GeForce 820A vs GeForce GT 550M

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 820A vs GeForce GT 550M FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 820A vs GeForce GT 550M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 820A

2014

Why buy it

✅38.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.6 vs 0 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Draws 33W instead of 50W, a 17W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2014 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

GeForce GT 550M

2013

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce 820A across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2013 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.6 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
❌51.5% higher power demand at 50W vs 33W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 820A is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 38.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GT 550M instead at 561 vs 556, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce 820A is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a newer 2014 generation instead of 2013. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 820A makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

GeForce 820A vs GeForce GT 550M Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

GeForce 820A

The GeForce 820A is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 22 2014. It features the Maxwell architecture. The core clock ranges from 1082 MHz to 1150 MHz. It has 256 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 33W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 556 points.

GeForce GT 550M

The GeForce GT 550M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 25 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 980 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 561 points.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce 820A scores 556 and the GeForce GT 550M reaches 561 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 820A is built on Maxwell while the GeForce GT 550M uses Kepler, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 256 (GeForce 820A) vs 384 (GeForce GT 550M). Raw compute: 0.5888 TFLOPS (GeForce 820A) vs 0.7526 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 550M).

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
G3D Mark Score	556	561
Architecture	Maxwell	Kepler
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	256	384+50%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.5888 TFLOPS	0.7526 TFLOPS+28%
ROPs	8	16+100%
TMUs	16	32+100%
L1 Cache	128 KB+300%	32 KB
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	Upscaling support
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 820A has 512 MB of VRAM, while the GeForce GT 550M carries 1 GB. GeForce GT 550M gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 820A and 128-bit on the GeForce GT 550M. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce 820A) vs 0.25 MB (GeForce GT 550M) — the GeForce 820A has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	1 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	0.25 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (11_0) (GeForce 820A) vs 11.0 (GeForce GT 550M). Vulkan: N/A vs None. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.0. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 1.

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
DirectX	12 (11_0)+9%	11.0
Vulkan	N/A	None
OpenGL	4.6+15%	4.0
Max Displays	2+100%	1

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: N/A (GeForce 820A) vs No (GeForce GT 550M). Decoder: PureVideo HD (VP5) vs PureVideo HD VP4. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce 820A) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP (GeForce GT 550M).

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
Encoder	N/A	No
Decoder	PureVideo HD (VP5)	PureVideo HD VP4
Codecs	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1,MPEG-4 ASP

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 820A draws 33W versus the GeForce GT 550M's 50W — a 41% difference. The GeForce 820A is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 820A) vs 350W (GeForce GT 550M). Power connectors: Legacy vs PCIe-powered. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 70 vs 85°C.

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
TDP	33W-34%	50W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	0mm
Height	0mm	0mm
Slots	0	0
Temp (Load)	70-18%	85°C
Perf/Watt	16.8+50%	11.2

💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is GeForce 820A (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	GeForce 820A	GeForce GT 550M
MSRP	$100	—
Codename	GM108	GK107
Release	July 22 2014	June 25 2013
Ranking	#832	#726

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