Quadro M520 vs Radeon HD 6550A

When comparing Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 6550A, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 6550A is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Quadro M520 is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Quadro M520 is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Quadro M520 here:

Main Specs

  Quadro M520 Radeon HD 6550A
Power consumption (TDP) 25 Watt 35 Watt
Interface MXM-A (3.0)
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR3
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs
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  • Radeon HD 6550A has 40% more power consumption, than Quadro M520.
  • Quadro M520 and Radeon HD 6550A have maximum RAM of 2 GB.
  • Quadro M520 is used in Mobile workstations, and Radeon HD 6550A - in Desktops.
  • Quadro M520 is build with Maxwell architecture, and Radeon HD 6550A - with TeraScale 2.
  • Core clock speed of Quadro M520 is 206 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6550A.
  • Quadro M520 is manufactured by 28 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 6550A - by 40 nm process technology.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 9−10 0−1
ultra / 1080p 5−6
QHD / 1440p 0−1 0−1
low / 720p 21−24 1−2
medium / 1080p 12−14 0−1
The average gaming FPS of Quadro M520 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 2100% more, than Radeon HD 6550A.

Full Specs

  Quadro M520 Radeon HD 6550A
Architecture Maxwell TeraScale 2
Code name Pinewood
Type Mobile workstation Desktop
Release date 13 January 2017 7 February 2011
Pipelines 384 480
Core clock speed 756 MHz 550 MHz
Boost Clock 1019 MHz
Transistor count 627 million
Manufacturing process technology 28 nm 40 nm
Texture fill rate 13.20
Floating-point performance 624.0 gflops
Memory bus width 64 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 1600 MHz
Memory bandwidth 40 GB/s 25.6 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 11.2 (11_0)
Shader Model 5.0 5.0
OpenGL 4.5 4.4
OpenCL 1.2
Vulkan N/A
Laptop size medium sized
Optimus +
nView Display Management +
3D Stereo +
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