AMD Radeon 550X Mobile

Benchmark Performance

The AMD Radeon 550X Mobile occupies a peculiar position in the mobile graphics landscape. Based on the Polaris 23 chip built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, this GPU integrates 2,200 million transistors across a 103 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 21.4M per mm². The silicon packs 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units, which together deliver a peak FP32 throughput of 1,385.0 GFLOPS. This raw compute figure is identical to its FP16 output, indicating a 1:1 ratio that was typical for GCN 4.0 architecture parts.

Benchmark results place this GPU at the 50th percentile among all GPUs tracked in the database, meaning it sits exactly at the median of the performance distribution. The average benchmark score is listed as zero, which suggests that no standardized benchmark runs have been recorded for this specific mobile part. However, the architectural specifications allow for meaningful extrapolation. The pixel rate of 17.31 GPixel/s and texture rate of 43.28 GTexel/s indicate a part designed for entry-level 1080p gaming rather than high-refresh or high-resolution workloads.

The clock behavior is notable: memory operates at 1000 MHz with 4 Gbps effective data rate, but base and boost clocks for the GPU core are not specified in the available data. This absence of core clock figures is unusual and suggests that the mobile implementation may have variable clocking depending on the laptop's thermal design. The 50 W TDP classifies this as a low-power part, appropriate for thin-and-light notebooks where thermal headroom is limited.

Compared to the broader GPU market, the 50th percentile ranking indicates this is neither a standout performer nor a laggard. It is a median solution, which in practical terms means it should handle esports titles and older AAA games at modest settings, but it will struggle with modern demanding titles at high detail levels. The GCN 4.0 architecture provides DirectX 12 (12_0) support, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, ensuring broad API compatibility with contemporary software.

Who Should Consider It

Given the 2 GB GDDR5 memory allocation and 32.00 GB/s bandwidth, the Radeon 550X Mobile is best suited for users with modest gaming expectations. The 64-bit memory bus is a clear bottleneck for memory-intensive workloads, limiting effective throughput to 32.00 GB/s. At 1080p resolution, this GPU can reasonably handle esports titles like League of Legends or Counter-Strike at medium settings, where the 1,385.0 GFLOPS compute capability is sufficient for frame rates in the playable range.

For users who prioritize portability and battery life over gaming performance, the 50 W TDP makes this an attractive option in thin-and-light laptops. The IGP slot width and lack of power connectors indicate this is a soldered, integrated-style solution that requires no additional power cabling, simplifying laptop design. The PCIe 3.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU's capabilities, though it may slightly limit performance in bandwidth-sensitive scenarios compared to x16 implementations.

Users who intend to play recent AAA titles at high settings should look elsewhere. The combination of 2 GB VRAM and 32.00 GB/s bandwidth will cause texture thrashing and stuttering in games that require more memory or higher bandwidth. At 1440p or 4K resolutions, the 17.31 GPixel/s fill rate becomes a severe limitation, making these resolutions impractical for gaming. However, for productivity tasks, video playback, and light photo editing, the GPU offers sufficient acceleration.

The 14 nm process node and 2,200 million transistor count suggest reasonable power efficiency for the era, but the architecture lacks modern features like ray tracing or dedicated tensor cores, which are absent from the specifications. Users requiring these capabilities will need to consider more recent GPUs.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK lists no nearest rivals for this GPU, which is itself informative. The absence of comparable benchmarks in the database suggests that the Radeon 550X Mobile occupies a niche segment with few direct competitors. This could be due to its end-of-life production status, having been released on April 10, 2018, and subsequently discontinued.

Without direct rival data, the 50th percentile ranking provides the only comparative anchor. This places it above the bottom quartile of GPUs but well below top-tier mobile solutions. The predecessor "Gem System" and successor "Navi Mobile" are named but lack specification details, preventing direct generational comparisons.

For users considering this GPU versus integrated graphics solutions, the dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory provides a distinct advantage over shared memory implementations. However, without specific rival scores, quantifying this advantage is impossible from the available data.

The lack of benchmark scores in the database means that real-world performance comparisons must be inferred from architectural specifications. The 640 shading units and 40 TMUs suggest this GPU is positioned similarly to other entry-level Polaris derivatives, but precise deltas cannot be calculated.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the Radeon 550X Mobile?

A: The GPU features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing 32.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory operates at 1000 MHz with a 4 Gbps effective data rate.

Q: Does this GPU support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, making it compatible with current software titles.

Q: What is the power consumption of this GPU?

A: The TDP is rated at 50 W, which is suitable for thin-and-light laptops. It requires no power connectors and has a slot width of IGP.

Q: When was this GPU released and is it still in production?

A: The release date is April 10, 2018, and the production status is listed as end-of-life, meaning it is no longer manufactured.

Q: What is the manufacturing process for this GPU?

A: It is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with a die size of 103 mm² and 2,200 million transistors.

Q: What is the peak fill rate of this GPU?

A: The pixel rate is 17.31 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 43.28 GTexel/s, derived from the 16 ROPs and 40 TMUs respectively.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the Radeon 550X Mobile is defined by its 2 GB GDDR5 capacity, 64-bit bus width, and 32.00 GB/s bandwidth. These specifications form a coherent picture of a budget-oriented mobile GPU that prioritizes cost and power efficiency over raw memory throughput.

The 64-bit memory bus is the most significant constraint in this subsystem. Compared to wider buses found in higher-tier GPUs, this narrow interface limits the amount of data that can be transferred between the GPU core and memory in a given clock cycle. The effective 4 Gbps memory speed partially compensates for the narrow bus, but the resulting 32.00 GB/s bandwidth is modest by contemporary standards.

For high-resolution gaming, this bandwidth limitation manifests as texture pop-in, reduced draw distances, and frame pacing issues in memory-intensive scenes. At 1080p, the 2 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for moderate texture quality settings, but games that exceed this allocation will force the GPU to swap data through the PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, which introduces latency and stuttering.

The memory clock of 1000 MHz, translating to 4 Gbps effective, is a moderate speed for GDDR5. This is not a high-performance overclocked configuration, but it aligns with the 50 W TDP and the GPU's overall positioning. The 2 GB capacity, while minimal by modern standards, was appropriate for the 2018 release timeframe and allows for basic 1080p gaming with reduced texture settings.

Bandwidth-bound scenarios, such as 4K texture packs or compute workloads that stream large datasets, will expose the limitations of the 32.00 GB/s throughput. The 16 ROPs, producing a 17.31 GPixel/s fill rate, further constrain high-resolution performance, as pixel throughput cannot compensate for memory limitations. For users who primarily game at 1080p with modest settings, this memory subsystem is adequate; for anything more demanding, it becomes the primary bottleneck.