uses 2 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus. The TITAN RTX's memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the MX550's runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The resulting bandwidth difference is substantial: 672.0 GB/s versus 96.00 GB/s.

The TITAN RTX's compute resources are correspondingly larger. It has 4,608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The MX550 has 1,024 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. These differences directly translate into pixel and texture throughput: the TITAN RTX achieves 169.9 GPixel/s and 509.8 GTexel/s, while the MX550 achieves 21.12 GPixel/s and 42.24 GTexel/s.

The FP32 compute figures reflect the same gap. The TITAN RTX delivers 16.31 TFLOPS, while the MX550 delivers 2.703 TFLOPS. Notably, the TITAN RTX's FP16 throughput is 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), whereas the MX550's FP16 is identical to its FP32 at 2.703 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). This means the TITAN RTX can double its throughput for half-precision workloads, while the MX550 cannot.

Power and physical design also differ. The TITAN RTX has a TDP of 280 W, uses dual-slot cooling, and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested 600 W PSU. The MX550 has a TDP of 25 W, is an integrated-class IGP, and requires no power connectors. The TITAN RTX measures 267 mm in length, 116 mm in height, and 35 mm in width, while the MX550 has no listed dimensions. The TITAN RTX uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the MX550 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs also differ: the TITAN RTX offers 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the MX550's outputs are described as portable device dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear split in use cases. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX is designed for high-end desktop workloads where maximum compute throughput and memory capacity matter. Its 24 GB framebuffer, 672.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 16.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance make it suited for large datasets, complex rendering scenes, and compute-heavy applications. The presence of 72 ray tracing cores and 576 tensor cores further extends its reach into ray-traced rendering and machine learning inference.

The NVIDIA GeForce MX550, by contrast, targets thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is the priority. Its 25 W TDP means it can operate without auxiliary power connectors, and its IGP slot width indicates it is integrated into a portable system. The MX550's 2 GB memory and 64-bit bus are modest, but they allow for basic graphics acceleration in everyday productivity and light media tasks. Its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is newer than the TITAN RTX's PCIe 3.0 x16, but the bandwidth advantage of the newer standard does not compensate for the massive difference in core count and memory width.

The head-to-head benchmark data shows the TITAN RTX winning both recorded tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the TITAN RTX scores 144,858 versus 20,372 for the MX550, a lead of 611.1%. In Geekbench Vulkan, the TITAN RTX scores 136,073 versus 32,469, a lead of 319.1%. These are not close contests; they reflect fundamentally different performance tiers. The MX550's wins would come in scenarios the database does not measure, such as battery-powered operation or compact chassis integration, but the recorded data only shows the TITAN RTX winning.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The TITAN RTX uses the TU102 chip, while the MX550 uses the TU117SB. The TITAN RTX is from the GeForce 20 generation; the MX550 is from the GeForce MX (5xx) generation. The TITAN RTX has 18,600 million transistors on a 754 mm² die; the MX550 has 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. Transistor density is similar at 24.7M per mm² versus 23.5M per mm².

Clock speeds differ: the TITAN RTX has a base clock of 1350 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, while the MX550 has a base clock of 1065 MHz and boost clock of 1320 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity and bus width are major differentiators. The TITAN RTX has 24 GB GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth. The MX550 has 2 GB GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute resource counts differ sharply: 4,608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 96 ROPs for the TITAN RTX; 1,024 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs for the MX550. The TITAN RTX has 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores; the MX550 has none.

Pixel and texture rates differ: 169.9 GPixel/s and 509.8 GTexel/s for the TITAN RTX; 21.12 GPixel/s and 42.24 GTexel/s for the MX550. FP32 throughput is 16.31 TFLOPS versus 2.703 TFLOPS. FP16 throughput is 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 2.703 TFLOPS (1:1).

TDP differs: 280 W versus 25 W. The TITAN RTX is dual-slot with 2x 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 600 W PSU; the MX550 is an IGP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU. The TITAN RTX uses PCIe 3.0 x16; the MX550 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C for the TITAN RTX, versus portable device dependent for the MX550.

DirectX support differs: 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The TITAN RTX has dimensions of 267 mm by 116 mm by 35 mm; the MX550 has no listed dimensions. The TITAN RTX has a launch MSRP of 2,499 USD; the MX550 has none listed. Release dates differ: the TITAN RTX was released on 2018-12-17, while the MX550 was released on 2021-12-16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head benchmark tests between these GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX wins both.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the TITAN RTX scores 144,858 against the MX550's 20,372. This is a delta of 611.1%, meaning the TITAN RTX is over seven times faster in this compute-oriented workload. This enormous gap aligns with the underlying specifications: the TITAN RTX has 4.5 times the shading units, 9 times the TMUs, 6 times the ROPs, and 7 times the memory bandwidth. The OpenCL test exercises raw compute throughput, and the TITAN RTX's 16.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance dominates the MX550's 2.703 TFLOPS.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the TITAN RTX scores 136,073 against the MX550's 32,469. The delta is 319.1%, meaning the TITAN RTX is roughly four times faster. The Vulkan test also stresses graphics and compute capabilities, but the smaller delta compared to OpenCL suggests the MX550's architecture handles the Vulkan workload relatively better. Still, the TITAN RTX's advantage remains overwhelming.

The wins tally is 2 for the TITAN RTX and 0 for the MX550. There are no benchmark tests in the database where the MX550 outperforms the TITAN RTX.

Beyond the head-to-head tests, the average benchmark scores reinforce the gap. The TITAN RTX averages 31,676 across all recorded benchmarks, while the MX550 averages 26,421. The TITAN RTX's percentile ranking is 76th versus 72nd for the MX550, placing both in the upper range of all GPUs but with the TITAN RTX clearly ahead. The TITAN RTX also has a much broader benchmark footprint: it has recorded scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, Geekbench Vulkan, and multiple PassMark tests (DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute). The MX550 only has recorded scores in Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA TITAN RTX is in a completely different performance class than the NVIDIA GeForce MX550. In the only two directly comparable benchmarks, the TITAN RTX leads by 611.1% in OpenCL and 319.1% in Vulkan. Its average benchmark score is 31,676 versus 26,421, and it holds a higher percentile ranking. The TITAN RTX offers 24 GB of memory, 4,608 shading units, 72 RT cores, and 576 tensor cores, making it a viable choice for demanding rendering, compute, and AI workloads. Its 280 W TDP and dual-slot design reflect a desktop-class component requiring a substantial power supply.

The MX550, with 2 GB of memory, 1,024 shading units, and no RT or tensor cores, is positioned as a low-power mobile solution. Its 25 W TDP and IGP form factor mean it can operate in thin laptops without external power. It is not competitive with the TITAN RTX in any recorded benchmark, but its existence serves a different purpose: enabling basic graphics performance in portable devices where the TITAN RTX physically cannot fit and electrically cannot be powered.

Users seeking maximum compute performance, ray tracing capability, or large memory capacity should choose the TITAN RTX. Users who prioritize portability, low power consumption, and integrated operation should choose the MX550, accepting its far lower performance. The recorded data shows no scenario where the MX550 wins on performance grounds, so the decision rests entirely on form factor and power constraints rather than benchmark results.