Intel Iris Graphics 550 Mobile

Benchmark Performance

The Intel Iris Graphics 550 Mobile occupies a peculiar position in the hardware landscape: its percentile rank against all GPUs sits at the 50th percentile, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack. This is not a score that suggests dominance, but rather a baseline of competence for an integrated solution. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1000 MHz, the iGPU’s performance ceiling is determined entirely by thermal headroom and system memory configuration, as the data shows no discrete benchmark scores to draw from.

The architecture is Generation 9.0, built on Intel’s 14 nm+ process node, with the chip designated as Skylake GT3e. The shading engine consists of 384 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and a notably small 6 ROPs. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 6.000 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 48.00 GTexel/s. The compute throughput is listed at 768.0 GFLOPS for FP32 operations, with FP16 performance doubling to 1.536 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio. These figures, while modest by discrete GPU standards, are coherent for an integrated part from the Skylake era. The data offers no nearest rivals or delta percentages, so the 50th percentile ranking must be interpreted in isolation: it indicates that half of all GPUs in the database perform worse, and half perform better, making this a median performer.

The lack of any benchmark scores in the fact pack means the 50th percentile is the sole quantitative anchor. Relative to the broader GPU market, this suggests that the Iris Graphics 550 Mobile is suited for light to moderate workloads—office productivity, media playback, and older or less demanding titles—rather than high-refresh-rate gaming or content creation. The boost clock of 1000 MHz is modest, and the FP32 output of 768.0 GFLOPS is roughly a tenth of what many entry-level discrete GPUs offered in the same period, based on the relative positioning implied by the percentile. The data indicates a part that was designed for efficiency and basic acceleration, not for breaking performance records.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Iris Graphics 550 Mobile does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores; both fields are null in the specification sheet. This is a decisive limitation for any modern workload that relies on hardware-accelerated ray tracing, such as real-time reflections or global illumination in contemporary game engines. The absence of tensor cores also means no hardware acceleration for AI-based upscaling or denoising features that have become standard in newer architectures.

The API support, however, is surprisingly robust for an integrated GPU of this vintage. The part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which includes feature level 12_1, encompassing conservative rasterization, rasterizer-ordered views, and other advanced rendering features. OpenGL 4.6 is supported, which is the latest version of that API and provides compatibility with a wide range of professional and creative applications. Vulkan 1.3 is also listed, which is a current-generation API version, offering low-overhead access to the GPU for developers and enabling modern cross-platform titles to run, albeit at reduced settings given the compute limits.

The feature set is therefore a dual-edged sword: the API support is forward-looking and will allow the GPU to launch modern applications and games, but the underlying hardware lacks the specialized cores needed to run those applications at high fidelity. The 384 shading units will handle traditional rasterization, but any ray-traced effect will fall back to compute shaders, which would be prohibitively slow given the 768.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput. Users should expect to disable ray tracing entirely on this part, and the lack of tensor cores means no DLSS-style upscaling is available to compensate for the low raw performance.

Memory Subsystem

The memory configuration for the Iris Graphics 550 Mobile is entirely system-dependent. The size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," meaning the iGPU borrows from the host system's RAM rather than having dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is similarly listed as "System Dependent," which means performance will vary wildly based on whether the laptop is configured with single-channel or dual-channel memory, and the speed of the installed RAM modules.

This is the most critical bottleneck for the part. With no dedicated memory, the 6 ROPs and 48 TMUs are entirely reliant on system memory bandwidth to feed them. In a dual-channel configuration with high-speed DDR4, the memory bandwidth could be sufficient for the modest compute throughput of 768.0 GFLOPS. In a single-channel configuration, the bandwidth would be halved, and the GPU would likely be starved, leading to stuttering and reduced frame rates in any 3D workload. The pixel rate of 6.000 GPixel/s and texture rate of 48.00 GTexel/s are theoretical maxima that will only be approached with adequate memory bandwidth.

For high resolutions, this is a severe limitation. The "System Shared" memory pool is also used by the operating system and applications, so under heavy load, the GPU may have to contend with the CPU for memory access. This contention can lead to unpredictable performance dips. The data suggests that the Iris Graphics 550 Mobile is best suited for 1080p or lower resolutions, where the bandwidth requirements are less demanding. At 1440p or 4K, the memory subsystem would likely become the limiting factor, causing the already modest compute performance to degrade further.

Power and Cooling

The thermal design power (TDP) for the Iris Graphics 550 Mobile is 15 W. This is a low figure, indicative of an integrated solution that shares its power budget with the CPU die. The slot width is listed as "IGP," confirming that this is an integrated graphics processor, not a discrete card. There are no power connectors listed, and no suggested PSU, which is expected for an IGP that draws power from the motherboard's CPU socket.

The 15 W TDP is a significant advantage in terms of thermal management. The data indicates that this part can be cooled by a simple heatpipe and fan solution, or even passively in some ultra-thin designs. The low power draw means that laptops equipped with this GPU will typically run cool and quiet under load, with no risk of thermal throttling in a well-designed chassis. The absence of power connectors also simplifies system integration, as no additional cabling is required.

For a laptop user, the 15 W TDP is a key selling point. It allows for thinner and lighter designs with longer battery life compared to systems with discrete GPUs. The trade-off is performance, as the 15 W budget is shared with the CPU, meaning that sustained workloads will see the GPU and CPU competing for power. The data shows a part that prioritizes efficiency over absolute performance, making it ideal for users who need basic graphics acceleration without the bulk and power demands of a discrete solution.

Who Should Consider It

Given its 50th percentile ranking, the absence of ray tracing cores, and a system-dependent memory subsystem, the Iris Graphics 550 Mobile is a part for specific use cases. The data suggests it is appropriate for users who primarily engage in productivity tasks—word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing, and video streaming. For these workloads, the 384 shading units and DirectX 12_1 support provide smooth acceleration for UI rendering and video decode.

For gaming, the part is best suited to esports titles and older games at 1080p with low to medium settings. The FP32 throughput of 768.0 GFLOPS and the 6.000 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for games that are not graphically intensive. However, the 50th percentile ranking indicates that a significant portion of the GPU market will outperform it, so users should temper expectations for modern AAA titles, which will likely require reduced resolution and detail settings to maintain playable frame rates. The lack of ray tracing cores means that any game with mandatory ray tracing should be avoided entirely.

The 15 W TDP and IGP form factor make this an ideal choice for users who prioritize portability and battery life over raw performance. It is suitable for students, business professionals, or anyone who needs a laptop for general use and light entertainment. The Vulkan 1.3 and OpenGL 4.6 support also make it viable for basic 3D modeling or CAD work, provided the models are not overly complex. In short, the benchmark percentile and feature set indicate a part for users who need a capable integrated GPU for everyday tasks, not for those seeking a gaming or content creation powerhouse.