GeForce 6500 vs RADEON 9550

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 6500 vs RADEON 9550 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 6500 vs RADEON 9550: 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 6500

2012

Why buy it

✅+8.6% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Costs $29 less on MSRP ($100 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.4 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌30% higher power demand at 65W vs 50W.

RADEON 9550

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 65W, a 15W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (35 vs 38).
❌2017 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
29% HIGHER MSRP
$129 MSRPvs$100 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.3 vs 0.4 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

GeForce 6500 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 8.6% in PassMark G3D (38 vs 35), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

GeForce 6500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

GeForce 6500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $29 cheaper on MSRP at $100 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 40.1% (0.4 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce 6500 vs RADEON 9550 Technical Specifications

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

GeForce 6500

The GeForce 6500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 6 2012. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 1058 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 65W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 38 points. Launch price was $109.

RADEON 9550

The RADEON 9550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35 points. Launch price was $79.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce 6500 scores 38 versus the RADEON 9550's 35 — the GeForce 6500 leads by 8.6%. The GeForce 6500 is built on Kepler while the RADEON 9550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce 6500) vs 512 (RADEON 9550). Raw compute: 0.8125 TFLOPS (GeForce 6500) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON 9550).

Feature	GeForce 6500	RADEON 9550
G3D Mark Score	38+9%	35
Architecture	Kepler	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	384	512+33%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.8125 TFLOPS	1.211 TFLOPS+49%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	32	32
L1 Cache	32 KB	128 KB+300%
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 6500 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The RADEON 9550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce 6500	RADEON 9550
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 256 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce 6500 and 64-bit on the RADEON 9550.

Feature	GeForce 6500	RADEON 9550
VRAM Capacity	0.25 GB	0.25 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 6500 draws 65W versus the RADEON 9550's 50W — a 26.1% difference. The RADEON 9550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 6500) vs 350W (RADEON 9550). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	GeForce 6500	RADEON 9550
TDP	65W	50W-23%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	168mm	—
Height	100mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	65°C	—
Perf/Watt	0.6	0.7+17%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 6500 came in at $100, while the RADEON 9550 launched at $129. On MSRP, GeForce 6500 was 22.5% cheaper ($29 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (GeForce 6500) vs 0.3 (RADEON 9550) — the GeForce 6500 offers 33.3% better value. The newer card here is RADEON 9550 (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	GeForce 6500	RADEON 9550
MSRP	$100-22%	$129
Performance per Dollar	0.4+33%	0.3
Codename	GK107	Lexa
Release	September 6 2012	April 20 2017
Ranking	#719	#668

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